Daily Lessons from Life 19 August 2010 - 'A terrible place to live'

"Wed, Aug 18, 2010 -The New Paper 'A terrible place to live'

THEY were living just above a toilet.

Home for these foreign workers was through a tiny door that they had to access via a shaky ladder. There were no windows.
It was dark,damp and dangerous.

The dormitory of 5 rooms supposedly housed 300 foreign workers (FWs) from 35 companies."

I am surprised that someone were surprised that such living conditions for FWs exist in Singapore. Singapore is really NO difference from any other growth-at-all-cost capitalist society when it comes to 'maximizing' low cost labors in a high cost place!!

Lessons for me are:

1. we need to be realistic that Singaporean business people are no Saints! They are many who will press cost to make profit for their business without any reservation on applying the 'market' treatment of FWs!;

2. it is a 'market' treatment since there are 35 companies involved. Right? Well, at least that will be lame justification these companies when challenged will cling to!!;

3. since the FWs are 'willing' to take such treatment, it surely are acceptable. Right? Well, that we have to ask the FWs. More importantly, what do the government officials have to say the oft-repeated argument or point of view put forward by many Singaporeans that Singaporeans SIMPLY cannot compete with these FWs as no government will want Singaporeans to be living in such terrible condition! i.e. even if Singaporeans want to take this treatment and the job, the government would have stopped them!! Yes?

Another sign of the sicked system human kind in the capitalist world is engaging it. It is not sustainable. I am sure of this.