'Give a chicken wing, take back a whole chicken.'

'Give a chicken wing, take back a whole chicken.'

This nonsensical argument is used to dampen people's mood - whenever the government has something good to announce - lest people forget to be angry with the government. It is used to keep people dissatisfied. After all, what can be good if you have to give back a whole chicken whenever you receive a chicken wing?

It works on people who do not think.

How does a government take from citizens. Through taxes.

If you're giving back a whole chicken for a chicken wing that you receive, then you must be paying lots in taxes and outgiving the government even. Are you?

If a chicken is worth 10 chicken wings, and you receive $700 in GST cash (=chicken wing), are you giving back $7000 in taxes (a whole chicken)?

Who gets that 'chicken wing' often used in this argument, the extra that is meant to help the more vulnerable?

These are the lower and middle-income earners. The lower-income group gets S$4 in benefits for every dollar of tax they pay. The middle-income earners get S$2. No one who receives a chicken wing outgives the government.