Hi guys. I am amazed at the amount of interest I have received from you guys over the Brexit issue, so many comments on my last post. I have chosen my favourite questions and have decided to give you some quality answers.
 |
| What lies next for the UK after the Brexit vote? |
Q: Since it was nearly a 50-50 split (well, 52-48), am I right to assume that half of the UK is rich and half of it is poor? I read the rich people tended to vote remain and the poor voted to leave. Or is that way too simplistic?
A: It is too simplistic. Firstly, the voter turn out was 72.2% - that meant that 27.8% of eligible voters couldn't be asked to vote and thus even if their choice at the ballot box was an accurate indication of whether they were rich or poor, Likewise, you had to be over 18 to vote, so you have no information about the relative wealth or poverty of the youth of the UK. Furthermore, you have to be a British or Commonwealth citizen to vote. One of my best friends is Emmanuel and he's a French expatriate living and working in London - he may have been a resident of London for many years, but he doesn't get a say. There are a lot of expatriates in the UK and they include everyone from bankers earning millions to cleaners earning the minimum wage (and everything in between) So if people like Emmanuel didn't get to vote, then we have no 'data' on people like him. I don't actually know what the split is between rich and poor - a lot of that depends on where you choose to draw the line and how you define rich/poor.
Q: Can you please explain to me why the working classes vote for the Tories, Brexit when these things are highly likely to shaft them in the end?
A: One answer is that working class voter is a single issue voter, rather than a voter who contemplates the full complexity of the choices they are presented. So in the case of Brexit, they do not like immigrants and they feel threatened by the influx of Eastern European migrants. They ignore all other factors involved in this decision and base their decision on this one issue - even if this choice may eventually shaft them in the end. More educated voters are more capable of considering far more complex issues when it comes to their choices. Another reason is the right wing press - working class voters tend to read certain newspapers very faithfully and will do anything these papers tell them, including how to vote. The media groups who print these newspapers are thus very powerful as they can manipulate huge swathes of the working class to vote one way or another. These media groups are thus king-makers (or queen-makers) as they get to decide who gets the working class votes (and thus eventually become prime minister/president). I'm sorry if this sounds incredibly un-PC, but the working class are less educated, thus far easier to manipulate than the more educated middle class folks into making choices that will eventually shaft them in the end.
A: Did you realize that Wales is a very poor part of the UK? There is some prosperity around the Cardiff area but I have traveled around Wales and good grief, it is a world away from London. Some of the rural areas may be idyllic, but there are very few job opportunities there and people are either on benefits or stuck doing low-paid work. There was a coal and steel industry there once upon a time, but the coal mines have almost all shut and the steel industry cannot face the competition posed by cheaper Chinese imports. The Welsh have yet to find anything to replace the coal and steel industry, so in some areas, unemployment is shockingly high too. Yeah, there are a lot of problems in Wales and the Welsh are extremely frustrated. Does the average Welsh person understand the situation well? Probably not - it depends on where they are getting their information from and if they are reading the right wing press, then I refer you to the previous answer. They are angry and frustrated - but voting to leave the EU is just going to make Wales even poorer and increase hardship for the poorest of the Welsh people. And they have done just that - incredible. Without that money from the EU, Wales is going to be a lot more grim. Some Welsh people have been misled to believe that they put in more money than get out of the EU, they are wrong and they are going to find out the hard way.
Oh and Welsh for 'biting the hand that feeds' is 'cnoi yr llaw pwy sy'n rhoi bwyd' - that's actually a literal translation of the English phrase. I'll have to consult a native Welsh speaker to get a proper translation for the saying for you.
A: No, I am not going to panic - the pound is a bit weaker, but it has lost only about 5% and the experts were expecting a drop of bigger than 5% should we have voted for Brexit. I can live with that - currency exchange rates vary anyway and over the years, I've lived through times when the pound was weak and when the pound was strong. Life in London is pretty good if (like me) you're rich and can afford to have a good life. I have only just moved into my lovely new house this March and there's still a lot more I can do to renovate this house to turn it into my dream home. Brexit will affect different parts of the UK differently, it will affect different people differently. If you live in London and have money, if you have a good job, then you will still be okay. But if you live outside London and you were expecting some kind of miracle to happen after we leave the EU, then you're going to be sorely disappointed. If I have to live somewhere else, it will have to be Paris. I have studied and worked there, it is a beautiful city and I speak French fluently. I would gladly consider any major city in French-speaking Europe. Paris is definitely my first choice and I am definitely saying no to America and Singapore. No way man. Not over my dead body. I don't like those countries.
Q: How will life in the UK be affected over the next few months?
A: We don't know - probably not that much since it will take us at least two years to properly quit the EU anyway. It may take longer, they may engage the EU in fresh negotiations, it is all up in the air at the moment. In the meantime, they pound may be slightly weaker, as the markets don't like uncertainty. The country has been very divided over this issue - but all we can do now is to try to move on. I think most people are genuinely keen to move on and try to make the best of a bad situation, I'm not sure about the rest of the country but certainly London is so full of talented, intelligent people that we'll definitely be able to find a way to redefine ourselves, reinvent ourselves here and make ourselves relevant to a changing world. I can't say the same about the provincial village idiots in the rest of England and Wales.
 |
| I'm quite happily settled in London - it is my home. |
Q: Will there be a second referendum?
A: It sounds crazy but you never know. I refer you to the ridiculous Greek bailout referendum in 2015 - where the country (already broke from the recession) spent millions organizing a referendum on whether Greece should accept the terms of the bailout as proposed by the EU/IMF. They voted no (by a resounding 61.31%), only for the Greek government to agree to a package with very small tweaks to the small print just three days after the referendum. Effectively, they ignored the terms of the referendum and decided that accepting the bailout would be the less-bad option or Greece. What a farce! What's the point of holding a referendum in the first place then? Is it just some kind of charade of democracy to let the people think they have a say in what will happen to the country, but you end up ignoring it if they make the wrong choice? If the EU now thinks, oh shit ,the UK is prepared to leave the EU and starts a second round of negotiations, who knows? We may actually get a much better deal second time round and that may be enough to prompt a second referendum. Boris Johnson just wants to oust David Cameron to become the new PM, if he drives the British economy into the deepest, darkest, worst recession in history with Brexit, that's hardly going to be a good legacy, is it? It is in his interest to do what's best for the country - just like what the Greeks did.
Q: Will Scotland leave the UK to remain in the EU, leading to the break up of the UK?
A: That feels inevitable at this stage - there is fresh appetite for a second independence referendum in Scotland and given that we could be out of the EU in two years - the split will have to come before 2018, so Scotland can then just stay a member of the EU rather than leave the EU as a part of the UK and then apply to (re)join it as an independent country. That urgency would certainly play into the hands of the SNP, who were bitterly disappointed that they did not get the independence they wanted the last time round. Northern Ireland could possibly follow after that, if Scotland get their way. I'd love for Wales to go to as I'm so fed up with them right now. And that's coming from a fluent Welsh speaker. Heck, I'd love for London to become an independent city state country - who needs the rest of England.
Q: Why are the poorer British people so angry with the EU then?
A: Well, there's the short answer and the longer answer. The short answer is that the EU is a convenient scapegoat, a boogeyman to blame for everything. The long answer is that the benefits that the EU has brought to the UK are mostly experienced by those who are rich, well-educated and highly skilled. Business owners are able to tap into this new source of EU talents and they contributed so much to our businesses and universities. But as for the poor people, we're talking about unskilled, uneducated working class folks doing blue-collar jobs, they face competition from EU migrant workers who are competing for the same jobs in the UK. Wages in the UK are generally a lot higher than many of the other EU countries, so the EU has only brought increased competition for them and in some cases, this increased competition has stagnated, even reduced their wages. Sure the EU is helping some people in the UK in many different ways, but it is usually not the very poorest in our society.
Q: Surely this sends a powerful message to other governments, that open borders are a very bad idea? (This question was from a Singaporean who was fed up with the Singaporean government's stance on the issue.)
A: I think a lot of Singaporeans are very puzzled by the way our open-border schemes have worked in the EU and all they can focus on is the fact that Singaporeans are fed up with the influx of PRCs flooding into Singapore over the last 15 years. Being a part of the EU is more than just about open borders - it is as much about trade as well. The EU is effectively one big market, so British companies can sell into Europe with no tariffs, leaving the EU would seriously damage British businesses because they would end up paying a lot more in duties when they sell anything into the EU, which is still our biggest trading partner. They wax lyrical about doing more business with places like America and China, yeah we buy loads of stuff from China - how much does the UK actually sell to China? Much less than you think. The whole issue has been hijacked by the concerns and paranoia about immigration and instead of having a referendum about immigration, they had the wrong referendum. Talk about a monumental fuck up by all involved.
 |
| Immigration issues have dominated the debate. |
Q: Will all the EU nationals currently working in the UK have to leave the UK?
A: Some will. There will be a work permit system and if the EU national has a good job, then by all means s/he can get a work permit for it. There are ways and means about it, you just can't kick them all out when they are gainfully employed and we have yet to see details of this work permit criteria. They may set a minimum threshold of an annual income, to kick out those at the very bottom of the food chain: so yes to bankers, no to cleaners. Would that benefit the poor in the UK? Probably not, as those at the bottom of the food chain are here to do the work that even the Brits don't want to do - we're talking about the lowest paid jobs at the very bottom of the food chain. It will be undoubtedly easier for those who are already here to stay on and it will be harder for those wishing to move here after the UK leaves the EU. But all the politicians have talked about a points-based immigration system (like Canada's and Australia's), nobody talked about shutting the border to all immigrants entirely. A points-based system will allow the government to pick and choose whom they let in.
A: Some will. There will be a work permit system and if the EU national has a good job, then by all means s/he can get a work permit for it. There are ways and means about it, you just can't kick them all out when they are gainfully employed and we have yet to see details of this work permit criteria. They may set a minimum threshold of an annual income, to kick out those at the very bottom of the food chain: so yes to bankers, no to cleaners. Would that benefit the poor in the UK? Probably not, as those at the bottom of the food chain are here to do the work that even the Brits don't want to do - we're talking about the lowest paid jobs at the very bottom of the food chain. It will be undoubtedly easier for those who are already here to stay on and it will be harder for those wishing to move here after the UK leaves the EU. But all the politicians have talked about a points-based immigration system (like Canada's and Australia's), nobody talked about shutting the border to all immigrants entirely. A points-based system will allow the government to pick and choose whom they let in.
Q: Limpeh, why do you hate poor people so much?
A: I don't hate poor people - I just get provoked into making angry comments on social media and Facebook. The fact is poor people are the ones who have the most to lose when they vote to leave the EU. They are dumb enough to believe that the money currently paid into the EU will be spent on them if we leave the EU, yeah right. They are the ones who have been duped by the right wing media into voting for this and I can't help but feel a sense of glee when they realize how badly wrong they were when places like Wales become ever poorer after Brexit. Duh. I'm not a politician, I'm not some idealistic young person looking to change the world and help the poor. I'm a middle aged man, I'm a 40 year old who isn't interested in all that. I worked hard over the years to accumulate some money and can afford to have a very comfortable lifestyle as a rich man with no dependents, so I am spending all that money on me, me and me. My mentality has been, duh if I can come as an immigrant to this country 19 years ago and do this, what the hell is wrong with the rest of you born here? When I got off that plane at Heathrow airport in 1997 as a foreign student, I didn't know a single person in the UK, I didn't know that much about how to get ahead in British society, I was entitled to nothing, I had to work for everything I wanted - yet somehow, I managed to figure it all out for myself. The odds were stacked against me yet I succeeded - so what is wrong with the working class here who have been given so much by the government but yet still want to blame everything on the EU? So pardon me if I feel entitled to pass judgement on the working class here because, yeah, I am totally entitled to feel the way I do: which neatly brings me to my next point (may I refer you to the music video below please: Absolutely Fabulous by the Pet Shop Boys).
A: I don't hate poor people - I just get provoked into making angry comments on social media and Facebook. The fact is poor people are the ones who have the most to lose when they vote to leave the EU. They are dumb enough to believe that the money currently paid into the EU will be spent on them if we leave the EU, yeah right. They are the ones who have been duped by the right wing media into voting for this and I can't help but feel a sense of glee when they realize how badly wrong they were when places like Wales become ever poorer after Brexit. Duh. I'm not a politician, I'm not some idealistic young person looking to change the world and help the poor. I'm a middle aged man, I'm a 40 year old who isn't interested in all that. I worked hard over the years to accumulate some money and can afford to have a very comfortable lifestyle as a rich man with no dependents, so I am spending all that money on me, me and me. My mentality has been, duh if I can come as an immigrant to this country 19 years ago and do this, what the hell is wrong with the rest of you born here? When I got off that plane at Heathrow airport in 1997 as a foreign student, I didn't know a single person in the UK, I didn't know that much about how to get ahead in British society, I was entitled to nothing, I had to work for everything I wanted - yet somehow, I managed to figure it all out for myself. The odds were stacked against me yet I succeeded - so what is wrong with the working class here who have been given so much by the government but yet still want to blame everything on the EU? So pardon me if I feel entitled to pass judgement on the working class here because, yeah, I am totally entitled to feel the way I do: which neatly brings me to my next point (may I refer you to the music video below please: Absolutely Fabulous by the Pet Shop Boys).
A: The key issue here is income disparity. In the UK, as in many other countries, the poor are getting poorer, the rich are getting richer. That's the key issue and immigration has been seen as a key factor (and a scapegoat) in making the rich richer and the poor poorer. We need a government who is willing to address this issue - simply leaving the EU without actually address income disparity isn't going to solve anything and right now, there's a lot of anger and resentment on both sides and very little good will.
Q: One of the other issues of voting out also seems to be the fact that the common people do not know how the policies are being made and by who. It seems to be done by a centralized EU power that is getting bigger over time and have no need to answer to any agency in particular about regulations that might not make sense and that most common people have no access to or any idea about. It might seem better to separate yourself before the problems get bigger. What do you think - is this a fair argument?
A: I think the bigger problem is that the common people have no idea how politics work - you need to spend a lot of time studying the issue before you understand how our relationship with the EU affects the laws governing the UK. The fact that the common man is a thicko idiot who doesn't understand how the EU works doesn't mean that laws from the EU is bad. Let me give you an analogy. Your average British person probably doesn't understand how Aspirin works, they just know it is a cheap, effective painkiller and medicine that we use to combat various illnesses. Should we ban Aspirin from our pharmacies just because the average person doesn't understand the way Aspirin works? No. The problem doesn't like with the Aspirin, it lies with the common man. The same situation exists with the way the EU is perceived: stop making the EU the scapegoat for the stupidity of the common man. You can't cure stupidity - the only solution is to allow the clever people in government run the show and leave politics to the educated classes. The stupid masses can go back to drinking beer, watching football, watching reality TV and doing whatever else they do.
 |
| Stupid is as stupid does? |
Q: So many people talk about London vs the rest of England - why don't people from the countryside move to London, if there's so much money, opportunities and good jobs in London then? Why do they sit in their impoverished areas in the countryside and sulk about how much richer London in comparison?
A: Actually many people do indeed - not just to London, but to other big cities all over the UK like Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds and Bristol as well. However, the stark reality of life in a place like London is the cost of living: London is scarily expensive compared to the rest of the country, especially when it comes to housing. So if you can come to London and have a job as a hedge fund manager, a doctor or a lawyer, then life in London can be absolutely fabulous. But some people are neither highly educated nor highly skilled and the kind of jobs they can find in London are lowly paid jobs at the bottom of the food chain: they cannot become bankers, doctors and lawyers because they are simply not educated enough. So for people like that, life in London will be miserable as they can't afford even the basics and even if they work long hours and hold down a job, the bulk of their income will be spent on simply paying the rent and taxes, with the rest of the money spent on basics like food and utility bills. These people are at least better off in the countryside, where they don't earn much, but they are at least not spending the vast majority of their wages on rent because housing is a lot cheaper in the countryside.
Q: I hear of horror stories of racist attacks on Muslims and Polish people since the referendum result - is this true? Are things really bad there right now or are these just a few isolated incidents? What is going on?
A: I refer you to a post I had done a while ago on the issue of racism in the UK - basically I had interview some British people about their experiences with crime and racism and the conclusion is that there is a direct correlation between wealth and racism. If you are rich, you are generally shielded from racism. If you are poor, you have more than just racism to worry about: you're probably far more likely to be a victim of other forms of crimes. By that token, Muslims and Eastern Europeans who are poor have always experienced some form of crime if they live in unsafe, poor neighbourhoods where crime rates are generally a lot higher than the nice neighbourhoods where rich people live. If rich people hear that there has been yet another stabbing in Newham, we shrug our shoulders and say, "that's East London, that's why we don't live there, it's a dodgy area." But given how angered some of us are by the referendum result, people are more likely to talk about racist crimes on social media and draw a correlation between the wicked nature of the poor people who voted for Brexit causing a rise in racism and xenophobia. So, are the rich trying to vilify the poor? Yes, probably. Are the poor racist and xenophobic? Not all of them are, but a lot of them are indeed. Are the rich guilty of turning a blind eye to crimes affecting poor people? Oh yes - most definitely and such is the UK for you.
 |
| Are the rich guilty of hypocrisy in this matter? |
Okay, I could go on and on as this is such a complex issue but I shall stop here for now. If you have any more questions about Brexit, then please leave a comment below and I will try to address them. Many thanks for reading.
Cached comments:
Wei Ping Toh has left a new comment on your post "The Brexit Q&A session with Limpeh":
Now, Finland too, might leave EU.
http://tass.ru/en/world/884627
Now, Finland too, might leave EU.
http://tass.ru/en/world/884627
Andrea Torti has left a new comment on your post "The Brexit Q&A session with Limpeh":
Hi Limpeh,
while I generally agree with your views on the issue, I think we can't completely blame the "Leave" vote on the working class.
For example, as you have correctly pointed out, British politicians like Boris Johnson have jumped onto the Brexit bandwagon out of personal ambition, while others have turned the EU into a perfect scapegoat.
Also, the EU has done little to let people know about itself - and the dire conditions Greece has been forced to accept has left many citizens fuming.
Finally, whenever some EU-friendly poltician talks about an "excess of democracy" whenever "the masses" try to stop some unpopular policy by voting, I cannot help but feeling bad...
Hi Limpeh,
while I generally agree with your views on the issue, I think we can't completely blame the "Leave" vote on the working class.
For example, as you have correctly pointed out, British politicians like Boris Johnson have jumped onto the Brexit bandwagon out of personal ambition, while others have turned the EU into a perfect scapegoat.
Also, the EU has done little to let people know about itself - and the dire conditions Greece has been forced to accept has left many citizens fuming.
Finally, whenever some EU-friendly poltician talks about an "excess of democracy" whenever "the masses" try to stop some unpopular policy by voting, I cannot help but feeling bad...
Sandra has left a new comment on your post "The Brexit Q&A session with Limpeh":
It is doubtful they will begin kicking all the EU citizens currently living in the UK out. I mean, that will simply lead to countries like Spain to retaliate and kick all the British pensioners who currently go there to retire out. What is more plausible is that they would require those who have lived in the uk for 5 years to apply for PR, while those who have lived there for a shorter time to apply for a registration certificate. That way, they would be able to prove their right to live and work in the UK as they arrived before the new laws in place.
Furthermore bojo has announced that he wants to take negotiations slowly and he wants access to the single market which includes freedom of movement of labour. This does not seem to be what Brexiters want,and seems similar to Norway where they have freedom of movement, more immigrants per capita than the UK, pay all the EU fees but no seat at the negotiatiating table and no veto power. Of course he could be talking out of his arse as usual since he also said that he wants a points based system for eu citizens moving to the uk and Brits to be able to work and study and live in other EU states. Which seems to me like a load of nonsense since single market means freedom of movement which works both ways. We will have to see.
It is doubtful they will begin kicking all the EU citizens currently living in the UK out. I mean, that will simply lead to countries like Spain to retaliate and kick all the British pensioners who currently go there to retire out. What is more plausible is that they would require those who have lived in the uk for 5 years to apply for PR, while those who have lived there for a shorter time to apply for a registration certificate. That way, they would be able to prove their right to live and work in the UK as they arrived before the new laws in place.
Furthermore bojo has announced that he wants to take negotiations slowly and he wants access to the single market which includes freedom of movement of labour. This does not seem to be what Brexiters want,and seems similar to Norway where they have freedom of movement, more immigrants per capita than the UK, pay all the EU fees but no seat at the negotiatiating table and no veto power. Of course he could be talking out of his arse as usual since he also said that he wants a points based system for eu citizens moving to the uk and Brits to be able to work and study and live in other EU states. Which seems to me like a load of nonsense since single market means freedom of movement which works both ways. We will have to see.
Raymond Chia has left a new comment on your post "The Brexit Q&A session with Limpeh":
I guess the decision to exit the EU is not as critical. After all as many have pointed out, many other countries want to leave and there's no reason why Britain cannot do better on its own.
However, it is still more likely to result in a lot of pain and disaster than it is not. First reason is that the Brits are firstly not aware of what immediate consequences they will face. Cornwall for instance voted Leave, then immediately asked if their EU funding can continue.
Second reason is you'll need one hell of a government to negotiate the country through the imminent choppy waters. Britain is no longer a superpower. I see a lot of Leave voters saying if we did it before we can do so again. Trouble is, 20-30 years ago, the world was very different. China was nowhere. You need tip top leadership and for the right choices and compromises to be made to get this to work now. Right now however, you've got Boris, Nigel and Michael. And you can start to see some shenanigans coming out of the woodwork from them. The Leave voters were so eager to leave that they didn't consider the fact that these guys are not visionary statesmen, but simply a bunch of rabble rousers. Now that they have the vote they want, can they deliver? Or will they go the way of Greece and make their voters swallow back the same pills with only minor changes?
Thirdly, its hard to see anything good coming out of all that racism being displayed. It will not only fracture the people but also sour the goodwill of other countries.
I guess the decision to exit the EU is not as critical. After all as many have pointed out, many other countries want to leave and there's no reason why Britain cannot do better on its own.
However, it is still more likely to result in a lot of pain and disaster than it is not. First reason is that the Brits are firstly not aware of what immediate consequences they will face. Cornwall for instance voted Leave, then immediately asked if their EU funding can continue.
Second reason is you'll need one hell of a government to negotiate the country through the imminent choppy waters. Britain is no longer a superpower. I see a lot of Leave voters saying if we did it before we can do so again. Trouble is, 20-30 years ago, the world was very different. China was nowhere. You need tip top leadership and for the right choices and compromises to be made to get this to work now. Right now however, you've got Boris, Nigel and Michael. And you can start to see some shenanigans coming out of the woodwork from them. The Leave voters were so eager to leave that they didn't consider the fact that these guys are not visionary statesmen, but simply a bunch of rabble rousers. Now that they have the vote they want, can they deliver? Or will they go the way of Greece and make their voters swallow back the same pills with only minor changes?
Thirdly, its hard to see anything good coming out of all that racism being displayed. It will not only fracture the people but also sour the goodwill of other countries.
The thing is I doubt even the Brexit supporters would want to take the PM position. He has to basically enact article 50 which could cause UK to break up then he has to negotiate all the new legislation and trade agreements with EU as well as the newly independent Scotland and N.Ireland. If he doesn't enact article 50 then he is conceding that they were wrong about lots of things they campaigned for during Brexit and UK really couldn't do without EU. Political suicide either way.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder David Cameron left, he gave whoever is taking over a poison chalice to drink.
I don't remember where I read this, but after he made his official statement about his resignation Cameron supposedly told one of his aides "Why should I do all the hard shit?" At least this way Cameron gets to say I told you so as the EU proceeds to make an example of Little Britain during the negotiations.
DeleteWhy should Cameron invoke Article 50? He's not a supporter of Brexit although he called for a referendum. Neither do I want Boris or that Nigel Farage to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It is disgusting to have such trashy people at the top of the political heirarchy.
DeleteAs I grow older, I get more and more cynical. People around me who use dirty tricks get ahead more and rise higher to the top.
Cameron is a smart man.
DeleteHow about some questions of my own?
ReplyDelete1) Why do you hate Singapore so much? After all, there is a government here that implements every policy you are championing for similar to remaining in EU. Singapore will absorb all foreign investments that Britain is willing to give away. It will become a dream financial capital. And they will also welcome all the foreigners you wish for. It seems like a perfect fit. And another plus, you will make your mother very happy to be home. So what is it about Singapore that will make you reject all these positives?
2) So the key issue to you is income disparity. How are you, as a good british citizen, going do to help contribute to solving this issue?
Do you think your plan of convincing the masses that you are deserving of riches because you are so ahead of the curve, and the others are deservingly poor because they are stupid and well behind the curve, is a feasible plan and that the other British people will eventually accept this truth?
You are freaking hilarious and after the scolding you got from my readers, you don't know how to take a hint that even my readers think that you're an idiot?
Delete1. I don't hate Singapore - there are certain elements about live in Singapore that I dislike, but using a phrase like ' you hate Singapore' just doesn't do a complex issue like that any justice at all. I have already explained very clearly in my previous posts the various issues in Singapore which I find objectionable. I have taken the trouble to explain myself very clearly and if you can't be bothered to read, then that's your problem. Don't come here making ludicrous assumptions - I hate the hot weather in Singapore to begin with. Duh.
2. Why am I obliged to do anything about solving the issue of income disparity? Why because I am a 'good citizen' (whatever that means)? Why me? Am I some kinda minister responsible for solving problems like that? Duh. I am but a private citizen not involved in politics. Hey, why don't I turn this around and ask you Apple - obesity is such a problematic issue in Singapore, how are you, as a good Singaporean citizen, going to help contribute to solving this issue? I suggest you stand at food courts and hawker centres, looking out for fat people who are eating too much and telling them to stop eating, or at least make healthier eating choices. How dare you do nothing to solve Singapore's obesity epidemic, you selfish monster!!! How do you live with yourself as Singaporeans get fatter and fatter everyday?! Duh. Does that sound ridiculous? Not half as ridiculous as the crap you come up with.
I came to this country with nothing, no more than what I could carry in two bags. I worked hard and earned a lot of money over the years - I didn't rob a bank you know. I don't need to convince anyone of anything because guess what? I am not a politician running for office, I am not asking people to like me or vote for me. If they hate me, then tough shit, I don't give a shit. It is not a popularity contest, I just get a sense of glee rubbing it in people's faces that I am richer than them. Bwahahahaha. Oh and fuck you Apple. You're probably a lot poorer than me by that token, that's why you hate rich people.
I got scoldings from your readers? I must have missed that. I don't see that anywhere. Are you sure you didn't imagine that?
DeleteI do some part to help with obesity though. Firstly, by strongly refusing to date any fat women and let them know they have to be trim and fit to be deemed attractive by Singaporean men. I also encourage my friends to eat healthy and exercise. Lastly I train and pass my IPPT and make fun of any fat fucks who refuse to stay fit. Of course what I do as and individual cannot compare to the reach the government can do. In case you didn't get the sarcasm (I'm actually partly serious), obesity is the choice of the fat, they can do something and diet their way out of misery if they should wish to do so. Poverty isn't. You can't tell low income earners to do this and that steps and they will turn into high income earners.
It's your lack of care for society and your fellow men that caused Brexit. Just like how PAP's lack of care for you lead to your Singapore exit. It's a shame you somehow refuse to acknowledge that now when you have been trumpeting it in your older posts.
@Apple
Delete1) We do not hate or love countries blindly. Every country/government/legislation has its own characteristics. Each of us has our own preferences over the which policies we prefer. And it is not just the policy itself but also how the policy is being implemented.
Take immigration for example, I believe most of us agree that having diversity in the workforce is advantageous for the country. But if we were to compare Singapore's implementation of its immigration policies to that of another country like Australia, each has its own pros and cons. Some might prefer Singapore's but there are a lot more which might prefer Australia's depending of the profession, age group, social status and individual beliefs.
"Singapore will become a dream financial capital" really depends on whose dreams they belong to.
That being said, LIFT just happens to prefer the policies of the EU over those of Singapore's when he migrated out.
2) Income disparity is an indirect effect of the capitalism system of the open market, where those with resources are able to improve their advantages faster than their poorer counterparts.
Disclaimer: The following is just my own viewpoint.
But if we observe the traditional beliefs in quite a significant part of the world, the role of the government is to act in favour of their citizen. Most countries have recognised the issue of growing income disparity and have been trying to offset with the many policies on labour, tax, and other public services to alleviate the complex issue. The only action that the rest of the citizens can make is to participate in polls and elect a representative who will help create, implement and amend policies for the country.
@Apple: I have kindly left two comments in the threads from the previous Brexit article to show you the scoldings left for you by my readers Delia Toh, Choaniki, Di Talasi and the very measured gentleman, Wei Ping Toh, who pointed out the errors of your ways to you. You sound like a fucked up dumb kid and a total jerk. What you said about fat women - woah. You're incorrigible. I hope all women avoid you like an STD for you are a total asshole. As for poverty - duh. You think there have been times when I haven't been poor? Did you actually think that I came from a particularly rich family in Singapore? No, I grew up in Ang Mo Kio, my parents were humble primary school teachers - not rich bankers. Until I started working, I was a poor student who was very careful with money and it took quite a few years (let me count: in fact, 4 years) before I actually looked at my pay check and bank account and said, "fuck me, I'm rich, is that how much I am earning now?" Yeah, the first few years, I wasn't even sure I was barking up the wrong tree or not.
DeleteAnd there's a key difference here: the UK has plenty of Eastern European migrants here, I've lived with them, worked with them, have become great friends with a lot of them. They are nice people. On the other hand, Singapore has chosen to import PRCs en masse, how can you lump them both into the same category as 'foreigners' when your average migrant from Warsaw is nothing like your average migrant from Chongqing? They couldn't be more different - the situation is vastly different, the social context is vastly different, yet you seem to want to draw similarities where they don't exist.
And as for whatever you claim I was trumpeting: let me clarify. I had never asked for social revolution in Singapore or even the overthrow of the PAP. I am sending out a far simpler message that if you wish to leave Singapore and seek greener pastures abroad, it is easier than you think and that the world out there is a wonderful place with a lot of beautiful places, friendly people and incredible opportunities waiting for you. I know a lot of Singaporeans who remain in Singapore because they are terrified of the world beyond what they are familiar with - and I'm merely asking them to open their eyes to the opportunities they are ignoring. It is about celebrating how great the world beyond Singapore is - I couldn't give a toss about the relationship of the PAP and the people. The fact is Singaporeans voted for the PAP time and time again. I chose not to stay in Singapore - I didn't want to get involved in politics, I can't stress this enough: I had never wanted to get involved in politics. It is so not me. My blog was never about politics, the political situation in Singapore or the PAP.
@Weipingtoh thanks so much for being the voice of reason. Totally agree with everything you say. The fact is, there are so many problems facing all of us in every country we live in. Allow me to share a quote from Evita that comes to mind:
Delete"Allow me to help you slink off to the sidelines
And mark your adieu with three cheers
But first tell me who'd be delighted
If I said I'd take on the world's greatest problems
From war to pollution, no hope of solution
Even if I lived for one hundred years"
Oh my oh my Apple, you sound so disgusting and trashy. The comments you made about fat woman - I would like to have a picture of you so that I can warn all my girlfriends to stay away from such trash.
DeleteAnd for your information Apple, poverty is actually a multitude of choices you made in your life. The pre-university institute you choose you go into, your university choice and lastly, your job choice. Being born in Singapore and born a male, you don't have work as a child and abandon your education, nor are you being forced into marriage young like millions of girls in this world.
DeleteWe are born privileged. We are lucky to be born in country where the government takes education very seriously and in a culture where parents do that too (sometimes excessively).
You had the chances too. You are just, maybe, been lazy in school and now your chances had ran out.
Oh I love Evita https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9xyWLjwKDA
Delete@Dakota - Apple's comments on fat women has really crossed the line. by all means make personal attacks but don't attack a group of people like that. Poverty isn't a choice - I grew up relatively poor. It was not like I went to bed without dinner, but there were so many things I couldn't have as a child because we were a big family and my parents were humble primary school teachers. Relative poverty is a result of the choices you make in life - I have no dependents, that's why I am relatively wealthy because every penny I earn is spent on me, me, me. So the money goes far. Imagine if I had 5 kids to bring up, then the money would not go far at all so even if I had the same pot of money, I would feel very poor indeed.
Delete@Apple, not only are you bigoted but also short-sighted. Fat women could turn up being really beautiful after they lost the weight but apart from drastic cosmetic surgery there is no helping physically ugly women. I would rather date a fat and pleasant looking women than a thin but physically repulsive one. Although the Chinese have a saying there is no ugly woman, only lazy ones, that is a story for another day.
DeleteAt the previous place i worked at there was a very slim (40+kg) and stylishly dressed lady who happened to be single even though she is over her 40s. Her face is, abit hard to love (unfortunately for her). When she smiles it is lopsided (and not in a Natalie Dormer cute way) and even when she doesn't smile it is hard to look at her. What i'm trying to say is that she looks repulsive and that is already being mild. She is also a very bitter person and likes to mumble and grumble to herself during work, apparently because no one likes to talk to her.
But i think she is a perfect fit for a bigoted person like you Apple. I think i should introduce her to you, what say you?
I wasn't even half serious when I asked Apple what he did to help combat obesity in Singapore (I was about to ask him what he did to help deal with the haze in Singapore but thought the reference to hawker centers was such a topical Singaporean reference). The fact is anyone can gain or lose weight, likewise anyone can make money or indeed, lose money. I heard that one of my friends from my army days is going through a terrible patch at the moment - he was this rich kid who lived in Bukit Timah when we were in the army. His dad made some atrociously bad investment/business decisions in China, lost everything including the house in Bukit Timah. As if things couldn't get any worse, then his parents' health deteriorated a lot and he is now supporting his parents, paying their medical bills, whilst renting a HDB flat and has no money left at the end of every month. Aiyoh. How things have changed. I still remember the big flashy car his mom used to drive back in the day. So yeah, weight and money - you need to be very careful.
DeleteTell me about losing money. I had a good friend who was very rich growing up. Like he used to reside in a huge landed property in Hougang and his dada drove a Mercedes Benz (back in the 90s it was a huge deal). His dad bought him his own Subaru hatchback during NS so he didn't need public transport at all.
DeleteUnfortunately his dad died of a heart attack one night. His mom was a tai tai who didn't know how to run a business and so my friend had to take over the family businesses fresh out of A'levels.
Needless to say a bunch of bad things happened subsequently like the banks foreclosing on all his properties, declining sales due to a sunset industry, and loss of his first wife (due to divorce).
Now my friend lives in a HDB flat and takes public transport to work everyday for some else. Even though he is remarried I am not sure if he is truly happy since his wife restricts him from contact with most of his close friends.
Late to the party with most of Apple's points addressed, but:
Deletehttp://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2015/08/19/obesity-gene/32026927/
Being fat is not always a choice. Wonder if Apple still feels like the Big Man that he is, heaping unwarranted emotional abuse (at least "partly" or so he claims" on his overweight associates.
@BFL That sorts of me remind me about doping.
DeleteAre you planning to move out of Britian ASAP? S&P just cut UK sovereign credit rating from AAA to AA (destroyed in two days lol). Those London houses you own are unlikely collect anymore higher rents because less people are willing to work in London now. If I was you, I would move to Paris - afterall, you are pretty rich and you have an affinity for France.
ReplyDeleteDakota. Good grief. OK, I am assuming you're like a teenager and doesn't understand finance. I am going to be very patient in explaining this to you. In bullet point.
Delete1. Even if the S&P sovereign credit rating is cut, it doesn't affect me directly as many businesses in London are not dependent on that triple A rating. The financial services sector isn't going to collapse or disappear over night, especially when it employs millions in London. Brexit will mean a recession for the UK as a whole, but there will always be work in London and people: not just from all over the UK but all over the world will still want to work in London because that's where the good opportunities and jobs are. It has been a major city for centuries and Brexit isn't going to destroy it like dropping a nuclear bomb on the city. Nothing short of a nuclear bomb can destroy London - it will weather Brexit the same way it has made it through so many other recessions. I've lived through two recessions in London (the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 and the one we have just gotten over): guess what? I still managed to earn a LOT of money somehow and Dakota, how can I explain this delicately? My ability to make money isn't dependent on some AAA rating or the economy: it is more dependent on my brains, my skills, my talents, my abilities. Get it?
2. Secondly, how can I put this delicately without sounding boastful. I am so rich that I don't even need to get out of my bed in the morning and still earn a lot of money. My income comes from the following sources:
- rental income from my London property portfolio
- the royalty from the media work I have done over the years
- the income from my various investments
that's just the passive income. That's the money I get without even getting out of bed in the morning to go have a shit.
Then there's the money I earn every month from the consulting work I do. Add the two together, I earn an obscene amount of money every month. In short, I am probably a LOT richer than you actually imagined originally. Like, how can I say this without sounding arrogant? I'm really rich. I'm so rich to the point where I can go freelance, work as a contractor doing consulting work, start new businesses etc instead of slaving away long hours at some company being chained to a desk.
You say I am 'pretty rich' but I'm more like obscenely rich. So rich that I don't need to worry about money, that's why I am blogging now instead of working my butt off. I don't need to flee to France to make money - I'm not sure about that, it's not a bridge I have to cross: but how do I explain this delicately without sounding boastful? I'm so fucking rich that I have more money that I can spend in this lifetime - so really, I don't have to worry about silly things like earning a living to pay the bills or holding down a full time job: rather, I just worry about trying to spend every last penny I have before I die. Life's a bitch, I know.
Hi LFT, irrelevant but I didn't realize how expensive housing is in London until I looked it up. Apartments can go up to £2000/sqft (woah) in Central London, which makes Sentosa Cove seem like a bargain.
DeleteAlso, would you mind explaining why you dislike the US? I'm curious on the other side of the story since everyone hails it as the holy grail.
Anyway good luck with your relocation (if you do), and as a silent reader, I look forward to your next post.
Hi J Lin, it is location, location, location. Some neighbourhoods in London are very expensive, others are cheap - you get what you pay for, 一分钱一分货 as they say. £2000/S$4000/sq.ft is nothing - some of the latest developments in central London can go for a LOT more than that.
DeletePerhaps I am rushing to judgement on the US - I dislike many aspects of American culture: religion meddles too much in politics, I am considered right wing in the UK but very liberal and left wing in the US, they have a long way to go before catching up with Europe in terms of so many social issues from gay rights to respecting minorities to respecting diversity & equality (again, mostly problems caused by the church). And so many people support Trump - URGH. What a total turd he is. Then again, there are the nicer parts: like New York and California, then there are the shitty bits in the middle, away from the coast. The US is hardly a homogeneous, monolithic entity and it is a very diverse country. I will be visiting the US on a business trip this summer and will stay on to take a holiday there, I am sure I will enjoy my time there - but no, I do not wanna live there or work there. The same way I would enjoy visiting Singapore on holiday, but would NEVER wanna live in Singapore again.
I am not relocating yet. I found out I can get an Irish passport if I wanted to (since I am married to an Irish national), so I still have full access to the EU should I wanna relocate. But we'll see, no one's panicking and fleeing London yet. Brexit is a messy process, but it's not a nuclear bomb went off in London. Life in London still goes on you know, I still went to work today then spent the evening seeing my friends at the gym. Nothing has really changed that much.
Well said.. in any case, David Cameron had to leave.
ReplyDeleteGeez. I am so disappointed in him. I actually thought he was a good PM.
DeleteHi Alex,
ReplyDeleteUnsure if you have come across this ST article: http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/voted-to-leave-inspired-by-1965-separation. I am dismayed that the writer, who professed that he is an educated, upper class voter, carelessly used the Singapore-Malaysia analogy to compare with the separation of UK from the EU. If I did not read wrongly, he is still a Singaporean and was involved in this referendum as a Commonwealth citizen. It is confounding that constitution allows Commonwealth citizens, who are still considered as foreigners as UK, to vote! From the comments, many people are equally disgusted at the writer.
There is another ST article on a Singaporean voting for Brexit as well: http://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/commonwealth-citizens-in-britain-get-to-vote-too.
The Brexit motivation stems out of personal selfish desire.
Nevertheless, everyone has to face to reality and strive to make the best out of everything, regardless of how bleak the future would be.