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LETTER OF THE DAY - Why the Singapore model wouldn't work here
published: Saturday | December 2, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody Rjuf6="true">
The Editor, Sir:
In just 40 years, Singapore has been transformed from a poor, war-battered state teeming with slums, an uneducated and exploding population, into a wealthy prosperous state boasting skyscrapers and an educated workforce. To describe the transformation as an economic miracle is by no means an exaggeration - the achievement is fantastic by any measure.
But when the discussion turns to why we in <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Jamaica</SPAN> can't do it as well, that's just where we start being unrealistic. In this discussion, I will not even touch the basis of the totalitarian power that the dictator possesses and the dangers inherent in vesting so much authority in one man, but discuss whether Lee Kuan Yew's policies can be employed in Jamaica.
Population control - a major part of any economic turnaround. To curtail Singapore's runaway population, Lee Kuan Yew launched a campaign to encourage the Singaporeans to have two-children families. He also followed it up with incentives to discourage having more than two children, such as reduced <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">tax </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">relief</SPAN> for families with more than two kids, shorter <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">maternity </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">leave</SPAN> and higher hospital charges. I can just hear the Jamaican masses now: "dem a try kill off black man"! "We want justice"!
[B]Amassing capital for <A class=kLink oncontextmenu="return false;" id=KonaLink4 onmouseover=adlinkMouseOver(event,this,4); style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick=adlinkMouseClick(event,this,4); onmouseout=adlinkMouseOut(event,this,4); href=
published: Saturday | December 2, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody Rjuf6="true">
The Editor, Sir:
In just 40 years, Singapore has been transformed from a poor, war-battered state teeming with slums, an uneducated and exploding population, into a wealthy prosperous state boasting skyscrapers and an educated workforce. To describe the transformation as an economic miracle is by no means an exaggeration - the achievement is fantastic by any measure.
But when the discussion turns to why we in <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Jamaica</SPAN> can't do it as well, that's just where we start being unrealistic. In this discussion, I will not even touch the basis of the totalitarian power that the dictator possesses and the dangers inherent in vesting so much authority in one man, but discuss whether Lee Kuan Yew's policies can be employed in Jamaica.
Population control - a major part of any economic turnaround. To curtail Singapore's runaway population, Lee Kuan Yew launched a campaign to encourage the Singaporeans to have two-children families. He also followed it up with incentives to discourage having more than two children, such as reduced <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">tax </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">relief</SPAN> for families with more than two kids, shorter <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">maternity </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">leave</SPAN> and higher hospital charges. I can just hear the Jamaican masses now: "dem a try kill off black man"! "We want justice"!
[B]Amassing capital for <A class=kLink oncontextmenu="return false;" id=KonaLink4 onmouseover=adlinkMouseOver(event,this,4); style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick=adlinkMouseClick(event,this,4); onmouseout=adlinkMouseOut(event,this,4); href=