My Friend Jocelyn

[TracyTan866]

I am both

I can draw sexy chiobus professionally. My 审美观 goes beyond most normal men.

hahahaha..no wonder you are hard

 

[TracyTan866]

Someone made an observation that in the US, every one or two terms, there was a change of President but if you were to analyse the stock market indices, it really did not matter who the President was, he was a totally non-factor as far as the stock market is concerned.

I agree with your assessment in the case of USA. USA is truly a market economy.

But in SG, the pap controls a large portion of the economy. It's TLCs and GLCs have far reach and can influence makrket prices in SG. Look at the blue chips: SIA, DBS, Singtel, Kep Corp, Capitaland, KepLand, M1, etc...their majority owner is the govt.

So LHL has a huge influence on the SG economy and SG share market.

But outside SG, he is a non-entity

 

[TracyTan866]

I am not too sure how accurate this observation is but I think we often the political leaders too much credit for determining our lives. I believe politicians do determine the physical environment but what determines our own future and our children's future is the way we can all cope relative to the others. If we can perform much better than the rest, no matter what the environment is we should be much better off, living the life of an elite or we could be only mediocre or even even scums if we are that uncompetitive. It is the relative performance that will matter more in the long term.

The US President doesnt affect much of American's life.

But in SG, the pap has control over most areas. The mass media is controlled. Even AGC's and Judiciary's decisions are influenced by the govt. so the pap has very much more control of Singaporeans' lives

 

[blackmondy]

hahahaha..no wonder you are hard

Yeah, really "hard" to tame the little one. It has a mind of its own.

Thankfully it's permanently attached though.

 

[TracyTan866]

But that is because we are not assertive enough in what we need. We do not make our voices heard. But we can, we have the numbers. Even new citizens eventually land in the same boat and worry about new FTs. We can change it but first we have to change ourselves.

Singaporeans are not assertive because of what the pap has done. In schools, students were not encouraged to ask, question, etc. They were told to keep quiet and listen. The School system trains rote learning and memory work.

The pap has effectively castrated all the SG guys in NS. They were trained to say "Yes, Sir".

That's why the gals are more vocal nowadays..Melanie, Gladys, Kristen...because they have not been castrated in NS.

All these do not bode well for the future of SG.

Look at taiwan, HK, Korea...they are miles ahead of SG.

Look at how HK reacted to the govt's plan to introduce National Education!!! The govt backed down. I foresee HK will surge ahead of SG

 

[TracyTan866]

Yeah, really "hard" to tame the little one. It has a mind of its own.

Thankfully it's permanently attached though.

hahaha..u need a real SG gal!

 

[Fook Seng]

Singaporeans are not assertive because of what the pap has done. In schools, students were not encouraged to ask, question, etc. They were told to keep quiet and listen. The School system trains rote learning and memory work.

Where did you get this from? From teachers? If it is from teachers, they are to bear the full blame if it is true. I believe it is all a cliche. I have had my kids who have gone through the entire works of education here. Never once have I come across rote learning and memory work. In fact some works were so original for a secondary school kid that they were published in some international academic journals.

The pap has effectively castrated all the SG guys in NS. They were trained to say "Yes, Sir".

This is a most unfair comment on our NSmen. It also shows that you have not done any NS. Saying "Yes, Sir" will make you subservient? Saying "No" all the time will make you a better person? It will make you just an anti person, not necessarily a better person.

Look at taiwan, HK, Korea...they are miles ahead of SG.

Look at how HK reacted to the govt's plan to introduce National Education!!! The govt backed down. I foresee HK will surge ahead of SG

If you think fighting in parliament, showing bad manners means better, I have nothing to say. Even though I agree on the deficiency of our pseudo-Westminster political system, I cannot accept taking to arms to settle arguments as a very democratic process. You don't see that in UK.

As to introducing a different course plan in National Education, it was a stupid scheme to start off with and it deserved the final outcome. But honestly speaking I have looked at both sides of the history, from the KMT side and from the CCP side. Either version of history would be from extreme angle and does not represent good history.

What KMT had done was to bring in capitalism, giving wealth to some but no real democracy until very recently despite the impression given. The Communist, on the other hand, got rid of warlordism and corruption associated with it, leveling everybody down onto a more or less equal footing. No one was rich but no one was hungry either, better at the beginning than if the KMT were to continue but such a system with no incentive to perform could not last long until Deng Xiao Peng brought in capitalism.

Today, except for the political system, China has all the strengths and weaknesses of a capitalist system. We are all waiting for a new generation of leaders trained in western ideologies to make the final cog change in the gear.

Already I get very frightened by the amount of change and development that China has undergone. Frightened that we will all be left behind. An Indian friend of mine lamented that China has overtaken India in research, India with its US and UK trained scholars for so many decades. They are also frightened, maybe more sad than anything else.

China's 12th 5-year plan announced a switch from an export-led economy to a demand-driven economy. I am sad to say, we lag behind China in this evolution even though we need it more and is easier for us to do it because of our size.

You talk about deficiency in our education system, our NS (which of course can be much reduced, saving us a lot of money) and better management of our pension funds, some of these issues are very important, others not so. And yes the economy needs a major restructuring with housing and transportation taking up such a large part of our individual income. Other than that, I will say this external challenge, frightfully illustrated by a surging China, presents a more nightmarish situation. I don't think Australia, Canada or the US or any of the First World countries for that matter are better prepared for this.

 

[TracyTan866]

If you think fighting in parliament, showing bad manners means better, I have nothing to say. Even though I agree on the deficiency of our pseudo-Westminster political system, I cannot accept taking to arms to settle arguments as a very democratic process. You don't see that in UK.

I am not referring to the unruly behaviour in parliament. I am referring to noraml citizens speaking out against bad govt policies.

Looka t the 15 yr old youth who challenged HK's Chief Executive, Leung CY, abt his proposed National Education for HK schools. Leung finally backed down. Contrast it with Reuben against TCH. The Principal and his parents saw it fit to force Reuben to apologise.

Which system, HK's or SG's, prepares our youths better for the future?

 

[TracyTan866]

This is a most unfair comment on our NSmen. It also shows that you have not done any NS. Saying "Yes, Sir" will make you subservient? Saying "No" all the time will make you a better person? It will make you just an anti person, not necessarily a better person.

I hope you are right that our SG guys are courageous and speak out against wrong govt policies. If you are right, I am very happy to stand corrected.

But I mix around enough to know that many SG guys are subserviebt maybe because of their NS training.

An example..I was told by my good friend:

She is a Director in a quasi govt Council. The CEO is an ex Army Brigadier. He is articulate and runs the Council with a firm hand. The Council has many male Directors. The Council deliberated vigorously and submitted a proposal to the Minister. The Minister rejected the proposal and just stated what he wanted done. The BG CEO was quiet as a churchmouse and just replied.."Ok, Sir" She and another female staff were shocked that he didnt even tried to convince the Minister. All their hard work went to waste and they, including the CEO, knew that the Minister's decision was bad. But he didnt fight back...He just said " The Minister has made his decision". The two female staff tried to reason with the CEO but the male Directors, who went through NS, just accepted his prders without questioning.

If that is not subservient, what is??

 

[denzuko1]

My friend, Jocelyn, is having her 1st child in Nov. She is a Singaporean and wants her child to be raised as an Australian. She intends to give birth to her child in australia.

I wonder what you think of her decision?

the citizenship of the child normally follows the mother, no matter where she give birth. So she has to be an Australian first before she give birth.

 

[TracyTan866]

the citizenship of the child normally follows the mother, no matter where she give birth. So she has to be an Australian first before she give birth.

Jocelyn is an Australian PR.

 

[Ash007]

Why you never PM me good deal like this ah?

Hello Fook Seng,

NO!! Of couse not...

I will PM you the details about inflation rates, savings account rates and mortgage rates in Australia.

You will be shock to find the really fine margins here. Less than 1%.

And in one case the bank pay the savings account rates HIGHER than the mortgage rates - There is a catch of course which I will explain in that PM. Also will show you how to go around it and yet covered by the government's guarantee.

I choose to respond to you via PM because I have no intend of letting this scrum know about the details.

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?126471-l-love-Australia-!!!&p=1204782#post1204782

Think about how much a good time banking businesses had in Sillypore Just look at their FAT FAT OBSCENE margins

Please post here that you received the PM without disclosing the details.

 

[Ash007]

Sim Wong Hoo faced the same situation in his No U-turn syndrome article. No means no in Singapore. There is no such thing as an alternative route for people to take. You know a lot of people from the ruling government?

I hope you are right that our SG guys are courageous and speak out against wrong govt policies. If you are right, I am very happy to stand corrected.

But I mix around enough to know that many SG guys are subserviebt maybe because of their NS training.

An example..I was told by my good friend:

She is a Director in a quasi govt Council. The CEO is an ex Army Brigadier. He is articulate and runs the Council with a firm hand. The Council has many male Directors. The Council deliberated vigorously and submitted a proposal to the Minister. The Minister rejected the proposal and just stated what he wanted done. The BG CEO was quiet as a churchmouse and just replied.."Ok, Sir" She and another female staff were shocked that he didnt even tried to convince the Minister. All their hard work went to waste and they, including the CEO, knew that the Minister's decision was bad. But he didnt fight back...He just said " The Minister has made his decision". The two female staff tried to reason with the CEO but the male Directors, who went through NS, just accepted his prders without questioning.

If that is not subservient, what is??

 

[TracyTan866]

Sim Wong Hoo faced the same situation in his No U-turn syndrome article. No means no in Singapore. There is no such thing as an alternative route for people to take. You know a lot of people from the ruling government?

in my line, i mix around a lot

 

[TracyTan866]

You know a lot of people from the ruling government?

I do know some of them...

 

[Ash007]

I don't know what line you in. Only know its media related leh.

in my line, i mix around a lot

 

[Ash007]

They never ask you join them ?

I do know some of them...

 

[TracyTan866]

They never ask you join them ?

They are always on the lookout for people who are keen to join them on their terms. They know I dont subscribe to them.

so we remain friends, not comrades

 

[Ash007]

So you must do what they say before they allow you in?

They are always on the lookout for people who are keen to join them on their terms. They know I dont subscribe to them.

so we remain friends, not comrades

 

[TracyTan866]

So you must do what they say before they allow you in?

It involves many rounds of tea parties and interviews. They assess you and size you up.