Comments for Hongkie Town http://hongkietown.com Still here, just not as often Mon, 21 May 2012 11:12:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Facebook Dies After IPO by HKMacs http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/facebook-dies-after-ipo.html#comment-9043 HKMacs Mon, 21 May 2012 11:12:41 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9398#comment-9043 Can't read what's in that screenshot however much I blow it up. But just to point out that using AdBlock and FBPurity I never personally see one ad on Facebook - so where is the money? Can’t read what’s in that screenshot however much I blow it up. But just to point out that using AdBlock and FBPurity I never personally see one ad on Facebook – so where is the money?

]]> Comment on Gini Coefficient by nulle http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/gini-coefficient.html#comment-9042 nulle Sat, 19 May 2012 08:16:11 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9394#comment-9042 part of the solution is to stop giving land to developers to build private homes...just provide land for public or HOS homes only (plus make HOS homes sellable after first 10 year no-sale to another party) if hk:0001 doesn't like it, tell them to take a hike. Bring in Carrefour, Costco and Wal-Mart/Target and let them built stores the size of PnS/Wellcome. part of the solution is to stop giving land to developers to build private homes…just provide land for public or HOS homes only (plus make HOS homes sellable after first 10 year no-sale to another party)

if hk:0001 doesn’t like it, tell them to take a hike. Bring in Carrefour, Costco and Wal-Mart/Target and let them built stores the size of PnS/Wellcome.

]]> Comment on Gini Coefficient by Javier I. Sampedro http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/gini-coefficient.html#comment-9040 Javier I. Sampedro Thu, 17 May 2012 06:03:55 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9394#comment-9040 He has a tough task ahead plus also make more accesible living reducing the property prices. The gap between rich and poor, and how everything gets wider is not fair in a city where just a few control so much money. As you mention, even in the middle class we suffer from this. Maybe time will change things? there´s still hope... I guess He has a tough task ahead plus also make more accesible living reducing the property prices. The gap between rich and poor, and how everything gets wider is not fair in a city where just a few control so much money. As you mention, even in the middle class we suffer from this.

Maybe time will change things? there´s still hope… I guess

]]> Comment on Gini Coefficient by Lanta http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/gini-coefficient.html#comment-9037 Lanta Wed, 16 May 2012 05:16:56 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9394#comment-9037 Inflation is squeezing the hell out of people all over the world. Practically everything said about HK can be said about everyplace else. Tent cities in the USA being cleansed by police and forcing people to hide in the forest. Kind citizens offering food to the needy being arrested. There will always be people with very little wealth but HK is nowhere near the worst place for them to exist. The government is spending millions of dollars here on infrastructure that could be spent on the poor and will probably end as loss. But without the extra runway, MTR expansion, high speed rail etc HK become less and less attractive for Business to stay. If we loose that what is really left, Disneyland? The 3 network which you admire so much may be squeezing HK for profits but it is also squeezing money out of the rest of the world. Its much much more than just a HK telecom company. I`m sure some of those Euros, Pounds and US Dollars find their way back to HK and C.Y. will get his little cut to fund the new HK$2 transport fare for the elderly. Out of the box thinking, how about all those charitable people with their $6,000 invested in HKG:0016 or 0008 and handed out all the dividends to the poor instead of tinned spam. Inflation is squeezing the hell out of people all over the world. Practically everything said about HK can be said about everyplace else. Tent cities in the USA being cleansed by police and forcing people to hide in the forest. Kind citizens offering food to the needy being arrested. There will always be people with very little wealth but HK is nowhere near the worst place for them to exist.

The government is spending millions of dollars here on infrastructure that could be spent on the poor and will probably end as loss. But without the extra runway, MTR expansion, high speed rail etc HK become less and less attractive for Business to stay. If we loose that what is really left, Disneyland?

The 3 network which you admire so much may be squeezing HK for profits but it is also squeezing money out of the rest of the world. Its much much more than just a HK telecom company. I`m sure some of those Euros, Pounds and US Dollars find their way back to HK and C.Y. will get his little cut to fund the new HK$2 transport fare for the elderly.

Out of the box thinking, how about all those charitable people with their $6,000 invested in HKG:0016 or 0008 and handed out all the dividends to the poor instead of tinned spam.

]]> Comment on Obama in Rolling Stone by Spike http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/obama-in-rolling-stone.html#comment-9035 Spike Tue, 15 May 2012 08:28:45 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9385#comment-9035 Hi Robert. You wouldn't have that Economist link handy by any chance? Thanks for taking the time to write all of that, I'd say you and I are in violent agreement. But the government is too much in the pockets of the billionaires who really own and run this place for any substantial changes to take place, at least in my opinion. According to the UN's Gini Coefficient HK ranks as one of the worst places in Asia in terms of wealth distribution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality Hi Robert. You wouldn’t have that Economist link handy by any chance? Thanks for taking the time to write all of that, I’d say you and I are in violent agreement. But the government is too much in the pockets of the billionaires who really own and run this place for any substantial changes to take place, at least in my opinion. According to the UN’s Gini Coefficient HK ranks as one of the worst places in Asia in terms of wealth distribution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality

]]> Comment on 3 Cheeses Me Off by nulle http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/3-cheeses-me-off.html#comment-9034 nulle Tue, 15 May 2012 08:09:49 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9391#comment-9034 yeah, I recall similar frustration when dealing with the 3 idiots when trying to buy a new sim card with questions about use....ended up using PEOPLEs instead (China Mobile, yeah, the CCP, etc.) better service... that's why I don't buy from any stores owned by the tycoons (estate wet markets great alternative.) yeah, I recall similar frustration when dealing with the 3 idiots when trying to buy a new sim card with questions about use….ended up using PEOPLEs instead (China Mobile, yeah, the CCP, etc.) better service…

that’s why I don’t buy from any stores owned by the tycoons (estate wet markets great alternative.)

]]> Comment on Obama in Rolling Stone by Robert Simpson http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/obama-in-rolling-stone.html#comment-9033 Robert Simpson Tue, 15 May 2012 02:11:51 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9385#comment-9033 Hello Spike, I was just randomly reading comments on the Economist and someone put a link to your blog. It's quite good. Nice pics too. I just wanted to comment on HK's free economy. I have been going to HK since 1989 and have seen the incredible growth. I have also spent lots of time in France and I now live in Phuket Thailand after moving from Canada 8 years ago. I have run different business all my life and have some insight into what works and what doesn't in societies. There is one common denominator. Wealth will always get concentrated at the top if left unchecked. The second is that the wealthy at the top will never really care or be able to relate to those at the bottom. This ends up in the great wealth disparity that we see in many countries. Being from Canada with its more socialist ideals, there is much less disparity in wealth. What in fact I am saying is that humans are not all created equal. Some are smarter or have social advantages or family money or just plain luck and make it big. Small businessmen like to say that the first million is the hardest. After that you have money to play with and invest and if you do it right within a generation can become very rich. By that time you can overwhelm, buy out, out advertise etc your competition because you have reached critical mass where it is not your business skill anymore that makes the difference but because you can out muscle everyone with all your cash. This is what has happened in HK real estate, USA banks, oil, big pharma etc... This is where government intervention is necessary to balance things out so that we don't revert to a feudal system (the 1%) under the guise of democracy. Limits have to be put on sizes of corporations and individuals power. In HK for example, anything past a maximum of holdings would have to be divested and put on the market in an effort to break the concentration of wealth. ie land redistribution. In the USA, the Koch Brothers empire should be broken up and the banks downsized so that they don't control the government. It is all very complicated and maybe ultimately impossible, but that is where a more socialized system with a progressive tax system helps to redistribute wealth a bit. Its not perfect but we must try. Hello Spike,
I was just randomly reading comments on the Economist and someone put a link to your blog.
It’s quite good. Nice pics too.
I just wanted to comment on HK’s free economy. I have been going to HK since 1989 and have seen the incredible growth. I have also spent lots of time in France and I now live in Phuket Thailand after moving from Canada 8 years ago. I have run different business all my life and have some insight into what works and what doesn’t in societies. There is one common denominator. Wealth will always get concentrated at the top if left unchecked. The second is that the wealthy at the top will never really care or be able to relate to those at the bottom. This ends up in the great wealth disparity that we see in many countries. Being from Canada with its more socialist ideals, there is much less disparity in wealth. What in fact I am saying is that humans are not all created equal. Some are smarter or have social advantages or family money or just plain luck and make it big. Small businessmen like to say that the first million is the hardest. After that you have money to play with and invest and if you do it right within a generation can become very rich. By that time you can overwhelm, buy out, out advertise etc your competition because you have reached critical mass where it is not your business skill anymore that makes the difference but because you can out muscle everyone with all your cash.
This is what has happened in HK real estate, USA banks, oil, big pharma etc…
This is where government intervention is necessary to balance things out so that we don’t revert to a feudal system (the 1%) under the guise of democracy.
Limits have to be put on sizes of corporations and individuals power. In HK for example, anything past a maximum of holdings would have to be divested and put on the market in an effort to break the concentration of wealth. ie land redistribution. In the USA, the Koch Brothers empire should be broken up and the banks downsized so that they don’t control the government.
It is all very complicated and maybe ultimately impossible, but that is where a more socialized system with a progressive tax system helps to redistribute wealth a bit. Its not perfect but we must try.

]]> Comment on Obama in Rolling Stone by Spike http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/obama-in-rolling-stone.html#comment-9023 Spike Tue, 08 May 2012 00:05:25 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9385#comment-9023 I know of it but haven't read it; haven't had time to read much of anything not directly job-related these days! I know of it but haven’t read it; haven’t had time to read much of anything not directly job-related these days!

]]> Comment on Obama in Rolling Stone by Jarrett http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/obama-in-rolling-stone.html#comment-9022 Jarrett Mon, 07 May 2012 10:54:42 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9385#comment-9022 Spike, have you read Matt Taibbi's 'Griftopia'? It's a brilliant history of the financial crisis. It's an angry, eloquent and despairing read. He also blogs for Rolling Stone. His image of vampire squids, "wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money," is the perfect representation of the rent-seeking cartels and oligarchs that are gradually throttling the life out of Hong Kong. Free market fundamentalists and creepy Randians never seem to acknowledge the overwhelming economic importance for businesses to have access to a large pool of employees with access to good transport, housing, health care and education. Spike, have you read Matt Taibbi’s ‘Griftopia’? It’s a brilliant history of the financial crisis. It’s an angry, eloquent and despairing read. He also blogs for Rolling Stone.

His image of vampire squids, “wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money,” is the perfect representation of the rent-seeking cartels and oligarchs that are gradually throttling the life out of Hong Kong.

Free market fundamentalists and creepy Randians never seem to acknowledge the overwhelming economic importance for businesses to have access to a large pool of employees with access to good transport, housing, health care and education.

]]> Comment on Obama in Rolling Stone by Spike http://hongkietown.com/2012/05/obama-in-rolling-stone.html#comment-9021 Spike Mon, 07 May 2012 07:14:03 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=9385#comment-9021 No super moon shot because in SK there's been 100% cloud cover for the past two nights. No super moon shot because in SK there’s been 100% cloud cover for the past two nights.

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