How to learn to love another people...the American way.

There is a Chinese saying, 'without fighting cannot get acquainted.' In order to know and appreciate another person, you need to fight him. And it seems that this is exactly how the Americans get to know the world and to live at peace with them. Before the Second World War, America was quite happy living in its own continent. Then came the war. They fought the Germans and the Japs. Today, the Germans and the Japs were their best pals. Then they fought the Koreans and again the Koreans are their best pals. They even have a lot of Japs and Koreans in America now. Then they fought the Vietnamese, and as expected, the Vietnamese have become great American friends and living in America as Americans. Through all these fightings, the Americans learn a new people and their way of life, culture and even learn their language. Now America is fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. In another 10 or 20 years down the road, America will be flooded with Afghans and Iraqis. Initially they will come as refugees after the war ends. Then the next phase will be political refugees. And then all will be Americans, living happily under the same night sky and stars. Actually the first group to receive such American hospitality are the African negroes. They are now as American as any White Americans. The group that really missed out on this hospitality is the Red Indians. Maybe too little left to be appreciated. With the impending withdrawal from Iraq, Americans better braced themselves up to receive an influx of Iraqis and Afghans into the Big Apple. And more mosques should be built quickly as surely they will come. Maybe have a few MacAlibaba fastfood Restaurants ready.

myth 92

'I am generous and all caring' I am going to set up a charity with a fund of $10 million to help the needy. These people really need help and if no one is going to help them they can all become jumpers. Now conditions to qualify for my generosity. 1. They must come forward and apply, giving all details of their family background, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brothers and sisters, husband and wives and children. And they must bring along all their bank statements showing how many bank accounts they have and how much each have in their accounts. 2. The family income must not exceed $800 or $300 per person. I have worked this out in detail how much one needs to live. 4 packets of instant noodles and 4 packets of 3 in 1 tea or coffee shall make a wonderful meal for a day. That will cost 60c + 10c multiply by 4 meals or $2.80 x 30 days. A sum of $84 a month. $300 a month is thus more than enough. 3. For married couple, must have only one child. With such a high cost of living it is better that they limit themselves to only one child. Otherwise there is really nothing my fund can do to help. 4. They must live on rental properties. 5. And there must be no colour tv or refrigerator or hi fi at home. and no handphone. These are luxury. Computer is definitely out of question. 6. Another condition is that they must be out of jobs for at least 6 months. 7. And they must not turn down any jobs offer to them. 8. Better still if they have IOUs or statements from the loansharks to prove that they are deeply in debt. 9. And when they come to apply, try to look poor and hungry. Fat or chubby applicants need not apply. I think that should be enough criteria to qualify for my charity fund. And if successful, each one will be given $100 a month. This will be given to them on a 3 monthly basis and every case will be reviewed after 3 months. I can't give them too much or my fund will dry up fast. And now it has been a year and my fund is still not utilised. There are some applicants but most of them cannot qualify. Never mind, one day someone will qualify. Anyone want to apply?

Dreaming like an elite

Sunday morning fantasy. Allow me to day dream a little, to feel good that I am an elite. Hmmm, a $50k salary, and maybe 10 directorships. Wow! Bee tang. Can’t imagine the amount of money going into my bank accounts monthly. Each directorship may average $5k a month. More if the organization is big. Well, probably I will lose track of who is paying into my accounts or how many accounts I have. I may even forget to attend board meetings. Or often the meetings clash on the same day and either I miss one or attend one for a while, then pop into another for a cup of tea.

Now that is life. And got bonuses and increments annually some more. Well, they need to keep feeding me out of respect for my position or my talent, or my connections.

Now would I be weighed down by problems? Of course problems are aplenty. So I will need to prioritise them. Only deal with the major problems. Often I will feel very irritated by little whinings and complaints. Can’t they bring it somewhere else for others to solve them? I only take care of big problems and big issues. Haven’t they told them that a captain handles only captain’s problem while every problem going to the major becomes a major problem?

Now better to do a quick check on my bank accounts and bank balances. Should have enough to place a booking for St Regis.

While I am busy looking for another important investment, those leeches better buck up and straighten up their lives. And stop thinking of handouts. It is for their own good. Too many handouts will develop in them a crutch mentality. And soon the company will be bankrupted. Now that will be a real big problem. It will definitely affect my next increment and bonuses.

Isn’t that a nice Sunday morning fantasy?

myth 91

‘$5000 household income is rich’

Is this really true? It should be. $5000 is a big sum of money. And a household income of $5000 must be middle class. Let’s look at the details. A family of 5, father, mother and three working children, father earns $1,600, mother $1,000, 3 children each earning $800.

After CPF and a $200 monthly transportation cost for each member, the disposable income left will be: father - $1080, mother - $600, each child - $440. Assuming each member needs $200 for his/her personal expenses eg taking lunch or dinner at workplace, the disposable income will be further reduced to: father $880, mother $400, and each child $240. For a family of 5, the household expenses will probably be $1500 plus $250 for utilities and conservancy fees, or a sum of $1750.

Now the combined balance available of the family, $880, $400 and 3 x $240 is $2000. This would mean that the family will have a balance of $250 to spare. Would this amount be adequate to pay for all the social obligations, more bills and a little eating out or entertainment? In reality, it is likely to be nothing left as there are many things that will eat up $250 a month easily.

Is a $5000 household income sufficient to qualify a family as being comfortable? No car or motor cycle definitely. Very likely the family will be living on a hand to mouth existence. That is how the cost of living in Singapore affects the apparently high income of Singaporeans and making the value of money so small.

A $5000 income is quite handsome if it is the income of 1 or 2 bread winners with a couple of young children. If the income is contributed by every working adult who needs to feed and cloth themselves, and also incurring expenses while working, a $5000 monthy family income is bearly enough to live on.

inspired by mah bow tan

After listening to Mah Bow Tan’s plan to build more rental flats for the less well off citizens, I am truly inspired. The govt is now actively tackling the problem of the poorer Singaporeans and to help them. More empty flats will be converted to 1 rm and 2 rm rental flats to solve the problems of housing for the poor. And the rentals will definitely be affordable, calculated with computer precision to fit the income of the poor Singaporeans. This is to prevent the more well off Singaporeans from taking advantage of the system and deprived the more needy Singaporeans of rental flats.

So what will happen is that the household income of the family will be carefully scrutinized not only on eligibility but also to determine how much each family will pay for the rental of the flat. A family with a higher income will have to pay more than a family with a lower income. This kind of micro management to ensure that the poor cannot abuse or cheat the system is one of its kind in the world. It is an obsession to make sure that the poor are managed to every detail of the little money they have. Put them under the microscope. And once they earn a little more, they should be made to pay a little more. This is absolutely fair and righteous. This is equitability at its best. Means testing was not mentioned, but means testing will have to be done to assess affordability.

This principle of paying according to income or affordability is the most ingenious part of the solution. It convinces me that means testing is important and relevant in the Singapore context. Though I have always been against means testing, I am now a convert for means testing. It is the fairest and most equitable way of distributing national resources and be paid according to one’s ability. I would like to see Mah Bow Tan proposing this formula in Parliament to apply to all govt services, including tuition fees in schools and tertiary education, ward charges for hospitalization, utilities, road taxes etc.

And for this scheme to be effective and implemented across the board, all Singaporeans must be means tested. Testing only the poorer Singaporeans is discrimination by wealth and is disgusting. Also, since all govt services and fees are to be paid according to affordability, it is necessary to means test the more affluent Singaporeans to ensure that they pay more for the same govt and public services. As an example, the price of a 5 rm flat should vary according to the family income of the buyer. Or hospital ward charges shall be computed according to the patient’s family income and applicable to A, B and C wards. School and university tuition fees shall be also payable according to the family’s income. The higher the family income, the higher should be the fees. It is the fairest and gracious formula for the better off citizens to cross subsidise for their poorer counterparts.

With such an equitable scheme where those who can afford more pay more and those who can afford less pay less, the govt will be seen as fair and progressive instead of being mean and petty if means testing is only applicable for the poor. I will definitely support such a great scheme.