Monday, November 27, 2006
Fun with Numbers
This is quite old news about our GST being increased from 5% (easy to calculate) to 7% and rumours of increasing to 10% (Easier to calculate, but painful ) The reasoning for the GST is supposedly, if I gather correctly from various sources (e.g local media) to help the lower income people. Now, I know nothing about finance and money and economics, but somehow taxing the people more, doesn't really help people in general much less the lower income individuals. It's like the landowners/royalty of old, where the peasants were taxed increasingly to fatten the coiffers of the rich. So maybe I missed some addendum in the tax papers, but could someone explain to me how making things more expensive make things better for the poor?
Update:
Never let it be said that I'm not fair and am totally biased against our government and its policies*. This is how the increase in tax is supposed to work. Their understanding is that the rich people buy more stuff (seems logical) and therefore by taxing the items more, they (the rich people) indirectly contribute more money to the government which can then divert to help the lower income individuals. However, here's the funny part of the theory, the lower income people are also taxed on stuff. Taxes are uniform. So just as you are fleecing the rich, you're also fleecing the poor. Great work there Robin Hood, steal from all to help the poor (whom you also robbed). Incidently, the ministers are all going to get a pay rise soon because our economy is doing so well.. One would think that not giving them pay raises would help to increase our reserves so we DON'T have to increase our taxes? Maybe George Bush is secretly running our country too.. nah not possible.. He'd be smarter.
*I lied.
This is quite old news about our GST being increased from 5% (easy to calculate) to 7% and rumours of increasing to 10% (Easier to calculate, but painful ) The reasoning for the GST is supposedly, if I gather correctly from various sources (e.g local media) to help the lower income people. Now, I know nothing about finance and money and economics, but somehow taxing the people more, doesn't really help people in general much less the lower income individuals. It's like the landowners/royalty of old, where the peasants were taxed increasingly to fatten the coiffers of the rich. So maybe I missed some addendum in the tax papers, but could someone explain to me how making things more expensive make things better for the poor?
Update:
Never let it be said that I'm not fair and am totally biased against our government and its policies*. This is how the increase in tax is supposed to work. Their understanding is that the rich people buy more stuff (seems logical) and therefore by taxing the items more, they (the rich people) indirectly contribute more money to the government which can then divert to help the lower income individuals. However, here's the funny part of the theory, the lower income people are also taxed on stuff. Taxes are uniform. So just as you are fleecing the rich, you're also fleecing the poor. Great work there Robin Hood, steal from all to help the poor (whom you also robbed). Incidently, the ministers are all going to get a pay rise soon because our economy is doing so well.. One would think that not giving them pay raises would help to increase our reserves so we DON'T have to increase our taxes? Maybe George Bush is secretly running our country too.. nah not possible.. He'd be smarter.
*I lied.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Machiavellian Moodswing Madness
When everything's made to be broken..
I have been driving to work everyday for the past few weeks and I see at least one accident on the PIE everyday. Just saw one this evening. Was like a 4 car pile up sort of crash. Ambulance and all were present. What is up with people? Driving isn't that tough. I don't see why we should be having accidents so frequently. And when these accidents occur, traffic gets backed up like clogged drainage pipes.
Anyway during one of these incidences when I was waiting for traffic to move, it occured to me a solution, albeit a harsh one. Shoot these people. Seriously. When there's a car pile up, instead of having all the hassle, law enforcement comes, put these people (who are obviously incapable of driving) out of their misery. Cars have come a long way since their inception, but drivers are still borderline basket cases. You'll see a lot more careful driving on roads if people knew that they would literally die if they met with an accident. People would also not tailgate so much. Heck, you'll see a lot less cars on the roads. No need ERP, COE, etc etc. Bullets are cheap. Each round is probably like 35 cents.
And before you start gasping and saying that it's so cruel and harsh, the way people are driving now, it seems that their lives are worth just 35 cents.
I just want you to know who I am
When everything's made to be broken..
I have been driving to work everyday for the past few weeks and I see at least one accident on the PIE everyday. Just saw one this evening. Was like a 4 car pile up sort of crash. Ambulance and all were present. What is up with people? Driving isn't that tough. I don't see why we should be having accidents so frequently. And when these accidents occur, traffic gets backed up like clogged drainage pipes.
Anyway during one of these incidences when I was waiting for traffic to move, it occured to me a solution, albeit a harsh one. Shoot these people. Seriously. When there's a car pile up, instead of having all the hassle, law enforcement comes, put these people (who are obviously incapable of driving) out of their misery. Cars have come a long way since their inception, but drivers are still borderline basket cases. You'll see a lot more careful driving on roads if people knew that they would literally die if they met with an accident. People would also not tailgate so much. Heck, you'll see a lot less cars on the roads. No need ERP, COE, etc etc. Bullets are cheap. Each round is probably like 35 cents.
And before you start gasping and saying that it's so cruel and harsh, the way people are driving now, it seems that their lives are worth just 35 cents.
I just want you to know who I am
Sunday, November 12, 2006
What's new in the world today?
I don't really know. Been swamped with work this week and haven't had time to read the news. Either on paper form or on the web. So I can't really complain/critique affairs of the world. Instead I'll talk about something that was discussed about over dinner. If given a choice, which country would you migrate to in the future and raise your family etc etc? You can also choose to stay here. My overall analysis of the situation was that as much as I like America for their tv shows and comics and games etc etc, it's not really a good place to live. It's too chaotic. America is one walking train wreck. Same for England (sorry all you fans of England) and most of europe. Asia isn't much better. Name me one asian country that isn't as high stress as singapore (work/school) and doesn't have rampant corruption? Africa is being torn apart by civil wars.
So let's hear ur opinions on this.
I don't really know. Been swamped with work this week and haven't had time to read the news. Either on paper form or on the web. So I can't really complain/critique affairs of the world. Instead I'll talk about something that was discussed about over dinner. If given a choice, which country would you migrate to in the future and raise your family etc etc? You can also choose to stay here. My overall analysis of the situation was that as much as I like America for their tv shows and comics and games etc etc, it's not really a good place to live. It's too chaotic. America is one walking train wreck. Same for England (sorry all you fans of England) and most of europe. Asia isn't much better. Name me one asian country that isn't as high stress as singapore (work/school) and doesn't have rampant corruption? Africa is being torn apart by civil wars.
So let's hear ur opinions on this.
