Quality Of Life
What does quality of life mean? For many, it is the measure of what one can do with the money they earn. So it seems interesting that the government in Singapore keeps claiming rising quality of life, when even basic wages cannot keep pace with inflation. If this happens, and average wage increases lag behind inflation, then the effective buying power of the average person actually falls.
Then, there is the ever-increasing property prices. If most people live in the only property they own, then there is no real way of realizing any of the gains in property value, unless one downgrades to a smaller unit. So, does that constitute a rise in quality of living?
Does it matter that we find living in a neighbouring country cheap, since we just cannot uproot and live in that country? Does it matter that we have Ferrari and Porsche cars on the streets, if the average person still needs to squeeze on the perpetually-crowded public-transport system?
Does the amount of money in our bank account mean anything, if we cannot survive without a job at any time? Give me a simpler way of life, where life goes on, even if I lose my job, and am not reduced to scavenging for empty drink cans from garbage bins!