Are you ready for 7 million people on tiny Singapore?

[JannettLee]

Just relax:

JannettLee:

Every time, the up and coming leader wanted to implement something in the name of reducing stress for students by implementing IP program, cooling property market by CMs and to help the poor by implementing GST (this is a joke!), I am very scare le because he always overlook the consequences of every policy. As a result, create more stressful education system for students here with IP program, incurring more business operating costs and making the unemployed, old, poor and less well to do families's life worsen.


I knew some have highly regarded him as a person who has foresight but I regarded him as a person who has a lot of oversight instead.

I thought this thread is about Singapore :rotflmao: I am not interested in other countries unless it affects Singapore

I know sometimes we like to imagine things are worse than they are, :sad: and that usually happens when people have free time

I am shock to read that you don't even know I am referring to Singapore. :yikes: Which other country has implement IP program in their public education system?

[JannettLee]

In summary, why we are in this current situation - high cost of living today?

It is the consequences of Gahman’s policies all these years.
1) GST
2) Commercial & industrial properties prices and hence rental escalation
3) Transportation cost

[3Boys]

JannettLee:

In summary, why we are in this current situation - high cost of living today?

It is the consequences of Gahman's policies all these years.
1) GST
2) Commercial & industrial properties prices and hence rental escalation
3) Transportation cost

And what's your solution, keeping in mind balance of payments, need to control car population, and free market economy?

Throw stones very easy hor....

[3Boys]

Irrelevant:

JannettLee:

I know and that's why cost of living is very high for all these countries! There are many ways to generate revenue for governments. If you can't administer GST well, you are incurring high cost of living. This is what we are experiencing the effect of it now and it is a huge burden to majority people here.

Amazing! 20 years after GST has been implemented, folks still do not understand the raison d'être behind a consumption tax, as opposed to an income tax. :roll:

Crazy isn't it.

Imagine such opposition supporters driving future government policies and bringing ruin.

[Just relax]

JannettLee:

Just relax:

[quote=\"JannettLee\"]Every time, the up and coming leader wanted to implement something in the name of reducing stress for students by implementing IP program, cooling property market by CMs and to help the poor by implementing GST (this is a joke!), I am very scare le because he always overlook the consequences of every policy. As a result, create more stressful education system for students here with IP program, incurring more business operating costs and making the unemployed, old, poor and less well to do families's life worsen.


I knew some have highly regarded him as a person who has foresight but I regarded him as a person who has a lot of oversight instead.

I thought this thread is about Singapore :rotflmao: I am not interested in other countries unless it affects Singapore

I know sometimes we like to imagine things are worse than they are, :sad: and that usually happens when people have free time

I am shock to read that you don't even know I am referring to Singapore. :yikes: Which other country has implement IP program in their public education system?[/quote]What I am puzzled is your reference to the IP prog being a source of stress which is not what it is at all. So that is why I ask why is this relevant to Singapore or are u even talking about Singapore at all. Even when good programs are introduced fairy tales come out about it being stressful or bad :skeptical:

And by the way the UK govt. in 2011 has acknowledged that they have been examining the IP prog. from Singapore and plan to introduce a version of the IP prog in the UK system as well. (source UK Times Educational Supplement Mar 2011)

They see the merits but unlike Singapore there are vested interests in the UK that are trying to stop a program that can only benefit the brighter student without depriving the average student of the opportunity to study as far as possible. These vested interests have the \"dog in the manger\" attitude and are perfectly happy with the status quo where everything remains equally bad, as then everybody is equally badly affected. That unfortunately is what the critics of the IP prog in Singapore are trying to do as well.

[3Boys]

Irrelevant:

JannettLee:

I know and that's why cost of living is very high for all these countries! There are many ways to generate revenue for governments. If you can't administer GST well, you are incurring high cost of living. This is what we are experiencing the effect of it now and it is a huge burden to majority people here.

Amazing! 20 years after GST has been implemented, folks still do not understand the raison d'être behind a consumption tax, as opposed to an income tax. :roll:

Crazy isn't it.

Imagine such opposition supporters driving future government policies and bringing ruin.

[Just relax]

JannettLee:

In summary, why we are in this current situation - high cost of living today?

It is the consequences of Gahman's policies all these years.
1) GST
2) Commercial & industrial properties prices and hence rental escalation
3) Transportation cost

Sigh! I wonder whether you are a troll? It seems good sense is in short supply although I must say most KSP forumers are pretty sensible even in their criticisms.

[WeiHan]

Just relax:

Having read your explanation, I have to still disagree with you. Let me deal with your 1st point. I still do not see any concrete basis or evidence that suggests an open social atmosphere results in greater creativity. The soviet union under the communists and Russia under the Tsars were not bastions of an open social atmosphere but produced great technological advances including sending the 1st man into space ahead of the much vaunted US democratic machinery. The subsequent supremacy of the US was due to the inherent inefficiencies of the Soviet era economy and its subsequent crumbling thus preventing the Soviets from capitalizing on their innovations due to the lack of financial resources.

Generally, a less open society where ideas are censored does results in less creativity. The case for Soviet Union may arguably support the point above. Even though, it is true that Soviet Union, a communist state is generally oppressive but Science and technology served as an important part of national politics, practices, and identity. Special priviledged enclaves were created for these areas where censorship
were spared in contrast to arts and politics etc..Honors and special priviledges were showered on scientists and engineers. These may explained why science and technology in soviet union were relatively advance. However, tendency for oppressive regimes to censor inadvertently shows its ugly head even in areas such as scienc that they treasured much. there were several examples of suppression of ideas. In the most notorious, agronomist Trofim Lysenko refused to accept the chromosome theory of heredity usually accepted by modern genetics. Claiming his theories corresponded to Marxism, he managed to talk Joseph Stalin in 1948 into banning population genetics and several other related fields of biological research; this decision was only reversed in the 1960s.

The inherent inefficiencies of Soviet economy is die to its lack of openness of a market oriented economies and openess of a market oriented economies has its basis on individual rights which is included in Democracies but probably not the more purely political aspects. Creativity has to meet other criteria such as availability of resources for its success. There is a positive correlation between per capita income and democracies. It is believed that dictatorship can bring about economy development but only to a certain point. And this ecnomic development is necessary to bring about financial resources that is a consition but not the sole condition to support innovativeness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_the_Soviet_Union

Just relax:

You also already acknowledge that both N Korea and Iran relied on early Soviet technology but then fail to see that the N Koreans and Iranians taking the old Soviet technologies of the 70s and 80s much further. The Soviets would not have been foolish enough to give their most advanced technologies to the Iranians or N Koreans anyway. Yet both these countries with zero open social atmospheres have joined the exclusive nuclear club and exclusive ICBM club. It is a big deal to join these clubs since it requires innovation and expertise in the sciences that most countries including countries with open social atmospheres lack.

Iranian received helps from the China and Russia till at least the 90s. Even their uranium is still imported from China. Still, I am hesitant to agree with you that 1-2 \"successes\" in focused national programs prove the existent of creativity of an enitre society. Creativity may be innate quality but it surely requires conducive circumstances for it to manifest.

Just relax:

I now take umbrage and issue with you suggesting that we Singaporeans are oppressed.

I deny that I have suggested that Singaporeans are oppressed. In fact, I wrote plainly that we are not. Just read.

[Just relax]

To Quote from Weihan’s earlier post

"All advances in the west did not come about during the dark age when people and idea was oppressed. Note that I am saying that we are oppressed under PAP and need an opposition party."

I have just cut and pasted your post to show what you had written earlier, unless you are now saying that this was written down incorrectly. Perhaps you should relook at your post again and clear the air. I responded to what i read.

To me the Govt. is doing what it can in the circumstances and that it does not have all of the solutions. The Opposition parties must step up to the plate and provide alternative and VIABLE solutions not rhetoric as i sincerely believe the majority of the opposition parties are thinking of how to do their part for Singapore. I think this must be welcomed as i am concerned that many of the Govt. MPs may have fallen to the scourge of "group think" and are not able to articulate policies that are out-of-the-box and revolutionary.

The Govt. must not feel unsure of itself at this time in the face of the barrage of criticisms that it has faced. It must take heart and strength from its many policies that have worked in the past and to not be afraid to be bold again. There are enough Singaporeans who believe that we will overcome the challenges that we face but that the policies must be articulated clearly and Singaporeans convinced that what the Govt. is doing is right. i think it has been repeated ad nauseum that the Govt.'s misstep was to push the White Paper through in its final form as if it was a given that the people would accept the same on the face of it. We want the Govt. to understand that it can only get the support of the people if the Govt. itself believes in the people and that enough right-thinking, passionate, honest and upright citizens will pull together to ensure Singapore’s future continues to shine brightly for generations to come.

[WeiHan]

Just relax:

To Quote from Weihan's earlier post

\"All advances in the west did not come about during the dark age when people and idea was oppressed. Note that I am saying that we are oppressed under PAP and need an opposition party.\"

I have just cut and pasted your post to show what you had written earlier, unless you are now saying that this was written down incorrectly. Perhaps you should relook at your post again and clear the air. I responded to what i read.

To me the Govt. is doing what it can in the circumstances and that it does not have all of the solutions. The Opposition parties must step up to the plate and provide alternative and VIABLE solutions not rhetoric as i sincerely believe the majority of the opposition parties are thinking of how to do their part for Singapore. I think this must be welcomed as i am concerned that many of the Govt. MPs may have fallen to the scourge of \"group think\" and are not able to articulate policies that are out-of-the-box and revolutionary.

The Govt. must not feel unsure of itself at this time in the face of the barrage of criticisms that it has faced. It must take heart and strength from its many policies that have worked in the past and to not be afraid to be bold again. There are enough Singaporeans who believe that we will overcome the challenges that we face but that the policies must be articulated clearly and Singaporeans convinced that what the Govt. is doing is right. i think it has been repeated ad nauseum that the Govt.'s misstep was to push the White Paper through in its final form as if it was a given that the people would accept the same on the face of it. We want the Govt. to understand that it can only get the support of the people if the Govt. itself believes in the people and that enough right-thinking, passionate, honest and upright citizens will pull together to ensure Singapore's future continues to shine brightly for generations to come.

It was written incorrectly. the word \"NOT\" was mysteriously missing though I intend it to be there....It is certain that I have never written Singapore to be oppressive in any previous posts but \"repressive\" yes. I intended to say that most advances came after dark age but I am not saying that Singapore is dark age or any thing close but the word \"NOT\" was mysteriously missing.