Real development

It's the median trajectory for the development of societies: struggle, success, complacency ....

The potentially lethal third stage can be avoided if success brings with it a sense of belonging and an interest in intellectual pursuits like music, mathematics, poetry, sculpture ... These in turn stimulate innovations in design, marketing and distribution, finance, architecture and urban development, education and training, maybe even national defence and internal security - a virtuous circle of inspiration, innovation, organisation and more success.

Has this happened here? Personally, I saw lots of it during our early success but progress was blocked by "globalisation" which is neo-colonialism in financial disguise. We now have expat CEOs for home grown enterprises and buildings designed by foreign architects. These CEOs are respectfully listened to by Cabinet Ministers when they justify themselves by describing and explaining our deficiencies! Ministers not included. And the buildings look strangely similar to those designed by the same architect in another city; so maybe we actually asked for these!

I think our condition is not terminal but can be reversed by:

1. Immigration, as suggested by Adam Khoo.
2. Using experts not expats. Techies like banking treasury operations, biomedical engineer, resort entertainment director, international tax lawyer ... But no CEOs whose skill sets are at least 80% generic admin and leadership.
3. Existing CEOs given three years to find a suitable S'pore successor. The first year for executive search, the second for on-the-job training and the third, if it's for a MNC, at HQ for bonding.
4. All government-funded buildings to be designed by S'[poreans. For private developments, faster approvals and discounted development charges for S'pore designs.
5. Schools to teach broad curriculum for International Baccaleurate, requiring at least four arts and four science subjects for examination.. Scholars to be selected from those who have balanced scores for the arts and sciences.
6. Moratorium on engineering scholarships as there are too many Perm Secs and Ministers with engineering major.