The article was talking about the decline of the United States which is really a sad thing because this marks the beginning of the end of the unipolar power era to a multipolar power era characterised by the period prior to World War I and II. But this is point for debate in another post.
The post came with some interesting statistics on Singapore (table replicated below, sourced from NYT) which you will probably never see reported in the traditional media (despite TODAY's collaboration with the NYT):
a) Gini coefficient being the second highest of all advanced economies! The Gini coefficient measures the income gap between the rich and the poor (higher being a more pronounced inequality). Can you imagine, other than the free wheeling capitalist economy of Hong Kong with its tycoons living on the Peak vs. the poor living in caged bedspaces, Singapore is second, above that of the United States.
Can the S$800(max) be able to close this income gap? And why are we offering income tax cuts for the rich? Any chance it may be because the budget-authors are all earning more than S$120,000? Tax cut now, GST 10% next?
b) Unemployment rate of 2.3%. This is significantly lower than the average and may be attributed to continued training for older workers. But I shuddered and thought twice when I read this statistic as I pictured the bended white-haired aunties and uncles who clean the tables at maxwell market where I frequent. They are way too old to be working at their age but yet they still are. I do not wish to guess what is forcing them to work at this age, but I would bet my money that they are not doing it to while time away and they are definitely not on the better side of the Gini.
c) Level of democracy is LOWEST, even lower than that of Hong Kong which is part-ruled by the Chinese Communist Party! Need i say more?
d) Lowest global well-being index at 19%. Only 19% of the population are thriving in 2010. What is happening to the other 81%? Again, stuck in the wrong side of the Gini coefficient. Even Hong Kong reports a higher well-being percentage of a whooping 65%!
e) Food insecurity. 2 times per last 12 months. The fact that there is even a statistic makes me very sad indeed.
f) Life expectancy; good! But do not fall ill as it is easier to die in Singapore than to fall ill. You may move to Malaysia though.....I am appalled that the reporters/editors can spin the story to say that it is a good thing to be hospitalised in Malaysia. May heaven have eyes so that one day he/she may be in such a situation that her loved ones will need to be hospitalised in Malaysia to save costs.
g) Prison population, 4th highest in the world. But these are the low lifes, not to worry. The high lifes (e.g riding a very sound-proofed Lexus and thinking a branch has fallen on your car but not stopping to check and a model who instigated a jail-able crime but got fined and will be appealing!) does not add to the statistic. If we do, we might beat Taiwan and be third only to Hezbollah and Hamas infiltrated Israel and the United States of African underclass.
I hope the above analysis gives you a better idea of the direction in which Singapore is heading and it is up to you if you wish to see it continue.
