12/12/2020

Income inequality or something more to it?

 

Singapore — There has been much concern about the plight of a frail, elderly cardboard collector after a photo was posted on social media on Monday (Dec 7) showing a luxury car reversing dangerously close to her.

Facebook user Vladimir Guevarra saw the woman stacking cardboard on a trolley as he was cycling along Eng Hoon Street in Tiong Bahru sometime last week. The pile of cardboard that had been collected was nearly as tall as the woman.

Just as he thought the woman was “too old and frail to be doing this”, he noticed that she was unaware that a Porsche SUV was reversing towards her....

He added: “I was stunned over how big her stack was, and I wondered how much — or how little — money she’d get for re-selling that, presumably, to a recycling shop.”

Using the hashtag “rich poor divide”, he wrote: “I approached her just to check she’s ok. Boy, she looked tired. I gave her the cash in my pocket and told her to have some dinner. SG friends, in case you see her, perhaps social services can help (?) She looked too old, and shouldn’t be doing this.”

 

The above is posted in theindependent. The stark harsh reality of Singapore is clearly described by the picture above. How old do you think this old lady is? 90? What do you think she is doing? Should she be doing this or be taken care of in her last few years of existence? 

That pile of cardboard, and a rubbish bin, beside that $400,000 Porsche, how much was the cardboard worth? $3?

Singapore is such a rich country, throwing millions and millions away in bad investment without blinking an eye, $460m to save a failing Indian bank and its hundreds of thousands of customers that have nothing to do with us. And we have this very very senior citizen struggling to earn a few dollars at an age that taking a step is difficult and a big effort to do so. She is not the only senior citizen doing this.

What kind of society have we become? Where is the compassion of our millionaire, multi millionaire politicians? Throwing millions, hundreds of millions, billions, to foreigners and so miserly to our senior citizens, our children in need of financial assistance. What the fuck?

Wait a minute, look at that poor dog and poor cat, so poor thing, let's do something about it. Cuddle, cuddle, cuddle, kiss, kiss, kiss.....


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blame the 61.24% . . .

Anonymous said...


In Taiwan the traitor to the Chinese people the bitch Chai Ying Wen who prostitutes herself to the Americans is causing terrible disaster to Taiwan. Businesses are down, factories are closing and thousands are jobless. Just like in the United States thousands of poor Taiwanese in Taipeh and other cities have no homes but are sleeping by the pavements or five foot ways of public buildings, shopping malls and railway stations. This is the result of learning and copying in toto US governance of anti-social help to the large majority of the people in the island.It is time China liberate Taiwan to bring it back to the motherland to save the Taiwanese.

If our little island wants to follow the Evil Empire's governance just as Chai Ying Wen does, our disadvantaged poor people will soon be like the poor Americans and Taiwanese living in pavements and roadside camps.It is really pathetic if Singapore comes to this state.

Never follow the governance and fake democracy and human rights of the evil Anglo-Saxons and white Americans.

Pro-Asian Singaporean

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Taiwan can follow Australia's example. When China stops buying from them, just ask the Americans to buy what they wanted to sell. Trump is helping to buy Australian wines for his White House parties, 200 bottles!

Oops, the Americans are asking the Taiwanese to buy American weapons, in the billions. Where to get the money if cannot make money from selling to China?

KT said...

RB, u highlighted only one pioneer gen aunty collecting cardboards. There are many more senior aunties and uncles in SG doing the same day in and day out. You can search thru the internet on those surfaced by others, including Dr Chee. A few years back, one millionaire ministar said the old cardboard collector was doing it as an exercise. Recently, it was mentioned that one millionaire politician said the G is sending 5 million Singdollars to help a certain country. Many citizens viewed this as painful when our people, esp the PG and the earlier MG are still struggling on our streets. About a few weeks ago, I saw elderly man used a small screw driver to open up the steel covers on the small drains in the Redhill estate to search for money (coins). He used his bare hand to dip up the dirts in the drains hoping to get some coins of 10ct, 20ct, 50ct or even a one dollar coin. I advised him to be careful as the steel covers were heavy and could hurt your fingers. Millionaire politicians never walk the ground. You think they understand the plight of senior citizens ?

Anonymous said...

Rb Knn, I am very upset reading this article. I personally have seen over 90 working in food county's collecting dishes. On several occasions, I handed $50 to the old ladies cause as an unemployed person and now retiree, I can't give more. Knn I am ashamed that this happen in sg. Knn Rb, u really spoil my day. I feel like sodomizing Virgo for release of pressure leh

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Anon 10:06am.

If you can feel upset by this article, it says one thing. You are still human and can feel, unlike the demigods and immortals, cannot feel like human beans anything.

Congrats, you are still a warm blooded human beans, alive.

Anonymous said...

What to say when S$500,000 is just one peanut to some? And they complain it is still no enough. Singapore is so rich it boggles the mind. Like what Redbean said, so much money that they can even pour them into the Indian black hole to help failing Indian Banks and depositors.

If you say more, they will tell you there are so many sources you can turn to for help. If only it was so easy. Help comes to those who knows how to dig for it. How to expect the old lady and others like her go for help? They do no even know who to ask and where to go to.

Like they say, no begging allowed does not mean there are no beggars. Chinese nationals say Singapore is so unique that they have singing beggars on the streets.

Anonymous said...

Hi Uncle Redbean, I am not a Singaporean. I have many relatives and friends living in Singapore and from my personal observation I find that in general Singaporeans are quite rich. There are many who are mega rich and the majority of Singaporeans are comfortably well off. The government of Singapore has many trillions stashed in all sorts of international investments. It puzzles me why there are old people in such a rich country still toiling as cardboard collectors and table cleaners at foodcourts. Why can't the rich Singaporean government take cars of there poor souls? I am really confused.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Anon 8:27pm, that is the point I am also trying to make. There are many rich Singaporeans for sure, but there are still a sizable number of Singaporeans that are like the old aunty picking cardboards or cleaning tables in food courts.

What is painful to know is that the govt is throwing billions to foreigners to study in Singapore, making huge investments some not very welcome by Singaporeans, like the bailing out of failed foreign banks and losing hundreds of millions of Singapore's reserves.

A fraction of these monies could do a lot of good to those oldies and seniors trying to make ends meet working in their last few months or days. Wasting substantial amount of our reserves on foreigners and neglecting our needys are unacceptable and appear senseless, a kind of betrayal.

SSO said...

When government leaders and officials, who have been sworn in and taken oaths to serve the people without favour, fear or ill-will, are making themselves and the public servants, overnight multi-millionaires, you should all know that the rot has already set in.

When the rotting starts from the top, it's only a matter of time that the bottom also rots. Then the whole society becomes a rotten society.

A rotton society reveals itself in how it treats the poor, the aged, the disadvantaged and the disabled. It emphasizes on the luxury and forgets about the need. It takes care of the rich and powerful instead of the needy and the weak.

This is the situation of a significant portion of Singapore today, especially so for the fat cats or Aristocats.


Anonymous said...

Anon 10.10

You wrote...

"A rotten society reveals itself in how it treats the poor, the aged, the disadvantaged and the disabled. It emphasizes on the luxury and forgets about the need. It takes care of the rich and powerful instead of the needy and the weak.

This is the situation of a significant portion of Singapore today, especially so for the fat cats or Aristocats."

If this is the situation in Singapore, why don't you or the majority of Singaporeans move out of the country? People always complain and kpkb but still 61% vote them in. This is very confusing.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the reason why 61% vote for them is because many have already moved out of Singapore and only people like you stay behind to support the fat cats and belittle those who criticize them.

Anonymous said...

We know the Fatcats' strategy very well.

Telling those who point out their inadequacies and idiosyncrasies to leave the country is one of their tactical move to reduce oppositions' votes.

Therefore, those who are not happy should not leave but stay to cast more opposition votes.

This is the way to go ahead.

Don't fall into PAP IBs' scams.

Anonymous said...

You are right Anon 4.54

Stay and vote opposition. That is how the PAP's vote went down from 70% to 61%. The facts speak for themselves.

Anonymous said...

The ruling DPP is the shame of the Chinese race. Ever willing to sabotage China like their PPE ban and lies about the virus in Wuhan (they claimed they first detected the onset and China's coverup giving fodder to antiChina hate groupsb in the West), they are also adept at sucking up to US and the West. Nobody sucks better than the foreign minister Joseph Wu. He asks for the West to group together to take on China, and recently campaign for other countries to buy Australian wines after China imposed hefty tariffs that devastated their China export market.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Many of them are half Chinese, with Japanese blood in them.

Anonymous said...

My China colleagues used to ask me why were so many of our old folks still working at fheir age, mainly in menial and backbreaking jobs while theirs in China were in retirement, taking care of grandkids, enjoying life without stress. There I was remembering back the late 70s and 80s mocking with friends at them rushing for our old clothes whenever some of our seniors brought with them when back to Quangdong to visit relatives.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

China is progressing and getting richer and technologically more advanced in break neck speed. Their target is to overtake the Americans in every field of endeavour. They have already succeeded in many areas.

We are slipping down the shit hole at greater and greater speed. China is not just going to be first world country, but the best. Singapore, sad to say, is returning to the third world.

The CCP is giving the average Chinese a better life they can never dream of 40 years ago and making millionaires and billionaires by the thousands every year. Their average working man, though nominal income in dollars term is less than Singapore, in real purchasing power they are now many times richer than the average Singaporean.

Many silly bananas still think they are living a better life than the average Chinese. Go and live with them for a while and they will be shock at the disparity in favour of the Chinese average working man and not forgetting their retirees that are enjoying their golden years without having to pick cardboards or clean tables...and can go on overseas tours.