SPOIL from EP Films on Vimeo.
Quote from the above video website:
" 'A powerful award winning documentary on the Great Bear Rainforest.' The film shows the splendor of nature and first nation culture with through world renown photographers and beautiful photography. It highlights the what we all want to protect but our addiction to burn more oil is helping to destroy. Go to pacificwild.org to help protect this beautiful place."
(i) corporate money and taxes for the government, versus
(ii) nature and First Nations culture (original inhabitants) conservation.
I don't know enough to comment further on the challenging choice. All I know is that at least in Canada, a significant amount of the taxes for the government goes back to the people in the form of various social services and safety net. One can't say the same for those countries where businesses and the government get rich at the expense of their citizens and environment.
Lucky Tan has already pointed that pap's ideology is extreme right.
ReplyDelete10 hawker ctrs take 10 years to build. Yet temp jurong east bus interchange can finish in like 3mths to max land use (read malls again) when they call for bidding.
That said as an investor(lowly peasant) having experienced the other side i have to say sg investment climate is awesome. No capital gains tax. No dividends tax.
Hi Xianlong,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog and commenting.
Heh, heh, "心有灵系，一点通" ["a similar mind-set gets the whole idea from just a hint"]. You suggested a good example of the countries that I was writing about.
Yes, I agree with you that Singapore's low taxation rate creates a favourable investment climate. However, I wonder how much of how much of it is "hot money", i.e. investments with no corresponding real-world development value, but mainly speculative, and pushing up the cost of living without a corresponding improvement in the standard of living. That is, the policies were made by leaders who behave akin to a foreign investor with no vested interest in the long-term welfare of that country's citizens.
Personally, I wouldn't mind paying more tax if it is accompanied by effective and comprehensive welfare for the poor. We need to truly "leave no one behind".