Eternal torment: The Search

Monday, November 13, 2006

The GST will increase from 5% to 7%. I'm fairly certain most Singaporeans will grumble and then just accept it. Too bad. I'm not gonna just mumble "aiyah...stoopid gahmen"

Instead, I wish to understand more about this new...development shall we say?

Firstly, what social net are we talking about? It's such a vague term. You say you want the poor to at least own a piece of property. However, seeing that the prices of flats are exorbitant (from their perspective), how are they going to be able to pay off the bank loan for the buying of flat? Won't their already meagre savings go directly to paying off this huge debt?

For workforce? Excuse me, but I see it as this way; you gotta help yourself before others help you. Some are picky about jobs, others just too lazy to move. Still, concerning workforce, sometimes getting subsidies itself is said to be tough. You gotta fill in countless forms; like how much your siblings earn etc. Some people who really need them won't get it because of the rigidity of the system of eligibility.

For education? Oh, I can tell you stories of people who really need to get their heads whacked. They don't send their kids for remedials because "it's a waste of time", they don't help their kid by reading to them at a young age etc. Some of them just can't be bothered. Now, if education is a societal equalizer, don't they realise their mistake?!

Now, off to problems that may be caused. Firstly, notice that it's for the "lower income" people? What about the sandwiched people; the middle income. The people who can afford the occasional dinner out but just getting by? I don't care about the high income people. Throw them a tax of 50% and they would still be able to get by. My main concern is for the middle income people of which I may be included. Aren't the middle income people being stretched? Too "rich" to get help, too "poor" to get by? The lower middle income people are on the thin line that separates them from the low income. Now, with an increase in tax, won't the no of low income people increase? Won't there thus be more mouths to feed? Won't this thus be a neverending cycle of poverty? Instead of decreasing the no of poor people, could we instead be increasing the no of poor people?

I've got a splitting headache so I can't be able to continue any longer. Gotta rest.

I wanna protest against bush being here but my hands and legs are tied. So I'll have an inner protest instead, within myself. No matter what, I think he's made several of the century's biggest blunders. And he should know what I'm talking about.

Transmitted on 6:01 AM

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