I've already told u. I have no arguments with your logic. I'm
well acquainted with such arguments.
My point remains: Is it not slightly dehumanising and insulting to
make the economically disadvantaged jump through hoops before they
can get the condescending pittance they require to make ends
meet?
Isn't there a better way to do it?
Do you see how much of yourself you revealed via this innocent
sentence? To a truly selfless person, every minute is a good time
to help the poor. Why is there ever a bad time to help the poor?
Your reasoning here is unsound.
The cynic who just acquainted me with his elaborate theory on
the selfishness and opportunistic nature of humanity is educating
me now on the virtues of the truly selfless... Who's the one being
just a tad bit inconsistent here? 
You seem to care alot for the homeless. Let's find them some
shelter first, right? 50 Million can build quite a few homes. Let's
get started. But wait, there's a housing shortage. Nevermind, we'll
just build more, right? Argh, these damn flats sure take a long
time to build.
.....
OK the housing thingy was a bust. Let's try another idea we've been
pushing around. Let's just give them the damn money and let them
rent their own damn houses. Oh look what's this? More freeloaders.
Just as I was getting used to a paperless afternoon. Sigh. Back to
drafting up more paperwork.
The flat example u raised is perfectly valid. Yes, there are
probably pple cheating on HDB rental flats that were meant for low
income individuals. There are loopholes that can be
exploited.
But does it change the fact that the vast majority of the occupants
of such housing are indeed, economically disadvantaged
individuals?
Is there a greater good that can be balanced against the lesser
evil here? So what if a few bad hats make a pig's ear of the
system? Isn't it more important that the majority that truly needs
help gets it, rather than to put them through a circus act to fill
out a dozen forms and make them wait while u verify that they are
indeed, "deserving" of assistance?
I do see your point. But I find it disturbing to have the mindset
that all applicants are undeserving of assistance unless they prove
that they are not cheating when we really don't know the actual
percentage of applicants who are cheating.
Is it not more meaningful to give first, then have a good system to
follow up and check for frauds? Save resources on the application.
Divert them to the checks.
That way, we have a more proactive approach to helping the
economically disadvantaged, we cut some red tape and save some
paper (and trees) along the way, and the checks can be substantive
and properly legislated, with penalties for fraud that can include
reimbursement of all money paid and public shaming of such
parties.
It's pretty nice to find a high horse to sit on while shouting
to the heavens : "FEED THE HUNGRY! LIBERATE THE POOR!" In reality,
it's a slow, agonising process to help the lower class. Some of
them are there because of inherent behaviors that put them there in
the first place, such as gambling or just plain laziness. So when
you finally get the greedy middleclass people out of the equation,
how are you going to seperate the deserving poor from the
undeserving poor?
I will do no such thing because I ultimately find it a tad bit
arrogant for us, sitting comfortably in your chair, typing out a
nice, long post and nicely connected through our broadband
connection trying to impose a judgement on who is a "deserving"
poor vis a vis who is the "undeserving" one.
The gov't could try the following:
1) identify the needy. don't wait for them to approach the MP. Have
people go around to identify and guide the needy. Lots of them are
old and illiterate. They have worked hard in their youth and
contributed in their own little way to this country. They will
benefit from such outreach.
2) Make application minimal and hassle free. Have minimum front
line screening. Give first. Recognise the urgency that pple may be
going hungry and need help.
3) Check rigorously. Visit recipients routinely. Check that their
situation is improving. Make sure that they're not cheating. If
they're cheating, whack them hard and shame them.
4) Where appropriate, make continued aid conditional upon gainful
employment and adjust the amount given based on the amount they
make. In short, enhancing workfare and means-testing.
Don't deter pple from seeking help by simply burying them under
red-tape and paperwork because it simply looks half-hearted and
heartless.
The govt is trying hard. This i recognise. But i think what's
needed is a slight mindset change from "check first, then help" to
"help first, then check".
