Announcement: In tomorrow’s lead story on TOC, Mr Tan Kin Lian gives his answers to some questions on the issue of his running for elections. We would also like to announcement a new section on TOC – Beating The Recession (see below). This section is for everyone to share their views, experiences, advise and stories about the recession. Thanks!
Ravi Philemon / Writer
According to a recent Nielsen survey, consumer confidence in Singapore has fallen to an all-time low. The media has also been hovering over the economic meltdown for some time, trying, in vain, to explain to the people of Singapore what exactly went wrong. What did go wrong? Why the recent carnage on the Stock Exchange of Singapore, why the Lehmann Brothers fiasco, and why the rash of bank failures? Little people have been mortally wounded — people who trusted these institutions with their life savings.
For the past few days, my wife and I had the experience of taking care of my four-year-old nephew and eight-year-old niece, while their parents took a brief vacation. During the few days we spent with them, I re-discovered children’s programs on television. What an education I received in just a few days, convincing me that commercials on children’s television programs are one of the most seductive, sinister, early stages of consumerism.
Consumerism is what makes our lust driven economy work. Remember the advice given to Singaporeans by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong? “You should continue to spend on life’s little pleasures,” we were told. The government of Singapore is telling us to keep consuming, for surely if we stop consuming our economic wheels will fall off, and we will all perish. Consume or die!
Pervasive consumerism
As I watched a few days of children’s programs with my four and eight-year-old nephew and niece, I discovered that the commercials receive as much, or even more, rapt attention than the programs themselves. The message of these commercials is blatant and obvious. Children are being programmed, at any early age, to be consumers. They are being trained to consume things on their own. During or immediately after every commercial I was informed by our little consumers-in-training that they really wanted and/or needed the gizmo, gadget, diversion or junk food just advertised.
While commercials shown during children’s television programs are a problem, there is a bigger and far more malignant epidemic sweeping across our nation. I thought of the needless economic massacre suffered by many, defaulting on credit lines and loans, losing their homes — people who had been seduced by consumerism into attempting to achieve the so-called Singapore dream by the unremitting use of pieces of plastic that fit neatly into their wallets and purses.
I pondered the marketing gurus who, armed with a basic understanding of human psychology, are able to motivate, persuade and manipulate others for their own gain.
Rapacious greed of big business
Today’s adults are always yesterday’s children. They are simply products of decades of self-indulgence. When I think of our greedy, ‘me-first’, ‘get-it-now-before-you’re-too-old-to-enjoy-it’ self indulgent culture, I think of Nick Leeson, who, over a decade ago, during a time when today’s young adults were consumers-in-training, led to the downfall of Barings, United Kingdom’s oldest merchant bank, by fraud and deceit. He was eventually sentenced to prison, but his name came to symbolize the rapacious greed of big business.
Wall Street a classic Oscar-winning 1987 hit was a movie about corporate greed. In the movie, Michael Douglas said, “The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind.”
Decades later and post Nick Leeson, the greed epidemic continues, unabated. Even Town Councils are consumed by it.
Indeed, our entire nation is consumed by it.
While we all enjoy buying things for children, one of the most cherished lessons we can leave with the younger generation is that they do not deserve, nor will they receive, everything their little hearts desire. Further, if they were to ever get everything they wanted, they would not be happy – the fires of lust would burn hotter and hotter, voraciously consuming everything in sight.
J.A.C. Mackie, an Australian political scientist who visited Southeast Asia regularly for more than two decades, said Singapore had become “the quintessence of consumerism and materialism.” Although Australia has a reputation for hedonism, contemporary Singapore, Mackie says, “makes Australia look rather spiritual”. About twenty-five centuries ago, the Chinese philosopher Lao Tze cautioned against consumerism when he said, “Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity”.
In The High Price of Materialism, Tim Kasser, a psychology professor from Knox College, offers a scientific explanation of how our contemporary culture of consumerism and materialism affects our everyday happiness and psychological health. In the book, Kasser cites numerous studies as he makes a compelling case that compulsive consumerists and materialists are lonely, narcissistic, hampered in relationships, compulsive, insecure and disconsolate.
Beyond acquisition of material goods
A study of 178 countries based on life expectancy, consumption levels and happiness by the New Economic Foundation’s Happy Planet Index places Singapore at 137 out of 178 nations and at the bottom position in South-east Asia. “Singaporeans fret about financial security and retirement. Many Singaporeans are concerned they do not have enough money to grow old gracefully, and that seems to make them unhappy,” says Philip Merry, Founder of Global Leadership Academy, as they were searching for Singapore’s happiest person. He adds, “I want people to just look at (the fact) that happiness is all around you, but most of all it’s inside, and we don’t spend enough time just counting our blessings and realising just how fortunate we are.”
So perhaps instead of trying to buy our happiness and self worth or worry about what other people think about us, we should focus and decide what we value as an individual, to think for ourselves what will make us happy so we can move toward that. We have to base self-worth and happiness on our own terms. Obviously, this will be different from person to person. One person may find self-worth and happiness in helping students learn to read and write. Another may find it in their spirituality. Another may find it in helping to save the rainforests. But whatever it is it must come from within and we must each pursue things that have a value higher than the acquisition of material goods.
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Ravi:
Well written article for the right time.
I agreed with you that consumerism is deeply entrenched on our doorstep.
Part of it is due perhaps to our quick progress into the developed country status.
Moreover, our income also grows and we spend like there is no tomorrow.
Many plunge into their cards without hesistation to take the annual holiday or buy a car. It’s buy now pay later mentality for many.
I am afriad this crisis may make many of us bankrupts once people are laid off.
Savings I believe are at record low and if not for CPF funds we may all retire penniless!
Dear Ravi,
Good take. Simply put, it is “Mind over Matters”.
Torn between the necessities of survival ship in our early development years, more apparent in today’s harsher environment that is no longer in confinement as globalization had penetrated in almost any nation that advocates capitalism; I think majorities at large are inadvertently being suck into this black-hole and had allowed materialism, consumerism and what not to take hold and dictate the barometer of our happiness. We have almost lost our ability to measure.
I cannot denied the fact that progress needs to be made for any developing nation in the name of betterment for its citizenry, but when progress are (were) made at the expense of living in serenity, that is indeed something worth reflecting. Paraphrasing my dear friend Patriot who had personified this statement with diction, ‘Poverty does not cause the downfall of a nation, greed certainly will”. Can it be avoided? Can it be undone? Can we find the balance between progress and serene living? What is deemed sufficient is a very subjective decision by any individual. Some are beyond control indeed.
Whenever possible, sometimes, it pays to sit back, watch and just relax. We all truly needed to reward ourselves a long awaited break from this twisted world engulfed by consumerist advocates. Perhaps the most fundamental form of living, far from the temptations of the capitalism society may one day evolve to be the antidote of human longevity. The question is, can we find it or find one that will never be intruded by the evilness of capitalism? I believe this may turn out to be an illusive dream.
okay now consumerism and consumption are the new evils….. how else can we boost the economy and value add to our lives? anybody?
What about the iPhone craze???
http://ugly–singaporeans.blogspot.com/2008/08/ugly-singaporeans-iphone-craze.html
Our market is so small as mentioned by PM Lee we cannot prim prime our economy now we are told by woody to spend life’s unnecessary little pleasures to spur economic consumerism so that the wheels will not fall off. I am truly puzzled.
I will buy my ice kacang and eat them anyway they are not bread and butter stuff but my favorite stall gets to earn my 2 bucks. My little pleasure is 2 bucks only dont know help in anyway or not?
It is the responsibility of the people to save. But the responsibility of the Government to ensure that his country people can afford to spend, therefore allow currency to circulate.
Anything less than above, the country either head for trouble or simply reflect the INCOMPETENT of the Government.
If GCT want to convince Singaporean to spend, maybe it would be a good start to take away the GST first. Alternatively on annual basis, it would be nice for him and his ministers to donate 10% of their pay and distribute it to each Singaporean bank account like the Singapore share.
Then every Christmas will be a happy Christmas for Singaporean.
The keyword here is: Balance.
Either extreme is bad. Sadly, without materialism and consumerism, economic activities cease. Period.
I am all for spending within one’s means. It is really nothing wrong wanting to get a better education, get a better job, and move my family from an attap hut without proper sanitary facilities to, say, just a 4-room HDB house. Is such a desire undesirable?
I don’t mind the occasional D24 durian treats. How about once a month, I have a game of golf? What about once a year, at Christmas, I buy my 2 year old a little cuddly soft toy bear? And my 10 year old just did very well for her exams, I bought her a Barbie. Is that all so wrong?
So really, who is to be blamed? It’s us. Our inability to control ourselves. Yearnings, coveting for things better in quality are not always greed. Greed is quite something else.
Investing in Lehman mini bond is not greed. Some choose to hide their talents in carpets, some invest. And as in ALL investments, elements of risk exist. Some more risky, some less. In Lehman’s case, it was just a sad episode that will go down memory lanes, and hopefully some of us emerge wiser.
Gambling is greed. Blind speculation in the stocks market is greed.
Three words: Great Singapore Sale(s). anyone who has ever capitalised (sorry for the puN) on the reduced prices to buy their year’s worth of goods/clothes/gadgets is in him/herself culpable for fueling the consumerist trend.
But I don’t see anything wrong in consumerism itself–it’s a symptom, rather, of the problematic focus of Economy First that the nation has set its tracks on. Departing from the whole Confucious-says dialogue about responsible government is the mistaken belief that economic growth = good, and that our ability to purchase in itself justifies good government and, more importantly, Stability in society…
people who criticise the government for paying itself so much is obviously blind to the fact that they are people who really believe themselves to be worthy of the pay they receive; whether they are or not is another issue altogether.
Frankly, consumerism is all about maximising marginal ultility. If you buy something that makes you happy then the goal is acheived and all is well.
The key issue like the previous post said is about balance and more importantly, spending within your means. If you make $20k a month, spending $2k for a watch is not an issue but if you make $2k a month and you insist on buying the $2k watch and pay it on instalment then really it is your own doing.
What has happened to this instant gratification world we live in now is people spending money to match up with people of greatly different spending power. It is all about the face, that is the what is causing alot of grief for alot of people whom cashflows are so tight that they cannot survive without a job for no more than 2 months.
I think it is up to all of us to re-define wealth as a function of how long can you survive without a job i.e. freedom and not by possessions. For many of the well paid individuals and families, spending money to buy what they like is definitely ok. To be frank, GCT is not entirely wrong cause you do get the best bargains in markets like that. For people who have been prudent and been saving, now may be the time to get the dream house, the stock portfolio etc.
For the rest of us, I think it is time to look at ourselves and decide if we have been too frivolous about what our money in the past, and what can we do to strengthen our cashflows as we move along. Be it taking on another job, cutting out that cup of $5 latte in the morning, cooking at home more, switching off the main switches in the house, laundry, entertainment etc.
We have to first change before things can change. We cannot control the macro picture but we can control our actions.
More importantly, remember that life is not the pure accumulation of stuff and keeping up with the jones is not the sole purpose of living.
Good luck to all in this time of difficulty and remember, “This too shall pass”
It has always been about Balance.
Can you truly say you’ll be happy if you save most of your salary and only spend on the essentials?
Or do you really feel safe when you spend your entire salary when its out?
The MSM (advertisements, magazines) have been fueling our desire to buy and own this. Buy this and you’ll be cool, own this and you’ll be happy.
So rarely do we stop and question if that’s really the case, and sometimes its too late when you’re in too deep.
So before you buy that ‘luxury’ item, stop and think about whether you really need it, or can you live without it.
aiyoyo
now only thinking of how to tide over 2009, 2010, 2011 etc. financially…
VERY good observation there Ravi! I hope more are taking notice even when they are not able to take a vacation!
It’s not only a matter of stopping to think if you really need something before you buy something. It’s not totally a matter of being frugal alone.
How many jeans do you own? Do you need all of them? But still, you buy them.
In Europe and USA, the media teaches people that it’s cool to be tan. In Asia it’s the opposite, the media tells you it’s cool to be fair!
Why the huge difference of WHAT’S COOL? Why the “hypocrisy”?
Objective of the media is to make you buy or spend on the products that supposedly helps to make you look cool.
To me, TV commercials do nothing but entertain. I either say it’s a good one or a badly made ad. I’ve learnt not to believe everything’s that are advertised. Do your homework – make choices out of being well-informed.
Yep I agree with you Ravi.Today’s youth no longer believe in nation building, public service, political activism and other noble causes. Singapore is descending into an abyss of materialism and consumerism. With no values to hold our society together, how long can this last?
I see the written piece as hypocritical and contradictory.
You will see this kind of essay when disaster strikes, when wall street collapse when gloom appears and people panicked.
I don’t see articles like this when everybody is making money, when we enjoy the fruits of everybody’s greed. When consumerism powers our tiny island to be a global player in south east asia. Everybody is smiling, everybody is happy. Dollar notes spilling from our pockets.
Our ancestors, great grandfathers toiled hard to reap success to make Singapore what it became, a fast paced metropolis where human resource and talent is the only accountable revenue. Being developed means big business and investments pouring into our shores.This inadvertently turned us to ..success driven materialist. Great economies are not made by meagre consumptions but out loud big spendings! Greed is the cause of great downfall or it can be the height of wealth. The global financial system always work in a state of amnesia and we always certainly don’t learn from our mistakes. That’s why every few years we get this kind of armageddon flashing across the headlines..
The recent Lehman-AIG-walls street-whatever fiasco isn’t such a bad thing after all. It’s just the ignition key being turned on to start the engine running idle..
Science has advanced from the non-memory chips era to the enormous memory chips era, but the standard of living in Singapore has been eroded to the lowest level and the cost of living has been escalated to the highest in the world for the majority of the ordinary Singaporeans with a meagre pay of less than S$1,000 per month.
With the aid of the computers, the talented ministers of Singapore have created various subtle terms of taxing policies like COE,ERP,GST and so on to make the common commodities become more and more expensive. With the import of the foreign cheap labourers from some pauperous countries and the money launderers, local Singaporeans are living in a very miserable situation of scarce job competition but more costly food race with the imported high spenders who are mostly filthy rich foreigners taking asylum as PR in Singapore.
Because of the foreign cheap labourers from their own countries where they can rear their own chickens and grow their own cash crops in the backyards of their houses, most probably built on the state-lands, a pay of S$400 per month would be more than enough for a free foreigner to live in a dormitory and work in Singapore; but for a Singapore citizen with S$400 or even S$1,000 per month, the Singaporean could have to stay in the ‘Entry Prohibited’ state-lands then. Singapore is the only country in the world that still has a lot of uninhabited but entry prohibited state lands to brand the locals as choosy job seekers.
When the economy was a bit stable as mentioned by the ministers a few years ago, GST was simply increased by more than 40% from 5% to 7%. But now the prices of commodities have been increased by more than 50% and the wages increased by only 3%, ministers’ pays increased by 23%, why not the GST be waived or at least be decreased a little and the ministers pays be decreased by 90% since the ministers are not capable of shielding Singapore from any minor or major world economic crisis as the USA President only receives a pay of less than one-tenth of what a minister of Singapore gets?