Peking_Meerschaum

Peking_Meerschaum t1_jdyp90p wrote

Absolutely, I fully agree with this deal. Singapore's HDB Scheme of public housing is one of the most successful urban planning programs in modern history. But you should understand what you are suggesting, because it is probably different than how you're envisioning it.

It is important to understand that Singapore's HDB system is truly meritocratic, it isn't just a handout of free housing, but rather a form of lend-lease whereby Singapore citizens can apply for subsidized housing after meeting social criteria such as being married, and not having been convicted of a serious crime, and agreeing to abide by the rules and regulations of the housing program and the state, which are vigorously enforced by a network of community patrols and cameras. Also, married citizens who have more than two children are given priority.

If we couple this program with Singapore's robust and judicious use of corporal punishment (caning) for crimes such as vandalism and sexual assault, and the death penalty for drug dealing, then I really think we might be off to a good start. I would love to see NYCHA housing being as judiciously and equitably dispensed to good virtuous citizens as are Singapore's HDB flats, and I would love to see those who piss in and graffiti the NYCHA elevators and stairwells get the cane, and I would love to see those who deal drugs in the NYCHA halls get the death penalty.

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Peking_Meerschaum t1_jdxzked wrote

It's simple physics, though. If someone is locked in a secure box away from the general public, their ability to inflict injury upon said public drops to zero.

> I don't know that 2 years is enough to undo decades of terrible conservative policies.

We were never truly "tough on crime." It's time to try to Singapore model, enough is enough.

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Peking_Meerschaum t1_jbqz80s wrote

The PPP loan program existed because the government forced businesses to close due to the pandemic. Of course the businesses should be compensated and not forced into bankruptcy because we went through an emergency (which later turned out to be less dangerous than feared). Also, the PPP loans were specifically done so that employees could be kept on payroll and not laid off when everything was forced to close. It wasn’t just a hand-out to business owners.

No one forced anyone to go into debt to go to a liberal arts college.

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