Ignore them and talk less about a subject those people know nothing about and are philosophically opposed to.
Try paying 120% of the value of any new or used car as tax. Then add all the other fees and licenses. Then realize that every industry is oligopoly controlled by government businesses - bus, grocery, etc. Also, almost all land is owned by the government - ever heard of lease-hold? Then if you live there you will experience more news censorship than in China - no Sex in the City, no Cosmopolitan, no independent journalism ... On the plus side, it is quite easy for foreigners, even traders, to immigrate. After all, the government needs to replace all of their young, educated taxpayers who have fled where all the real opportunities are in China or US. Another plus is that all drug dealers, rapists, murderers, and most ugly people are executed shortly after conviction. Also, the cleanest city I've ever visited ... and that is no small statement. Btw, criticizing the government there is explicitly illegal - I bs you not. If anything I've said might come across as critical of the administration, I wish to confirm that my statements were strictly in jest.
is to make yourself filthy rich trading. Unfortunately, that seems to be be the only forseeable way to show them that they are wrong. Once they see the beenas, trust me, their minds will change VERY quickly...hehehe However, you might do well to take some tips from your mom. A lot of the garbage out there is just a way for people to make money. To learn how to trade, I gather you need to simply delve into the markets and figure things out on your own! Reading books on investing may be good but be careful who you are reading; books by buffet, schwager, soros, wilmott, and academic analyses of markets will do you just fine. I'd personally stay away from authors whose trading success is questionable. Trading CAN BE gambling but it doesn't have to be. If you look at trading as a business rather than as a get rich quick scheme, you will begin to see your losses not as wrong sides of the gamble, but rather as unprofitable business days. In fact, ANY business can be equated with gambling, though I admit that trading is easier to gamble in than many other businesses. I am new to trading myself so I suppose my statement above implies that you should disregard my advice altogether (I don't have a proven track record on any significant, i.e. life changing, scale). However, I, like yourself, have a desire to understand how the financial markets move and hope to be able to capitalize on that understanding one day. Right now, I'm a student so it'll be a while before I actually get there! I hope that helps somewhat.
hehehe. Good point! But I can understand how a person can begin to not take him/herself seriously when the whole world doesn't take him/her seriously. So his/her answer to your question may be swayed by what everyone else thinks... But having an education studying academic journals, being good at math, and even being smart ARE NOT necessarily prerequisites for wall street success. I am sure there exist countless examples of success in which the trader in question had none of these traits (note the difference between providing detailed information on such examples and the examples' mere existence....as you know, it is easier to become rich on wall street than it is to become famous so though there may exist countless examples, we may not necessarily be able to provide them as supporting evidence). So i guess the question is, what makes one successful in the markets? My guess would be discipline, above all. What do you think?
Are you serious about that? Can singaporeans trade US markets as well without having to pay taxes? Are there any reasons whatsoever why one would choose not to move there and trade then (i mean reasons pertaining to tax liability and the security of your capital)? makes you wonder, doesn't it?