[redbean]

The key to Singapore's success lies in the political system. No if you think in line of a capitalist or democratic system. It is more about the kind of leadership.

Singapore has a unique kind of political leadership. Political leaders are chosen from people who are NOT interested in politics. This is a vital requisite. Any potential candidate that shows a little political acumen will not get pass to the second round of tea ceremony. This is a great difference from the commercial world where you hire people who are keen in what he is doing. Anyone who shows the slightest disinterest will be rejected immediately.

Basically, the potential candidate when invited for tea must keep assuring the interviewers that he has no political interest. In other words, no political aspiration and ambition and thus not dangerous.

When this is ascertained, then the rest is up to the interviewers to persuade the disinterested and not interested candidate into politics. This may come with a heavy dose of contradictions. Unwilling and uninterested politicians to become politicians and expecting them to do well.

Why would these uninterested candidates be willing to join politics? Perhaps the package and rewards for joining politics are worthy of every cent in it. One cannot run away from the attraction of a life time payout after serving two terms. And the lucky one who got to become ministers could be getting millions on retirements, for life.

How else would people who have other interests and passion want to join politics?

I would not speculate on those who are highly ambitious politicians but managed to disguise themselves well enough to be accepted as a novice and one who is not interested in politics. Maybe this is the greater secret. Interested but seen as not interested. To be able to do that requires exceptional talent and deserve to be political leaders.

This is another uniquely Singapore trait.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Something to crow about.

Subject: More Swiss than Switzerland
This Place Is More Swiss Than Switzerland
By Graham Summers

Switzerland's private banking has always been famous for two things:

1. Extreme privacy
2. Avoiding taxes

There are no capital gains taxes in Switzerland, unless you're buying real
estate. Personal estate taxes are generally 7%. And if you're a foreigner
retired in Switzerland, you can even choose a lump-sum tax in which you
only pay taxes on an amount equal to five times your annual rent. In other
words, you don't have to disclose your net worth or income at all.

But all of this is changing...

In 2004, Switzerland altered its tax structure to crack down on tax
evasion from foreign accounts. For the first time in history, Swiss
banking imposed a 15% withholding tax on interest income from deposits.

A lot of very wealthy p eople were very, very angry. And funds began to be
wired out of Switzerland and halfway across the world to the next private
banking hub: Singapore.

Singapore now manages $300 billion in private banking assets. Ten years
ago, it was only $50 billion. Singapore now accounts for roughly 5% of the
world's private banking assets. This doesn't seem like a lot, but consider
that Singapore is the 189th smallest country in the world, right after the
Federated States of Micronesia.
The number of private banks in Singapore more than doubled since 2000.
Singapore is now the second largest private banking hub behind
Switzerland.

Granted, it's a wide margin ¨Switzerland manages $1.7 trillion ¨ but it's
shrinking rapidly. Singapore's private banking sector is expected to grow
by 25%-30% a year for the next three years. When you consider the
benefits, it's not difficult to see why.

Individuals worth $13 million can gain immediate p ermanent residence in
Singapore, provided they invest $3.1 million in the country ($1.25 million
can go toward property). Once you're there, you don't have to pay taxes on
income earned abroad.

If you're a business owner with operations outside the country, you get
the benefits of Singapore's education and healthcare systems

¨ the best in Asia ¨ without paying a dime in taxes.
You won't pay taxes on capital gains or dividends either.

As you'd expect, the rich are flocking to the country. One of them is
investing legend Jim Rogers, who made a fortune managing the Quantum Fund
with George Soros before "retiring" in his late 30s.

Rogers originally wanted to move to China, but decided the pollution was
too awful to put up with. So he relocated to the English-speaking,
cleaner, more financially sophisticated Singapore with his family.

I have to tell you, I'm starting to be tempted myself.
Good trading,

Graham
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Confucianism and Curry Fish recipe

What has Confucianism and curry fish got to do with Singapore's success? In a bowl of curry fish, there are fish, vegetables and curry water. A few will get to eat the fish, some will be happy to have the vegetables and some would end up with curry water. Then some will clear the leftovers.

Our success is to be able to convince everyone that those who got the fish deserve to eat the fish, those who got vegetables and curry water deserve rightfully deserve them too. And the cleaners are there to clear the rubbish. In Confucianism, it is to see to it that everyone is happy in their own station in life.

Singapore is lucky to find this secret recipe and balance. Everyone accepts their station in life and all under heaven is peaceful. It will only break down when the curry water consumers or vegetable eaters think that they should get a piece of the fish.

So far so good. Even the cleaners are happy.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[Lao Xin Zhou]

POST DELETED.

[Jack Bauer]

Thankfully that our government make a bright decision. As the result we have stability since 1965 but still there's always someone who want to disrupt the stability.

Full democracy can't work in all country especially Asia and those country that is always chaotic. A lesson from Iraq we can't liberate and ask them to accept democracy out of sudden.

Totalitarian is madness. If we are under Totalitarian government we will end up like Germany under Nazi government. There be people that will back stab you to the secret police based of false information. Your children will report to the authority if you make slightest criticism. Our leader will be worship like god. Most of all our leader will tell us to fight! everything must fight.

Thanks to our government decision. 50% democracy 50% authoritarian.

[redbean]

All political systems exists for the interests of the people in power. They decide how the system should be run and how the wealth should be distributed. A system that serves the general good as well as the good of the political leaders will last longer than one that is lopsided.

Agree that we have a system that works for all these years. But it needs to be constantly massaged to meet the changing demands of the people and leaders. We are seeing many stresses and breaking points building up. How long is this good time going to last depends on how these points and weaknesses are addressed and overcame.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[Grunt]

wow, we have optimists here huh ..............

[Lao Xin Zhou]

POST DELETED.

[Grunt]

Seems you never did study economic.

Heard of the parabola curve.
What goes up must come down.
Gravity gratifying. It is a matter of when ....

For Singapore to further improve it takes more effort and cost more.
Though lucky for Singapore the country is small else we be more or
less the same as the others or worse.

For them to improve all it takes is a little effort on both security and
economy as most of them have huge reources and land mass.

What's bogging them down is not incompetency but rather their time
are taken to both amass personal wealth and power for they know that
their position is never secured. While ours are, right down to the
gerrymandering and high fee of candidacy. The wealth & power of ours
are handed over in a hand delivered Silver platter unquestioned and unprotested.

What first world country do not provide a safety net for it's people
and treat her own as a second class citizens except for RENCIs.

fyi : (The Rich, Elites, New citizens & Civil Servants)

[Lao Xin Zhou]

POST DELETED.

[Grunt]

[redbean]

Good that you guys are here and start an interesting dialogue.

The success and failure of a country depend on a host of things. And also the mandate of heaven.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[Lao Xin Zhou]

This is a problem for the country where the people begin to show unappreciativeness and the lack of consideration. Selfishness are showing up rapidly rather than patriotism.

You can go on preaching at the govt. Afterall, everyone in Singapore will move on and find ways to survive; only people like Mr.Grunt will continue to preach at the govt and end up gaining nothing. Go get a life.

[Grunt]

That's where you read me wrong.

My meaning of lesser effort meant the push to get the index higher,
that is the GDP. For a third world or developing country it is easy as
seen in India and what you so rightly state China, hence so for both
Myanmar & Cambodia as shown in Vietnam.

For a 1st world country the like of the USA and Singapore the driving
up of the GDP is harder.

Like a student who always had distinction to better himself is harder.
For a C student to get a B grade is much easier.
But, if the table is turn and the A student's parents got divorced or
bankrupt it may easily jeopardised his distinguished results.

For the C student come what may, the worse is he failed as usual.

Get it.

[redbean]

Make it compulsory

Stanley Jeremiah, a chartered insurer, suggested that with the high cost of medical bills, it is desirable to have compulsory medical insurance coverage. Hmmm, we are going to have compulsory annuity insurance, now this.

Actually not a bad idea. It is good for the people and will protect them when it hits them. And with legal fees getting higher and higher, we should also make it compulsory for people to buy legal insurance in case they got into a lawsuit. Make it compulsory for people who keep killer dogs also.

What does compulsory means? It means your money is not your money. People can just legislate it away and make you buy things or spend your money on things that you do not need or want. Other people will decide how you spend your money. Means Testing is not much difference. You must spend your money.

This is another great secret to Singapore's success.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.