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?

Make more babies!

For what? Why is there a need to make more babies? To generate economic growth, to make the statistics of growth look better? Why would people want to have babies if the babies are meant to be another digit in the economy? Aren’t babies the fruit of love, of people who love to have them, to enjoy them, to share their love with them? Babies that are brought into this world for any selfish reason other than to love them, and to cherish this gift of life, should not be born at all. Why is the state so adamant and steadfast in urging the people to produce babies? It must be for the good of the people, I think. If that be the case, what is the state doing to make sure that the babies are given a life worth living for instead of being born into a pressure cooker, a system that is hardly conducive to bringing up children unless the parents are financially able? The cost of bringing up children today is frightening. And the cost of failure when a child is unable to cope or compete in a highly strung society is not amusing. The parents too will fail if they do not have the financial means to give the child what is now regarded as basics in a sophisticated modern style of living. Today’s child will be deprived if they are going to live the life of poverty, living off the land, and making little toys for their own amusement from throw ways or discarded rubbish. It can be painful for children who cannot have the little things that other children are having, or the little comfort of a home. Make more babies? So easy? No need to think about money, about affordability? No need to think about the child’s own good? Multiply recklessly is not the way. It is simply irresponsible. How many new lives will be brought into this world to suffer the consequences of a system that only the very best will survive and the rest be made to struggle for a life time making ends meet? Is our social economic system conducive to bringing up children? What have the govt done towards building a more equitable society where the majority could live a better life instead of working like beast of burden just to make ends meet? Throwing some money good enough?