8/08/2009
When verbal acrobatics rule the day
When monk tries to justify a high living lifestyle of a millionaire as acceptable in present day, when words were twisted or given new meanings to justify the unjustifiable to the point of being deceitful, it won't last very long when the truth will come crashing down on the philanderers.
The people were told to live within their means, buy things only if they can afford while on the other hand people wanting to raise their million dollar salary because a Lamborghini is now priced beyond their reach. What kind of logic are we led to believe in?
Put it in simple layman lingo, if you have $1, find what $1 can buy and be happy with it, you losers. But for me, when my toy is now $2m instead of $1m, I want my salary raise to get my toy. Get it? That is my logic. This is the meaning of affordability to me. I make my income affordable, to buy anything I want. For the losers, your income is fixed and you get what it can get for you.
The meaning of affordable is being stretched, logically of course, to mean different things to different people. It is like shifting the goal post every year, today here tomorrow there.
Let's see how this twisted definition of affordable means over time. Once, a 3 room flat can be paid up with a mortgage of 10 years by a single income worker. That was affordable. Then it needs a 20 year mortgage. A new kind of affordable definition.
Without realising it, the meaning of affordable becomes a 20 year mortgage to be paid by 2 incomes. And it went on to a 30 year mortgage with 2 incomes. Still affordable, sure, correct sir.
Soon affordability will be defined by 2 incomes from two generations or 4 incomes, including the parent's incomes to buy a 3 room flat. It will still affordable.
What else is new?
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13 comments:
Hi Redbean,
Good morning Uncle. How is your "granddaughter"?
How was the ostrich farm and the hen house when I was away yesterday afternoon at the golf course? Be careful, what you see is not what you WILL get! Take this friendly advice from another but very experienced uncle. Hehe.
Prices have to go up in line with inflationary trends so griping about this is going to be counterproductive. The right approach is to earn more so you can afford more instead of twiddling your thumb and hope that coconuts will fall onto your lap. There is an interesting rebuttal to discontented and unhappy Singaporeans like yourself from Canadian Mr.Brooks. Read it here
Get a life Man!
Now for brunch at the Ritz Carlton Millenia.
hi wally, you seem to be playing more golf than me now. how's your handicap? should be pretty good by now.
Hi Redbean,
You shldn't pay too much attention to this chap. People pitching tent in Changi beach to spend the wkend, you know what I mean, can't afford to play golf. He's bullshiting all the way.
Enjoy your posts.
I have the same conclusion as Anon 1.20pm. Not everybody can be fooled all the time. He is probably one of the cybertroopers being paid to shoot through his arsehole.
But just enjoy the bullshitting lah!
aiyah redbean,
if people lived within their means and did not have desires to own 'stuff' so that they could validate themselves, stick one up their friends and stroke their egos, the whole economhy would collapse.
The idea of 'affordability' is far too subjective to have any rational discussion. The default is to always complain that certain aspects of life are too expensive. What does this mean? Absolutely nothing in 'reality'. The whole idea is in people's minds, not reality itself.
People like to own stuff and do stuff they enjoying doing. Sooner or later, to own or do stuff you like requires payment. Everything of value is paid for in some way.
So even if your 3 room costs 300k, be thankful that there is actually a 'good' call a 3-room you can buy. All it takes is money. If something can be solved with money it is an EXPENSE, not a PROBLEM.
And lets face it, making enough money to live in S'pore (and a whole shit load if that's your trip) is a whole lot easier than in most of the countries on this planet - thanks to the open economy and low taxes in S'pore.
Why are people complaining? I don't understand.
Redbean:
People who can afford private jet, luxury cruise, mansion, Lamborghini and trip to outer space are free to do as they like. Even if their wealths are from cheating, embezzling, robbing, selling drugs or corruption. They are lucky that the Laws are unable to catch up with them due to whatever reason.
Then there are those that made their money conscientiously and those with lucky windfalls. Those with conscience are unlikely to be live extreme materialistic lifestyles though there is always exception.
If there is any consolation to me as a Singaporean, I must say it must be that I have not seen anyone died of starvation. Oh, there maybe singles, bedriddened that died because of it with nobody knowing.
The poor and weak Singaporeans are struggling, no doubt about this and there are splurging at the other end. This phenomenon happens everywhere in the World though this should not be the reason to justify it happening here.
I thought our leaders are different from that of elsewhere. As our government is formed of the Best in leadership, intellect, integrity, fairness and compassion, our poorest and weakest will be taken care of. Our land and population are also the most miniscule. Alas! I am far from accurate in my reading.
patriot
To me, there are multiple definitions of "affordability".
Beside assessing my affordability on spending, I will not forget to assess my affordability on the risk factors & commitment that would comes along. When I find that I can afford something, I also ask myself if I can afford the risk and commitment.
hi guys and gals, at the personal level, people should be free to do whatever they like and spend whatever they can. personal action and personal responsibility. this is the way life should be.
what i get quite pissed off is the jacking up of cost of many things unnecessarily and telling the people to live with it. my view is that public policies must cater to the general wellbeing of the average worker, to give him a decent life within a decent income. asking him to buy less with more money is not a good policy.
today people are superficially earning morn but getting less. the purchasing power of the dollar is getting smaller for things the people are consuming here. the relative strength of the S$ outside is a different matter.
a year's salary of a young exec could buy a car once. and 5 times the same salary could buy a semi D. today, even a manager's salary x5 could not smell an exec condo. the word affordability is being stretched like a rubber band with the value of what can be bought shrinking.
public policies must give the average guy something decent to live by. then i will acknowledge them as good policies.
oh wally, i wish him well in his palace at lijiang and his sojourn in ritz carlton.
the people who can afford lamborghinis would not crow about it. they just drive them around.
Save for some exceptions, the visitors to your blog seem to be getting more dullard by the day. Pitching a tent at Changi Point means you can't afford to play golf. Saying something nice about this place that give those buggers a decent life so they can post hogwash on blogs without worrying about whether they need to work as manual labour or maids in developed countries means that one is a cyber trooper working for someone or something. Hello, eating at Chinatown hawker centre means I cannot enter the Maxim izzit? In any case, they are so ignorant about golf that they think it's a game for the well heeled. Brain dead astro turfers.
Beano, driving a Lambo around is already crowing about it and making a statement in case you are not quick enough to grasp it. You want plain and simple transport? Just drive a Made in China Chery lah!
I see you've changed your header picture. Hmmmm.....Children. Innocent and wonderful. Probably some are new immigrants getting ready to celebrate National Day. Injections of new blood is good. The present deadwoods floating around ranting and whining endlessly will make way for a fresh look at issues within the next generation.
National Day Song....we aRe "Sin-Gap-Ore"....we aRe "Sin-Gap-Ore"
Did I see Sin?
Did I see Gap?
Did I see Ore?
hi wally, i love to drive a lambo not just to crow. these sports cars are really a piece of art to be enjoyed. there are many great stuff in life where people would want to own or play with, not just to strut around to show off.
i think it is just in the mentality. the nouveau riche tends to show off a little. but not all of them. some are extremely humble, and driving lambos around.
not everyone is a show off. how's your golf?
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