We need a few 'stupid' Singaporeans

Capitaland is going to build more affordable homes for the ordinary people in China. This set my eyeballs rolling. More affordable homes and in China, why not Singapore? And what is the definition of affordable? 30% or 35% of a person's income for 30 years? Our HDB used to build truly affordable homes for the people and the people greatly benefitted from it. For that, they voted for the govt for the last 45 years. But things are changing. The formula for affordability is becoming a farce. Nobody believes in it any more, to the extent that the word affordable is becoming a frightening word, a scornful word. For people who still go around mouthing that word, I wonder if they themselves believe in it. Unfortunately the truth is that they really and sincerely believe in it. For these are people who could buy 10 or 20 units of public housing flats with one year of their incomes. Only the losers are crying foul. Would successful people like Leong Mun Leong of Capitaland have second thought and said, what's going on, I have everything I want in life, I have more than enough, I have done and achieve enough, maybe it is time to do some national service, build really 'affordable' homes for the ordinary people of Singapore. Prove that public housing can be better and cheaper, and not dwindling in size. That would be a great mission. But such an idealistic mission is meant only for 'stupid' people who believe in little ideals like serving the people and taking care of the people, giving the people a good life. This is opposed to those who are too talented and too pragmatic, and wanting more and more for themselves. We have many successful people like Liew Mun Leong. What we need is to find among them some 'stupid' people to serve the people and thinking for the people, to redefine what is a good life. Not the current formula of working till one drops dead and paying for a whole life for a pigeon hole, and having no savings for retirement when the savings rate is more than 35% of a person's income. How could it be when our savings rate is the highest in Asia, next only to Japan? The basket is leaking, a big hole, or many holes!

Another 'bee tang' story

Yes, yes, 4rm flat is going to cost $1m. It is possible. The ST reported today that a 4rm flat at Queenstown has been sold to a rich Indonesian PR for $653k! This is a record! This is a record! And another few hundred thousand is all that needs to hit the $1m mark. Singaporeans should hang on to their dream flats, don't anyhow sell. And agents will tell potential buyers that $653k has been done. And with no one selling, the desperate buyers will have little choice. The new flats will come in a few years time, and provided the supply is enough. Then again, with land cost and building cost going up, don't bet on it that it will be cheaper. Some in the property circus have commented that this is a one time anomaly, it still shows that the rich and impatient PRs will just pay. And those who got a windfall from en bloc sale, pocketing a cool $1m or $2m, coughing out a bit more to pay for a choice HDB flat should not be a problem. Let's rub our hands and wait. Tan ku ku. My Lijiang dream is brighter now. On the other side of the fence, two forumers wrote in the My Paper, one Ng Teck Wee warned against speculating with housing and essentials. Another, Pan Yunyi wanted a cap on HDB resale prices. Both are just impossible suggestions in a free market economy. The govt cannot meddle with market forces. The supply and demand will determine the price. And those caught on the wrong end of the equation just got to buck up or live within their means, ie downgrade. That's being realistic. For those who have hoarded up on properties, wow, boom town charlie!

Chinese Netizen’s attack misplaced

In a way I would say that the attack by the Chinese netizens on LKY is misplaced or misinformed. LKY is after all a politician and doing what he knew best. What he said in America about the need for America’s presence in the region was mainly for American consumption. He could not possibly go there to tell the Americans to pack up and go home. He was just being a good guest and a good politician. No politician in the world can tell their listeners off especially if there is a need to make them happy or to win their votes. Only politicians in Singapore can afford to give its people or voters a dressing down or make outright blunt statements. Singaporeans are used to it by now, and probably love them for being treated like little children. Singaporeans could easily run off phrases like if you are asking for help, what do you expect, eat at hawker centre or restaurant? Or if you have no money, buy smaller flats lah. What’s so difficult? Live within your means if you are a loser. Period. And if Singaporeans migrated, they are called quitters. After all their votes no longer count. But wait a minute. They might have left, but they still have relations and friends here whom they could agitate for being called unfriendly names. LKY was in the US and he could not say the kind of things the Singaporean politicians could to the people. The American audience would not take a public dressing down quietly. It may be our Singaporean culture, but not American. In America, politicians know exactly what to say and not to offend their voters. Only the American voters will show their middle fingers to the politicians. So Chinese netizens, be realistic and don’t anyhow throw your tantrum. Must accept some decorum and no need to behave like hooligans. Hu JinTao is here as our honoured guest and offering us two the Chinese guobaos for 10 years. If we ask, he may even let us have one jiabao for a few years. Let’s be friends ok?

Entrapment not for the good guys

Lawyers who plot to expose rival's wrongdoings and then report them for disciplinary action will now also be subject to sanction.' I quoted this from the ST to make sure that I did not misquote any word. Too risky talking about the legal profession. Sekali kena sue. What was reported in the paper is that some lawyers have been entrapping fellow lawyers and get those lawyers into trouble. In an honourable profession, such acts have violated some ethical issues. The good men of our society have set a very high standard of ethical behavior for themselves. In the world of triads and mafias, they have no need to observe such niceties. Entrapments, cheating, sneaking around, fixing their enemies are all part and parcel of the game. It is better to be bad men and live with a different set of ethics. Being good men is tough. Trying to fix up your peers can get you into trouble for being unethical. Conduct unbecoming of an honourable man.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan

The Fort Hood Massacre is the most successfully managed tragedy of modern day America. 13 of its young men were killed by friendly fire, and more than 30 wounded, not in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan, but on home soil in Fort Hood. Unimaginable, that war started at home, just like George Bush ducking for cover during the 911 attack. It was not friendly fire to start with. Home ground was never a batttle field. Then what or how should this shooting be called, practise round or the act of a mad man? When the news broke, it seemed that hell will break loose and vengeful attacks could start like wild fires across America. But none of that happens. The great American people took it in their stride, that it was a freak incident by a misguided or deranged individual. And the media, plus the govt officials all sang the same song. A big reprisal has been avoided. There is a serene calm in the American community. The funeral was well attended and tears shed. Military honours were awarded to the brave soldiers who died before setting foot on enemy territory. America seems to have won this first round, to contain the damages and avoid more collateral damages. Is this the end of one chapter of America's history? Or would there be more to come? It is so fortunate that the KKK have been wiped out and the Nazi groups were all under controlled. The white extremist groups and white superiority movements have been silent, too quiet for comfort. Could anyone sense that something is brewing? Could this episode be history and life goes on as usual? My fear is that any wrong move of this kind is going to ignite a wild fire. Pray that such acts should not happen at all as one act could lead to another. Citizens of the world should seek peaceful coxistence and not resort to violence. For violence begets violence. God bless America.