Singaporeans new aspirations

Singaporeans are a happy and contented lot. Thanks to so many years of good government, they have even left their brains in the locker, no need to think any more. Everything is being thought out and planned for them by the govt. They only need to do what the govt told them to do.

We used to aspire to be the Switzerland of Asia with Swiss standard of living. Some have achieved that and are very contented with their lives here. Those who haven’t are still aspiring to be one and are working on it with the govt helping them in the process. Those who are falling behind need not worry. The govt is coming up with many charitable schemes, rebates, subsidies, cash, some can touch, some cannot, there is money everywhere and no one is complaining.

Recently the govt has been churning out many new initiatives for the people to look forward to. Those familiar ones are like aspiring to get a degree to become taxi drivers and security guards. I can understand why they want to be taxi drivers. Think of the freedom and the benefits of being able to drive around in a car in the most expensive city in the world when a car costs more than a house. Those able ones are driving around in cars that cost more than the most expensive govt built flats, $500k, $1m or more. Driving around the city’s first class roads in a 4 rm flat is a common sight. And the taxi drivers can boast of being their own bosses, and all the free time they chose to take. I cannot think of a good reason to aspire to be security guard. Perhaps it makes one feeling safe and secure wearing uniform.

Let me just list down a few of the new aspirations of Singaporeans other than the dream job of being a taxi driver. Owning and riding a soup up good looking bike is now another great aspiration. Since cars are so expensive, to be able to move around the island, to feel the freedom of fresh air in the face, a good expensive bike is a good alternative. And the govt is making this a happy experience by building more bicycle tracks for the new HDB rich.

Lately this has not been spouted for sometime, but Singaporeans are aspiring to buy smaller and smaller flats in terms of size but more expensive in monetary terms. The good thing is that everything is within a hand’s reach. No need to walk around in a big flat. And they can use their unused brain to think for once on how to make every little nooks and corners useful. It requires a lot of careful planning and thinking to squeeze little pieces of furniture into their newly acquired small flats, a new style of living, without compromising on the quality of life. Oh, small flats easier to maintain, not much space to clean up.

Yes, many can keep pets too, like big exquisite dogs, in their little expensive flats. Why not when they don’t see the need for children to share the limited space? It is a lifestyle thing and dogs or pets are important to have.

The latest, their children are going to have stress free education and they could learn anything they want as long as they fancied them and would still go to university if this is still their aspiration. If not, and actually not necessary if they aspire to become hawkers to cook designer food to make a living. Can become very rich, with little need for higher education.

Being rich aside, the new education system will make the children and their parents very happy and stress free. Must be really good stuff. This must be an extension to the concept of study less and learn more. This will soon become a sought after model for the rest of the world to emulate.  I did not bother to read the details, but I can only presume that everything is carefully thought out and our education system will produce graduates from the hard disciplines as well. Forget about the old and outdated belief that you need to put in hard work to achieve, to do well. Hard work and sacrifice are no longer necessary. Please excuse me, I have retired my brain in the closet. When the govt said it is good, it must be good.

I think there is another big aspiration in the planning stage. This must be how to ensure that all the Singaporeans have a lot of money in their CPF. With the likelihood of no retirement age, Singaporeans can aspire to work forever, and to keep their CPF savings in the CPF forever and to feel very rich.

I am so elated that I am lost for words and can’t remember the other great aspirations of the millennial. Has it got to do with having all the good stuff but no need to work for it, or having a good life, a happy life, and not having to put in any effort, be happy, everything will be fine? Who said no effort no gain? Oh, just in case anyone forgets, riding bicycle needs strong legs to peddle even if you have 24 gears on the bike.