LKY: Political divide should not become national divide

[MadScientist]

concern2:

MadScientist:

Imagine, if we had a catastrophe which would cripple SG in economic and social terms, think earthquake and tsunami,... who will stay and rebuild, who will work together for a common good (as opposed to own good)?

Coincidentally, this issue has been ringing in my mind. We are building so much infrastructure - hospitals, transport, housing, retail malls, etc, - due to the influx of the 'needed' foreigners, yet continuing to rely on imports of basic necessities such as food... So when one day, something happens, and all the foreigners leave, and we only have ourselves to count on, what then?

The fall of the Roman empire was very similar... including hyperinflation, a fall in birthrates and a foreign invasion, if I may crudely put. While SG is unlikely to fall into its demise, it would nevertheless be painful for those who are left behind.

concern2:

MadScientist:

The answers I have found are mostly in the book called The Fourth Turning... we have been heading down the same road, fortunately or not.

Thanks for the recommendation! Will look it up and see what I can learn from there!

You are most welcomed... it is an awesome book wrote in the 80s about the 2000s being a time of financial destruction, amongst other things. Google it and a lot of synopsis and interviews are available for free. The book itself is a little heavy reading but intellectually thought provoking.
Enjoy!

[ChiefKiasu]

Ah… so it sounds like all this "divide" could have been avoided if our leaders had let us "multiply" with natural numbers in our earlier years.

[Jennifer]

ChiefKiasu:

Ah... so it sounds like all this \"divide\" could have been avoided if our leaders had let us \"multiply\" with natural numbers in our earlier years.

We need more births among Sg native Chinese.

[concern2]

ChiefKiasu:

Ah... so it sounds like all this \"divide\" could have been avoided if our leaders had let us \"multiply\" with natural numbers in our earlier years.

Yes, Chief. One can only access how far-sighted a leader is when the time comes.

[MadScientist]

Jennifer:

ChiefKiasu:

Ah... so it sounds like all this \"divide\" could have been avoided if our leaders had let us \"multiply\" with natural numbers in our earlier years.

We need more births among Sg native Chinese.

CKS... you are spot on.
Fiddling with nature's course only results in dire consequences.

Jennifer... it does not matter of race IMHO... as long as they are born and bred SGporeans, period.


IMHO...

We (as in you know who) messed up not once, but twice...
First, at the level of reducing the future fertile cohort (at the worry of economic instability)... and then when this reduced number was ready, they limited the number of housing (at another economic worry - again), which resulted in many within the already small cohort to delay natural plans further.

Together, economic sustainability was the priority and everything else fundamentally important was sacrificed. We still are not learning the lessons of yesteryear, and continue with stop-gap measures.

This article on a study done underscores how SG is likely to end up... http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1151560/1/.html

Quote: \"A key conclusion obtained from the study is that without immigration, the total population will decline, even if Singapore's total fertility rate rises from the current 1.15 to 1.85. The number of working people available to support each elderly person is also set to drop in all the scenarios.\"

What seems to be lacking is that there is a lack of understanding of cycles... baby boomers will rise and fall. Thereafter followed by generations of non-boomers. History repeats itself and is clearly demonstrated in the book previously mentioned... The Fourth Turning.

When will we really learn?

All the best SGpore...

[EllaEmma]

A lot of problems (birth rate, costs of living, job security etc etc) Singaporeans faced are related one way or another…


In my opinion, the policies to aid higher and higher GDP, is the root and will make it worst…

Favour Investor > Suppress Singaporean > Housing expensive, living costs high, expensive medical etc —> Need to secure a job —> Minimise expenses —> Dare not give birth —> Govt chose to import —> More competition at work, school, common places etc etc —> Social Problems & Unfair feeling –> etc etc
Its a cycle…

My 2 cents from an average Singaporean on-the-ground view…

[concern2]

MadScientist:

First, at the level of reducing the future fertile cohort (at the worry of economic instability)... and then when this reduced number was ready, they limited the number of housing (at another economic worry - again), which resulted in many within the already small cohort to delay natural plans further.

Together, economic sustainability was the priority and everything else fundamentally important was sacrificed. We still are not learning the lessons of yesteryear, and continue with stop-gap measures.

This article on a study done underscores how SG is likely to end up... http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1151560/1/.html

Quote: \"A key conclusion obtained from the study is that without immigration, the total population will decline, even if Singapore's total fertility rate rises from the current 1.15 to 1.85. The number of working people available to support each elderly person is also set to drop in all the scenarios.\"

What seems to be lacking is that there is a lack of understanding of cycles... baby boomers will rise and fall. Thereafter followed by generations of non-boomers. History repeats itself ...

I like your points! :goodpost:

[concern2]

EllaEmma:

A lot of problems (birth rate, costs of living, job security etc etc) Singaporeans faced are related one way or another...


In my opinion, the policies to aid higher and higher GDP, is the root and will make it worst...

Favour Investor > Suppress Singaporean > Housing expensive, living costs high, expensive medical etc ---> Need to secure a job ---> Minimise expenses ---> Dare not give birth ---> Govt chose to import ---> More competition at work, school, common places etc etc ---> Social Problems & Unfair feeling --> etc etc
Its a cycle...

My 2 cents from an average Singaporean on-the-ground view...

Hello EllaEmma! (My heart beats louder and faster when I see new contributors in similar topics! )

It sounds like you are inferring money is the root of all evils - which can be true. Wealth is a measure of a one's / government's status. And it is \" when everything else fundamentally important was sacrificed\" (from Madscientist) that we lose our direction and pursuit of what it means to live and be living.

Like you, I am also an averyage Singaporean. You see, if everyone of us put our 2 cents worth to voice our thoughts, KSP - (and Singapore) will be rich! :boogie:

[MadScientist]

I like... \"to live and be living\" :goodpost:


Awesome phrase!
I shall remember that...
:thankyou:

[concern2]

MadScientist:

I like... \"to live and be living\" :goodpost:


Awesome phrase!
I shall remember that...

Thanks,

I was almost going to start a new thread titled,\"How will your children vote\", but decided not to. Then I thought of the subject: \"How politically aware are you?\", and decided against it again, lest KSP become too \"political\" - it is ultimately a Parenting site, right? But I wish to share some of my thoughts since our children is our future, so here it goes:

Perhaps not for most of the parents in KSP, but if your child is 16 this year (not considering birth dates), he/she will have a chance to vote in the next GE.

And for those whose children are 11 years of age, he/she will have a chance to vote in the GE after next.

5 years doesn't sound like a very long time away (though a long time to repent ), but when we look in terms of our children's age, we'd often go :scared:

Like thinking - 10 years from now, he'd have to sign up for army...

When I read political articles, many thoughts come to my mind, and many emotions over-lap each other. But one thing that I am concerned about is how my child will eventually vote when his time comes and how 'wise' his decision will be (using words of LKY in his recent talk at NUS)

For, our votes now affect their future, and in time, their votes will also affect our future and his children's future. Perhaps I am trying to see too far ahead (未雨绸缪）， but considering the people whom we vote for will have impact in the policies that proceed, sometimes, leading to results we don't see till decades later...

How aware are our children with politics? Perhaps it is too early a subject for discussions. Yet, kids are already absorbing our conversations, and starting to recognizing the faces of our leaders. It is possible that when their time comes, they could be more \"politically aware\" than we are, since when we did not have a chance to vote before, and also had every faith on the incumbent.

Someone did mention the children are having a subject called SS, and some see it as 'propaganda'. In fact, the history that we did in school, how the books are written, what facts are revealed and what aren't - all these are part of what shapes us today.

Wealth comes in many forms (not riches alone), and in this context, It is with a wealth of knowledge, of our past, an objective one (not skewed or censored one), fortunately now more readily available through internet, that we give ourselves more information to make a choice that we can deem 'wise'.

Yet, times change, and what is wise before may not look so wise now, although at the time we made them, they were choices we had to make...or not to make.

So, how will our children vote in 5, and perhaps, 10 years time?

As parents, we do have a certain influence in encouraging this form of wealth accumulation, to help them make a wise choice.