| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
FDNY
Joined: 27 Sep 2010
|
 Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:50 pm Post subject: Why Can't Korea be More Like Singapore |
 |
|
Two news articles stuck in my head this week. One was about how
Korea is about to hit the US$30,000/year GDP per capita. The other was
about Singapore. The Korea article stuck in my head because although
Korea is a "rich" country, it is a vile and depressing place to live. The
people may have money but they certainly don't have manners, culture
or a sense of civic and national pride. The country is covered in garbage,
spit, puke and filth. Singapore, on the other hand, has: "laws against litter,
graffiti, jaywalking, spitting, expelling "mucous from the nose" and urinating
anywhere but in a toilet. (If it's a public toilet, you are legally required to
flush it.)" I live in Incheon and some parts of this city look like a third
world slum. Absolutely disgusting. Come on Koreans. Get some pride!
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32090420 |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
jcd
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| What's wrong with jaywalking. Some of these light waiting times are ridiculous. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
happyinhenan
Joined: 01 Feb 2015
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I love Singapore - sod freedom of everything - I don't mind living in their authoritarian democracy as long as yobs keep getting caned.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Good luck getting a job there.
Plus rent is so high I heard of people commuting from Malaysia, across the border, by train. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jcd wrote: |
| What's wrong with jaywalking. Some of these light waiting times are ridiculous. |
True, the robots absolutely need re-calibrating.
If you've fallen asleep and traffic has accumulated to a mile-long tailback by the time the light goes green, there's something wrong. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 12:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Its a city-state. Really hard to logically compare the two. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 12:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I suppose if I wanted to live in a place like Singapore, I'd go live in Singapore. I'd prefer Korea avoided cracking down on petty things; it's nice that the police mostly leave people alone here. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
One time, another similar question was asked: why can't Korea be more like Hong Kong? Even Milton Friedman asked a similar question as well during the late 70's. Why can't America be more like Hong Kong?
Answer remains the same as before: Hong Kong and Singapore can be like that because their defence spending is next to nothing. Hong Kong, as a Crown colony, their defence was handled by the UK. Now, it is taken care of by PRC. Singapore has a defence force but it is small, and their equipment are old. When they do their field exercise they have to go to Australia to do it. Not that Singapore has any natural enemies anyway.
Japan is similarly fortunate, as well. Their defence spending is limited to 1% of GDP. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Coltronator
Joined: 04 Dec 2013
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Dictatorships can definitely make the walkways clean and the trains run on time (sometimes) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
| andrewchon wrote: |
One time, another similar question was asked: why can't Korea be more like Hong Kong? Even Milton Friedman asked a similar question as well during the late 70's. Why can't America be more like Hong Kong?
Answer remains the same as before: Hong Kong and Singapore can be like that because their defence spending is next to nothing. Hong Kong, as a Crown colony, their defence was handled by the UK. Now, it is taken care of by PRC. Singapore has a defence force but it is small, and their equipment are old. When they do their field exercise they have to go to Australia to do it. Not that Singapore has any natural enemies anyway.
Japan is similarly fortunate, as well. Their defence spending is limited to 1% of GDP. |
It called a peace dividend. Hong Kong and Singapore get paid well every year. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
| andrewchon wrote: |
One time, another similar question was asked: why can't Korea be more like Hong Kong? Even Milton Friedman asked a similar question as well during the late 70's. Why can't America be more like Hong Kong?
Answer remains the same as before: Hong Kong and Singapore can be like that because their defence spending is next to nothing. Hong Kong, as a Crown colony, their defence was handled by the UK. Now, it is taken care of by PRC. Singapore has a defence force but it is small, and their equipment are old. When they do their field exercise they have to go to Australia to do it. Not that Singapore has any natural enemies anyway.
Japan is similarly fortunate, as well. Their defence spending is limited to 1% of GDP. |
That just isnt the case. Singapore spends a relatively high percentage of its GDP on defense and its equipment certainly isnt old. Their frigates are modern and they fly F15s and AH64s. Their tanks are Leopard 2s.
Singapore , for a country of 5 million, has an incredibly powerful military. And they occupy one of the most strategically important locations in a region with historical instability. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Steelrails wrote: |
That just isnt the case. Singapore spends a relatively high percentage of its GDP on defense and its equipment certainly isnt old. Their frigates are modern and they fly F15s and AH64s. Their tanks are Leopard 2s.
Singapore , for a country of 5 million, has an incredibly powerful military. And they occupy one of the most strategically important locations in a region with historical instability. |
That's only a very recent upgrade. Only ten years ago they were operating AMX-13. Yes, them 50's French-made tanks Israelis deployed in the Six-day war but tried their darnedest to hide them. I saw them when came to Australia to train. They may have Leopard 2's, but they are parked in Australia. Two squadrons of fighter jets parked somewhere with pilots not flying 300 hours a year are called 'parade' soldiers. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
metalhead
Joined: 18 May 2010
Location: Toilet
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Singapore's a hot and boring yuppie state that thinks it's the Switzerland of Asia. Most of yuck. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:34 am Post subject: Re: Why Can't Korea be More Like Singapore |
|
|
| FDNY wrote: |
| Come on Koreans. Get some pride! |
First off, I wish they'd learn how to think. How to use their own mind, independently.
This country bears the hallmark of a people who have only had one viewpoint and one way pumped into them since time immemorial. And if anyone had an alternative idea, they got beaten into submission.
I have a lot of optimism for the new generation.
But people over 45 years of age drive me insane. They usually are racist, don't have intellectual curiosity, don't read books, don't have values, manners, are afraid of different ideas, different people. They really are the most pitifully small minded simpletons. Their smugness is the arrogance of ignorance. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:53 am Post subject: Re: Why Can't Korea be More Like Singapore |
|
|
| Chaparrastique wrote: |
| FDNY wrote: |
| Come on Koreans. Get some pride! |
First off, I wish they'd learn how to think. How to use their own mind, independently.
This country bears the hallmark of a people who have only had one viewpoint and one way pumped into them since time immemorial. And if anyone had an alternative idea, they got beaten into submission.
I have a lot of optimism for the new generation.
But people over 45 years of age drive me insane. They usually are racist, don't have intellectual curiosity, don't read books, don't have values, manners, are afraid of different ideas, different people. They really are the most pitifully small minded simpletons. Their smugness is the arrogance of ignorance. |
Can you explain why? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
