APEC 2024 Peru. Biden shafted to a corner in the back row. Xi in front row next to Peru's President
12/03/2012
PAP and all the good policies
Why was PAP the party and still in power after 46 years? Obviously it has done many things right, not all. The Sinkies are not dead fish that cannot tell the difference between good and bad policies. Let me just name a few without being exhaustive. Among the best known PAP policies must be asset enhancement, high pay for ministers to fight corruption, high public housing prices(oops, affordable), high fees for good value of services, high influx of foreigners for high growth, high population density, high COEs/car prices, high medical fees(this is related to value for money), high CPF savings, high minimum sums, just to name a few.
And the magical thing about all these policies is that they all work excellently. The country has prospered and the happy are rich beyond anyone’s imagination for a piece of rock without natural resources except people talent, local and foreigners.
But why are there so many grievances and growing? I think it is all a matter of perception. The people did not understand how good these policies are to them and how they have benefitted from them. In a way the people are really daft for not knowing what a good life is, 人在福中不知福。
Maybe there is a real reason for the unhappiness, perceived or otherwise. The policies are damn great and damn effective at one time. I think, this is my personal opinion, the reason for things looking bad, is that they forgot to put on the cap. Having fun is ok, but never forget to put the cap on.
Imagine when there is no cap for minister’s salary, by 2030 it could be $30m each. HDB 3rm flat could be $2m each, COEs could be $1m each, population could be 20m and growing, because got no cap, CPF minimum sums could be $2m each, CPF withdrawal date can be eternity(of course I am just exaggerating) and everything will be similarly risen in cost or price. That I think is the problem why the people are starting to fear for the future. But the people definitely cannot see the salary of a cleaner be $10k per month or a fresh graduate getting a starting pay of $30k, an average worker will be paid $50k a month. And of course by then everyone will be dreaming of becoming billionaires. Becoming millionaires is passé, irrelevant. It is all possible when there is no cap. In short, it is all a problem of going ahead to enjoy the good life without a cap.
Don’t you think so? The policies are all working extremely well.
The real success of PAP is found in the joke about goddess of mercy.
ReplyDeleteThe PAP is a self-inflicted victim of its own success.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing it could have done was to gracefully ad gradually bow out of the picture as Singaporeans became wealthier...but no, the PAP had to keep meddling and EXPAND the government until now you have a tiny city-state with a HUGE expensive government which has a policy for just about ANYTHING they can conjure up.
...however, one must resist the urge to have the PAP shoulder all the blame. In fact, it is a national pastime, and for some a neurotic obsession to blame the government FOR EVERYTHING that happens to mess up their otherwise "perfect" day.
This is on-going, spontaneous comedy GOLD, because people are DELUDED and behave accordingly.
The biggest delusion is the myth that the government is some mystical, nebulous -- almost a sentient being, that arises out of the void.
In fact (it's a good idea to always check facts) the government is simply a collective (group) of people -- local people, same as everyone, at least culturally.
So it is one group of LOCALS (the government) administering governance on a another group of LOCALS (the governed).
The government gets its "authority" from the explicit AND implicit consent of the governed. Hence, it is irrefutable that The People Get The Government They Deserve
Myth #2 is an extension of the above. There are those who passionately believe that if you vote in (by free elections) another political party, you will get a different government.
That is IMPOSSIBLE. It has never happened and can never happen.
Becoming millionaire and even billionaire is no big deal, countless such people in Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea and India etc.
ReplyDeleteThe People have been looking to the Rulers to rein in inflation, stabilize the cost of livings and not let it keep going like wild horses on the run. And that was the Case for almost two decades, with essential goods and services such as housing, healthcare, transportation, utilities and education etc.
Instead of helping the People, the PM came out to call on them to strive for success. Does anyone needs his exhortation? Was that call any different from calling on beggars to have good tasty nutritious meals when such people have hardly enough to fill their stomachs?
The PM deserves to be scolded for asking his PAP Members questions instead of getting them to help find solutions to the complaints of the People that have been getting from bad to worse every year for almost TWO DECADES IN RUNNING. And look at the PAP Members participating at the Conference. All dumbfounded with their Secretary General throwing questions at them.
Even a student had better response to a DPM's Question of 'What Do You Think?'
So PAP Cadres what do You think?
patriot
A party or dynasty will start to have internal cracks after a certain time. Problem is with the leadership. It becomes too powerful and demand compliance. Members who are "selected" tend to be those who "go with the flow". No one dare to criticise the policy for fear of loosing their places.
ReplyDeletepatriot.
ReplyDeleteThis is an oxymoron.
"PAP Cadres what do You think?"
If you think, you cannot be a PAP Cadre.
If you are a PAP Cadre, you cannot think.
Mutually exclusive. Never the twain shall meet.
Oxymoron indeed.
DeleteThe Party is full of sycophants
and that is going to hamper
its' development in any positive
way.
It seems they are under the illusion that Singaporeans are bought by their 'wayang'(acting and pretension). They cant be more wrong. The propagandas are not working anymore.
The people have seen their true colours and are more pissed off with them than being CONvinced.
They may have to learn to be sincere to maintain at least a little integrity.
patriot
"The PAP's cause has not changed, Central Executive Committee (CEC) member Chan Chun Sing.
ReplyDeleteThese are to serve Singapore and its citizens, ensure the country continues to thrive, and work for a better life for all."
They seriously think they are serving Singaporeans and not serving themselves.
How can they solve any problems when they are delusional?
The length of time that those so called good policies have been working extremely well is not because they are really ALL good policies, or that citizens are not dead fish and can tell, but because of the manner they were formulated and shaft down the throats of citizens by force with changes made to the law that prevent any recourse.
ReplyDeleteExamples are population policies, CPF policies, immigrant policies, election rules, housing policies and etc. Changes to policies are always made unilaterally and no one else's opinion is allowed to be considered. Of course they will always stage wayangs in Parliament to show diversive views, but the decision is never voted down.
The people are no longer fooled all the time.
This is a pertinent point. Too much wayang or too much high handedness, or like the change in Medisave minimum to be cleaned by the hospitals on death?
ReplyDeleteLuckily they don't know what is posted here.
PAP Conference 2012.
ReplyDeletei hope this is being paid with PAP money.
And not Singapore taxpayers' money.
If HDB 3rm is $2 m, you can sell your Rar art at $500,000 each and it will still sell like hot cakes.
ReplyDeleteWhy was PAP still in power after 46 years? Because of fear or because of love? Or because of some gerrymandering that enable it to stay in power election after election?
ReplyDeleteOne thing I am sure is that it is losing power, losing the trust and confidence of the electorate. It has to mass import hordes of foreigners, mollycoddle them and given them citizenship in double quick time to stay in power!
Greedy people deserve more greedy masters. Inhuman people deserve every more inhuman masters. They have a choice for the past 46 years but they rather buy toto or 4D than to do something that will change the future of their children for good.
ReplyDeleteYou are all mistaken. The party is in full confidence that everything is going their way and 2016 will see them winning more seats back. The party will go on and on.
ReplyDeleteControl money.
ReplyDeleteControl land.
Control media.
Control law.
Control population.
Control army.
Control education.
How not to win elections and be in power?
Yes-men can run this country for a long, long time with all these controls in placed.
Problem now is cannot control Internet and globalization.
Yes, they can CONtrol everything.
ReplyDeleteBut fortunately, brains and competence cannot be on command & control.
You either have it or you don't.
One thing is standing out after all these years.
ReplyDeleteThe PAP can use propaganda, ISA, the law, the media, threats, pork barrel politics etc, but they still are unable to control the minds and hearts of honest, patient, proud and upright people. I am talking about the 40% brave people, not the selfish, greedy and cowardly 60%.
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ReplyDeleteImagine when there is no cap for minister’s salary, by 2030 it could be $30m each. HDB 3rm flat could be $2m each, COEs could be $1m each, population could be 20m and growing, because got no cap, CPF minimum sums could be $2m each, CPF withdrawal date can be eternity(of course I am just exaggerating) and everything will be similarly risen in cost or price. That I think is the problem why the people are starting to fear for the future. But the people definitely cannot see the salary of a cleaner be $10k per month or a fresh graduate getting a starting pay of $30k, an average worker will be paid $50k a month. And of course by then everyone will be dreaming of becoming billionaires. Becoming millionaires is passé, irrelevant. It is all possible when there is no cap. In short, it is all a problem of going ahead to enjoy the good life without a cap.
ReplyDelete===============================
only way we can hit those figures is if inflation hits us so hard our currency turns into the rupiah...
but I noticed individuals I've personally known to be capable and proven... turns into crap when they start working for the govt or in govt related areas.
even talking in nonsensical ways....
They do no wrongs and know no wrongs.
ReplyDeleteIf those known to be capable and proven turns into crap when they start working for the Government or in govt related areas, that must be a waste of national resources and talents.
ReplyDeleteOr is that the true objective of the Government to stifle talents by monopolizing and keeping them in Govt service? Or is that the reason why some of those who entered politics from Govt service are always so dumb headed they cannot tell right from wrong and just follow he book.
That must be the mother of all mistakes made by the PAP!