Yeah I don't think I disagree with much of what you said - just a misunderstanding. I'm saying there's more effective spending in Singapore vs NYC. The money in this city, it all disappears into some bottomless pit or is inefficiently spent like you said.

> 30% of a country's population being expat is tiny?

Do you count workers from poorer countries working in construction as expats? If so then yes they're expats, I was under the impression that expats only referred to highly paid workers contributing to the knowledge economy.

> The study you linked shows that it's high in areas with high housing prices. Again, caused by NIMBY's.

Totally in agreement - just confused because you said it's due to drugs when my understanding was it was due to home prices, and a lot of the people take up drugs on the streets.

Malaysia though? Man. That's another place with a stupendously large amount of money and a sad amount of poverty. It all disappears into a bottomless pit in Malaysia and people suffer.

Firstly, NYC isn't America.

Secondly, just like how there are gaps in my knowledge of the programs for poor here, you're talking like Singapore's government doesn't provide food stamps and the like for the poor? And NYCHA housing? That compared to Singapore's one BR flats are miles apart. When everyone lives in public housing there is no ghetto.

Singapore's government is better run yes, but NYC doesn't get plus points for De Blasio's wife making a billion dollars supposedly meant to help the mentally ill disppear into the ether.

Also this

> Singapore's population is also incredibly small with a large % of people being expats who are only there for business/huge financial banking services in Singapore. Let's not kid ourselves... The 'actual' population is much smaller.

It's not a mystery or anything. It's a population of about 3 million locals, expats make up a tiny number. The rest are temporary workers from poorer countries.

> Also, the homeless people in American cities are usually caused by drugs. Something that Singapore doesn't have to deal with as they are not located near the Southern border where drug trafficking is rampant.

Yeah again you don't really get it. New York is a thousand miles from the Southern Border, about the same distance from Singapore to the Golden Triangle.

Lastly homelessness by drugs, jury's out on that - but I'm no expert so whatever.

> I was quite alarmed by how old some people were but still working. Singapore is more of a "tough luck" situation if you're poor.

Are you really comparing that to America? Sure Singapore's worse for poor people if you don't consider the homeless passed out on every corner to be people. Of course housing is going to be expensive, but if you're poor the government puts you in an apartment for as little as $26 a month.

If I was poor and destitute it's absolutely no question where I'd want to be.

Huh.

Thought you were this guy considering your ama about Singapore prison.

Guess there's more than one of you in our jails.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/former-us-navy-seal-gets-four-weeks-jail-for-punching-taxi-driver-fined-800

Mate are you that kid who went to prison after punching that taxi driver in Singapore? I've had a beer with you and heard you out in person.

Honestly, the government of Singapore has done worse to me, so get over your bitterness. I don't pretend to understand this country intimately and I've lived here six years, not sure why you feel so sure about mine.

> Singapore is a backwater that China will bypass eventually.

None of which was ever relevant to the conversation at hand and your inability to understand economic conditions in Singapore. Seek help and feel some grass.

2K in 2 years I'll bet on that.

In TWO YEARS? You're hilarious mate. I'm crying.

You think they'll build a canal longer than the Panama Canal through some of the most politically unstable territory in Thailand with an active Muslim insurgency in two years without a spade in the ground right now? I'm in stitches.

Can I put some money on this? 2K in 2 years?

> A canal through the Kra Isthmus, which would shorten shipping times around Asia, was suggested as early as 1677.

> The idea of a Kra Canal has been proposed in modern times since the 1930s, but has never materialized due to high cost and environmental repercussions.

Your own link.

There's a reason it hasn't been built yet despite reams of Chinese money interested in funding the project. But I don't expect much nuance out of you.

Don't believe me. Ask the Malaysians what they think of it - and they love to shit on us.

> Try raising a family in these HBD flats. It's tight as hell. Even for a couple, it's really tight.

I grew up in Singapore. On my mom's side they had three nuclear families + grandma living in one HDB flat with 2-3 kids each.

America has its own housing crisis. Singapore has basically solved homelessness, that's for one. You can just move elsewhere doesn't apply to everyone, and we all know that "just moving elsewhere" means giving up a lot of things, especially if you're a PoC.

There's a reason it costs more to live in Singapore and NYC than East St. Louis or Wichita.

Yeah I mean Singapore's infamously incorruptible and business friendly government isn't inherent and there's no guarantee it's going to remain there for the next 100 years, but you don't have to be a betting man to put good money on Malaysia, a country where a single man stole so much money from the national sovereign wealth fund the US DOJ raised their eyebrows, not getting anywhere close anytime soon.

Oh what's that? Despite it's reputation as a financial playground did you know that Singapore is the world's largest trading port outside of China?

Not sure what your long view of history has anything to do with the cost of living here and now anyhow.

Fair - I never had a problem with Singapore's weather at night, but I'm from there and acclimatized. 6-7pm you'll see the locals all out enjoying the cool breeze and sunset while sipping hot drinks.

Yes? I'm a Singaporean. Calling them concrete block housing is disingenuous. This was my neighborhood. And the latest HDB developments are basically indistinguishable from luxury condos...

Singapore has it's problems but calling it unsustainable or lacking a vibrant local community compared to NYC is pretty wild and entirely off base especially since that's how the entire city was built and has been built since the 1960s.

If you think Singapore is going to run out of money to fund it's housing market and is dependent on money from China your grasp of the economy there is very weak to say the least.

Taxes in Singapore are way lower - maybe they're factoring in CPF, but that's your money too at the end of the day.

Roasting in the sun isn't great, but neither is being dark out at 4pm amazing.

I'd take the heat over the winter, but that's not an all year round thing. Honestly I'd call it slightly in favor of NYC since the weather isn't always miserable here, but not a lot.

Singapore's public housing situation is far better too. 80% of the population lives in public housing.

Cost of eating out is a lot less with hawker fare even compared to street carts, let alone the variety and the experience.

NYC doesn't win on cost of living. NYC wins on the strength of its arts scene. Music, galleries, broadway etc.

Other CoL factors: Singapore has public healthcare (See a doctor for $30 or $50 for a private consultation to skip the line), Public education ($2 in fees for locals monthly for elementary and like $20 for middle/high school).