The 80s is also the golden age of cartoons though i don't fully understand english at that time. Growing up in a low income family i had very few toys. My fun is going to my classmate's house to play boardgames like Risk, PayDay, Monopoly, Carrom. I had a great childhood compared to the kids of today subjected to tuition & loads of homework. Kids of today have lots of toys & gadgets but what childhood do many of them have?
More stuff is not necessarily better/happier.
The 80s & early 90s are the golden age of S'pore. I consider the downhill started from the introduction of GST at 3%(regressive tax) in 1994. The tax though at 3% had a huge impact on me as i'm a student back then with little pocket $$. Though the general population don't have as much material posessions as of today, people are more happier & with lesser stress.
Back then i don't recall there's any public air-con buses. Neither do i come across any grouses by others about the hot temperatures back then. With global warming fueled by overconsumerism, travelling on packed buses now without air-con is like a sauna.
Public Buses
Is an absolute joke that the public buses left with full seats are the buses of route 160 & 170 that i take to leave S'pore & goto JB, Malaysia. Now the rest of the buses are littered with standing space after seats are removed to squeeze more standing passengers to milk more profits in this overcrowded tiny island. Same goes for the trains.
More Self-Employed Hawkers with Pride in 80s
There's no food court back in 80s. Beauty World Shopping Centre is a classic mall with hawker center at the top. Hawkers cook & serve their food with pride. Nowadays the staff manning the food courts selling overpriced lousy food are literally 'zombies'.
Charity Shows
I don't remember having charity shows on tv in 80s. Now income inequality getting from bad to worse. Society is more equal back then. Now need charity shows raise funds. Charity shows are a tempoary patch to a system that's increasingly growing unstable.
Decline of Community Spirit & Rise of Materialism
Shopping malls began sprouting up like mushrooms from mid 90s onwards. Shopping malls & Orchard Road in 80s have a lot less crowds compared to the locusts swarms of consumers descenting on the malls nowadays.
People back then are more citizens than consumers. Now is people are more consumers than citizens.
Public Service to Overpriced Ministers
Govt ministers back then did good job on lesser paychecks. Now $M paycheck ministers running the country into decline. Same with other services in sg, pay more for lesser service quality.
More Leisure Time in 80s
Leisure time is a form of wealth. People enjoy more leisure time unlike the frenzied hurried lives that many 'hamsters' now live. Once passed the self-sufficient stage of material possessions, more stuff ain't gonna make one more happier if there's little/no time to enjoy.
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Is sad to watch what the grow gdp at all costs like cancer approach by the ruling regime has done over the years.
Sure missed the 80s & 90s too. Enjoyed the video. Nice post, thanks.
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