Freedom fight of the oldies

It is about time that the oldies stand up to fight for their financial liberation and independence from all the rules and regulations that are against their interests. Qualifications, the oldies exclude all the yodas that are being paid million dollar pensions or have several chairmanships or directorships hanging on their feeble necks.

In many mature and developed countries, the oldies will be entitled to privileges in view of their age and a little compassion or acknowledgement of their past contributions to the country. Many are enjoying their golden years, doing the things they want, spending their life savings to amuse themselves. For the fortunate, their children or grandchildren will be showering them with loving tender care and financial freedom. For the less fortunate, the state will assume the responsibility to see that they are housed, clothed and fed without worrying for the next meal, nothing extravagant.

What is the state of welfare for our aged here? The state keeps an arms length away, or betterer, a pole apart. The aged must look after themselves and provide for themselves. Don’t expect charity from the state. And to ensure that the oldies would not be a liability to the state that boasts of having hundreds of billions in the reserve, there are many regulations that will tie the hands and legs of the oldies in the name of protecting them and their money to last till eternity.

How sad that after slogging for a life time, they could not really lay their hands on their own hard earned savings, but instead, the audacious state took control of the money only to dispense to them in drips and drapes, at its pleasure. And the oldies are completely helpless. And the best part, under the current regulations, many will depart from this world, with plenty of money left for eternity. Yes, they will leave behind money that they could not spend. What an efficient and gracious system!

Then the part about force savings imposed on the oldies. Bloody hell, these oldies could be 6 feet in the ground the next moment, and the laws dictated that they must save for tomorrow or a rainy day that may never come. I am referring to oldies that are still working and have to contribute to CPF and Medisave.

Why is the state treating the oldies this way? To protect them of course. You cannot argue against such a noble excuse. And for them to work, to have their own money in their CPF Retirement and Medisave accounts will bring them financial independence and dignity, not being a liability to anyone, family or state. I bow to such brilliant arguments.

But I protest. I say, keep your noble and clever arguments to yourselves. I want freedom to manage my own life, my own finances, to amuse myself with my own money. Can or not? As oldies, what is there to save for tomorrow? We are living by the days and everyday is a celebration. The oldies must stand up to such nonsense and take control of their own lives and finances. They have lived their lives, made all the mistakes they wanted, and there are just so little time left to make a few more before game over. It is the last few luxuries left in life. Freedom from regulations and the chains that little boys and girls put around them, and telling them that they are unable to look after themselves, especially their money.

The saddest thing is that the oldies are no longer able to fight for their own liberation from authority and oppression. They are just like the helpless inmates of nursing homes, at the mercy of their caregivers.

Where is my money? I just want to have a good weekend. Just because god says oldies may live till 90, it does not mean that god can have the oldies money as well.