<< 40% is not outrageous in most parts of the world and in any case, it goes to one's health and retirement accounts, that one can use later. It's not theft. If you think Harry's a problem, check out Harry's neighbors. >>
I have lived and worked in Asia for more than 40 years and keep homes in two South East Asian countries.
The 40% I'm referring to isn't tax, per se but is the mandatory "contribution" to the "Central Provident Fund" upon which Harry's gang once guaranteed a 6% annual return and repayment in full, with interest, upon the "beneficiary" reaching the then "retirement age" of 55. (It's now about 75 years of age and returns only a percentage of the owner's contributions)
Income, import, motor vehicle and point of sale taxes are also high and are on top of the off-the-top 40% CPF tax.
As for the neighborhood, so let's concede that Harry is a sophisticated corrupt politician in a region of less sophisticated corrupt politicians. Does moral relativity make him less corrupt? No way. And even if it did, he would lose points for the fact Singapore is also the region's biggest money launderer, harbors the region's gangsters and major drug producers and runners and is both the banker for and is the investment arm of the region's drug producers, sex-slave-traffickers and illegal loggers et al.
Harry is a sanctimonious hypocrite who, along with his cronies, waxes fat on the region's crime.
But the buses and the MRT run on time and the taxis are plentiful and cheap.
That's not nothing. In virtually every tinpot dictatorship, including Mussolini's, they didn't. The fact that they do in Singapore says something, it's not all bad.
I refered to the CPF too, it's an individual retirement and rainy-day fund every citizen has some obligation and control over and I think everyone in the west should have one too.
By the way, I have lived and worked in Singapore for a few years too, and my experience there is quite recent. I was a member of the media, so I was under unusual scrutiny. I didn't live the high-life like your average partying corporate expat. I was the media - I was the enemy.
But I still can tell the difference between a hellhole and a decent place, and Singapore is much closer to a decent place. Much much closer.