Sure, definitely better. Swiss standard of living is nothing when one is
earning millions every year. Swiss standard of living is nothing when
one is living in a house worth tens of millions and owning a few more to
rent out. Swiss standard of living is nothing when buying a Ferrari or
Lamborghini costing more than a million is small change.
For those who cannot afford to send their children to university, cannot
afford to have more children, cannot afford to pay medical bills,
downgrading to smaller HDB flats, can only afford to buy smaller HDB
flats, cannot afford a car, are your life getting better?
Talking Point on 2 Apr telecasted live on the topic of the middle class
and whether their lives are getting better. My impression after
listening to the panel and callers is that Sinkies do not deserve to be
called Sinkies. They should be called daft Sinkies. The Hongkies,
Taiwanese and PRC Chinese did not call Sinkies stupid for nothing. It is
a well deserving title.
Now why do I say that? The views from the forum is all about adapting to
your means and downgrading. I can accept that when one is an idiot, one
should not aspire to anything more than 3 meals and a pair of shorts.
But when one is talking about the middle class, the 50 to 60 percent
sandwiched between the lower income and the rich, what kind of life or
aspiration should they be expecting other than downgrading?
In the 70s and 80s, everyone was talking about upgrading, getting bigger
flats and private properties if possible, and going for that super
convenience called a car. And the people aspiring and attaining such
level of comfort were not even the middle class but the workers, the
taxi drivers, the supervisors, the technicians, the young graduates.
Life was getting better for everyone, including those below the middle
class.
Today, it is very normal for a young family to have at least a graduate,
or both are graduates. They spent millions and a life time studying to
get to that position. Is it too much, unreasonable, for them to aspire
to live in a bigger HDB flat or condominium? Forget about private landed
properties, these are way beyond their means today but not within the
means of their lowly educated parents. Is it too much for them to aspire
to own a small Japanese car to make living that much more convenient
and pleasant, eating out once a week or a month?
What transpired in the forum is that daft Sinkies should be happy with
public transport, if not even go on bicycles. Forget about small cars,
cars are not necessary. When have daft Sinkies been fed with this kind
of stupid ideas? And a small HDB flat should do, live within your means.
Is that what daft Sinkies are contented after spending a third of their
precious life pursuing tertiary education and spending a fortune on
that to live in stupid small HDB flats and go around taking public
transport? Is this what the future holds for the Sinkie middle class?
But the daft Sinkies that were airing their views found this acceptable,
the type of life they feel reasonable and happy to be. Who said Sinkies
are unhappy? Most of the views expressed by the daft Sinkies was that
they were happy not owning a car. They did not want to know why the
roads are so heavy with traffic and the prices of cars and COEs so high.
They are very happy if public transport is satisfactory and they can
live without a car.
This message of no need for a car has been successfully stuffed and
buried in the daft Sinkie mind. They are all talking about downgrading
and living within their means. I can accept that if they could not even
make it to tertiary education and should not be asking for too much. Why
would a minister find it difficult if she could not be earning a couple
of millions a year to live a ‘decent’ lifestyle?
I must say the daft Sinkies are easily contented with life and are a
very happy lot, living, adjusting and adapting with the quality of life
without cars, without a decent job, smaller HDB flats and eating out
lesser.
Is this what Sinkies are living for? No more ambition for a better life,
no more aspiration that things can be better? Oh, the new aspiration,
to own and ride a bicycle, and perhaps become his own boss, driving a
taxi and with a few degrees to hang inside the taxi..
Kopi Level - Yellow
33 comments:
RB, the broadcast likely wayang one lar with people and callers selected to offer one view. No need to be upset lar. If 60% still vote for the same government then your theory is correct lor.
"Is this what Sinkies are living for? No more ambition for a better life,..."
RB
If Sinkies have ambition, then why is the leader of the strongest Sinkie opposition party has no ambition to become PM?
And if that is not bad enough, he even praised the ruling party as a competent (Sinkies also think so??) govt!
So kpkb for all u want, but this is what Sinkies are living for.
Tio bo, u tell me lah?
But whatever lah, kopi luwak for RB today.
Sinkies are like that lah.
If lucky got kopi luwak, then drink kopi luwak lor.
If only got plain water, then drink plain water lor, if they are thirsty. No choice, tio bo?
Thanks for the kopi luwak.
There were 3 panellists and actually one was very happy to downgrade and take public transport. The other two were kind of polite by not strangling him but you could see it in their faces that they were very disturbed by that kind of view.
Tan En Ser was trying to lead that guy from his low expectation but was unsuccessful. Both were really uncomfortable with that kind of low aspirations.
"...why is the leader of the strongest Sinkie opposition party has no ambition to become PM?"
Anon 9:09 am
This not only says a lot about the leader, about also a lot about all Sinkies in general.
That's why Sinkies deserve the kind of leaders they have, be it the ruling or the opposition party.
Our forefathers came here to seek a better life. The current batch of daft Sinkies are happy to downgrade as long as they have 3 meals and a roof over their heads.
This is decadence down to the lowest level.
Tony Tan to RB: Mine definitely has gotten better.
All the ministers said to RB: Our lives are definitely getting better. Even our dogs' lives are getting better.
Not everyone can be conditioned like a dog to go whoopee! When scraps are throw their way. Some people will just say, OK, my standard of living is going down and it's harder for me to move upwards despite putting the hours and much sweat.
Do you really believe for one moment this people would just buy hook, line and sinker into this whole nonsense of discovering happiness thru downgrading. No! They will not. They will just move to greener pastures. And that my friends is what it is - yes, it is what it is.
If you want to downgrade and find happiness in driving a taxi and living a frugal life, that is your prerogative. But you have no right to force this idea down the throats of others who may wish to live instead of just exist.
Ants cannot change their circumstances to improve their lot. They cannot. But humans can and they will.
Do have a nice weekend all.
Darkness 2014
Darkness is showing a little light to the daft Sinkies. When people no longer aspire to be better, the only certainty is down the gutters.
@RB:
It is entirely up to you to make your life better.
If you trust someone else -- who you don't even have a personal connection with (like the government) -- to do that for you, you deserve all the shit that your lazy thinking and inaction deserves.
You are no different from those religious assholes who believe that their invisible sky fairy is going to deliver Sky Cake.
Politics is an offshoot of religion. They are both used by savvy control-freaks to steal your freedom and your stuff so that they can have more than you by sheer trickery and making you feel inadequate and dependent all your life from cradle to grave; and in the case of religion, beyond the grave.
Got Sky Cake?
The Sheeple Get The Con Artists They Deserve
What would happen if all able Sinkies were to leave for greener pastures?
@1041:
Absolutely nothing of concern. The world will continue.
No one is indispensable. Not even one measly human society or civilization.
That's right. All my countrymen are ready to replace the daft Sinkies. If they are not happy, not competitive, ship out. The government will be happy to bring in more FTs to take their place.
Sinkies should not complain.
Not many years ago, you can be considered rich and OK if you have cash of $1,000,000.00.
Today, even with cash of $1,000,000.00, you cannot go very far, it is now considered as "peanuts".
But, I am not sure how many of us have cash of $1,000,000.00 now!
You have? Cheers.........
The title today should have been = Is PAP life getting better?
The answer is unequivocally yes.
80 years ago, our great /grandparents lived in attap villages/kampongs. Then 50 years ago our parents lived in HDBs. 50years today majority still lived and 86% owned HDB. So if we are progressing, shouldn't we all be living in the pte condos now? Got improvement or not?
Why don't the citizens flip the coin around and ask the PAP.
You can still govern SG without being a dominant party.
You can still exist as a country without being nbr 1 and extraordinary.
You can still serve the people without being an Minister/MP. GROs are great too.
You can still keep law and order with a free press
You can be the minority party and still make unpopular decisions that are tough but necessary for the country. As he said at chatham meeting in UK, NMP/+NCMP are good alternatives.
You can still be a respected leader without drawing millions of dollars serving masters.
And don't need to get their permission. Just vote them in 40% and the right course will follow.
In another 50 years our parents would have no flats to live in if they are still around. Or their childre who inherited the flats would have flats no more.
You seriously need your head examined if you want to follow a Leeder that keeps telling you to downgrade your dreams.
If you follow PAP advice to downgrade your dreams.
What's the next step?
Tell your children to also downgrade their dreams?
Why not PAP tell our bosses to downgrade their expectations in terms of how hard they expect us to work?
Why not PAP downgrade their expectations about how much taxes-profit they can squeeze from Singaporeans?
This PAP government demand so much from Singaporeans.
And yet they offer nothing in return.
@RB:
>> In another 50 years...[...]...
Ah fucking bullshit lah. No one, not even you with your super-kopi powers can tell what is going to happen or what the world will be like in 50 years.
For all you know in 50 years China, Russia and the USA are all out of the geopolitical picture and planet earth is one vast Islamic Caliphate. You will have to buy your Bak Kuteh on the black market and consume it like an illicit drug in secret bak kuteh "dens" as all pig meat will be outlawed.
However men will be able to slap their wives and daughters around more than they can today, and marry 10 year old girls. It would be wonderful time for misogynistic pedophiles to "express their heartfelt urges", in accordance with their "special book" :-)
True, I would not know what the world would be in 50 years, what would happen to US, Russia or China.
But I do know in 50 years, many HDB leases will expire and I also know you and me would not be around.
'This PAP government demand so much from Singaporeans. And yet they offer nothing in return.'
"Our merchants and masters complain much of the bad effects of high wages in raising the price and lessening the sale of goods. They say nothing concerning the bad effects of high profits. They are silent with regard to the pernicious effects of their own gains. They complain only of those of other people.”
― Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations: An Inquiry into the Nature & Causes of the Wealth of Nations"
- RB, I think you are the 'Adam Smith' of sg. Btw, Adam Smith made that statement more than 50 years ago. USA class conflict still rules.
Everyone Should try and live within their means. Otherwise you're going to be very unhappy hankering after what you cant afford, or in a lot of debt, which is terribly stressful.
The difference betw yesterday and today is that, before, we had a Lot more means to live within. Also, our standard of living was rising. Today, it is falling, as we earn less, don't have an iron rice bowl, and everything is a Heckuva lot more expensive.
Even the lease on a HDB flat costs a bomb. And remember, HDB flats were built for the POOR.
Yes, $1million in cash is simply not enough to live a middle-class life. Don't believe even $2million is! Kena dialysis or cancer and you're semi-wiped out. Perhaps $5million is more like it - if you are over 60, and only at this point in time. In a few years, this money no enough.
''Poverty'' has some advantages. You've gotta be a lot more disciplined about your spending. You have to be a lot more resourceful. You learn humility. You get used to finding cheaper alternatives and finding out that cheaper doesn't mean worse. Can still show off - show how cleaver you are at finding these things. You become more creative in looking for ways to be happy.
There is no need to make downgrading fashionable, unless one is desperate. And the PAP govt is looking more and more desperate. At the same time, it's also more and more illogical.
Not only HDB flats, those 99-yr
leasehold private properties are
also included.
The value of their properties will become ZERO at the end of
their leases!
No one dare to touch on this
tricky question NOW.
BUT, the day will come.
And the occupiers will have to cough out another few millions to get another property, if they can afford it.
There are many folks resting and sleeping at void decks, open fields near MRT Stations or some corners around the Stations and at wet markets. Most appeared to be foreign workers and many do appeared to be elderly locals, majority males with few females.
Why are they allowed to live as they did openly?
Expect more locals to seek shelters, clearing and cleaning up themselves at places mentioned above. No measure will deter them as they have no other means.
Pray hard that You will have better place to live in.
Anyway, cars are going to be obsolete. I will be going for one of these: flying bike (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnPzmM7HXrI)
Hi Redbean, this is Speedwing. I see you are still at it and I notice things have not got better for you. You are still bashing your head against the PAP wall. Well good luck. I am an outsider and I will watch the wayang from the sideline. Good luck.
Hi Speedwing, it been such a long time. I am not bashing against anything or anyone. I am just provoking people to think about their country and to talk about it. Hopefully something good can come out from all this bantering.
Sometime sheeples are so brainwasjed they cannot see or even unwilling to see alternatives. Sad to say I have been a guest of your country on and off for the past 12 years and I have not seen any step towards a brighter and more equitable nation, in fact I find things a little more expensive, the place a little more crowded and people less caring.
You are absolutely right. Sheeples are just incapable of thinking. They just listen to what the govt and main media told them and do what they are told. No car good, bicycle better. Small flat good, dog's kennel better. Got displaced by foreigners good. Become taxi driver is as good as being a boss.
The daft sinkies deserve to be replaced and kicked out of this island. Can you find a more stupid people than Sinkies?
Now now, lets not get carried away and we must not be too harsh. There are some Singaporeans who are very bright and forward thinking, but, very unfortunately they have all been recruited into the PAP fold.
/// There are some Singaporeans who are very bright and forward thinking, but, very unfortunately they have all been recruited into the PAP fold. ///
These must be the language translators.
Following in the footsteps of Lee Kuan Yew, the translator, in World War Two?
Seah Chiang Nee's Saturday column
[Is public assault civil or criminal?]
"Police in Singapore are ready to arrest peaceful protesters –
but not someone who beat up a member of the public."
http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Insight-Down-South/Profile/Articles/2014/04/05/Is-public-assault-civil-or-criminal/
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