Are Singaporeans xenophobic? (Christopher Balding)

[laksaboy]

http://www.baldingsworld.com/2014/05/09/are-singaporeans-xenophobic/

Taking the case of Singapore, given the constraints to housing and land, large population inflows are going to place significant pressure on housing prices. Furthermore, while high skilled workers doctors, scientists, and economists are better suited to immigration pressures to the labor pool, middle and low skilled workers are going to face the greatest pressures. Consequently, immigration is placing upwards price pressure on housing and downward pressures on wages for most people in Singapore.

Criticizing government policies on immigration is not xenophobic. There are real benefits to immigration but also very real costs. Criticizing government policies on immigration is not xenophobic as people are facing very real pressures from the decisions. Criticizing opponents of government immigration policies as xenophobic and bigoted reveals the weakness of the argument and inability to weigh the complexity of policy dilemmas involved.

Are Singaporeans xenophobic? If they are, I certainly haven’t experienced it and the anti-foreigner rhetoric that has been directed at me as come from those criticizing others as xenophobic and as a substitute to refute my ideas. No, Singaporeans aren’t xenophobic, they just want honest debate about government policies.

 

[McDonaldsKid]

Can xenophobia be indirectly perpetuated by government policies?

Is it inherent in all of us and all it takes is a trigger for us to showcase such behaviour? Or is it an accumulation of experiences that causes us to be xenophobic.

 

[kaipoh]

laksaboy, I not worry of the influx of foreign trash because I more crafty than them, I employ them, I took commission, I make them polish my shoes, carry my ball and beg me to give them overtime works.

 

[blindswordsman]

In Russia, there are reports of local Russians going around whacking foreigners for living in their country. In SG, dissatisfaction about FTsh is merely confined to kpkb but still, is it xenophobia?

Is it wrong to tell pappies that their policies of flooding the country with foreigners are creating unhappiness among the sinkies?

 

[xingguy]

Reason why the scums in white would alway use twisted logics and reasoning to turn the table round to blame Singaporeans for all the mistakes that they make.

 

[Agoraphobic]

I speak as a foreigner.

From my observation, no. Singaporeans are not xenophobic. Those who speak out against foreigners do so because of cases where foreigners on Singapore soil seem to have an advantage over the locals in their access to jobs, education for their children, and perhaps certain treatment by the authorities. Singapore is land scarce and it is very very crowded so there is much competition for space and facilities. As in every society, there will be individuals who are xenophobic, that is natural, as there are also individuals who are violent, perverted, or dumb - that is just society. And in this society, there are also those who are good hearted, generous, and caring. You will also get your fair share of vegetarians and homosexuals.

On the whole, Singaporeans are like people in almost every other society, the good, the bad, and the crappy.

Cheers!

 

[frenchbriefs]

if we are "xenophobic" thats fine by me,i rather we save our own asses by whatever means than wait until its too late because we are worried what other people might think.

 

[halsey02]

I speak as a foreigner.

From my observation, no. Singaporeans are not xenophobic. Those who speak out against foreigners do so because of cases where foreigners on Singapore soil seem to have an advantage over the locals in their access to jobs, education for their children, and perhaps certain treatment by the authorities. Singapore is land scarce and it is very very crowded so there is much competition for space and facilities. As in every society, there will be individuals who are xenophobic, that is natural, as there are also individuals who are violent, perverted, or dumb - that is just society. And in this society, there are also those who are good hearted, generous, and caring. You will also get your fair share of vegetarians and homosexuals.

On the whole, Singaporeans are like people in almost every other society, the good, the bad, and the crappy.

Cheers!

It is not xenophobic....when one has their rice bowl smashed or snatched away, it is survival. We have not reached the stage yet, when the citizens unable to pay for their meals & their housing & not able to hold a job with minimum renumeration to get by DAILY...they become hungry & fearful....they take it on the Foreigners that are here....by violence...that would not be xenophobic... that is FEAR!

The government must find that balance soon or that day...when violence become un uncontrollable factor sets in....it will be no longer F#@#$#$ PAP....may become K^$%%% PAP.....frightening, isn't??

 

[ginfreely]

I speak as a foreigner.

From my observation, no. Singaporeans are not xenophobic. Those who speak out against foreigners do so because of cases where foreigners on Singapore soil seem to have an advantage over the locals in their access to jobs, education for their children, and perhaps certain treatment by the authorities. Singapore is land scarce and it is very very crowded so there is much competition for space and facilities. As in every society, there will be individuals who are xenophobic, that is natural, as there are also individuals who are violent, perverted, or dumb - that is just society. And in this society, there are also those who are good hearted, generous, and caring. You will also get your fair share of vegetarians and homosexuals.

On the whole, Singaporeans are like people in almost every other society, the good, the bad, and the crappy.

Cheers!

Yeah Singaporeans are certainly not xenophobic. The fact is we have been welcoming foreigners as school mates and working mates for years and only started complaining after the floodgate opened in 2006 or so.

Frankly I think Singaporeans are nicer than some other society. I didn't feel it that way last time but now that is what I think. I find Singaporeans are very generous to foreigners. Just see how we donated to Huang Na in the past and she was a foreigner.

Other society like Malaysia may not welcome foreigners even if just buy their expensive house and don't take away a single job. They will blame you for driving up their inflation - which is partially true only as many are their own people working in Singapore earning same amount and driving up the inflation.

 

[Agoraphobic]

I fully understand the circumstances and situation. Most countries will protect their resources and impose high import duties to protect their home produce from cheap imports, impose quotas, or some other restriction. In Singapore, that resource is labour and local skill. Whateve the gahmen, or unions do to protect that, it is up to them. In this, I think the locals have some influence to direct it. Violence may me one way, but I hope other methods will be tried first. I am hopeful that Singaporeans have a solution.

Cheers!

It is not xenophobic....when one has their rice bowl smashed or snatched away, it is survival. We have not reached the stage yet, when the citizens unable to pay for their meals & their housing & not able to hold a job with minimum renumeration to get by DAILY...they become hungry & fearful....they take it on the Foreigners that are here....by violence...that would not be xenophobic... that is FEAR!

The government must find that balance soon or that day...when violence become un uncontrollable factor sets in....it will be no longer F#@#$#$ PAP....may become K^$%%% PAP.....frightening, isn't??

 

[Agoraphobic]

Would you blame Huang Na or any other foreigner who are given that kind of red carpet treatment? Damn, most would grab a chance at such opportunity. It's like striking a lottery!!! They are just behaving as any human would react to such generosity. In this, Singapore is very generous.

Cheers!

Yeah Singaporeans are certainly not xenophobic. The fact is we have been welcoming foreigners as school mates and working mates for years and only started complaining after the floodgate opened in 2006 or so.

Frankly I think Singaporeans are nicer than some other society. I didn't feel it that way last time but now that is what I think. I find Singaporeans are very generous to foreigners. Just see how we donated to Huang Na in the past and she was a foreigner.

Other society like Malaysia may not welcome foreigners even if just buy their expensive house and don't take away a single job. They will blame you for driving up their inflation - which is partially true only as many are their own people working in Singapore earning same amount and driving up the inflation.

 

[eatshitndie]

i spent 2 weeks in sg recently, and everyone i came across, sinkies and foreigners alike, were friendly, helpful, cheerful and positive. not one incident of xenophobia, fight, quarrel, screaming, shouting, negativity. the experience was blissful and almost utopian. that included banglas working in the streets, tiongs working on residential projects, nehs working in the it sector, and sinkies waiting patiently and quietly in line at local kopitiams to get their takeaways. even sinkie taxi drivers were cheerful, never talking shit about the pap or foreigners.

it's only on forums like this that sinkie uncles kpkb incessantly about everything wrong with sg. the truth is that this is a very small minority here (only in the hundreds), and the reality is that the vast majority is happy with the state of sg today. call me naive, but that is my honest opinion after observing real life in the streets in sg from east to west, north to south, tuas to changi, sembawang to geylang, 5-star hotel to 1-star longkang shithole.

 

[laksaboy]

i spent 2 weeks in sg recently, and everyone i came across, sinkies and foreigners alike, were friendly, helpful, cheerful and positive. not one incident of xenophobia, fight, quarrel, screaming, shouting, negativity. the experience was blissful and almost utopian. that included banglas working in the streets, tiongs working on residential projects, nehs working in the it sector, and sinkies waiting patiently and quietly in line at local kopitiams to get their takeaways. even sinkie taxi drivers were cheerful, never talking shit about the pap or foreigners.

it's only on forums like this that sinkie uncles kpkb incessantly about everything wrong with sg. the truth is that this is a very small minority here (only in the hundreds), and the reality is that the vast majority is happy with the state of sg today. call me naive, but that is my honest opinion after observing real life in the streets in sg from east to west, north to south, tuas to changi, sembawang to geylang, 5-star hotel to 1-star longkang shithole.

http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?...f-vandalism-case-REALLY&p=1871145#post1871145

"Committing subversion, spreading disaffection, inciting hatred, a disgrace, a menace to society, possibly mentally unsound, the majority of Singaporeans are not like that."

Good try, but try harder.

 

[eatshitndie]

Good try, but try harder.

seems like shit only starts to hit the fan only when i'm away. why am i so unlucky? :p

by the way, there were very minor complaints when i was there, but they seemed more like annoyance and small talk. business owners, mostly restaurant, retail, wholesale and warehouse owners, were sighing about the lack of workers and the short leashes they had with tiong workers as their employment passes were expiring and they could not be renewed nor extended. however, when push came to shove, they were all willing to bite the bullet and pay sinkie workers extra to remain on the job.

 

[winnipegjets]

In Russia, there are reports of local Russians going around whacking foreigners for living in their country. In SG, dissatisfaction about FTsh is merely confined to kpkb but still, is it xenophobia?

Is it wrong to tell pappies that their policies of flooding the country with foreigners are creating unhappiness among the sinkies?

It is a matter of time before the same thing happens in sinkapore. A few years back, the Ah Neh students were whacked in Melbourne and Ah Nehs avoided Australia. Whack a few and the foreigners will all run.

 

[winnipegjets]

seems like shit only starts to hit the fan only when i'm away. why am i so unlucky? :p

by the way, there were very minor complaints when i was there, but they seemed more like annoyance and small talk. business owners, mostly restaurant, retail, wholesale and warehouse owners, were sighing about the lack of workers and the short leashes they had with tiong workers as their employment passes were expiring and they could not be renewed nor extended. however, when push came to shove, they were all willing to bite the bullet and pay sinkie workers extra to remain on the job.

It is all about greed ...by paying more to hire sinkees, business owners have lower profits. Business owners can afford to pay more but if they have the option to pay less, why not?

 

[winnipegjets]

I fully understand the circumstances and situation. Most countries will protect their resources and impose high import duties to protect their home produce from cheap imports, impose quotas, or some other restriction. In Singapore, that resource is labour and local skill. Whateve the gahmen, or unions do to protect that, it is up to them. In this, I think the locals have some influence to direct it. Violence may me one way, but I hope other methods will be tried first. I am hopeful that Singaporeans have a solution.

Cheers!

What solution? Mass deportation of 2 million of them. You, excluded lah because you are truly a foreign talent.

 

[eatshitndie]

It is all about greed ...by paying more to hire sinkees, business owners have lower profits. Business owners can afford to pay more but if they have the option to pay less, why not?

greed is part and parcel of human nature. the epitome of greed is illustrated by landlords in sf jacking up rent to usd5000 for a room by evicting previous tenants under rent control using the ellis act and remodeling the place for tech workers who are desperate to pay more to secure a place to sleep. the greed in sg pales in comparison to the greed in sf.

 

[winnipegjets]

greed is part and parcel of human nature. the epitome of greed is illustrated by landlords in sf jacking up rent to usd5000 for a room by evicting previous tenants under rent control using the ellis act and remodeling the place for tech workers who are desperate to pay more to secure a place to sleep. the greed in sg pales in comparison to the greed in sf.

That's why we need to control greed ...greed is not good.

 

[eatshitndie]

That's why we need to control greed ...greed is not good.

you can never control greed when a slight discount or marketing gimmick using hello kitty toys as bait can cause a stampede. :p