新加坡这座城市最糟糕的事情是什么？（其二）

主题：新加坡这座城市最糟糕的事情是什么？

Timothy Tan

新加坡不是国家，而是企业。作为前新加坡人，我看过新加坡对待公民和外国人的区别。我看见熟练的技工被替换，因为雇一个印度人或中国人更便宜。我看见一位部长女儿的留言，嘲笑一位因“精英至上”而失业的自杀工程师，他的成本过高就该去死。这就是我长大成人的新加坡。也许它变了，我离开它已经20年。但考虑到它在大流行中的表现，我非常怀疑这一点。这个城邦本质上还是一家企业，而我不想做一个企业的公民。

Bill Chen

香港？你现在持哪国护照？

Timothy Tan

我现在是归化的中国公民。

Bill Chen

香港更多彩，但对于多数人来说，生活也远为艰难。你能在移民上作选择，说明你已经是经济流动人口中的前百分之几。

当我们以不平等和人情味做观察，我不知道香港怎么会好于新加坡，因为我所知道的香港十分物质主义，金钱至上。

我不认为人民离开新加坡是为了去上另一艘企业的船。香港主要的优势只有低税和没有国家社会主义。

Timothy Tan

我是中国公民。香港自身残留着一幅殖民主义的讽刺画，虽然在逐渐改变了。不过，香港和中国优先对待它们的公民，而不是外来劳工。在此意义上，香港人和中国人比起企业有更高的优先级。这是与新加坡正相反。不平等现象在全球都呈增长，但中国是仅有的正对此开展行动的国家。一国两制意味着香港仍然有些落后，但改革之风正在降临。寡头的影响肉眼可见地下降。中国的社会政策越早在香港通过，贫民百姓的境况就越好。不动产巨头和资本家？其实没有那么多。

单词表

expat v.逐出国外，移居国外 n.亡命国外者
minister n.部长，大臣
ridicule vt.嘲笑，愚弄
suicide n.自杀，自杀者 v.自杀 a.自杀的
meritocracy n.英才教育，精英管理
deserve v.应受，应得
given prep.考虑到
at heart 本质上，内心里
corporate a.社团的，法人的
naturalize vt.接收入籍，使归化，引进种植，吸收外来语言风俗
way ad.远远地，大大地
exercise vt.使用
immigration n.移民检查站，移民
mobile people 流动人口
inequality n.不平等
human touch 人情味，人性化
materialistic a.唯物论的，唯物主义的
minded a.有……思想的
ns = national socialism 国家社会主义
carucature n.讽刺画
priority n.优先，优先权
labour n.劳动力，人工，分娩 vi.劳动，分娩
approach v.接近，靠近 n.靠近，途径，方法
lag n.迟延，落后 vt.落后于 vi.滞后
oligarch n.寡头执政者
decline n.下降，减少，衰退 v.辞谢，谢绝
enact vt.制订法律，通过法案
populace n.百姓，平民
real estate n.不动产
tycoon n.巨富，巨头

Timothy Tan

Singapore is not a country. It is a corporation. As a former Singaporean, I see how citizens are treated vs expats. I saw experienced skilled workers replaced because it was cheaper to hire an Indian or Chinese. I saw a comment from a daughter of a minister ridiculing the suicide of an engineer for losing his job because of “meritocracy”, that his cost was too high and deserves to die. That is the Singapore I grew up in. Maybe it has changed. I left almost 2 decades ago. But given how they have acted in the pandemic, I seriously doubt it.
The city state is still a corporation at heart, and I do not want to be a citizen of a corporate.

Bill Chen

Hong Kong? What's your passport now?

Timothy Tan

I am now a Naturalised Chinese Citizen.

Bill Chen

Hong Kong is more colorful, but life is way harder for most. Being able to exercise immigration choice puts you in the top few percent of economically mobile people.

I don't understand how Hong Kong is better than Singapore when it comes to inequality and the human touch, because the Hong Kong I know is materialistic, and money-minded.

I don't think people leave Singapore to jump onto another corporate ship. The main advantage of hk is low tax and no ns.

Timothy Tan

I am a Chinese citizen. Hong Kong itself remains a caricature of colonialism though it is changing. However, Hong Kong and China puts priority on its citizens, not on imported labour. In that sense, Hong Kong and Chinese people are at higher priority than corporates. That is the opposite of Singapore. Inequality is a growing phenomenon globally but it appears China is the only country doing something about it. The 2–systems approach means that HK still lags but the winds of change are coming. The oligarchs’ influence is visibly declining. The sooner China’s social policies in enacted in HK, the better it is for the main populace. Real estate tycoons and capitalists? Not so much.