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Poll

Which one do you prefer?

Singapore
- 11 (29.7%)
Hong Kong
- 17 (45.9%)
meh
- 9 (24.3%)

Total Members Voted: 24


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Author Topic: Singapore vs Hong Kong  (Read 17596 times)

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AL the Inconspicuous

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #15 on: January 20, 2010, 02:45:01 PM »

From AP via Breitbart -- Hong Kong remains world's freest economy: report --

Quote
Hong Kong remains the world's freest place to do business while the United States has lost its claim to an unrestricted economy, according to an annual report published Wednesday.

Hong Kong, a former British colony which was returned to China in 1997, edged out rival Singapore to claim top spot for the sixteenth consecutive year in the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom.

Australia and New Zealand grabbed third and fourth spot respectively.

The report is compiled by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington-based think tank, and The Wall Street Journal.

Ireland, Switzerland, Canada, the United States, Denmark and Chile rounded out the top ten list, which is based on criteria including economic openness, trade, the efficiency of domestic regulators, and the rule of law.

But Canada pushed the US from the top seven economies deemed to have an entirely free economy due to "notable decreases in financial freedom, monetary freedom, and property rights," the report said.

"The US government's interventionist responses to the financial and economic crisis that began in 2008 have significantly undermined economic freedom and long-term prospects for economic growth," the report said.

Mainland China was ranked 140 in the list of 183 countries with Cuba, Zimbabwe and North Korea rounding out the bottom of the list.

USA declined by 2.7 points since last year - the only countries to decline more were: Mongolia (2.8), Bahamas (3.0), Uzbekistan (3.0), Solomon Islands (3.1), Ecuador (3.1), Barbados (3.2), Eritrea (3.2), Libya (3.3), Bolivia (4.2), and Timor-Leste (4.7).  And most of them have a better excuse...  :cry:

The best improved were: Montenegro (5.4), São Tomé and Príncipe (5.0), Rwanda (4.9), Macedonia (4.5), Croatia (4.1), Belarus (3.7), Bangladesh (3.6), Qatar (3.2), Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.1), Peru (3.0), Poland (2.9), Mexico (2.5), Turkey (2.2), Kuwait (2.1), and Mauritius (2.0).  Third world shit-holes some of them might be, but at least unlike they're moving in the right direction...

Both Singapore and Hong Kong inched down a tiny bit since last year.  The region to show the most persistent improvements were the small pro-capitalist Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates (including Dubai), Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2010, 03:20:10 PM by Alex Libman »
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libertylover

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #16 on: January 20, 2010, 04:59:39 PM »

As one of the few who has actually been to both places.  Even I would find it difficult to choose between the two.   And my first hand knowledge of both is very dated.  I visited Hong Kong in 1982 and Singapore in 1983 while I was living in South Korea.   Hong Kong was still under British protection and not part of China back then.  At that time I would say Singapore was poorer than Hong Kong so Hong Kong would have won.  There is one thing they do not convey in pictures, Asia's air quality is not stellar.  It is the first thing you would notice as you disembarked your plane.   Considering this is almost 25 years ago things could have changed. 
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AL the Inconspicuous

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #17 on: January 20, 2010, 05:26:01 PM »

Air quality in Hong Kong actually got worse due to all the pollution coming from the industrial heartland of Guangdong to the north, but I hear that Singapore is one of the cleanest cities in the world.

That said, yeah, I'd MUCH rather live in a colder rural climate (New Hampshire, or even Alaska, which was my first choice for FSP) than on a hot humid polluted island with millions of people packed in line sardines.  The only problem is that sometimes I get an unquenchable craving for supermodernity, and (damn you, Blade Runner!) the cities of Asia are the first things that come to mind...  :roll:
« Last Edit: January 20, 2010, 05:30:37 PM by Alex Libman »
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Alex Libman

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #18 on: August 17, 2010, 06:22:14 AM »

From Commiedot -- First 3-D IMAX Porn Movie Made In Hong Kong --

Quote
Christopher Sun of Hong Kong is directing a new porn movie that will actually be in 3-D.  The movie is being called 3-D Sex & Zen: Extreme Ecstasy and will be the first 3-D IMAX porn movie.

From the article:  "First out of the gates, the soft porn Hong Kong film comes as the stricken industry, hit hard by free Internet porn in recent years, turns to 3-D as a potential money-spinner, following on from the success of Hollywood blockbusters such as James Cameron's Avatar."

The concept of 3D porn probably deserves its own thread, but I wanted to bring this up here, in the context of a city vs city competition for brains and capital, as an example of how Singapore is shooting itself in the foot with its uptight social conservatism.  The porn industry has always been a pioneer of "early adopter" consumer electronics - Japan figured it out and profited tremendously, and it seems that Hong Kong isn't too squeamish about sexual freedom either.

According to Wikipedia:  "Visiting pornographic websites and viewing their content is not an offence in Singapore, although it is deemed illegal to provide and/or supply any form of pornography from within the country.  It is also an offence to be in possession of pornographic material."  Singapore also blocks access to all popular porn sites, though they obviously can't blacklist all of them.  Hong Kong only actively prohibits sale to minors and unwarranted public display.  Hong Kong has a fair amount of censorship laws on the books as well, but they seem to be a lot less strictly enforced.  It sure would be interesting if Singapore ended up losing the "city-state tiger wars" because of their politicians' Victorian view on smut!
« Last Edit: August 17, 2010, 06:54:07 AM by Alex Libman »
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TimeLady Victorious

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2011, 01:23:21 AM »

Singapore also has much more draconian law than Hong Kong does, for everything.
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Alex Libman

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #20 on: February 26, 2011, 11:13:47 PM »

Singapore also has much more draconian law than Hong Kong does, for everything.

The word "draconian" would apply if it's a government in the traditional coercive sense, but not if Singapore is like an overgrown voluntary neighborhood association / charter city that anyone is free to leave at any time.  They're "strict", yes, but some would argue they won't be as economically competitive without those laws.


(EDIT: added a quote box with the message ID in case it gets deleted and Someone blames me for "necroing"...)
« Last Edit: February 26, 2011, 11:16:51 PM by Alex Libman »
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TimeLady Victorious

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #21 on: February 27, 2011, 05:31:35 AM »

Singapore also has much more draconian law than Hong Kong does, for everything.

The word "draconian" would apply if it's a government in the traditional coercive sense, but not if Singapore is like an overgrown voluntary neighborhood association / charter city that anyone is free to leave at any time.  They're "strict", yes, but some would argue they won't be as economically competitive without those laws.


(EDIT: added a quote box with the message ID in case it gets deleted and Someone blames me for "necroing"...)

Good, I hope this means you won't mind being caned if you're caught smoking in an elevator.

And yes, I do have a cane I could use...

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Alex Libman

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #22 on: February 27, 2011, 08:41:06 AM »

(1)  Does consenting to the TimeLady Victorious "cane you in the butt" contract come with similar incentives that Singapore offers - world-class alpha city, great infrastructure, superb business-friendly environment, low taxation (even though it pays for a military that protects a vital artery of world trade from real local threats like Indonesian pirates), excellent skyline, sunny beaches, etc?

(2)  If you can misplace a closing [/quote] tag for so long, you probably shouldn't be trusted with a cane and my or anyone else's butt.
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TimeLady Victorious

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #23 on: February 27, 2011, 01:48:38 PM »

Also, "you can opt out at any time" sounds like any other government.

People in Singapore who were born there are considered to be Singaporean citizens by other governments, and literally can not opt out unless they go be a citizen of some other government.
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Turd Ferguson

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Re: Singapore vs Hong Kong
« Reply #24 on: February 27, 2011, 01:53:46 PM »

Singapore  10 (29.4%)
Hong Kong  15 (44.1%)
meh  9 (26.5%)
 
Total Voters: 23



I think you forgot the T in meth, so I went with Hong Kong


Great economic freedom without all the pigs.
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Some peoples idea of hell is having to mind their own business.
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