I'm no shopping mall expert, but...

[JR8]

i am guessing the interest rate increase card will only be played after the election.

They're having an election here?

Why do they bother? We aleady know the result

[sundaymorningstaple]

Isn't that like being married for 50 years? You always know the result but you keep doing it anyway as it's the only game in town!

[Strong Eagle]

i am guessing the interest rate increase card will only be played after the election.

They're having an election here?

Why do they bother? We aleady know the result

This is a winner take all parliamentary democracy. Whichever party wins the largest percentage gets all the seats.

Admittedly not the US way of doing things. And, Lee Kuan Yew has made a pretty good argument as to why it is better for Singapore than the fragmented, multi-party system of UK for example.

First, one can see that race and religion are used to foment factionalism in India, Pakistan, even Malaysia. Singapore works hard to reduce race and religious friction... and you may not always agree with the methods, but there is no question in my mind that if Singapore did have a multi party parliament, there would be a tremendous amount of bickering and demand for special rights.

Second, Singapore actually has the luxury of planning and executing over the longer term... 20 to 50 years out and more. The US can't seem to plan beyond the next election.

So, yes, as an American, with democracy and individual rights inculcated from an early age, I can see how the Singapore form of government might rankle. And considering the corruptions of lobbying and money, and the inability to tackle any substantive problem at all, often ending up with a compromise that is worse than nothing at all, I can see why the Singapore form of government has several advantages.

[JR8]

i am guessing the interest rate increase card will only be played after the election.

They're having an election here?

Why do they bother? We aleady know the result

This is a winner take all parliamentary democracy

AKA a dictatorship, yes?

[Strong Eagle]

They're having an election here?

Why do they bother? We aleady know the result

This is a winner take all parliamentary democracy

AKA a dictatorship, yes?

At least a benevolent dictatorship. And either last election, or the one before it, at least 50 percent of standing PAP members had an opposition opponent. Of course, they didn't win... and...

a) You will see the number of opposed seats increasing as time goes by, and the number of wins by the opposition.

b) The gahmen is especially sensitive to populist sentiments... like us foreign devils... precisely because of a), above. An unhappy populace just might accelerate the process.

c) The real question is: What will happen when the opposition actually wins with 50+ percent of the seats. Will the PAP actually go away quietly?

[nakatago]

This is a winner take all parliamentary democracy

AKA a dictatorship, yes?

At least a benevolent dictatorship. And either last election, or the one before it, at least 50 percent of standing PAP members had an opposition opponent. Of course, they didn't win... and...

a) You will see the number of opposed seats increasing as time goes by, and the number of wins by the opposition.

b) The gahmen is especially sensitive to populist sentiments... like us foreign devils... precisely because of a), above. An unhappy populace just might accelerate the process.

c) The real question is: What will happen when the opposition actually wins with 50+ percent of the seats. Will the PAP actually go away quietly?

i just wished complacency and hubris weren't part of the picture.

[JR8]

House 90% of the population in rabbit hutches.

Engineer that their prices increases 10% a year, so they feel rich.

People who feel well off are not going to revolt. Ah, the chimera of wealth.


Isn't Lee Jr being brushed up? I hear he made Brig Gen in the SAF at aged 15, based solely upon merit of course.

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's starting to get a bit stale......

[JR8]

What, the dynasty?





hehe

[EADG]

As this thread was about department stores, I'll respond in kind.

I'm ok with Orchard Central, quirky layout and all. Much preferred over the crowded and confusing layout of Ion, which I never go to after visiting it that one time, nor the downscale vibe and crowds of 313 Somerset.

But really, what's the point of all these places, they mostly sell the same stuff, little of it appealing, and there can't possibly be enough demand to justify the number of these. Of lot of hype for naught.

McShopping.

[Splatted]

But really, what's the point of all these places, they mostly sell the same stuff, little of it appealing, and there can't possibly be enough demand to justify the number of these. Of lot of hype for naught.

oh.. no I beg to differ.... we need at least a dozen MORE of these shopping centres along orchard selling the same stuff

[JR8]

Ah well no doubt they'll have built those by the end of next year

Got to say I find it hard to fathom quite why they need SO many shops. I mean there is a Cartier in both Ion and Ngee Ann, A Mikimoto in Ngee Ann and Plaza Singapura (and so on).

One wonders if people are unable to travel 200m extra. Maybe this is why things are so expensive here?

p.s. The old cinema opp. Raffles City. Guess what they're going to turn it into? Yeah, a shopping mall... which is lucky as there isn't another one for at least 20m

[nakatago]

business in orchard central is so lackluster that it made it to orchard central's wikipedia page:

In March 2010, it is reported that tenants are struggling with their businesses with few customers. Almost a quarter of tenants have appealed to landlord Far East Organization to for rental rebates.

good lord; what does the number of shopping malls in singapore say about it's "culture"?

[JR8]

business in orchard central is so lackluster that it made it to orchard central's wikipedia page:

In March 2010, it is reported that tenants are struggling with their businesses with few customers. Almost a quarter of tenants have appealed to landlord Far East Organization to for rental rebates.

good lord; what does the number of shopping malls in singapore say about it's "culture"?

Hmmm... we could have a whole discussion about that, that might be most interesting.

In simple terms, I think you have a 'new money' culture. In England there is an expression 'Old money doesn't need to shout'. I.e. if you have it, you have no need to to flaunt it. So I think here to a greater extent than elsewhere, you see a compulsion to buy and flaunt 'branded goods'.

p.s. A friend posted a mini-photo album on Facebook today of the new trainers he was trying on/bought. What the hell! thought of posting back some pix of my 4 Ringgit sandals but my beaten up cellphone no longer takes pix... <shaking>

[EADG]

well, I think nakatago's point was that there isn't any, unless you consider shopping to be a cultural experience