Slaying the spectre of inflation

This is what an article in the ST is saying about the aim of the next budget. I think it is silly talk. The inflation beast has been carefully nurtured to grow to this size today, and everyone is so happy and delirious about it. The developers were encouraged to build and sell at an ever high price in a bidding system that can see prices going one way. The landlords were given a free hand to keep increasing the rentals under the guise of market forces. No need to mention about what HDB is doing. No one can meddle with market forces. The end result is a happy result. Owners of properties are all laughing at the value of their flats and private properties. And the best part, everything is simply affordable. The higher the prices, the more affordable they become, and the people can see more value in them. Higher medical bills are appropriate for world class hospitals. And rich people are discouraged from opting to go to lower class wards and pay less. Our education system is so high quality measured by the high fees that students are paying. As they say, quality and good stuff don’t come cheap. You want quality, you pay for it. And of course, with the money we are paying, we have the best quality govt in the world. An European talent said that Singapore is the best place for the future in the ST today. What more proof you need? What inflation? Where got inflation? It is quality. Everything is about quality. And Singaporeans are so rich that they can afford all the quality stuff in paradise. Singaporeans are paying the most expensive cars, housing, medical, education and almost everything. Please, please don’t slay the inflation beast. It is good, a sign of progress and better quality of life. The more Singaporean spent, the faster the economy spins, and the economic numbers will look better and better. Actually we even heard people saying, where got inflation? Everything is affordable, affordable understand? Everything is fine. Kindergartens are fine, fining parents who are late for a good cause. $2 for every 5 min. And of course the fines are affordable. A sign of things to come after the election. SMRT just increased night fare from $3.50 to $4. 50 cents only what! Imagine what would it be if the PTC would have gone through their fare review exercise? It is either now or later. Guaranteed better services after the next fare hike.

Singapore one step ahead of inflation

The reckless hike in food and commodity prices is threatening to wreck the countries around the world and bring down govts. And the western analysts point their fingers at Asian countries, particularly India and China, for importing them to feed their people and industries. No one is saying a word about the financial speculators, the big western funds that are driving up prices to the sky. The hike in prices of everything, high inflation, is sending worrying signals to govts around the world. The uprising in Egypt, and possibly more to come, could be the early signs that it could be spreading. Then again, the Asian economies need not fear as they are managed differently and effectively, and will avoid such crisis. In fact the govts of the world should take a lesson from the Asian economies, starting with Singapore. Singapore is one step ahead in this inflation game and is doing exceptionally well. No signs of trouble, and with a rich populace that can afford everything at any price. What is significant about the developments in Singapore is that while the world is just experiencing high inflation, Singapore has already inflated the prices of everything long before the word inflation raises its ugly head. Our property prices have rocketed sky high and pronounced as a good thing. This is a true sign of the people getting richer. There is also the medical cost which is now more expensive than the West if $150k bill for a C Ward is the thing to come. OK, this is just an exaggeration. It is rare. Maybe less than 5% of all bills are so big. And Singaporeans feel so comfortable paying $60k or more to buy a piece of paper that entitles them to buy a car that is priced 3 or 4 times more than in other countries. This is the magic of Singapore, inflating prices in everything and the people still can afford them. Everything is simply affordable. The govts of the world better send their civil servants to study how Singapore did it, beating the inflation game, by inflation. Inflation is welcomed as a good thing, especially when the people are mostly millionaires.

China is the cause of Egypt’s uprising

Thomas Friedman was given the front page in mypaper to ‘fried’ China. He pronounced that the uprising against Mubarak was because China could produce cheaper goods than the Egyptians. The same trend of thought planted in the minds of all Americans. China is the cause of their troubles because China could produce things cheaper than them. What Friedman refused to acknowledge is the American role over the last 30 years to prop up a dictator against their big talks on democracy. As far as the Americans are concerned, anything goes as long as it is to their advantage. It is either the dictator or the Muslim Brotherhood. So they chose to support a dictator and his misrule for 30 years. And it is China’s fault! The only other American contributions to the turmoil are Twitter and Facebook, which gave the common people a voice to talk back to the dictator and his corrupt regime backed by the Americans. Let me see, Twitter and Facebook must be products from China too, just for this uprising. And Singaporeans are enlightened and now know that China is the culprit. And Singapore could be next given that China could produce things cheaper than us, the enormous income gap between rich and poor and our local graduates from our world class universities unable to compete for jobs with foreign talents from third world universities, some even with fake degrees. China, watch out! In the eyes of the Americans, you are the trouble maker. And all American allies are told this, and they believe in it too.

An original Singapore Art Form

Taking a break from writing rubbish to show some of the works that I have created and called The Art of RAR. This nascent photographic art form is something I can truly claim to have originated from this little island. I hope NAC and STB are reading this and want to promote it as our native art form. The images that I have created have been good and consistent to the methodology that I have used. At this point in time I could identity a few categories eg Gold Series, Deep Space Series, Chinese Brush Series, Gems and Contemporary Arts Series. I have posted some of my Gold Series on the right column. The Zodiac Collection is now complete. On the left are examples of Contemporary Arts, Chinese Brush and Deep Space Series. The more I work on this art form, the more fascinating the images appeared. The potential of this art form is tremendous. redbean

The Egyptian Story unfolds

Dictator or no dictator, as long as he can hold the country together will do. The Emperor does not care about democracy or human rights as long as the dictator does what the Emperor wants, behave as a good boy and bow to the Emperor, everything will be fine. The moment the dictator loses his power base or support of the people, he must go. Obama spoke from his White House on the day of the major people uprising, telling the dictator to get things back in order. A week has passed and the anger of the people is increasing, and the demand for the dictator to get out grows. The Emperor knew that time is up for a change and told the dictator to get moving. As all dictators are the same, after enjoying years of power, wealth and control, giving up is not an easy thing to do. He let loose his security forces to do his dirty work, to quell the people’s uprising, threaten and putting people behind jails may work, to extend his dictatorial reign. The Emperor thinks otherwise, and is planning for the exit of the dictator from the White House. Like it or not, Egypt belongs to the Empire and any regime change must be authorised by the Emperor. Another dictator will be installed, with some trappings of democracy like in Iraq and Afghanistan. But dictators they will be, and the Emperor will be their boss. Will the will of the people decide who should lead them? Egypt has been faced with many years of big time corruption, wide income gap between the rich and poor, unemployment of graduates, high inflation, and a people getting increasingly unhappy with the regime. There is a ground swell for a change in govt. Who shall prevail, the Emperor, the dictator or the will of the people?