Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Change, regime change, and dreams...
Its quite fascinating looking at the Brexit process currently undergoing in UK right now.
Especially when I contrast it against how Singapore got kicked out of the Malaysian Federation in 1965.
I guess we were lucky we had strong leadership in 65 or what?
It brings to mind what I've gleaned from history - strong leadership is always about one - the Queen Bee or Alpha Male.
Weak leaders always got a council, a committee, a tribe, a horde... to hide behind.
UK joined the then EEC in 1973. Now it wants out... Maybe?
Its like getting a divorce 40 years into your marriage. Well, it lasted longer than the quickie shotgun wedding like ours!
Time can be quite the tempest after lulling us into complacency through long periods of calm and predictability.
Long established political parties that had ruled forever and ever can suddenly find themselves in the wilderness of being in the Opposition. Think LDP in Japan, KMT in Taiwan, and now UMNO in Malaysia.
Of course the next big one to watch is the CPC in China. I wonder whether it will happen in my lifetime?
Now that would be an interesting macro trade if I still around! (Singapore would definitely be 10 million with the influx of super rich immigrants! Property still boleh?)
Looking back more than 30 years when I started my jouney into the adult world at 16, comparing to the goals and dreams (or lack of) I had then, it quite amazing none of them were remotely close??? LOL!
My life definitely is not one of those who started out with goals and plans, and everything turned out as exactly as they've planned!!! They'll probably make good central planners?
No. Mine was more like a leaf in the wind.
I defintely did not expect to be bald! (But I look cool OK?)
Then again, some say luck is preparation meeting opportunity....
I've no control over opportunity; I can do preparation though. Wink.
Wah lau, what talking you?
I catch no ball!
Well, I don't patronise you by explaining everything in cartoon like the brochures pasted next to our HDB lifts.
You see what you want to see. Your take out may also depend on your own life experiences - whether you are starting your journey, reaching your mid-life crisis, or strolling down the mountain.
It can be harder for those who go toilet must jio others to go along...
Just saying, in case you didn't catch what I meant by leadership of one. Wink.
LOL!
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I'm happy with changing into clean, fresh smelling underwear every couple of days. :)
ReplyDeleteMeans most of the basics are covered. Kekeke!!
Spur,
DeleteEwww...
During field camps, I always volunteer to be part of the ration party.
Can return to camp and bath mah! And change into a new pair of fresh underwear!
Also, since I'm ammo storeman and part of the GE storeman team, we have unlimited No.4 uniforms to change to :)
Then again, if your woman don't mind, who am I to comment?
I'm well domesticated by the women in my life.
No shower; no come to bed.
LOL!
From my biase lens, Smol
ReplyDeleteI saw some bleeding hearts advice here.
Actionable plan or non actionable goals?
Getting ready, there are many ways.
Leverage please use as experiment (this one my own), until u sure what u are doing.
Dun lose more than u have.
Sillyinvestor,
DeleteEveryone has a bias; we see things from our own perspective.
That's why its illuminating to listen to other viewpoints ;)
Really? Bleeding heart advice? If you equate a poke to help others think for themselves as advice... Then bleeding heart it is!
You have a vivid imagination.
I remember looking at the famous picture of the glass with ice cubes. Nope. Can't see breasts!?
LOL!
temperament,
DeleteI can never understand billionaires making big bets and ended up back to square one...
Like that German billionaire that committed suicide you mentioned some time back.
The less we have, the easier it is to take calculated risks. What's there to lose?
But then, on the other end of the spectrum, when people of modest means avoid taking risks, that's the closest thing to resignation to their fate...
Born a serf; die a serf.
temperament,
DeleteThis is something we all have to answer ourselves.
And between you and your maker? Last I heard, avarice is a sin...
Imagine being financially free but fxxkup the end game by ending up in hell!?
Putting 10% of our networth in the stock market is not the same as plonking 80% of it...
Similarly, at 65, if our CPF is less than 25% of our networth, life has been kind to us!
Regime change or moving of goal posts don't matter as much ;)
It's a balance between taking too much risks and being too conservative as in kiasu, kiasi, kiabo...
OK....
Deletetemperament,
ReplyDeleteThere are 2 kinds of religious people:
1. Those who have discipline and self control. Can live next to gambling dens and whorehouses. They take personal responsibility.
2. Then there are those who require a big daddy to "rescue" them from their weaknesses. Must ban this, ban that. This way, they can't be tempted...
Since the majority of retail "investors" lose money in the stock markets, I won't be surprised some "shepherds" may evangelise the banning of SGX since its one big gambling den!?
I'm just glad Singapore is secular!
Ha ha read? Ban on CPFIS
ReplyDeleteCW,
ReplyDeleteIts sad and awkward when people don't take personal responsibility...
A bit like when a person choked and died from eating fishballs, let's ban fishballs!
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteLong time....
UK joined the then EEC in 1973. Now it wants out... Maybe?
"Its like getting a divorce 40 years into your marriage. Well, it lasted longer than the quickie shotgun wedding like ours!"
UK did it willingly. Their then PM never cry, but quit!
SG did it unwillingly with our PM cry, but never quit!
Moral of the story.....dun quit.....hahaha
Rolf,
DeleteWelcome back from the wilderness!
The last time UK had a true leader was Margaret Thatcher. But she was betrayed by her own party...
Good leaders are hard to find. Found one, make sure they serve as long as possible like lao lee!
Don't quit?
Everyone who seeks FIRE are quitters!!!
Opps... I think I just poked myself :(
LOL!
Did I go to the wilderness? hahaha....what a description, but I like it.
DeleteRolf,
DeleteYou know its a compliment ;)
Singapore will not be the Singapore of today if Lee Kuan Yew had decided to FIRE(financial freedom, retire early) at age 36. We're so fortunate Mr Lee had the fire in his belly to be our Prime Minister at age 36. All of us are so lucky he had the right kind of FIRE. LOL.
DeleteEveryone who seeks FIRE are quitters!!!
This poke is 一针见血 to the financial/FIRE blogging community. Pain pain. Truth hurts. I do not respect myself for it. But I still want to do it leh. No need to come out with excuses and lies to ownself to defend the action. I'm a selfish bastard who wants to make lots of money for myself/family and enjoy myself in the process of doing so. I'm very thankful to our leaders who create the prosperous conditions in our country so that ordinary citizens like me can go about doing things that we like.
I'm so glad our PAP leaders are not quitters. They can easily FIRE with their salary but they remain in ther jobs. Thank you!
hyom,
DeleteMust qualify that quitting when we are ahead is not the same as quitting ;)
That quote is a poke to myself. LOL!
Hi SMOL,
DeleteI know you were poking yourself. I was joining the poke at poking ourselves. When poking the financial blogging community on FIRE, a financial freedom seeker has to start with poking himself. Otherwise, it becomes a matter of pot calling the kettle black.
Must qualify that quitting when we are ahead is not the same as quitting ;)
Hmm ... I can understand if a loser quits when he has tried several times and still fail. If all he sees is a dead end down the road, it is logical to quit. Not quitting is a waste of time and resources since resources invested will not yield good returns. Quitting in this context is what speculators call "cutting your losses".
I don't find it a rational move for a winner to quit while he is ahead. Why doesn't he let his profits run? Furthermore, along the way to success, many people have invested resources and took risks to give him opportunities in grooming him for greater things. I don't believe in 90% self-made men because all of us receive help from others along the way. When a successful person quits to FIRE, he is letting down the people who invested and contributed to his success. At least give back some returns before one quits.
I say this as a poke to myself to avoid 五十步笑百步. As a FIRE seeker, I am a selfish quitter. I'm very grateful to many (with some exceptions) of the distinguished PAP leaders who aren't selfish quitters but continue to forge on for the people despite receiving unfair criticism from the very people they made sacrifice to serve.
temperament,
ReplyDeleteWell, you brought up the Indonesian example ;)
I am guessing you don't play chess; you don't look 2-3 moves ahead.
temperament,
ReplyDeleteThere you go patroninzing others again...
I am glad "do-gooders" like you are not in charge ;)
What's good for me must be good for others!
I side with 无为.
temperament,
ReplyDeleteAny astute reader will know what you "tried" to imply when quoting Indonesia as an example.
Then of all countries, Holland - when most of Northern Europe is secular and atheist.
I throw one back at you - why don't you pick on US?
During the early days of US, those in charge were man of science, well read, and very wise:
Thomas Jefferson's separation of church and state
Unfortunately, as time went by... Later presidents became more and more anyone and everyone...
Enough about others. I hope our 4th generation will act and behave like small governments.
If not, we go back to the 70s lor!
Don't spit. Don't throw rubbish. Smile! Speak Mandarin. Stop at two. Long hair bad...
temperament,
ReplyDeleteIt's OK.
Let's live up to what we tell others first ;)
I can't cast stones; my hands are stained...
:(