Rich men, Poor Men, Wealth Creation

On Change of law, Charges to Enbloc Sales

Saturday, 01 September 2007
http://cognose.blogspot.com
Cognose Lim Swee Keng
Discern Before Happening
Solve Beyond Causes

If you should charge the developer more fees, pass these fees back to the sellers’ CPF, for their old age securities. The sellers are not profiting from this sale and wasted in Casinos.

The poorer parted their loved units, downgrade to cheaper public housing, exactly preparing for the uncertain, long future, long before national leaders plan for such days with efficient, effective, painless solutions.

The poorer face the darkness, bite the bullets long before others realized.

The world respected Minister of Mentor for Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, when talking about selecting leaders, had his observation that when the poor man was invited, he will stand out and do good for the nation. While for the rich would ask: “What for?”

This is indeed an important observation.
As usual, whatever this wisest man of this time stated, is real, profound and affected beyond.

When a poor man, proven by his ability and vigour, character and resilient, is invited by great leaders to lead, as long as his heart remain truthful, would remember the suffering, the rude jeer they experienced, the yearning for realistic, better, living condition by the poor. And what they strive, would help not just the poor, but make better social harmony, national solidarity, and the rich live safer, happier.

Rich men, have many projects to occupy themselves, many enjoyments yet to be filled.
When the nation is prospering, there is much wealth to make.
When the nation is declining, there is not just mobility, but many invitations, many promises of greener pastures from beyond.
They obviously have no time for trivial wealth the nation has to reward them.

The core issues is this:
Without Rich men in the national leaderships, would legislation, executions be unbalanced, would miss out the interest of the rich?

The question is:
In anytime in history, in any corner of the world, in any minute jungle tribes or highest society, would any rich man, sit still, do nothing, and let leaders, parliaments, nations set legislation that affect their interest?

The answer is obvious:
Yes, definitely so. When that rich man lost his wealth, his friends lost power, house arresting, assassinated. This we are witnessing so many, even just around us, even at this very moment.

The next question is:
Would national legislation, policies, strategies be unbalanced, or even full of flaws if rich are not in the political leadership? I have not heard of this!

In his farewell speech in 1961, President Wright Eisenhower warned of the immense influence the emerging Military Complex on national policies. An outstanding Military man, who led the Allied to overcome the mighty, gigantic military machines of the Axis, certainly most qualified to sound this loudest alarm to civilization.

When Singapore was negotiating bilateral trade relationship with America, the world largest chewing gum company not only influenced American’s legislators, government, also exert his influence on Singapore’s domestic law. World largest Chewing Gum manufacturer, for merely 2 million consumers, far away, not in his constituency, constitute minute part of his interest, would exert his might, and let his might be felt, unhidden, unashamed, to the utmost.

Singapore’s gifted, articulate Renaissance Foreign Minister George Yeo, saved the day.

This experience reminded all leaders, that bigger, richer, more powerful people has more than enough ability, articulation to influence even national leaders, directing international relationships even other nation’s domestic affairs. Therefore, what more will be the interest of the weaker, poorer, smaller? They are definitely within this shadow, if not control.

So whenever there is new nominee, policies, laws, who is the first one to know?
Who will bring up more opinions, faster, more convincing?
Who has the ability to choose the right vocabulary, clauses?
Who has the propensity to choose the avenues, and determine the speed of progress?
Therefore whose interests are best protected?

Rich man does not need to be political leader to lead politics.
Capable poor, even the most capable, need a lot more to become even a leader.
The poor, even after becoming the supreme leader, may not even influence political decision.
Just look at the capable, honourable, General Colin Powell, he know the price he has to pay for running for American President, so he abstained.

This is common sense, this is right in front of us, we need not genius to realise.
Since this is such obvious, powerful truth, we not only cannot ignore them, we must manage them well.

If rich man needs the law to be modified to protect their rights, they are men without ability.
It is like prodigal son, even with the best of law to protect them, they would not be able to protect their ever diminishing wealth. Not to mention about creating wealth.

Creating wealth is the very essence
for the survival of man, prosper of nation !!

The great thing a rich man can do is to grow their market, improve their efficiency.
Improving efficiency, rich man only need to employ capable managers, which are available by tons, without the need of law.

The greatest thing a rich man can do to bring unlimited benefit to himself is to grown his market, open new markets.

Any capable, able rich man, start up, even a young, unseasoned descendent, even in a matured industries, even a trivial, old trade, like Coffee and Toast, they can innovate new ideas, inject new vitalities, open chain stores.

What the nation can do is to facilitate them, such as provide efficient, reliable, cheapest utilities, communications, transport, good basic education for the masses, train the poor to be disciplined, skilful, trustworthy to work for the rich.

From a bigger picture, for the interest of nation, for the global positioning, for longer term growth, we must help these capable self-respecting rich men to promote their image in the world, champion their entries to world markets, and multiply our international trade and capital income.

But if the nation pooh-pooh at the ability of rich man and their contribution to nation’s economy, modify law to let them have more voting rights on top of what they already procure with open eyes, then it is a big mistakes, if not plain stupidity.

The modification of law to let the richer, bigger share owners to have more rights to vote, more say to say to the same piece of cake, not only diverting the focus of greater wealth creation by the wealthier, it also remove the crumps from the less nourished, little forum for the voiceless, the lesser would end up with much lesser.

What can the lesser do?
They will break into the car to steal the few shillings of change, they would tear apart the hi-fi in the cars, which are already happening on the increase in the first world city, Singapore, reputed for its low crime rate. It causes heart-ached of the rich. If this progress, then their children also will need bodyguards to go to school, their villas need higher fences to fence off suitors, where is the peace of mind to generate bigger wealth? This is the reason why our neighbours, Indonesians, Philippines, the richest send their children to the neighbouring Singapore for education.

Now, in Singapore, many common people are selling their beloved condominium, to down grade to smaller public housing, so that they have cash for their old age, their uncertain longer life span without income.

Instead of helping these pragmatic common people, laws are enacted to charge more fees for such transactions, and assign more rights to the richer among them, what will become of this society? Where would the strength, the might of the nation, the richer to focus on? Creating wealth for this nation, or collecting every dime from the lesser and smile home and suddenly realise, their homes are broken into, their poorer neighbour jumped to the rail, their daughter raped when visiting her friends. This is the picture you are seeing now.

I beckoned the leaders, the richer, the powerful, do not use those little meaningless words to shock the lesser, do not using professional jargons in areas not of their expertise.

If you should charge the developer more fees, pass these fees back to the sellers’ CPF, for their old age securities. The sellers are not profiting from this sales and wasted in Casinos.
The poorer parted their loved units, downgrade to cheaper public housing, exactly preparing for the uncertain, long future, long before national leaders plan for such days in efficient, effective, painless way.

My fellow alumni from MIT, a white man was wondering to me, how come on this Island of Singapore, everyone think the white is the right? A white visitor to a private compounds are accorded as the owner of the compound, or honoured guest, or invited lovers, while coloured skinned are checked for contractor passes, shouted as trespassers?

If the richer, the better learnt, the bigger landed are united to use their gifts, talent, network to seek beyond this island for best buyers of the land, best architects to design best housing on this land they cherish, than to dig that last penny from your neighbours, your constituents, then would this nation not be richer?

How to create wealth, more wealth?

Accord more voice to the louder?
Giving more decision making to those who already hold more votes?
Teach the richer to gain more from the lesser?
Tax the developer more so that they disburse less to those who intend to downgrade and save for their twilight?

Then you shall
Let the richer live in a less peaceful society !
Let the voters vote in other forum of their fume!

or

Persuade, help the gifted to create more wealth from outside the cake?
Invite more, better quality Foreign Direct Investment to this island?
Let the lesser has more money for the unknown, protracted retirement time?

The law of nature is very robust
that everyone will live to taste the fruits of the seed they sowed.

The law of nature is very merciful
those who sow sour, bitter seeds they shall not perish at their prime, at time of their choice
but they will live till feeble, and cannot leave, cannot act yet can feel, can be acted upon
so the wise shall choose to do the right thing?