1/15    Related to the post below, one of my friends from Singapore says
        the government tries to mold the society using strict laws and tax
        incentives. For example, he says that well educated people have
        tax incentives for having kids whereas the less educated people
        (this is supposedly aimed at the Malaysians and others) have penalty
        for having kids. Is this really true, and if so, is it ethical?
        \_ What you have to understand about Singapore is that their
           situation is much different than ours. They're a very small
           nation surrounded by some not-so-peaceful-nations. Their
           survival depends having well educated people and a stable
           society so they develop laws centered around that. And like
           Israel, they also have a required National Service for men.
        \_ Ethics isn't the issue.  What sort of society do you think is going
           to do better in the long term: one which penalises the uneducated
           masses and promotes education or one which does the opposite such
           as ours?  Governments don't have ethics or morals.  They have goals
           and self interest.  Never make the mistake of thinking of any
           government in human terms.  Governments are not people.
           \_ Ah, the lucky ducky arguments...