Middle class blues

[RadX]

When are you gonna improve your English brudder?

 

 

seems like those who live oversease acquire worse english skills. summore gain a bigotry attitude [laugh]

[13177]

Of course got lah, but the COE (which is the thing that really kills you) is same what. You buy big cc Korean car end up pay a lot also what, not much difference from say a VW or Renault.

True that buying big cc korean car also ended up paying a lot, but you are also buying even much more when you buy conti. Example if korean car monthly is $1000, but those conti monthly should be at least $300-$500 more. To some people maybe difference is small, but to me is big.

[13177]

I don't mind some marketing calls if I could understand the caller, but quite a few times, either Filipino or Indian FWs call, can't understand more than 1/2 of what they say, end up, I wouldn't be interested in the product or stuff. It's the annoyance that turns me away.

 

 

 

Buy Japanese cars instead can? I like JDM/MIJ cars more than MIK cars.. Haha, or best, just take Bus / MRT, taxi if need be, total cost also quite low.

I cant stand those marketing calls from these people, many times even i told them i am not interested, they will call again and again and again! Seems like they are not updating their contact list. :angry:

Edited July 2, 2013 by 13177

[Yewheng]

I cant stand those marketing calls from these people, many times even i told them i am not interested, they will call again and again and again! Seems like they are not updating their contact list. :angry:

 

Maybe they trying luck, out of 100 times maybe 1 time you finally give in. [laugh]

[13177]

Maybe they trying luck, out of 100 times maybe 1 time you finally give in. [laugh]

You mean they will call 100 times?!

[Jman888]

When are you gonna improve your English brudder?

 

 

he communicate better in german now

[Lala81]

When are you gonna improve your English brudder?

 

he's learning deutsch lah. not English...

[Lala81]

Thats why i always think that the situation in singapore is, there are many rich people around who can aford the high life, and those who are middle class, they are not anywhere near rich, yet they want to live above their means, cars, condo, holidays etc. it is these group of people who causes the common complaint that life in sgp is stressful and very squeezed, simply because, they are living above their means ! no doubt there are a very small minority of poor people living from hand to mouth, there is a large group of middle class workers who are simply over-stretching. the bottom line is, sgp has moved ahead too fast than its means as we prospered.

 

Back in the 80s to early 90s, Middle class means can go for holidays around SEA. once every few years can go for long trip. Air tickets more expensive then due to lack of budget airlines.

Driving lao pok car also is considered quite "up" already.

No internet shopping

 

Yes, things are getting more and more expensive. Yes inflation is running away with housing prices especially (HDB) though the BTO release have slowed them somewhat.

 

We should still be thankful for what we have. We are a small raft floating in a big wild ocean...

[Lala81]

I think in general, many economies have the middle class squeeze. We aren't doing well but neither are we the worst.

 

Like the govt said, the lower income is the one that's really hurting...

[Vectrasonic]

Korea car and conti car no difference what. It's the cc that counts.

 

Have u driven conti car? U sure only the CC counts?

 

[Mustank]

Privileged background and connections of course helps.

Anyone who denies that is disillusioned.

 

Likewise, anyone who thinks that the world owes them becos they dont have privileged background and connections are equally disillusioned.

 

 

[Lala81]

Likewise, anyone who thinks that the world owes them becos they dont have privileged background and connections are equally disillusioned.

 

lol. well said.

[Viceroymenthol]

More than 10 years ago, I couldn't even dream of having my own home, my own family, and even having a car. In fact I never took a driving license because I knew I could never afford one this lifetime, so what for take it?

 

I am lucky, I met a wonderful woman, got married and she gave me the impetus to do better and better. Now I can say I have what is called the "stereotypical" Singaporean dream, have a family, above middle income, nice home, nice car, have some spare cash, as a whole I'm doing better than I could possibly dream of 15 - 20 years ago.

 

Talk about dreams and aspirations. The problem nowadays is, do people even dare to dream big anymore? How do people in middle class see their future 5 - 10 years from now?

 

Personally, I feel that in the next decade our middle class people will only find themselves slipping down the economic and social ladder. Unless something drastic is done, we are on a slippery downward slide.

 

If everybody dreamed big as you, became as successful as you 10 years down the road, who's gonna be the poor class and occupy the lower rungs of society/economy? We need the poor, godammit! Or else got nobody drive bus and taxi, teach preschool, cook nice and cheap food, etc etc.

 

One way of doing this is by importing poor third world workers from neighbouring countries to do these jobs, while all the locals get elevated to middle class lifestyles by having dreams and doing well, such as you had.

 

So you see, importing 3rd world FW actually benefits Singaporeans.

 

We all need a dog to kick in this society. So by importing 3rd world FWs, local Singaporeans will have someone lousier than them to kick, while luxuriating in their solidly middle-class status, lifestyle and aspirations. Such as yours.

[Solar]

but the issue many people have is not FW, but FT that take away jobs that Singaporeans can do, but with under-cutting salary.

[Viceroymenthol]

but the issue many people have is not FW, but FT that take away jobs that Singaporeans can do, but with under-cutting salary.

 

For example? Bankers? IT? But they have higher qualifications (authenticity of which is debatable) and asking for lower salaries...

[Ingenius]

Many people hate the FTs for taking away our jobs and lowering the wage levels, are not understanding the big picture. The cruel truth is, we need them. Look at other countries, which one is not taking in foreign workers ? More than a decade ago, when i worked in united states in a very large world wide organisation, many of the professional level workers were from all over the world, china, india, sgp, hong kong .. you name it. People only see the problem the influx of ft brought along, but they fail to realise that, we have no choice. back then our population was too small to sustain our economy and if not for the ft policy, wages wil be driven up high artificially (and not due to producitivity but labour crunch), and we will lose out in competitiveness to the rest of the world. result will be our economy will experience negative growth and companies shut down, people lose job. so for the bigger good, we had to go for the necessary evil, i.e. to take in FTs , so as to enjoy a bigger economic pie in the world. It is a painful measure but it ensured our progress for years.

[Solar]

bankers i don't know.. but yes, in IT... engineers especially, though we have started to see managers alike.

of course, we need to discount the locals that ask for unreasonably sky high salary..

[Ingenius]

I think in general, many economies have the middle class squeeze. We aren't doing well but neither are we the worst.

 

Like the govt said, the lower income is the one that's really hurting...

agree. i do know of two very low income family, they rent their house frmo gahment at a token fee (redhil), and the children didnt need to pay school fees. however, this two families dont have a father, and the mothers (whom i kow) every day play mahjong and go genting once a while, and totally heck care their children. their children all run amok until cid go arrest at the house, and another one chalked up few k of phone bills to malaysia (donno for what), and dropped out of school. my pointis, they need to be resposible for their lives instead of just rely on the gahment to provide foc since they are poor.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Ingenius