APEC 2024 Peru. Biden shafted to a corner in the back row. Xi in front row next to Peru's President
7/27/2010
The Economics of Pragmatism
We don't have enough land, above and below, to build longkangs to prevent floods. Our land are about the most expensive assets in the world. We need them to generate wealth than to collect rain water. We may not have land for longkangs, but sure we have plenty of lands to build prime properties for big profits. And sure we have plenty of land to take in another 5 million people.
The main consideration is to squeeze as much value as we can from the plentiful or limited land, depending on how one wants to view it, so that the developers can laugh all the way to the banks. A little flooding is acceptable. That we can live with, but no land shall be wasted.
It is all about economics and maximisation of returns. I hope no property developers reading this seriously think that they can build properties without having to build longkangs. Shouldn't the two be part and parcel of developing infrastructure? The more buildings and structures are built, the more people living on them, the need to have more longkangs and sewerage pipes.
Economics and profits may be important, but the longkangs are complimentary to the existence of all the infrastructure and cannot be dispensed with. You can have your buildings, but you must built a network of longkangs to make the place liveable. Like they say, you can't have your cake and eat it as well.
The rulers are nerdy and prudish folks that learnt rotes, no, sorry; I mean in their rote learnings can only think that much. Build a city on the sea lah, no canal or sewage system needed. Money plenty plenty make.
ReplyDeletepatriot
I recommend we use Kukup as a model to build our future city. They did away with building longkangs and expensive sewerage system. Just let the sea and tide take care of that. And above ground the buildings are as modern as we can find in Orchard Road.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, they are now building into the air first. When it gets too heavy the foundations will gradually sink into the sea and coupled with the warming earth and melting polar ice caps, there you have it, killing two birds with one stone.
ReplyDeleteI think they have long thought of that idea already, since they are leaving the first two storeys of highrise vacant to accommodate the rising sea level. They are even telling civil servants to forecast the future. See, they think far far ahead when it comes to making money.
But we won't be around to see it lah!
The central and some part of our island have granite as the base. There are many parts that have marine clay instead of hard rock. Wondering if the piling could really hold the weight and building will not sink. The amount of weight that is being placed in the Raffles Place/Shenton Way and Marina Bay area must be quite something.
ReplyDeleteThe philosophy of pragmatism is fraught with problems based on the fact that pragmatism has NO MORAL COMPASS. Pragmatism gives “legitimacy” to the ends justifies the means way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteYou can reason if profits are more important, then the end justifies the means to go for profits and if people get hurt in the process, too bad.
If you think Race A is superior/ or needs help at the expense of other races, then you can legitimize any policy (ends justifies the means) so that Race A prevails at the expense of the other races... or religion... or culture... whatever.
“The end justifies the means” thinking means that you can essentially do anything you like and rationalise the most extreme and brutally destructive (political) actions, and even put yourself on a pedestal as a “hero”.
Let's have more pragmatism. I need to be entertained. Or putting it pragmatically: I need to be entertained, therefore let the Singapore govt impose more pragmatism. – end justifies the means: the ends: my entertainment, the means: S'pore govt hammering the people with more pragmatism.
Are you ready to perform for me?