Yeoh Lam Keong Singapore’s preeminent economist was quoted in the
Nikkei article explaining the PAP ideology as it applies to HDB pricing
policy in the following terms:
“The roots of Singapore’s current problems, Yeoh believes, were
planted in the 1990s, when its politics lurched rightward. In line with
the prevailing neoliberal thinking, the government moved toward a more
market-based approach to the pricing and ownership of HDB flats.”
What we have is a systemic failure and we need to recalibrate the
balance between unbridled capitalism and the welfare state or socialism;
between profits and people.
Our policy frameworks transfers control of economic factors from the
private sector and individuals to the public sector creating the
imbalance that need to be fixed.
The PAP Government is a prisoner of its own failed policies and
unless we vote for a more compassionate Government in place instead of
the PAP Government, things will get from bad to worse for the ordinary
citizen.
Khush Chopra
The above is a quote from Khush Chopra's article in the TRE. I have highlighted a few points in bold for discussion here. There is a systemic failure and PAP govt is a prisoner of its own failed policies. The key factors in PAP's economic policy is growing the GDP at all cost so that more and more people can be paid in the millions with many doing sweet fuck all and do not deserve the millions being paid to them. It is not easy to justify paying someone in the private sector a million dollar, and it is very dangerous to use public money to pay millions to politicians and civil servants and people working in GLCs. What are the values and contributions of the recipients to make them deserving of a million dollar pay? There are several thousand people being paid a million or more in govt, ministries, stats boards and GLCs. This million dollar pay policy is a big burden on the tax payers, on the budget and finance of the country. The money must come from somewhere and the amount is ballooning annually with more and more million dollar recipients being created.
This leads to the dogged policy of growing the economy at all cost and when all things failed, just pump in more headcounts, more levies and taxes and consumption from foreigners. The 6.9m is only a red herring, 10m is also another red herring. The truth is that this growing the GDP at all cost means that the population must keep growing, keep blowing the balloon, it cannot be stopped or the whole economy and system of million dollar salary will collapse.
The Covid19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of Singapore in having a huge population. There is a big issue of food, water, the basic needs that must be provided to a huge population. We can see how treacherous things can be even with 5.6m population. If this Covid19 problem drags on for 6 months or more, we could be facing serious difficulties to keep the people fed and without jobs, especially the foreigners. All would have to be asked to go home.
For the moment we can count ourselves lucky as the foreigners are not Singapore citizens and could be asked to leave, though the problem is not so simple if they refuse to do so. We would not have the luxury of asking them to leave if they are converted to citizens when we have 6.9m, 10m or more people here.
Can Singapore afford a 10m or 6.9m problem? In a major international crisis, we are not going to get the food we need, the water we need to feed so many mouths. Yes, this is a systemic failure, failed economic policy based on unrestrained growth. No growth means the bursting of the bubble. Continue to push for growth at all cost only kick the can down the road a little further but for how long before the inevitable big bang?
Would there be a rethink on this failed economic policy? Would the PAP govt be able to extricate itself from being the prisoner of this high growth, million dollar salary formula before it is too late?
Singapore needs to seriously relook at the premises and assumption for a sustainable population without risking a total collapse in the future. There will be many problems ahead that would be far more serious than what we are seeing today, a small piece of rock without natural resources and trying to live beyond its severe physical limitations. It is like a case of going for brokes.
3/19/2020
3/18/2020
Covid19 - White man spreading his virus
I am not sure where and when this was taken, but it is good enough to see what this white man was doing on the train. It was a deliberate act of mischief. I received this from Ming.
Watch the video of how the US soldier smear the train pole with his saliva from his mouth on a Wuhan train
Captured on a surveillance camera on a Wuhan, China train
Original message received in the Chinese
这个美国大兵，在军运会期间，己经带上了口罩。开始坐地铁传播疫情病毒了。
武汉市的监控摄像头都有美国大兵的行程路线图与当时的视频记录……，大数据是不会说慌的。
可怜的武汉市民，就是这样被无情的疫情病毒所感染上身。
要认真看看那个手的动，从嘴巴再到扶手，就知道了美国人的罪恶、邪恶之毒心。
Translation
The American soldier had put on a mask during the military games. Began to spread the epidemic virus by subway.
The surveillance cameras in Wuhan have a road map of the US soldiers and video records at the time ... Big data is not a panic.
Poor Wuhan citizens are infected with the ruthless epidemic virus.
If
you look at the movement of that hand carefully, from the mouth to the
armrest, you will know the evil and evil heart of Americans.
Other resources
Covid19 - Desperation can lead to recklessness. Protect the heartlanders
The lockdown of Malaysia raises the problem of Malaysian workers working in Singapore, commuting daily for decades as a natural order of things that is not natural after all. The lockdown means many businesses would not have their workers to do whatever they are supposed to do. The businesses are desperate, and the govt too is also desperate. No business means no taxes, work not done, contracts not fulfilled, jobs not done, undone, material wastage, machine downtime, redundancies etc etc all leads to losses. The companies cannot afford it, the workers too cannot afford it if they could not get to work.
Now the crisis is how to house these workers in Singapore to bypass the lockdown? Every stone would not be left unturn to find accommodation for these transient workers, could be temporary, but not sure how long. What is frightening is to allow them to invade the heartland, the sacred sanctuary of the Singaporeans, a place that they called home, a place they can feel safe and secured, whether at work or returning home to rest and to be with their families.
There have been many cases of reckless and irresponsible flat owners renting the flats to hordes of sex starved wildlife, men with a lot of hormones to release and living next doors to small Singaporean families, young families, young wives, young daughters without thinking of the safety of these female folks. Even the oldies, the retired and living alone can be quite scary with so many young wildlife, some looking so hostile and wild as their neighbours. The worse hours are working hours when the manfolks are at work. Even if they are home, the tiny weeny specky manfolks are no deterrence to these wildlife.
While everyone is desperate to find lodging for the Malaysian workers, and foreign workers, please be mindful that the safety and security of Singaporean families must not be compromised for their convenience. The HDB heartland is sacred, the safe sanctuary of average Singaporeans. Their homes must not be violated and invaded by strangers and wildlife, especially hungry sex starved men from all over the world, people whose backgrounds are unknown.
How could Singaporeans, especially young couples at work feel safe, not worried when they are not at home and their neighbours are wildlife from God knows where? How can oldies feel safe even at home when their neighbours are burly wildlife that could throw them out of the balcony or gatecrash into their homes? How would the womenfolks and young girls and children feel when being stared at by wild and aggressive men when they move to and from their homes? Why should Singaporeans be made to live in fear, with wildlife as their neighbours?
Be considerate, be mindful, be responsible to the Singaporeans in whatever actions you take, whatever policies you make for short term economic gains that may harm the Singaporeans in their homes, in the heartland.
Do not dump wildlife into the heartland.
Do not violate the homes and neighourhoods of the average Singaporeans.
Do not upset the social balance and tranquility of the heartland.
Do not endanger the safety and security of the heartlanders.
Now the crisis is how to house these workers in Singapore to bypass the lockdown? Every stone would not be left unturn to find accommodation for these transient workers, could be temporary, but not sure how long. What is frightening is to allow them to invade the heartland, the sacred sanctuary of the Singaporeans, a place that they called home, a place they can feel safe and secured, whether at work or returning home to rest and to be with their families.
There have been many cases of reckless and irresponsible flat owners renting the flats to hordes of sex starved wildlife, men with a lot of hormones to release and living next doors to small Singaporean families, young families, young wives, young daughters without thinking of the safety of these female folks. Even the oldies, the retired and living alone can be quite scary with so many young wildlife, some looking so hostile and wild as their neighbours. The worse hours are working hours when the manfolks are at work. Even if they are home, the tiny weeny specky manfolks are no deterrence to these wildlife.
While everyone is desperate to find lodging for the Malaysian workers, and foreign workers, please be mindful that the safety and security of Singaporean families must not be compromised for their convenience. The HDB heartland is sacred, the safe sanctuary of average Singaporeans. Their homes must not be violated and invaded by strangers and wildlife, especially hungry sex starved men from all over the world, people whose backgrounds are unknown.
How could Singaporeans, especially young couples at work feel safe, not worried when they are not at home and their neighbours are wildlife from God knows where? How can oldies feel safe even at home when their neighbours are burly wildlife that could throw them out of the balcony or gatecrash into their homes? How would the womenfolks and young girls and children feel when being stared at by wild and aggressive men when they move to and from their homes? Why should Singaporeans be made to live in fear, with wildlife as their neighbours?
Be considerate, be mindful, be responsible to the Singaporeans in whatever actions you take, whatever policies you make for short term economic gains that may harm the Singaporeans in their homes, in the heartland.
Do not dump wildlife into the heartland.
Do not violate the homes and neighourhoods of the average Singaporeans.
Do not upset the social balance and tranquility of the heartland.
Do not endanger the safety and security of the heartlanders.
3/17/2020
Covid19 - A valuable lesson from China by Bruce Aylward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8dIi_13COM
China has changed course of COVID-19 outbreak: WHO expert
China has changed the course of #coronavirus outbreak, says a WHO expert in Geneva. Bruce Aylward says a rapidly escalating outbreak in China has come down faster than previously expected. (recorded)
The above is a very informative video clip of a report by the team leader, Bruce Aylward, of WHO that visited China near the peak of the epidemic. The video was done on 9 Mar, the date tells how it was then, and how the world, especially Europe, failed to heed the advices given by Alyward and is paying a very heavy price for it today. The lessons provided by China were never learnt by Europe and instead of preventing more Wuhan, Europe has turned into another Wuhan, not just Italy or Spain.
What is interesting or disgusting is that Bruce Aylward kept reminding the viewers that though he was the head of the WHO team that visited China, he was not speaking on behalf of WHO. Some asses in WHO must have protested for what he said was in a way praising China's effort in containing the virus. And finally WHO head, Tedros also came out to say the same thing as Aylward, praising China and telling the world to learn from China. This to the West is shocking, how can WHO praise China when the West especially the Americans were trying their daily best to condemn China, after spreading the virus in Wuhan to blame it on China?
Bruce Aylward had a very good understanding of the Covid19 and how China managed to curb its spread and the valuable lessons could help to prevent more Wuhans outside China. It was a wasted effort as the epidemic in Wuhan, stopped by China, is now a world pandemic with Europe as its new epicentre and the USA next.
This is a 55 min video worth listening to. Aylward said then that the world was not ready but could be ready very fast. Unfortunately many countries did not take him seriously and were unprepared and thus not ready when the virus hit. China bought them time, done it and showed to the world how it could be done....but the world missed this golden opportunity to slow down the spread of Covid19.
To Bruce Aylward's credit, he made all the necessary recommendations at the last part of his presentation that could have helped many countries in the handling of this pandemic.
China has changed course of COVID-19 outbreak: WHO expert
China has changed the course of #coronavirus outbreak, says a WHO expert in Geneva. Bruce Aylward says a rapidly escalating outbreak in China has come down faster than previously expected. (recorded)
The above is a very informative video clip of a report by the team leader, Bruce Aylward, of WHO that visited China near the peak of the epidemic. The video was done on 9 Mar, the date tells how it was then, and how the world, especially Europe, failed to heed the advices given by Alyward and is paying a very heavy price for it today. The lessons provided by China were never learnt by Europe and instead of preventing more Wuhan, Europe has turned into another Wuhan, not just Italy or Spain.
What is interesting or disgusting is that Bruce Aylward kept reminding the viewers that though he was the head of the WHO team that visited China, he was not speaking on behalf of WHO. Some asses in WHO must have protested for what he said was in a way praising China's effort in containing the virus. And finally WHO head, Tedros also came out to say the same thing as Aylward, praising China and telling the world to learn from China. This to the West is shocking, how can WHO praise China when the West especially the Americans were trying their daily best to condemn China, after spreading the virus in Wuhan to blame it on China?
Bruce Aylward had a very good understanding of the Covid19 and how China managed to curb its spread and the valuable lessons could help to prevent more Wuhans outside China. It was a wasted effort as the epidemic in Wuhan, stopped by China, is now a world pandemic with Europe as its new epicentre and the USA next.
This is a 55 min video worth listening to. Aylward said then that the world was not ready but could be ready very fast. Unfortunately many countries did not take him seriously and were unprepared and thus not ready when the virus hit. China bought them time, done it and showed to the world how it could be done....but the world missed this golden opportunity to slow down the spread of Covid19.
To Bruce Aylward's credit, he made all the necessary recommendations at the last part of his presentation that could have helped many countries in the handling of this pandemic.
3/16/2020
Huawei and Beidou have revolutionised satellite communication and make all mobile phone, chip makers and telecommunication companies obsolete
China's Beidou satellite navigation system is in service and ready to replace the GPS system of the western world. This is not the news, only a reality that is waiting to happen. The western domination of satellite navigation through the GPS is over. What is going to happen is the cooperation Beidou and Huawei in a new world wide telecommunication system that would replace everything that is being used today. Apple and all mobile phone manufacturers and operators and chip makers would become obsolete and go bust when this new network is launched.
The key features of this network are:
1. Making phone calls is free.
2. Surfing the internet is free.
3. Signals are available in every corner of the world, in the highest mountain peaks, the lowest valleys, in the deserts and deep jungle, in the midst of the oceans, in the arctics and the antarctics.
4. The signals are not only strong but fast, equivalent to 5Gs or fasters.
5. The mobile phone can control everything from home appliances or whatever that can be linked to it, like driverless vehicles.
6. You don't have to switch telcos or change to different systems in different countries.
And more frightening, Huawei will not use any American chips but its very own chips. No more American blackmails and threats The Americans can ban Huawei and use Nokia and other dinosaur mobile phone technologies in their backyards for as long as they want. The rest of the world, including all the European countries, cannot refuse this technology of the future at their doorstep.
This is what China is going to offer to the world, cheap telecommunication and navigation operating system using satellite technology, for as good as free. Not sure how the cost will be put together, very likely for the price of a Huawei mobile phone and a small fee.
Imagine what is going to Apple and all the other mobile phone manufacturers, chip makers and telco operators and service providers? Forget about the residential landline phone systems. This is going to revolutionise the whole telecommunication industry and change the face of the earth.
Who says technology, better technology, must pay through the nose? This is disruptive technology at its finest best, to serve the interest of humankind. And China is going to serve this on a silver platter very soon. When China is on the march, it will benefit the whole world, unlike the evil American Empire that is always about wars, conflicts, sanctions and oppression, and selling weapons.
Rise shall be, a new century for China in the East and for the whole of the world and human kind.The launch of this new technology will put an end to American and western domination of high technology and communication for good. Go forth and spread the good news.
The key features of this network are:
1. Making phone calls is free.
2. Surfing the internet is free.
3. Signals are available in every corner of the world, in the highest mountain peaks, the lowest valleys, in the deserts and deep jungle, in the midst of the oceans, in the arctics and the antarctics.
4. The signals are not only strong but fast, equivalent to 5Gs or fasters.
5. The mobile phone can control everything from home appliances or whatever that can be linked to it, like driverless vehicles.
6. You don't have to switch telcos or change to different systems in different countries.
And more frightening, Huawei will not use any American chips but its very own chips. No more American blackmails and threats The Americans can ban Huawei and use Nokia and other dinosaur mobile phone technologies in their backyards for as long as they want. The rest of the world, including all the European countries, cannot refuse this technology of the future at their doorstep.
This is what China is going to offer to the world, cheap telecommunication and navigation operating system using satellite technology, for as good as free. Not sure how the cost will be put together, very likely for the price of a Huawei mobile phone and a small fee.
Imagine what is going to Apple and all the other mobile phone manufacturers, chip makers and telco operators and service providers? Forget about the residential landline phone systems. This is going to revolutionise the whole telecommunication industry and change the face of the earth.
Who says technology, better technology, must pay through the nose? This is disruptive technology at its finest best, to serve the interest of humankind. And China is going to serve this on a silver platter very soon. When China is on the march, it will benefit the whole world, unlike the evil American Empire that is always about wars, conflicts, sanctions and oppression, and selling weapons.
Rise shall be, a new century for China in the East and for the whole of the world and human kind.The launch of this new technology will put an end to American and western domination of high technology and communication for good. Go forth and spread the good news.
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