Singapore's Busineticians

Ben: I have since withdrawn my views stated below, please have a read on: http://fivestarsandamoon.blogspot.sg/2011/03/another-discussion-about-ministers-pay.html regarding this.

A country is not a business and it ought not to be run that way. A country is home, memories, family and life for millions of people. A country is about freedom and living - be you poor, rich or whatever your status. A country ought not to make money for itself, but rather keep a healthy economy for businesses who are interested to do so.

Singapore better continue to be in profit for the rest of eternity, cause if there is any reduction in wages in the future, however little, money will then most definately have to come in from other sources to patch up the void it has left. It's called "self-fulfilling prophecy".

It's an amazing PR stunt. Singapore raises the salary of minsters to amongst the world's highest.
So in a nutshell, how did they justify it?

- To prevent corruption
- To attract top talents
- They deserve it.

So my question:

- Where are your morals then? It's like giving a thief more money to stop him from robbing. What about the values and principles of a human? What about corruption that is not motivated by money, like fame, lust and greed? Or just perversion? It seems like they're telling us something - we have a government with no morals that must be given money to prevent them sourcing money from other ventures. How sad.

- The salary is a little ludicrous isn't it? There is "high salary" and then there is "stratospheric salary". Are attracting people who's only value in life and motivation is money? I sure do not want someone like that running a democracy.

- Again, Singapore is a small country. But it is not the smallest and it is not the smallest nor is it the most successful of the smallest. So their excuse of "we did a good job" can go take a hike. Singapore is run by a society of people who have an inherent culture of perfecting themselves. Without the collective efforts of a people who want to improve their country, your government's efforts will also be futile. Look around the world, it's evident.

So they did a good job. Compared to what? And how can you compare? We're a society evolved through different environments, histories and ideals. You can't compare singapore with Malaysia, Indonesia or even Africa. If you want to do that, then the government can also be doing a bad job as compared to other countries, regardless of size!

Do you really think it's a good job? Look around you and listen as well. If you travel and are open to comments of foreigners, how many times have you heard that singaporeans are gutless, spineless, void of creativity and unpassionate? Is it not because our policies have made us this way? And we now even think it is good to be like so?

But what really pisses me off is the fact that all this money can be used to develop so many areas of society that will ultimately benefit south east asia.

What about things like:

- building closer ties with other SEA countries?

- education and awareness on medical, environment and society? We are so in need of teaching our citizens to live like the humans they are!

- the hopeless, the needy, the sick and the lonely?

- what about human rights, values and principals?

So at the end of it all, we're taught that money is the center of our lives. If the economy in East Timor overtakes us, we all should move our loyalty there.

No wonder people are such cowards these days, we are all hypnotized by the lure of cash that everything else on the planet, things that make us human are all numb to our senses.

And it is governments like singapore's that caused it. Authoritarians under the guise of democracy. Countries run by businessmen politicians, the busine-titians.