Hi xtreiyer
As for your questions:
1. FTs don't have to pay CPF, while FTs and PRs don't have to do
NS -- A simple example to show the reality that policy often favors
outsiders over locals. Also, PRs can give up PR status, take
their CPF money and go back to where they came from. It will take a
very long time for a citizen to actually be able to touch his CPF
money, unless of course he wants to give up citizenship - but
that's a very big price to pay.
2. Why shouldn't a government interfere in a company's affairs?
I would say a govt would be justified in doing so in the people's
interest. Some people think companies would pack up and leave
Singapore if the govt starts interfering in their affairs. I
disagree. There are so many advantages of doing business here: you
shouldn't underestimate Singapore's strength.
3. Of course, I only know a few dozen PRs, dumbo. There are half
a million PRs in this town; I can't possibly know all of them or
know what they think of taking up citizenship. Perhaps someone
should do a survey. I'm sure the results would be startling.
Now, let's hear what "practical solutions" you have to make the
world a better place!
I will have to leave you to your self-centred proposed solutions
that will only lead to further depletion of our reserves and end us
all up paying higher taxes later to rebuild it for another rainy
day.
I will instead relay a simple story for clarity sake.
In 2000BC,the Shang and Chin tribes had been fighting each
other for years, defining their borders, culminating with an
undecisive battle for a hill on its shared border.
Both sides had sought to take control of the hill, for whomever
owns it, will be able to control, dominate and even attack easily
across the border.
One day, there was an earthquake and devastated both tribal
lands and structures, with 10% of each tribe either injured or
dead. There was widespread grief and lamentations. Troops were
recalled back to tend the tribe, as rightly should.
As only 10% of the people were maimed, most survivors were just
sitting around idly by and wailing on the tragedy. A common soldier
on the Chin side got bored, took the national flag and walked all
the way to the disputed hilltop, unchallenged, and planted the Chin
flag.
When the Shang tribe looked up from a distance, they were
stunned. Already with low morale from the earthquake, assuming the
worst, they gave up the fight and fled as far away from the Chins
as possible.
From then on, the victorious by default and by confidence of a
common soldier, the Chins went on to conquer more terroritories,
adding other tribes into their own and united the land.
The point i am driving at is that biz must never forget their
basic role. This crisis is biz related. A biz exist to make
profits, from sales' orders. This would be how they would earn
money to hire people and pay them from parts of the profits
earned.
While everyone is lamenting and wailing about the crisis, take a
good look at the shopping malls - are they totally devoid of
customers? Take a good look at our harbour - is it empty of ships?
Take a good look at Changi airport - are there no tourists? Take a
good look at our factories - have they ALL shut down?
The answer is NO!
Biz still carries on. Lives still need necessities. Orders and
sales STILL exists. Thus, Biz MUST make a point to grab all they
can now! In this crisis, the focus is not on the mgmt, or wait for
govt handouts. The focus is on getting sale orders.
The competition is even keener now, but the good news is,
majority of overseas companies, espacially US and European ones,
had over extended themselves on loans and have to either scale back
or shut down - meaning the field of competition is clear for us
Singaporeans to muscle in!
2 generations of Singaporeans had been trained and conditioned
for competition and be competitive in life. We know and have what
it takes to compete. We should unleashed ourselves, or be unleashed
now to go for it!
Whatever we managed to earn and spend will replenish our own
assets as well as our treasuries for future generations. There is
no better time than now when the competition is down and out!