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TJS's Visit to Norway Exposes How Badly Shortchanged SGs are by FAP Traitors

makapaaa

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
[h=1]NORWAY'S WELFARE STATE: HIGH PUBLIC SUPPORT CUTS ACROSS PARTY LINES. WILL IT HAPPEN IN SG?[/h]
<!-- /.block --> <style>.node-article .field-name-link-line-above-tags{float: right;}.node-article .field-name-ad-box-in-article {float: left;margin: 15px 15px 10px 0;}.node-article .field-tags{clear: both;}</style> Post date:
20 Oct 2014 - 10:41pm





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Tea with a Norwegian family in Bergen, a coastal town in Norway, on 23 September 2014. There was a robust discussion on the Norwegian passion for equality and universality. The late matriarch of the family took care of my mother-in-law when she was holidaying in Bergen 60 years ago.

[Article written by Mr Tan Jee Say, 2011 Presidential Candidate and the founder and current chairman of the Singaporeans First Party]

Not so long ago, a welfare state used to be associated with political parties of the Left, socialist or social democratic parties. Today it is also embraced by conservative parties of the Right such as in the United Kingdom and Germany.

In last year's general election, Norway elected a conservative coalition government of the Conservative and Progress Parties, replacing the social democratic ruling coalition. More than a year has passed. The new government has not dismantled the welfare state. Nor has it any intention to do so. Instead Norway's welfare state remains widely acclaimed as "the world's most generous welfare state."

Is this generosity due to its vast petroleum wealth? It is more than that. A Norwegian family friend helped me understand why when he invited me to tea in their home in Bergen, a coastal town described as the gateway to the Norwegian fjords.

Passion for equality
Norway's welfare state predated, by several decades, its discovery of oil in the North Sea in 1969. It is firmly rooted in its "passion for equality", a passion shared equally by its fellow Nordic neighbouring countries of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. In the past, Norway was poor with the people subsisting on fishing and farming. A few wealthy families owned ships. There was a strong community spirit of helping one another, particularly with the better off providing more for the less well off. Mutual trust was high which continues to this day and explains why fear of abuse is low.

It is the passion for equality and prevalence of public trust that underpin the Nordic welfare model which is characterised by high levels of redistribution of wealth, universal coverage and generous cash benefits and social services. The principles of equality and universality mean that the welfare benefits are not just targeted at the poor and low income but are also extended to the middle classes. Consequently, the gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, hovers around 0.25, among the lowest in the world. The small gap between the rich and the poor further enhances social cohesion among the people and entrenches their commitment to the welfare state, hence its widespread popularity among the people regardless of which political party they support.

Has this quest for equality compromised economic competitiveness? No, it has not. The Nordic countries are consistently among the top ten most competitive economies internationally, with The Economist newsmagazine describing them in 2013 as "probably the best-governed in the world".




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Old mindset
Yet the PAP has thrown cold water on the Nordic model, repeating ad nauseam that high taxes will reduce economic competitiveness, an assertion that is contradicted most astonishingly by the Nordic experience. On the other hand, some PAP ministers in recent months, have been talking about government spending more, targeting help on the poor and low income earners. Even DPM and Finance Minister Tharman declared that PAP has moved to the left of centre. Has it? Unless it moves away from an elitist mindset and stops talking about preferring 10 billionaires to lowering the gini coefficient, "welfarism" will remain a "dirty word" in the PAP narrative. And what are the words that are music to PAP ears? - "High minimum salaries for ministers but no minimum wage for workers, and to hell with thegini coefficient and income gap".

New bold journey
Today Singapore is at a crossroad. Do we want to continue with the old narrative of "to each his own", or are we bold enough to embark on a new journey with a strong social safety net? Do we have the means to do so?

Like Norway's petroleum wealth (for my earlier posting, click on [link1] below at the end of this posting), Singapore's huge financial surpluses provide us with the means and the responsibility to reinvent Singaporeans into a new class of people with grace, self-assurance and dignity. In the coming months, we at Singaporeans First will unveil proposals for a new narrative that will promote economic growth together with a strong social safety net for all, not just the poor and lower income, but including the middle classes who are also struggling to cope with the rising cost of living. Our package is reasonable and will not "bankrupt" the country. It is an amount that is allowed under the existing Constitution and does not involve drawing down the national reserves. It is a responsible way to achieve a fair society with strong families and an esteemed people, the vision of Singaporeans First.

This is the third and final posting about my recent visit to Norway. The first two postings can be accessed through these links
[link1] (Norway's sovereign wealth fund)
[link2] (The Norwegian Nobel Institute)

*Article first appeared on http://therealsingapore.com/content/tan-jee-say-after-55-years-worlds-ul...
 

hofmann

Alfrescian
Loyal
"Mutual trust was high which continues to this day and explains why fear of abuse is low."

no one trusts anyone else in singapore anymore. gov dont trust people. people don't trust gov. friend don't trust friend. relatives lagi worse.

who started all this backstabbing that eroded trust within our society?
 

laksaboy

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
"Mutual trust was high which continues to this day and explains why fear of abuse is low."

no one trusts anyone else in singapore anymore. gov dont trust people. people don't trust gov. friend don't trust friend. relatives lagi worse.

who started all this backstabbing that eroded trust within our society?

LKY lah. Backstabbed his Barisan Socialis buddies, made Sinkies distrust one another.

Only lanjiao people support this lanjiao 'founding father'. :kma:
 

Force 136

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Other than Rajaratnam and Goh Keng Swee, all the other PAP pioneers were played out....................................

Even these 2 had to retire to make way for the Crown Prince.....

Singaporeans fared no better...... our lives became a race to survive. The joy of living was taken away from us.
 

Leongsam

High Order Twit / Low SES subject
Admin
Asset
Norway's welfare state predated, by several decades, its discovery of oil in the North Sea in 1969. It is firmly rooted in its "passion for equality", a passion shared equally by its fellow Nordic neighbouring countries of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. In the past, Norway was poor with the people subsisting on fishing and farming. A few wealthy families owned ships. There was a strong community spirit of helping one another, particularly with the better off providing more for the less well off. Mutual trust was high which continues to this day and explains why fear of abuse is low..

A welfare state will never work in Singapore because Sinkies have no desire for equality whatsoever. In fact, they are constantly striving to be as unequal as possible.

Why else would there be such huge demand for luxury goods, fancy European cars and hard-to-get credit and privilege cards, the latest smart phones and the swankiest addresses.

There's nothing most sinkies want more than symbols and possessions that scream "I'M RICHER AND BETTER THAN YOU!".

When Asian nations reach the same level of maturity as the Scandinavians, they'll then be ready for equality. It's going to take a very long time. I'm not holding my breath.
 

yellowarse

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
A welfare state will never work in Singapore because Sinkies have no desire for equality whatsoever.

Sam, this is one of your saner responses to the topic of social welfare. Yes, Sinkies are our own worst enemies.

If an enlightened govt came in tomorrow and handed a welfare state to us on a platter, the system would be abused to pieces, the rich would refuse to pay their dues, and the govt would be thrown out in the next elections.
 

wMulew

Alfrescian
Loyal
Dear retarded TJS

Norway has Oil and Gas. Plenty of it. Please go somewhere to dig Oil and Gas in SG before U take about welfare on Norway's level in SG
 

Leongsam

High Order Twit / Low SES subject
Admin
Asset
Sam, this is one of your saner responses to the topic of social welfare. Yes, Sinkies are our own worst enemies.

I guess sometimes one of my posts hits the sweet spot (by your standards) but the underlying message is always the same. :p

Take a look at this advert :



http://www.dbs.com.sg/treasures-private-client/privileges/default.page

Exclusive Privileges
DBS Asia Treasures privileges befitting your status and style.

As a DBS Treasures Private Client, look forward to much more than just a personalised banking and custom-tailored wealth management.
Here's a glimpse of the recognition and privileges you'll enjoy under our DBS Asia Treasures privileges programme:
DBS Travel Privileges
travel-privileges.jpg

Embark on your journey in comfort and style. Whether you are traveling on business or taking a well earned holiday, remember to sign up for DBS Travel Privileges1 and start enjoying these perks.

  • 20% bonus KrisFlyer miles when you fly on Singapore Airlines2
  • 25% discount on worldwide immigration fast track services
Sign up now to enjoy DBS Travel Privileges or contact your dedicated Travel Concierge service at 1800 221 2212 (within Singapore) or +65 6221 2212 (outside Singapore) for assistance.

<tbody>
</tbody>


You'll never see ads of this nature in NZ and probably not in Norway either. It would be deemed most offensive by the majority of the population and any bank that advertises products or services of this genre aimed at the wealthy would be publicly chastised and probably boycotted by many. In an egalitarian society, the sentence "privileges befitting of your status and style" simply isn't acceptable.

The banks do treat the wealthy clients better but it's all done very discreetly and none of the privileges are made public.

When Singapore matures to the extent that such ads are widely condemned to the point where they disappear from public view, I'll say the country is ready for the a more Scandinavian approach to governance.

At the moment the natural response of most singaporeans to ads that promise you status symbols to set you apart from the rest is "I want one of those".
 

bigboss

Alfrescian
Loyal
.....some PAP ministers in recent months, have been talking about government spending more, targeting help on the poor and low income earners....

What the papees said is cow dung. Helping the poor and low income earners is just hot air coming out of the papees' arse.

The poor and low income earners are not allowed to use their medisave to pay the medical bills in full. Pay balance in cash or beg social workers for help. The medisave belongs to them and why subject them to such humiliation?
 

yellowarse

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
You'll never see ads of this nature in NZ and probably not in Norway either.

Not just ads. If you go to Norway and Sweden you'll see Volvos and Toyotas on the roads. Hardly any Rollses or Mercs or Beemers. No flaunting of designer togs either. No comparing salaries. It's considered vulgar to indulge in any kind of behaviour that sets you apart from the rest in terms of wealth or status.

In egalitarian societies, work-life balance and chasing your passion is much more important than mere material acquisitions or an opulent lifestyle.

As a case in point, the Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad drives a '93 Volvo 240 and flies economy on business trips. Eats his meals at Ikea. And he's worth $50 bil. To top it all he's a fascist activist with a dossier at the Swedish secret police.
 

hofmann

Alfrescian
Loyal
no one will abuse the system if the death penalty is introduced for fraudsters :o

Sam, this is one of your saner responses to the topic of social welfare. Yes, Sinkies are our own worst enemies.

If an enlightened govt came in tomorrow and handed a welfare state to us on a platter, the system would be abused to pieces, the rich would refuse to pay their dues, and the govt would be thrown out in the next elections.
 

sochi2014

Alfrescian
Loyal
difficult lah! the joy of sharing is not embedding in Cina culture!

unless the Cinas know Jesus! Same for Ah Nehs.
 

batman1

Alfrescian
Loyal
The PAP has created corruption,collusion and nepotism in this soulless small island whose only ideology is materialism.
May the Divine forces crush the pap cockroaches !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

winnipegjets

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Dear retarded TJS

Norway has Oil and Gas. Plenty of it. Please go somewhere to dig Oil and Gas in SG before U take about welfare on Norway's level in SG

You seem to be the retard by not reading his article carefully. Welfarism was a government policy before the discovery of oil and gas.
 

eatshitndie

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
norway can afford it (for now) because she has massive oil revenues. not the case with sg. anyway, the norway welfare system is facing its challenges with increasing and unsustainable expenses.

http://www.forskningsradet.no/en/Ne..._system_facing_major_challenges/1253967894814

moreover, with generous welfare and disability benefits, norwegians are becoming lazier, less productive and unmotivated to go to work. they are finding the lamest and flimsiest excuse to be absent from work and get disability benefits. they would have to import cheap foreign labor to do their arduous tasks and dirty work.

http://www.nordiclabourjournal.org/nyheter/news-2013/article.2013-03-06.0381758209
 

Sinkie

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
This is not such a difficult topic, but if everyone keeps harping on which is better and which system we should follow, we go right into that deep rabbit hole and lose ourselves in it. For a start, ask yourself what you're worth and then ask which environment will allow you to increase your worth. Finally, it's all for selfish reasons. Nobody owes another a living and so we have to ask ourselves why should we vote a govt that controls you and police your movements and check and balances every aspect of your life but we cannot do the same to it. Stupid right? :biggrin:
 

Sinkie

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
For example, when you voted Tancho to be President, did you also approve his holiday trip to UK to meet with the Queen? Did he ask your permission and more importantly, did he account to you and the public why he made the holiday trip? It is an official trip after all and he should account for it and not assume it is a given. I never gave him permission and he never ask me. I'm sure he never ask you heroes of the marshes either, did he? :rolleyes:
 

frenchbriefs

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
did u eat the wrong medicine?normally ur response to such an ad would be it would encourage lowly sinkies to strive for the better,and only the best deserves the best......the rest of the lot are expendable and unproductive and do not deserve a living wage and deserve to be eliminated.pls wake up,ur supposed to be a PAP supporter and such talk is heresy.

I guess sometimes one of my posts hits the sweet spot (by your standards) but the underlying message is always the same. :p

Take a look at this advert :



http://www.dbs.com.sg/treasures-private-client/privileges/default.page

Exclusive Privileges
DBS Asia Treasures privileges befitting your status and style.

As a DBS Treasures Private Client, look forward to much more than just a personalised banking and custom-tailored wealth management.
Here's a glimpse of the recognition and privileges you'll enjoy under our DBS Asia Treasures privileges programme:
DBS Travel Privileges
travel-privileges.jpg

Embark on your journey in comfort and style. Whether you are traveling on business or taking a well earned holiday, remember to sign up for DBS Travel Privileges1 and start enjoying these perks.

  • 20% bonus KrisFlyer miles when you fly on Singapore Airlines2
  • 25% discount on worldwide immigration fast track services
Sign up now to enjoy DBS Travel Privileges or contact your dedicated Travel Concierge service at 1800 221 2212 (within Singapore) or +65 6221 2212 (outside Singapore) for assistance.

<tbody>
</tbody>


You'll never see ads of this nature in NZ and probably not in Norway either. It would be deemed most offensive by the majority of the population and any bank that advertises products or services of this genre aimed at the wealthy would be publicly chastised and probably boycotted by many. In an egalitarian society, the sentence "privileges befitting of your status and style" simply isn't acceptable.

The banks do treat the wealthy clients better but it's all done very discreetly and none of the privileges are made public.

When Singapore matures to the extent that such ads are widely condemned to the point where they disappear from public view, I'll say the country is ready for the a more Scandinavian approach to governance.

At the moment the natural response of most singaporeans to ads that promise you status symbols to set you apart from the rest is "I want one of those".
 

frenchbriefs

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Not just ads. If you go to Norway and Sweden you'll see Volvos and Toyotas on the roads. Hardly any Rollses or Mercs or Beemers. No flaunting of designer togs either. No comparing salaries. It's considered vulgar to indulge in any kind of behaviour that sets you apart from the rest in terms of wealth or status.

In egalitarian societies, work-life balance and chasing your passion is much more important than mere material acquisitions or an opulent lifestyle.

As a case in point, the Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad drives a '93 Volvo 240 and flies economy on business trips. Eats his meals at Ikea. And he's worth $50 bil. To top it all he's a fascist activist with a dossier at the Swedish secret police.

i heard alot of corruption going on with Ikea founder,many billions stashed away in swissland and tax avoidance/evasion.
 
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