6/23/2012

The innocence of scrapping estate duty




Many rich Sinkies were over the moon when estate duty was scrapped. Now they could hang on to their assets and inheritance forever, and not just one property but unlimited number of properties, assets and cash. This is extremely good for the old rich and the super rich. Even the HDB owners were in a way happy with it as they too were hoping that their flats would be worth millions in the future. And this is not far fetch given the way things are moving.

What people failed to see is the impact of abolishing estate duty on inflating property prices. Without estate duty, no one needs to be concerned about how high the prices of properties can go. The higher the better, $50m, $100m or $1b, it is okay, very good indeed, for the owners. Govt too need not be unduly concerned once this is taken out of the equation. It is no longer a source of revenue for the state.

Seriously, it is this disregard to the high property prices that is directly affecting property prices here. Everyone, from owners, speculators and developers would want the prices to go even higher. And this will trickle down to all other property prices.

And unthinkingly, the people that benefited most from this no estate duty affair are the foreigners. They could come and buy up everything, as investments or to park their money, which in turn drives up prices even higher. And the foreigners are benefiting more than Sinkies as they have much more money to invest in real estates. They need to park their money somewhere. And we don’t have enough properties for them to acquire. If we are blind to this fact, it is only a matter of time when foreigners would own all the properties they are eligible to buy up. The number of rich foreigners is unlimited and so is their wealth.

Another sordid tale of foreigners dumping their money here is that some are ill gotten gains. Unintentionally or intentionally, our property market is turning into the biggest and legal laundry machine for such black money. There were many tales of foreigners buying anything at any price without bargaining or batting an eye lid. They need to wash their dirty money and where else allowed them to do so so freely and easily.

For those who are pissed off by the unfair advantages foreigners are enjoying here, this is another point of contention. Foreigners are taking full advantage of this situation, to exploit the property markets for huge benefits. They are talking in terms of tens and hundreds of millions, not the few millions which Sinkies are talking about or the few hundred thousands of our HDB millionaires.

When property prices are in the tens of millions and hundreds of millions, it is big money for the state in estate duties. Why are the super rich and foreigners given such great privileges to multiply their wealth which in turn fuelled the property bubble at the expense of the average Sinkies?

It may be time to reconsider reintroducing estate duty to tap on this very rich gold mine of properties in tens and hundreds of millions. Considerations can be made to allow Sinkies to continue to enjoy a tax free property at $5m or $10m. Anything more is reasonable for the state to impose an estate duty on them, a tax to defray the country’s expense, and to curb the uncontrollable escalation of property prices. And why not tax on the ill gotten gains of foreigners and also on them to pay for pushing up property prices here. They must be made to pay for the pains and sufferings of those who could no longer buy what they wanted to buy because of them.

The scrapping of estate duty is not so innocent after all and have very wide implications and consequences.

38 comments:

  1. "The scrapping of estate duty is not so innocent after all and have very wide implications", unquote.

    Thank You Sir! It was not done away for any innocent reason to start with.

    patriot

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  2. RB ..think about it..a hungry government who would tax just about anything decides to untax estate duty...hehe..but the show is not over yet...my bet is that it'll be reintroduced within 10 years...not to worry RB ...the govt will heed u!!

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  3. no estate duty so therefore now must increase GST so as to help the poor.

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    Replies
    1. People who believe gst helps the poor are just sad.
      Kena trampled left right centre still dont know.
      A government that truly cares for the people will do otherwise.
      Tax the rich and share with the poor. Only possible when MIW go away.

      Delete
  4. Anything reccommded or implemented must not kill the property market. If the property market goes down, so will Sin, sickaporeans and the garbagement.

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  5. It takes restraint and intelligence to keep the family fortune for ore than a generation. So I see no problem here.

    All taxes are a from of extortion or outright theft. Less taxes the better for all.

    Those who have had the discipline and good fortune to amass a good fortune have every right as to how they are to use or dispose of their private property. The scrapping of estate duty is 100% moral.

    As I've said many ties i the past, the fact that someone is poor, doesn't mean that person is automatically granted a right to claim an unearned reward off the property of others. The society is based on meritocracy -- if you want to be rich, go for it. You might be one of the fortunate ones to make it and live long enough to enjoy your largesse.

    Looking after family trounces any arbitrary "duty to cuntry" some idiots may try to justify. Fact is: FAMILY COMES FIRST. This is idea is tens of thousands of years old, and predates the artificial construct of the nation state.

    anon 1019: No increase in taxation is necessary to help the poor. All that needs to be done is for fuckheads like yourself to put your money where your mouth is and help the poor with your own funds.

    Got charity?

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  6. With limited land, one day land or property will be nationalised and become controlled items. There is just not enough to be sold freely.

    Expect new laws to be legislated to manage the properties to keep it within the reach of all Sinkies. If not it can only get very bad.

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  7. Our capable mati must be very rich. Cannot see from the common folks eyes.

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  8. There is nothing stopping anyone from accumulating property.

    Anyway, the best situation is a totally privately owned land mass. Wealth accumulation is a good thing, and Singapore is one of the cuntrees that has got taxation pretty well right.

    However, estate duties can come back. That why it is a good idea to place assets into trusts. The downside is that setting up trusts is expensive (estate planning lawyers ain't cheap), but it is the best way to protect assets from expropriation from greedy governments.

    Singapore is a haven for private wealth management. All the help you need is available right under your noses.

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  9. @anon 1109

    I am no white horse. I grew up playing in the longkangs and kampungs of Upper Serangoon lah. I am just a small time player...I get a crumb here, a crumb there...many many more people much more big time.

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  10. Abolishing estate duty benefits everybody, rich or poor. 90% sinkies own their homes, HDB etc, why do you always like to highlight a scheme always benefit the rich ? Always a class differentiation? So who is rich ? Maybe you are richer than I am ?

    "What people failed to see is the impact of abolishing estate duty on inflating property prices".

    Does it ? Property prices to a large extent depends on external and internal economy. We have seen prices boom and bust for many years before estate duty was abolished, like nobody's business.
    So, maybe next time when prices take a nosedive, you should stake all you have in it.

    "And unthinkingly, the people that benefited most from this no estate duty affair are the foreigners"

    Disagree. The people that benefit are ALL spoilt sinkies living in HDBs and private condos, yet still complain. Sinkies constitute 85%-90% of all new launch purchases while foreigners 10%. Probably in districts 9,10,11.

    "Why are the super rich and foreigners given such great privileges to multiply their wealth which in turn fuelled the property bubble at the expense of the average Sinkies?"

    Boom and bust will affect everyone. The wealthy want to come here is a good thing. Nobody wants to live in a lonkang and kampung forever. Now, you have more people to sell your things to, you can price it higher to sell to rich foreigners and you can sell your old leaking HDB flat to them too at higher price. So, you don't want lah ? You prefer to sell lower to another complainer whiner sinkie?

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  11. Sometimes it's not the payment of the taxes or the tax rates that creates the problem but rather a disclosure of interests..it's like...O my god...I'm wearing soiled underwear...hehe

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  12. Now that the horse has bolted.
    Estate duty can be safely re-introduced very soon.

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  13. i'm anon 10.19. when i said increase gst to help the poor i was being sarcastic. the s'pore govt has used this same lame excuse b4 as other govts.

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  14. @ anon 302/ 1019

    What people don't realise is that taxation hurts the poor more than it does the rich. If you have a little, you want to be taxed less so you can have more to live, or leave to your kids.

    However politics is fueled by envy. To "win" in life is not easy, and most people don't achieve anything near economic/ financial independence. They are only a few paychecks away from total financial ruin. They need their J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) because it is their main or only revenue stream -- because the only source of their productivity is from their own labour.

    So savvy politicians play on this "inequality" which leads to envy and suggest taxation so that everyone can be "equally poor -- i.e. Trickle Up Poverty -- which essentially ends up in crushing the middle class out of existence, turning the society into neo-feudalism of the rulers and the ruled (as opposed to govt for the people and by the people)

    When the govt taxes the worker it is as if the government has stolen the bread off the worker's family's table (paraphrasing Thomas Jefferson)

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  15. I grew up playing in the longkangs....

    Well, make sure your women wash their longkangs before you swim in it

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  16. i'm anon 10.19. gst should be abolished. it only makes things more expensive for everybody. in fact almost all taxes should be abolished. let there be almost a free market economy. tweaking here and there by the govt increase prices. my mother used to sell hot, cooked food at home for factory workers during lunchtime in the 1970s. the prices were cheap as there was no overheads except for the ingredients. the food was good. customers were happy. my mother was happy cause she was making money. the children was happy. my father was happy. then the govt (env min) steps in. no more selling. no more cheap & good food. no more money for us. & d workers had to eat more expensive but lousy food at the coffeeshops.

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  17. @anon1019

    Concur. Most taxes can be repealed and discarded.

    In the early 1800's Raffles Singapore started to become very wealthy very quickly because he abolished taxes and port levies. He "sapu" all the trade business from the Dutch. Master stroke of genius from a very young "foreign talent".

    When I was a kid, you could set up a satay stall on a cart and go anywhere to sell your food. If your food was delicious and o one got sick, you became very popular and make money.

    That's how an unregulated, free market metritocracy-based economy works -- those who win, DESERVE to win by their diligence and perseverance.

    And then, as you say Min Env steps in, and you are screwed.

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  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  19. How to wipe out the middle class, and then dominate them, reducing them to serf/ slave status

    1. Introduce taxes for 2 bullshit reasons:

    i) To help the poor
    ii) To punish the rich

    2. Tax capital gains:
    Every time someone sells their HDB for a profit, tax the profits. This will ensure upward mobility is curtailed, and people remain oppressed because you cut off their ability to accumulate wealth.

    3. Print money and run deficit budgets:
    This ensures that inflation will diminish the purchasing power of the working, wage earning person. Deficit budgets eventually lead to high interest rates which will make borrowing for business more expensive, so they will cut back on labour or out source to cheaper cuntrees, making people lose their jobs, so the once "ok" but now poor jobless people have to go to the government for "help".

    3. Increase regulation economy wide:
    This ensures that "barriers for entry" are erected, wiping out entrepreneurship on the margins, so that only BIG CORPORATIONS (which are friendly with the government) can play in the market. It is no surprise that the bigger the corporation, the more they support government regulation to stifle competition.

    4. Introduce Welfare programs:
    Promise to help the people. Offer "welfare" to the middle class. The ore independent they are, the more you need to get them to accept welfare so you can control them like junkies on drugs.

    Tell the sheeple that you, the govt are just like them. Pose for photo op like eating at a hawker center to fool the people.

    Encourage BIG CORPORATIONS to take government welfare. Pay for training, engage in "joint ventures" with big multi nationals. Develop strong "guan xi" and place a few govt officials or their relations on the boards of BIG CORPORATIONS.

    5. Outlaw any criticism of the government, the courts and the executives of state. Take over all media:
    Zero tolerance for any dissent of any kind. Apply harsh punitive measures and adopt a pro-active policy of monitoring the citizens. Plant spies everywhere.

    These tactics are good fundamentals for budding, ambitious dick-taters. In a short while you will gain dominance over the majority of the population, and you can oppress them further to suit your needs.

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  20. Generally, countries with the highest estate tax has the lowest property bubble. Property is a class of asset that is most visible to tax man. A fair estate tax would make it attractive for the to diversify his portfolio towards stealthy places like Swiss Banks.

    With the abolishment of estate tax, most countries see a spike in property price as the rich no longer need to hide their wealth.

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  21. Hey, we got to witness that Singapura Matilah at his best here, no flute man.
    The Oppression is clearly defined now by Matilah Singapura, understand how it is used in Sin?

    My salute Sir Matilah.

    patriot

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  22. Matilah cannot explain why the period of highest progressive taxation of close to 90% during 1950s USA are its most prosperous.

    With low progressive taxation, the rich is going to accumulate wealth till infinity. And 99% of the rich are not people like Bill Gate who make it through productive labor, but people who have good connections to the government. In short, they accumulate wealth by robbing and stealing.

    The accumulation of wealth towards infinity is a problem since ancient time. In Babylon and ancient middle east including what describle in Biblical old Testament, the is a custom to forgive the debts of the poor (aka taxation to the rich in a different form).

    The rich did not enact such custom out of charity, but out of practical consideration that if their own class keep accumulating, it would gave grave injury to the state as a whole.

    The Chinese society has less of such drastic measure as compared to middle east. Hence they Chinese society solve the over accumulation problem by constant peasant revolt, which in the end, always ended in complete massacre of the rich. The last of such massacre occur in 1950 Mao's land reform.

    The worst scumbag are those Indian high caste elites. Arguably, the low caste Indian peasants are one of the most timid, and do not revolt. But the dynastical and hereditary inequality has create thousand years of humanitarian disaster. In 1930 the average life expectancy of Indians are only 30 years old.

    Even in Stalin's Europe and Hitler's Germany has better life expectancy than India.

    India Elite are the most fuck up in the world.

    If you follow Matilah's way, we will ended up in India caste system if we are all coward, or periodic revolution ended up whereby all elites class are slaughtered.

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  23. If high taxation society are that bad, Scandinavian country would not be the best place in the world in almost every Index.

    High taxation is good if all the tax revenue are diverted to the development of people under a non corrupt government. Nordic countries have shown us that such is completely possible.

    There is no such thing as low taxation countries. Very often when Singapore brags of "low taxation", the reality is the rich got 0% tax. The government hence has to fleece the poor doubly hard using stealth tax.

    Our Stealth tax are
    1) 36% income CPF-able and effectively tax-up using inflation

    2) Inflation

    3) Rent Seeking GLC charging exhorbitant fees.

    4) 99 years HDB

    5) Big medical and pharma cartel

    6) Fractional reserve banking charging nominal interest rate of 2-5% but actually at least 30% due to rampant creation of M3 monies.

    7) ponzi property land sales

    8) confiscation of poor man property via land acquisition act. (PAP do not confiscate Bukit Timah or Tanglin or Orchard Rd )

    .... many many more

    In short PAP are bunch of robbers.

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  24. talking about point no 8, in mid 1980s pap confiscated my family land with mosque at present wheelock place. we petitioned, pleaded, wrote letters, see lky, even protested when the bulldozers came. no avail. pap gave us $400k for the land. very soon they sold the land to a pte developer for $369 million

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  25. daylight robbery. grand larceny.

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  26. ////
    talking about point no 8, in mid 1980s pap confiscated my family land with mosque at present wheelock place. we petitioned, pleaded, wrote letters, see lky, even protested when the bulldozers came. no avail. pap gave us $400k for the land. very soon they sold the land to a pte developer for $369 million
    ////

    The robbery of Malay land give problem till these days. PAP are mother fucking peranakan who put on a Chinese name but got nothing to do with Chinese. They are enemies of Chinese but a biological bastard with both Chinese and Malay blood.

    Many Malay Kampongs are forcibly acquire at shitty price and then PAP forces these Kampong Malay into debt by selling them HDB.

    Before, the Malay are careful living a self-subsistence life style. Fucker Lim Kim San and Goh Keng Swee design the fucking HDB barrack to damn these people. Today, the Malay no longer live their pleasant life style and "progress" into toilet cleaners and delivery man, with shitty wages.

    Comparing the kampong lifestyle and the cleaner lifestyle today, Malay are having infinitely better standards of living 50 years ago.

    The HDB creates many problems for Malay as they are being forced to become low wage earners, not small part due to fucking FT policies. Their marriage ended up in divorce and their sons ended up in ITE.

    IF Malay were to keep their Kampong land today they are all millionaires. THEY DO NOT NEED THESE FUCKING MENDAKI AT ALL.

    In short, their wealth are taken by PAP and PAP is the wicked architect of their misery.

    What should the Chinese do? Because PAP masquerade themselves as Chinese carrying our surname, so its our responsibility. We must take down PAP. We must move on hand-in hand with our Malay brothers and not to let anyone behind.

    I am Chinese.

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  27. The Chinese and Indian Villagers were similarly affected by resettlement. And this is the reason why there many UNOCCUPIED State Lands all over the Island breeding mosquitoes. Not only were the villagers resettled, most lost their livelihood in farming, home industry and marine(sea) harvest.

    Many young Singaporeans are not aware of this fact.

    patriot

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  28. Of course I can explain the bad side of taxes. But it won't make any difference because most people -- who don't like nor do they enjoy free-wheeling capitalism -- will not accept it.

    For those who are interested, and would like to take advantage of the machinations of The Market, they might check out the works of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Murray N Rothbard, Benjamin Graham among others. I'm not a big Milton Friedman fan, or any of the Chicago School fellas, but some of what they say does make sense.

    Most high tax European countries are broke or going to be broke very soon. Scandanavian (and other WESTERN EUROPEAN) countries have had 600 years of industrial powress to accumulate and re-invest their wealth. The brain trust and the number of income-generating patents held by Europe is simply mind boggling.

    They were the first peoples of the world to become fabulously wealthy, and for a while at least, they could afford both corporate and social "welfare" for their people and enterprises.

    Singapore's sovereign debt is HIGH -- thanks to the CPF + Temasek + GIC + GLC system of crony capitalism. How long this can go o for is an open question. If and when it fucks up, there will be blood on the streets -- you can count on it.

    The point about keeping taxes low is so that the middle class can grow. The rich will grow whether taxes are low or high -- they don't care, they have the economic power to have more choice than the average working stiff.

    If you are poor or middle class and are willing to work hard to "get ahead" and to give your kids a future, then chances are you would much prefer to KEEP as much as you are able to earn.

    It's that simple.

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  29. The Scandinavians spread their wealth quite evenly among the people. Here the people's wealth, I said that again, the people's wealth and hardearned money are being used to spread among the cronies. Just look at the number of cronies who are doing really fuck nothing but paid in the millions and asking to be paid more.

    All the high titles and multiple hats are paid very generously with the people's money.

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  30. I prefer the idea of individual wealth. You work and earn, you keep what's yours.

    If you subscribe to the idea of "charity", then it begins at home. You help your own (family/ extended family) FIRST, then if you like, help "others" -- but you are not obliged to do so.

    You worry about yourself and look after your kin. Let others do the same for themselves and their kin. This is the BASELINE. Once established, then have social intraction, but keep it VOLUNTRY -- always keeping The Individual FIRST.

    If you put society as a FIRST, then you can kiss goodbye to individualism and family-centricity. The government is now the "head" of your famiy and your life.

    Strong family units are the best protection against the meddlings of the state. In western culture, the idea of "family" is gone. It is judged as "tribal" or "closed-minded". So therefore they have welfare states to "look after" everyone. Fuck the family. Government look after you.

    As we can see, that has made Western societies turn into veritable sewers, with an entrenched "entitlement mentality". If you are poor, don't worry. No need to work. Just get a hand out.

    If you want to study, no need to save for years and sacrifice for the future -- just get a hand out. In fact, no need to save at all for the future, because in the future, like the present the govt is always there to "help" you.

    I've been living for 30 years in a welfare state. When I first came here, the effective tax rate was 65%! Now it is down (hurry!!) to about 50+ %.

    Be thankful taxes are low in Singapore. Even the "indirect" taxes are low -- except for cars. GST is still to high. It should revert to 3%. Other than that, AWESOME!

    Why do I still live in western society on the fast track to decline?

    Because there is still a spark of freedom and individualism...the pulse is weak but the patient is alive, though critical. So there is hope. plus you can't pass up 600 years of industrilisation, Renaissance philosophy, civil liberties, female sexual and ecoomic liberation, constitutionally protected democracies and the idea of "self ownership" and "self esteem".

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  31. There is no way a society can advance without well spread of wealth. Each time, the society become more equal, we witness a great leap in technology and material well-being.

    During the end of 18th centuries, French Revolution in Europe do away with the elites. Instead of regressing to middle age when all these smart alex are murdered, the society advance in an unprecedented pace as the not-so-long-ago slaves and peasants are emanicipated.

    The guillotine does not only bring political equality, but more social and economic equality because special rights and charters of the rentier lords are abolished.

    In 1920s, is arguably the free-iest, one of the lowest taxation period of USA. Free-wheeling capitalism in the so call roaring 20s does not bring utopia but ended up in the 1929 crash, whose repercussion send Adolf Hitler to power.

    Similarly, Rosevelt (FDR), brought the US back to track not by free market fundamentalism, but rather, using socialist tools. FDR does not give his QE to banks but rather, to the people and also direct it towards production.

    The deregulation since Reagan and Thatcher followed by Clinton, Blair, Bush, ironically does not produce a self-reliance society. Instead parasite especially those landlord and bankster flourish.

    A society cannot move forward by leaving its members behind. If the path of market fundamentalism is allowed to thrive, soon we see our country in civil war.

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  32. i've been reading this blog for quite a while. both matilah and veritas are very knowledgeable and very experienced and very intelligent. i must confess i go to this blog not to read redbean but to read what you two guys have to say. for this particular topic both of you have got strong arguments to support your own views. in matilah's society there is the great lure of freedom, individual rights, dynamism but there is also danger and the underbelly is exposed. the society propounded by veritas is safer and saner though not as vibrant and exciting as matilah's. i'm with veritas.

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  33. For me, I'm not into "safe". Life is already very uncertain. If you are too safe, people become too soft and don't take risks.

    The thing about free-wheeling individual what-not is that you have to conduct yourself in a way that you manage your own security by forming voluntary relationships with other.

    There is no or very little "central planning" to tell you what to do or how you should live. Your life and its potential, is for you to discover, and realize.

    Therefore in order to "win" -- in the long term, and be respected for your honestly attained achievements, you had better conduct yourself in certain ways or you will end up financially busted, or hated or both.

    Individual freedom cannot exist without individual responsibility. Once you have that imbued into the culture of the nation, then you have a very productive, moral, and stable society.

    However, if you are like me -- impatient and can't wait for the rest of the society to get its bloody act together, you can still adopt those (libertarian) principles of freedom, and personally benefit from it.

    You don't need "safe" by government fiat. You need individuals who are personally responsible and self reliant. Then you begin to have a society which is "safe" as a result of individual conducting themselves in responsible ways.

    ...but it takes a long time to change the culture. The way the PAP are doing it is BRUTAL, but sadly, necessary. I prefer a more "gradual" change. Many libertarian writers also suggest change to be gradual.

    The PAP have opened the flood gates of free and open economic competition without first warning the population to "prepare themselves".

    I have no problem competing head-to-head as an individual in a free or open market because I've been doing so all my life. And I don't always "win". Sometimes I lose humiliatingly.

    I also come from a background (home, school, church) where we were constantly drummed with the notion of "responsibility first, then freedom is your reward" and "you mess up, you pay. Don't expect to be bailed out. No one owes you a living". Being exposed to writers like Ayn Rand, Adam Smith et al in high school also helped.

    But not everyone is like me. Most people don't have the skill sets to be individual. To "left alone" is a frightening prospect for people who are used to being part of a collective, where decisions are made by considering everyone, by implicit or explicit consensus. In Asian society, that is the default. The different ways Asians and westerners interpret emotions provide clues on how the world-views of collectivists and individualists differ. The research on Eastern Collectivism vs Western Individualism continues. Here is another study

    Who can say which one is "better"? For me, I can only speak for myself: I prefer individualism.

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  34. As I had problem understanding Matilah Singapura's calmness to the effect and result of anger and vice-versa, I am now just as totally lost in his understanding of freedom a a highly and tightly controlled(regulated) society.

    What I do understand is that Matilah Singapura takes advantage of his intelligence, craft, mobility to extract whatever that work for him. As I had said before, if everyone is like Matilah Singapura, there is no need for any others to be around, Where-ever and whatever does not matter to him the slightest. Other than Matilah Singapura himself all for himself, the rest are not as cleverly endowed.

    Hope Matilah Singapura not take this as a personal matter; me am using You to explain that others are not versatile as You.

    patriot

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  35. patriot,

    You sort of hit the nail squarely…with some reservations

    We are all different. You have to find your muse, embrace her and direct her to do what is best for you, in any circumstance you might be in. As difficult and as dating as that prospect seems, consider the ore frightening and potentially lethal alternative. i.e. you decide for your own life or others will do it for you.

    As for freedom in a tightly control environment, might I suggest the reading and critical study of a brilliant book, available at the National Library (1st edition and the 2nd 25th anniversary edition) called "How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World", by Harry Browne. If you prefer PDF's here is the book (1.4 MB 2004 Internet Edition).

    It is interesting to compare the original 1973 and later 1997 editions. Harry was spot on on his predictions, and even underestimated the curtailment of freedoms. Harry was a tireless activist for individual liberty and private enterprise, and a savvy investor to boot. You'll find his old radio shows archived on the net. He bequeath most of his life's work to the human race, for the advancement of liberty.

    >> if everyone is like Matilah Singapura, there is no need for any others to be around,

    Not true. We "outsource" nearly everything we need to live our lives. Food, clothing, energy, transport, medical care, security, etc etc and even companionship…all OUTSOURCED to be done by others so that we can live. Without the enterprise of others, we will die very quickly. We, on the individual basis, engage in enterprise to help others meet their needs so that they too can live.

    >> Where-ever and whatever does not matter to him the slightest. <

    It does matter a great deal. You have to decide for yourself TO BE in the specific location of "where-ever", and you have to act in specific ways to deal with "whatever". Consider the alternative.

    >> Matilah Singapura himself all for himself, the rest are not as cleverly endowed. <

    No one is "endowed". This skills are learnt. Lucky they can be learnt. Consider again, if you will, the alternative.

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  36. For patriot:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69_tzQrF_N8

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  37. Matilah Singapura;

    thank You very much for the explanation and the wisdom there-in. Also thank You much for the Youtube Video.
    Got your message or rather understands You sometimes ago. Individual pursuit of liberty and freedom is indeed as easy as You and the Video have put up. However, in a complex world, society and even within a clan and family(tribe/community/species), it is; well: COMPLEX.

    While I envy your versatility, suave and unpretentious nature, I also cannot help that You do think that all(people) are alike. I will maintain that they are not and of course there are calibres like You everywhere around us.

    If Freedom is defined as in each individuals' fancy, then may I say to You that there will be many who will not like the freedom. The ascetics, me am sure certainly will have problem with the Freedom.

    Dare I say that there is too high an individualism in your philosophy, like it or not the masses have to have a high level of collectivism to co-exist peacefully and well.
    When there are exploitation, slavery, bullying, oppression mass murder, PLEASE DO NOT BLAME THE VICTIMS FOR BRINGING FATE TO THEMSELVES.

    Thank You again Sir Matilah Singapura.

    patriot

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