新加坡这么富有的国家有穷人吗？ 如何根除新加坡的贫困现象？
前总统侯选人Tan Kin Lian在他的博客里发表了一篇文章How to eradicate poverty in Singaporehttp://tankinlian.blogspot.sg/2013/11/how-to-eradicate-poverty-in-singapore.html?showComment=1383439643613
Singapore is an affluent country. Based on GDP per capita, she is one of the richest countries in the world.
Hence logically, one would expect all her citizens to live comfortably, well above the poverty line (wherever that might be since it has never been officially defined). Yet ironically, there is a small group of Singaporeans who are living in “poverty”. With the country’s vast wealth, both in terms of revenue and savings, it should not be a financial issue to bring this group out of poverty. Further, the government has implemented the “minimum sum” and “CPF Life” schemes which are designed to ensure her citizens would have sufficient savings to spend on necessities during retirement. So it is not as though the government is not aware of the amount required for sustainable living at the minimum level for life. So, if it is not a financial problem to bring people out of poverty, then what could be the problem?
Ideology. In Singapore, welfarism is seen as a “dirty” word. Instead of encouraging the rich to help the poor, she encourages everyone to make their own living. This ideology is fine when everyone is able and there are sufficient jobs. But when some are less able and the job market is challenging, it can lead to a state of “us and them” and “everyone for himself (or herself)”. With such an ideology, Singapore indeed has one of largest income gap in the world. In the present economic structure, the rich also tend to get richer while the poor get poorer. So, is there an ideology that is more friendly to the poor so that they can live a dignified life?
We are all one. The power of this ideology leads us to feel for others – “we are not separate” and “your pain is my pain”. To implement this ideology in the practical world, we may have an inverse relationship between the salary of senior political and administrative leaders and the number of people living in poverty. With such an arrangement, it is then to the interest of the leaders to ensure that poverty is erased. Yes, with the “right” ideology and practical approach, poverty can literally disappear from the islands of Singapore overnight!
引起了新加坡人的热烈讨论， 讨论贴在这里：http://www.valuebuddies.com/thread-4091.html
摘录一些有趣的观点：
Actually, we have been running a welfare state.
We offer scholarships to thousands of foreigners, most of whom eventually won’t settle down here.
We pay lots of money for our top generals and colonels. After they leave MINDEF, we are still obligated to provide them with employment in the “private sector”. We have to “create jobs” for them in our GLCs, stat board or in other government sectors.
We also have part-time MPs who collect $15k per month tax-free in MP allowances, over and above their full-time jobs. Most people hold only one job, and the median income is less than $3k. Not easy to find a part-time work that pays 5 times more than the full-time job of most people.
No welfare? Welfare is always there, just that it is given to those who we deem as deserving. In a meritocratic society, welfare is reserved for the very best. They deserve it. People at the bottom don’t deserve it because they are deem undeserving. It is a waste of resources to help them. That’s why we don’t like to provide too much welfare for the poor.
摘录一些有趣的观点：
I am not sure is there a way to define poverty. Most people seems to be fixated by a fixed number – eg. a family income of $2000 is considered as poor or whatever.
But, in real life, poverty is a moving standard depending on the wealth distribution and prices of good and services. However, to the poor people, only the affordability of the basic necessities matters.
And.. some segment of the society seems to detest poverty so much that they want policies to be implemented to get rid of it.
Personally, as long as poverty does not affect the basic necessities of life to the poor people, I am ok to let poverty exists in some segment of society.
These segment of society is likely to produce people with greater hunger for success than the rest. The poverty experience can never be simulated, trained or taught. It is ingrained to the brain of the person after years of hardship.
So, it is no surprise that many successful people came from poor family and we also need these people to become leaders of the future so that they can empathize those that are poor.
http://www.valuebuddies.com/thread-4091.html
这是一个什么样的论坛呢？我很想知道，一般新加坡人比较多去的论坛有哪些。既然人在这里就要多了解当地人的想法。请大家不吝赐教。
贫困是无法根除的。回答完毕
如果目前处于贫困状态,请自己努力,指望好心人救助那就真是一辈子贫困了。政客的话听听爽就行了,别当真
求人不如求己，生气不如争气，靠别人过好日子是天方夜谭 ^_^
俗话说”救急不救穷”，贫困救助只能一时，不能一世。
多数国家都是提高教育水平，保障基础教育，让下一代不贫困。
多引进中国新移民，改变当地人的基因。
提供公平，公正，公开 致富的途径，或者称为上升通道也行；古人说的好 “授人鱼不如授人渔”
培养勤劳的风气,才是正途.
不过,有些传统和习性, MS很难培养.
According to the Department of Statistics, 105,000 families in Singapore are earning on average $1,500 or less per month. This means that life is a daily struggle for some 387,000 Singapore citizens and permanent residents. After paying utilities, schooling, housing rental or loan instalments and medicals, they are left with about $5 a day for food and transport per family member. How do they do it? Can they? How does it feel to be their shoes? Whatever you think or feel, suspend your disbelief or judgement and find out for yourself!http://sgagainstpoverty.org/5-dollar-challenge/
The $5 Challenge is on!
What is it, you ask? We want you to try limiting your food and transport expenses to $5 a day. (It’s time to catch that free MRT ride every morning!)
Why $5?
Figures from the Household Expenditure Survey of 2007/08 show that for households at the bottom fifth of income levels, each member spent 25.9% and 8.8% of his or her total monthly expenditure on food and transport respectively.
According to the Key Household Income Trends for last year, each member of the bottom 10% of households earned an average of $410 per month excluding employer’s CPF contributions. This works out, per person, to about $3.54 per day on food and $1.20 per day on transport. Rounded up this adds up to $5 a day for food and transport.
We’re heartened to see some of you committing up to a month to this! Why not challenge your friends or colleagues to do this too? You could do it together — it’s likely be easier!
Take the $5 Challenge here: http://sgagainstpoverty.org/5-dollar-challenge/
这话不能说，这里有当地人。而且，人家说你的基因不好你会高兴吗？
移民到别人的国家还觉得自己的基因高人一等， TMD搞笑什么心态啊？
$5，每天，如果一家三口，一个月就是450，用来吃饭和交通，绰绰有余，有什么挑战性？
说明一下，吃饭指的是巴扎买菜，回家自做，上班带饭。
实在弄不懂每天25RMB的伙食费，还叫贫困么？
新加坡应该给那些老人和完全丧失工作能力的人印点钱，一个月一个人印400新加坡元。这点必须保证，成为一个永久的政策，让他们至少有一点点生活上的安全感。让正在拼命工作的人看到社会保障的底线。而他们花钱同时又刺激了经济发展。我认为没有什么不好的。