Sunday, February 3, 2013

Meritocracy: The sun might have set

I was bored with what Warren Fernandez wrote as editor in the ST today. His boss Han Fook Kwang was much better. Bored with Fernandez because he obviously had much of it wrong especially reading WP LTK. It will be a long time before I forgot that unforgettable gleeful smile on LTK face as he wound up the last rally on that Wednesday night before the by election. He was playing his cards close to his chest but I could see he was so confident of victory. Pity I am not in the loop to bet the by election outcomes but someone said the bookies were pinning for a WP win. Why didn't Warren Fernandez dig it out and use it indirectly and discreetly?

A couple of screen flips later on my iPad I found Li Xueying very fascinating article on Robert Wang autobiography. Clever writer. Put up front what most readers would want to know and then they will follow hook, line and sinker to the end. I am not mimicking her strategy since I am blogging for myself.

In times past meritocracy in the imagination of the common man means upward mobility. What Robert Wang has explained is that for HK, that's over. What readers will ask is whether it has also ended for SG. Not as bad as HK but the trend is egregious.

This Type 1 stupid government can defend meritocracy here till blue in the face, and it would not sell. Nobody cared for Koh Poh Koon because the voters know there is scant chance their children can walk the same path. To add insult to injury they even imagine it would be a FT that would get that chance. The people are losing hope and they are trying to understand better how and why things have taken such a turn.

I checked the NLB catalog this morning. Of the 13 copies available only three were out. I just checked before writing this and another seven were checked  out in the mean time thanks to Li Xueying's story. I reserved a copy but all copies might be out before the NLB staff retrieve one for me.

The PAP, do they know they are accelerating toward working themselves out of office? But Type I stupid always misread the tea leaves. It's really simple. Why voters voted for them in the past and are those reasons still valid?


Update: Feb 7

Got this from my cousin. Hong Kong Cage Homes.

2 comments:

  1. Once a government becomes involved in “running” an economy, it invariably ends up running it into the ground. The only variables in this process are how long it takes and how prostrate a given economy becomes by the end of it. Because it always ends - sooner or later. Rational economic theory provides abundant proof of WHY this is the case. Economic and political history is absolutely unanimous in their verdict that it always DOES take place. There is no escape from this truth, no matter how many people wish it were not so and how fervently they ignore the evidence of their eyes and their brains.

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  2. I commented in Yahoo but it is not there anymore - speech by Dr. Morris Chang – the founding Chairman of TSMC-Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    The new economic model of Taiwan’s economic development in two parts
    Dr Morris Chang made the following points:
    (1)21st century moves from Capital industry – knowledge Industry (Innovation & Value creation),there are critical factors will determine economic development during 21st century.-Capital,Labour Force,Productivity & Innovation.
    (2)Call on government to reduce GINI coefficient ,Higher taxation on top earners, Rich people are paying too little tax , even Taiwan government tax high income earners atthe highest tax rate of 40% but the richest tycoons only pay 7 to 8% income tax,
    Government should study the income of Top 2% vs Middle Class 20%,to tighten the current loopholes on legalised tax avoidance.
    (3)”Industry Policy” should focus on creating an enviroment to encourage innovations,openness and fair competition,but not on picking winners or rescuing losers.
    Businesss should put more emphasis on innovations and value creations-more emphasis on innovators and added value creators.and less emphsis on capital.
    (4)Educational policy should focus on
    a.Training people to perform a useful economic rule in society
    b.Innovators and value creators
    c.Leaders of society
    (5)The importance of an “OPEN SOCIETY” for the country to move forward.
    Singapore is staying put or moving backwards,what a pity.
    2/2 小英教育基金會「台灣經濟發展新模式」講座-張忠謀
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2Boj5tcpw3M
    1/2 小英教育基金會「台灣經濟發展新模式」講座-張忠謀
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=95sHSd8kdTU

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