Shrinking Singaporean Core

Half of the babies born here last year did not have both parents who are Singaporeans. At this rate what it means to be Singaporean tomorrow would be very different from today. The trend cannot be reversed without a heavy price and a more severely shrinking population.

Get used to us disappearing and accept that we would be transformed, at least not transmogrified into something else. But would it produce a people that is able or even want to keep this place going is another matter. Perhaps it is already too late in the day to preserve the core. Not a problem to the elderly now as they will be dead. The young better adapt to becoming global citizens. Quite scary if many people are here only for economic reasons than faith and commitment. Anyway commit to whatever and faith for what outcome? I don't know but what we stand for must be globally attractive. At least that would also make us attractive to foreigner arrivals.

I wonder if our future population would not be like asset markets that boom and bust, but  it is only possible to rise from a bust if people see value and not a has been. How do we create that? We can't keep growing bigger. Cities must allow for growth and retrenchment to regrow themselves again. I think that is just the circle of life.

My children must prepare for a much more different world than my generation have taking over from our parents. Worry the generation who must ride the down phase. The first time this happen must be totally unnerving. I hope enough people could somehow see a different tomorrow then and rebuild. Great fortunes would be made buying so many things cheap. Alternatively everything is lost and a new Singapore in a different place rises but more likely another global city inherit what we have foolishly bequeathed. This is the one track scary scenario we are sold on to get us to behave. By the laws of growth, I am afraid we cannot ignore the cycle of life in death and rebirth. Smarter to provide for rebirth. Even long ago Isaac Asimov knows he must write his Foundation series this way or simply there would be no readers. He was just being realistic.  What is our Psychohistory? It cannot be fiction for us.

Maybe the secret is to always have a remnant seed and I hope a very big seed as I think size does matter here.

The unfaithful MSM

The MSM especially ST is trying to keep two lovers. They have to choose between the government or readers. It would be ideal if they could choose the mother of the two: Singapore. But Singapore has no volition and need those two lovers to give her that ability. A big problem when we are divided and perhaps getting more so. Looking at some of their latest articles, I think the ST is under a lot of pressure.

This is the government idea of good politics. I don't know if this is Rachel Chang's idea but it must  be her job to put out this and to the satisfaction for the government. To me this is an impossible job. I could tell she didn't write as well as she usually could with all those longish and stretched sentences. It is as if she has to pile on qualifications why she is writing this or that, like she would not remember unless she makes notes.

Zuraidah Ibrahim had the easier task with this article. Like Rachel Chang's piece yesterday, this is so partisan to the PAP. These are the moments you can't please two lovers, so keep happy the one who calls the tune never mind the other who actually pays the bills but has  no power except at Elections.

I like Elgin Toh's article which I had missed when it first appeared in Singapolitics. So ST tried to leave something for the other lover?

Torn between two lovers, breaking all the rules...

Actually it isn't so bad for them. In reality they are permitted to love only one but occasionally flirt with the other when first lover feels secure and confident. Some readers are unhappy and stopped reciprocating ST advances. My sister would read the ST provided she get to do so for free. Who knows, I might follow her example some day.

Specifically where is the ST taking us? They are leading us into, 'Good Politics, What's that?'

Sadly and I hope not tragically for them and the PAP they are such lousy salespeople. Go learn how to connect like Obama just did again.

Latest example of Obama connecting with Americans. If the government cannot connect, it cannot do anything substantive. Then it becomes a matter of time things get really ugly here as the Opposition get fixed and the ruling party falls into the abyss of moral bankruptcy. This isn't too far fetched. You just wait and see. Right now they are trying to seal the abyss before they could act. I think they have a good fighting chance. Nothing loving with all these at all. Don't let love mess up prostitution. So do they want to connect in the end? I think they are divided about this.

Even if Obama could connect he could not do anything quickly but that's America. As my daughter reminded me, their politics is if there are five wolves and one sheep in their Union, they would try to protect that sheep. She said this came from Lincoln*. We used to sacrifice that sheep but now we just starve it. We do not have the faith or wherewithal to protect that sheep because we are a tiny red dot now recognized to be filled with children too.




Update: 9:35pm

*Mistake! She emailed me when I was out earlier today to let me know.

Car got rear ended.

Car got rear ended by this reckless lady driver this afternoon. :-(

This is bad luck. It could have been worse, it could have been better. That's life. Just move on. I hope she is more careful next time.

Basically life is not fair. Don't just think of getting the raw end of the stick. Sometimes you get better than you deserve, other times worse. My thoughts are more with the tragic deaths of the Indian school children than this. It is so painful I couldn't bring myself to blog about it. Such tragedies visit the poor Indians everyday :-(

What's wrong with NDP 2013 Theme Song?

To me the place is right because there can only be on place: here in Singapore. However the time is wrong for too many people. Just ask anyone who is not upbeat about this place due to the ongoing and festering issues, and he/she surely wouldn't like this song. In short, this is yet another out of touch with the people enterprise, just like the Pop. White Paper and many things else.

All is not lost. When the time is right, this song would be too but not in 2013.

Anyway it will succeed on August 9. On that they as one people we would momentarily choose to set aside our issues and keep our focus as one nation. From this perspective it would be a very good success. What more do you want? Congrats to Selina and Elaine.

Update: July 28, 3:15pm

Dick Lee gets it!

A Jihad National Day Song

Jihad is not inane "holy war" where people are duped into strapping bombs to their bodies to blow up infidels. Jihad is about struggle. I am not a Muslim but as an act of faith I believe they must include helping each other in our struggles, and that's how I see this song by Lorraine Tan. Just lovely! Another gem!


While others wait for the sun and rain to bless their crops or dig into the ground in search of abundant wealth, our story will always be one of Jihad. We are complain kings and that's fine but failing to constantly struggle for tomorrow is not fine. Enjoy the struggle. Don't retire but find something you are happy to work on. A government white paper that assume we will retire is just simply nonsensical and faithless. Sure, the people are tired and say after a lifetime of toil they want to rest but if you have enough wisdom you will realize that when the time come they would want to work.

I just came from a quick tour of Challenge.gov.sg because my brother Whatsapp me about it. Very knowledgeable but quite unwise. I hope I would change my mind when I have the time to look at it more carefully.

And the Mandarin version.

Where is Magnum One for One?

Disappointed to see that there was no Magnum one for one this year when again I checked as I waited for the petrol tank to be filled.


















As I blog this I decided to check what happened before. I was too early! Look at the dates. Nearer to National Day. They have been giving this offer since 2010, perhaps before but I didn't record.

This blog is good for the little things and these are the stuff that makes life interesting.

Car Dealers want crutches

I have no sympathy for these babies. Already I felt the PM shouldn't have given in to them in the first place. If you want help, go and own a bank that is too big to fail otherwise welcome to the real world!

From the comments, I noticed many also share my sentiments. So many scumbags in this industry. This is your comeuppance. You should exit the business and let more ethical ones come in. We don't owe you a living.

• 

  Dennis Khew Better wind up business, no wonder Moody downgrade the banks. Singaporeans are cash strapped, relying on credit overdrive.

  Like · Reply · 8 · 2 hours ago · Edited

• 

  Jack Lin A few things shooting their own foot
  
  1. Targeted towards low or middle income??? Cars shouldn't be targeted for low income else they would have problem servicing it. Ive seen low income go bankrupt becos they lost their jobs and service a hefty loan of 105% of the car because of cashback at 10-12% effective interest rate
  2. Currently there are some private dealers giving 80% loan
  3. Of course 2nd hand car should valuate the cars properly. They had been valuing the car too high and pple use it for speculation or "drive and dump", but in our case is resell for higher value since COE went up. Some 2nd cars actually sold for more than they were bought.
  4. Buyers shouldnt be taking out 100% loan in the first place, thats just bad finance
  5. The govt has given an extension and you guys clear your stock already, and now asking for more and more and want to "replenish stock"

  Like · Reply · 8 · 2 hours ago via mobile

• 

  Faizal Fantastic Fishing Car dealers must learn from this lesson...be sincere and don't cut people head when buying or selling cars..

  Like · Reply · 10 · 2 hours ago via mobile