Ricedoll's Issues with US Taxation

[ricedoll]

HAHA so you think family of an US expat would not have medical coverage in the country they work and live in?? And they would rather spend a huge sum buying air ticket home for all mighty medical? Please tell me you personally know free riders like that!

[ricedoll]

[sundaymorningstaple]

No, actually I misread your post and as I was trying to use the stupid phone app (which I almost never use if I can help it) and couldn't figure out how to delete the message after I realized I'd misread your post.

[BBCWatcher]

There are tons like them around.

It seems there are, but...

I would not be surprised if this is them who are the norm.

...I'm not that pessimistic, not yet anyway. There are many wonderful, big hearted people in this world -- billions, probably. (Ricedoll and her husband may be two of them. I'm not necessarily discounting that possibility.) More, please.

By the way, I applaud PM Lee for his comments on being more and bigger hearted.

[x9200]

BBC, sign up for the PM's FB page. Actually it is often a good and surprising reading. How much of this is the PR and how much his nature it may be a subject to debate but I tend to believe the later dominates.

[earthfriendly]

Ms Tok told The Straits Times that, in her view, ugly Singaporean behaviour arises out of the fear of losing out, due to the limited resources here.

And who is the one constantly reminding the citizens about the limited resources and you must compete and grab your share before it all runs out. We are a small nation with no natural resources. If you don't buck it, India and China will gobble you up. Or Malaysia will eat your lunch. If you don't listen to my advice and send your kids to English medium school, they would have difficult time getting a job. True and I witness first hand how it affected my Chinese educated siblings. The incessant reminders about your shortcomings and the world is oh so so so so dangerous. Make one bad move and your life will be over! A Singaporean recently gave a seminar about "learned helplessness". Very apt topic for this nation. These are the unintended consequences of their actions.

Pre-HDB times, you have a (sense of) community that helps to imbune you abit from the harshness of it all. Attitudes and lifestyle change with the advent of HDB housing, another of the govt's doing.

Their intention was good but it resulted in many bad consequences. And mostly due to this over focus on economic develop, at the expense of the other aspects. Which leads to the present day resentment. Where a person is reduced to a mere dollar$sign.

[earthfriendly]

Interestingly enough I decided at present not to pursue LPR and USC because of global taX.

What a bold confession. You are not afraid we will "attack" you huh ?

[BBCWatcher]

We are a small nation with no natural resources.

Also a fairly new nation still (re)developing its identity, its...soul. Singapore is still the only shopping mall with a seat at the United Nations, but Singapore is still feeling its way in the world.(*)

Being small is all the more reason to be big hearted and neighbo(u)rly, even if all you care about is yourself. It's a lot easier to become persona non grata (or at least not well liked) in a nation of 5.5 million than in a nation of 320 million.

(*) As an aside, I'd really like to see Singapore be the world's first country to have a 100% automated driving road system. It's the perfect place to pull it off as soon as the technology is ready. Singapore could be the world's #1 leader in automated car technology practically overnight, sort of like France, Germany, and Japan are for high speed trains. That'd also tame drivers' still growing sense of entitlement as they blow through pedestrian crosswalks and sometimes run over pedestrians. It's really getting awful. [Yes, we know you foolishly paid $200,000 (or whatever) to put your mid-priced BMW on the road. It doesn't mean you get to drive like an idiot. Calm the bleep down, Singapore drivers!]

[earthfriendly]

When I read about the self-driving cars, SG also came to mind. Being a compact city, it is definitely a good test candidate. And it can help solve many of the driving woes I read on this site.

Submitted an idea via a govt FB page and they responded asking me for my IC number. Seriously, how can they be so clueless . I was like buh bye and did not bother to respond back. That's what the govt has been doing. Setting roadblocks for its own citizens. That is why many migrated, not just for affordable living.

And then there we have this kind of can-do attitude. "I don't believe it could be done, that you could solve a housing problem." Despite the odds, they trudge on. You got to create an environment where people feel empowered, from day 1. I get it, the govt's concern and fears are real. We all have fears but no need to let it define your entire existence. And then drum it in day in and day out into its own people. And then LKY lament, the lack of can do attitude.

https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/vi ... 469828477/

[earthfriendly]

And then they spend copious amount of money on programs to lure overseas Singaporeans back. The PM visited Google, Apple, FB etc...... talking to SG engineers working there. And then come home, oh, need to create an environment where engineers will feel valued. There he goes again.

It is not about creating a factor to trick overseas Singaporeans to come home. But rather, creating an environment for everyone living in SG, PRs, citizens and foreign workers. Making it a participatory nation. You don't design an environment ripe just for a specific group of people. I believe most who return, it is due to family reason.

[sundaymorningstaple]

That or food. :-/

[JR8]

Submitted an idea via a govt FB page and they responded asking me for my IC number.

Many years ago I wrote a letter to one of the SGn newspapers. They said they intended to publish it but I had to first send them my IC/FIN number.
Same when you report a problem with crows, mosquitoes etc to NEA.... not interested unless it comes with a IC/FIN no. You'd have thought they'd be grateful for reports, but maybe SGns are used to having to establish 'full ID' in every interaction with the authorities.

p.s. If you have to spend to lure them back you have an issue, the issue is surely encouraging them to stay in the first place. IME those that have gone to the lengths and hassles of 'quitting' [nice expression eh?] are 80/+% not going to come back, what ever the lure. One aspect of this is that SG seems to believe the lure back is a)financial and b)all family-guilt 'ageing parents' guff. What they miss, intentionally or otherwise is one common reason to 'quit' and not return seems to be freedom, incl. of self-determination. It's ironic that those that seem to cherish the latter, are precisely the kind SG seems to wish to lure back - despite not having the social capacity to accept such broader, creative and imaginative thinking. As SG seeks to move from a manufacturing/trade based economy towards a knowledge based economy, my impression is this is a bridge that they have yet to figure out how to cross.

[earthfriendly]

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/t ... tor=CS1-10

What is this carbon emission tax all about?

[ricedoll]

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/04/pf/taxe ... d=21935797


Largest in peacetime history.
Are you willing? I'll be all in if you promise to pay equally as much as I do!

[JR8]

If the gahmen can't tax you indirectly on petrol/diesel, then I suppose this is how they tax you on an electric vehicle.
If a gahmen wished to impose a carbon tax it would seem to make more sense to tax all energy consumption at a domestic level, hence including the driver featured in the article.
At the end of the day the gahmen is going to get it's shilling. So if they tax alcohol and you give it up for tea, it follows that they'll start taxing tea 'for your own good and that of the nation'.