A Tale Of Two Cities:Singapore And Jamaica

[Baddaz]

that statement has to be put into its proper context... michalel manley did not ecourage brain drain... he wanted people to be with the program and those who were not with the program were free to leave... he was emphasizing that jamaica was not restricting their movement...

[Gamma]

that is in a worse condition than when they left it. not everyone can do it, but some can and do .... my coountdown start.

[Gamma]

sometimes is not what yuh seh ... is how yuh seh it!

certainly there is something of a socialist collective mentality when saying "jamaica has no room for millionaires" when considered in the height of the cold war.

i can si how innovative and creative people could be turned off by that....dem fled di scene and left us with the don crawfords...a bwoy!

[Islandman]

Is that a direct quote? I have never heard that five flights a day quote with any reference to millionaires. I have always heard it with Manley saying that if anyone disagreed with the govts policies then there were 5 flights.

Either way, he was way out of line to make such a statement. This was probably the best example of what I call the "Messiah complex" that Manley developed after 1972.

[Don1]

Jawge;201344]Boss mi nuh shame ah di school mi go in Ja. Matter of fact I made lifelong friends there. What I'm showing is the system that was setup to seperate us causing a few of us the feel superior by going to the schools (high school) of the planter class. If I was to brag about school I would tell you that my school is the only country school that comes town an win in almost all fields and go back to country with prizes galore but mi conscoious now so mi nuhh too penny dem tings.

As I said I respect every school...and support the good that every school does.

The banter between people supporting this or that school is all in fun. Nothing to be alarmed about.

Yuh see all inna football, mi would ah tell unnuh fi pray fi nuh mek my school win but as mi say I'm an elightened person now. I seek the common good for all JA. The above is just a feel good excercise; time for serious progress.

would you like to ban the banter?

Boss mi nuh worship Joshua mi juss appreciate whey him do fi di general populace of Ja an mi cyaan stap talk bout it. If any other politician com an equal or surpass Joshua (regardless of party) Mi would haffi talk bout dem same way. Yuh see mi.

I see you...and raise you..

Manley had the correct idea about reducing the class divide and raising poor people....that's the key to Jamaica's progress....our progress is not about satisfying all of big business' interests.

BUT

He made an unholy mess of the situation with stupid politics...that wiped out the good and left Jamaica more divided and less able to progress under any regime.

Too bad.

[Gamma]

pretty much suh mi seeituh.

[Karl]

Singapore Flag of Singapore Last reviewed: 05 November 200

Singapore

Last reviewed: 05 November 2009
Country information

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ECONOMY

Basic Economic Facts

GDP (at 2000 market prices): S$233.535bn (2008)
GDP per capita: S$53,192
Annual Growth: 1.1% (2008)
Inflation: 6.5% (2008)
Major Industries: Manufacturing (particularly electronics, engineering, biomedical sciences and chemicals), financial and business services, and commerce.

UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Singapore

Singapore is a model of economic development. From independence in 1965, it achieved almost uninterrupted growth averaging nearly 8% per annum for over three decades. By the 1990s, it had GDP per capita levels similar to many OECD countries and was acknowledged widely as one of Asia's 'tigers'. The contrast between Singapore and some of its regional neighbours is all the more striking given its size and lack of natural resources.


Until recently, Singapore had experienced few periods of economic difficulty. However, it was hit hard in 2001 by a downturn in its key global markets (particularly the US) and a collapse in demand for electronics goods. As a result, it experienced its worst recession since independence:



GDP fell 2.4% after growing about 10% in 2000. Although the economy expanded by 4.1% in 2002, Singapore faced the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) setback in 2003. The government handled the outbreak better than most, but the economic fallout was significant, particularly in the retail, tourism and consumer-services sectors.
Nevertheless, Singapore's economy has remained fundamentally sound.

The following few years saw robust growth rates of between 7.3-9.3%, until the onslaught of the current global economic crisis. Given the openness of its economy (Singapore trades over 350% of its GDP), it was the first country in Asia to fall into recession in the third quarter of 2008 and GDP growth for 2008 came in at 1.1%, much less than the 4-6% initially forecasted. For 2009, official projections are now for the economy to contract by between 2 and 6% (official government forecast), while many economist recently revised their forecast upwards (media forecast at -3.6%). Inflation a key concern not so long ago - is now projected to be in the range of -0.5% to 0.5%.

[Jawge]

No one was chased away; they chose to leave because they felt the majority of Ja was inferior and should be serfs. Those that ran were shocked that Joshua was empowering these "illiterate brutes". Why should they own businesses? Why should they come wid dem ole naga self and swim at our proper beaches? How dare him allow them to stay at the hotels, they don't know how to behave themselves. Can't live with this communist, got to leave.

Hence they conspired to wreck the island economically. Now everyone is crying out "education, education after thiryseven years. Let's not dwell on the past, as it's counter productive. The info age has given us chance. let's grab it with both hands.

Look at Germany after WWII, look at japan, look at East Germany in 1989 and now. The time has come for us to start using our minds. Time has come for us to throw away the crutches called "manley mash up di country" "CIA wreck di economy" and whole bag of other lame self pity talk.

First and foremost we must demand quality education for all Jakans. The rest will follow.

[Mosiah]

i agree with this viewpoint 100%.

[Don1]

i agree with this viewpoint 100%.

Yes...BUT..

You are a leader who knows your policies or moreso your RHETORIC will drive away people and inflame the opposition into open war...with the JLP bringing in the CIA etc

What do you do as such a leader? Continue the war and division?

Manley should have found a better way...knowing that the Jamaican elites and sections of the middle class are so backward and selfish....fearful and hateful of the poor.

More consensus and less confrontation....he could have done it with his background as part of the elite class combined with his sense that change was needed to bring the poor into the mainstream.

He was the perfect guy to bridge the divide....but he totally screwed it up.

[Mosiah]

your opinion

[Willi]

Not everybody that left fits that bill.

[Willi]

So Harvard and MIT nuh planter class schoools too?

Mind yuh swinging the pendulum too far the other way.

Social cohesion is a universal goal.

As much as yuh nuh like white people (and we all know the atrocities that some of the perpetrated), they are YOUR people too. Dem ah HOMO SAPIENS, so you cant deny them, not even mentally. Neither can you deny, black/chinese/Indian/Arab people that commit atrocities. Shoe-bomber was half-Jamaican, as was the breddah that shoot up the train in DC 15 years ago.

Sometimes it seems that you would be alright if you and those you consider your people are on top dishing dirt on others.

I am sure Martin/Mathatma/Marcus, etc would not agree.

[Mosiah]

by the way, Jamaica is a city?

[Willi]

Is Singapore?