Will Indonesia replace Singapore as the American base in Asean

SINGAPORE: The signing of a “major” defence partnership between the United States and Indonesia reflects a “practical alignment of interests” between Jakarta’s push to modernise its armed forces and Washington’s efforts to deepen ties with a strategically vital Southeast Asian power, analysts told CNA.

It also signals a relationship that is on an “upward” trajectory, compared to their chequered past with Indonesian military officials previously barred from entering the US amid purported human rights violations. These include President Prabowo Subianto and reportedly also Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin....

And this, analysts say, may have a broader impact on the region and see Indonesia emerge as a “stronger and more credible voice” within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

“More broadly, the Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) has the potential to elevate Indonesia’s status as a middle power with a firmer strategic footing in Southeast Asia,” said Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations lecturer at Indonesia’s President University and Padjadjaran University. CNA

This is a big move by the Indonesians amidst the American Operation to kill Iranians, a Muslim state. Indonesia has been making many friendly gestures to the Americans, including a place in the Piss Board to make Trump happy. Unfortunately, the Muslim community did not favour this and Indonesia did an about turn, not giving Trump the US$1b for a seat in his Piss Board.

This announcement of a major defence partnership is even more important than being a member of the Piss Board. With increasing military cooperation and the purchase of world class American weapons systems, hopefully not the same types that were offered to the Arabs, Indonesia would become the most powerful nation in Asean, militarily. On the cards must be the most coveted F35s, the real stuff, with no kill switches and with weapons system that would not be subject to Israeli approval. Would Indonesia be able to buy whatever weapons that Singapore can buy from the Americans and of the same quality? Indonesia's F35s would definitely be based in Indonesia, if the Americans agreed to sell.

Further improvement in relations will be military bases or access to Indonesia military bases by the Americans. This would upend Singapore's relationship with the Americans. Maybe Malaysia will be next to join the party. And the biggest winner will be the Americans, fully integrated into Asean and with a bigger military presence in the region.

One good thing, with good relations with the Americans, the Strait of Malacca will be safe from being blockade by the Americans. Trump will not say he wants to take the Strait of Malacca for the national security of America when he has so many friends in Asean, unlike in Europe. Being friends of America has its advantages. The Strait of Malacca will not go the Greenland way.

What would the Iranians be thinking?

New Rules Based Order taking shape under Mafia Pax Americano

 Quietly but surely a new Americano Rules Based Order or Disorder is taking shape and would soon be a fait accompli. It is based on the Rule of Lawlessness personified in lunatic Trump. Trump is the pride of the American Empire and well loved and supported by the American people for his genius and exploits in his alternate world where he thrives in felony, cheating and bankruptcies, raping little girls, killings, massacres and genocides, where he can threaten and bully anyone he likes without a second thought, where he can take anything he wants, little pussies, or President and First Lady of foreign countries, or land and countries. Under this great mafia chief, the American can do anything they want, He, Jesus Donald Trump, is the law under heaven.

Not only the Americans love him, Congress and the Senate are all behind him in their silent consent, even going to war with no need for Congressional approval. So far so good as long as he claims he is winning, he is the one calling the shot, doing the bombing and killings with no consequences and with very few dead American boys and girls, only 13...if you believe this is true. The Israeli terrorists just killed more than 2,000 Lebanese in one week of bombing! And the Americans believe him and not wanting to know the truth...as long as the body bags are not coming home, or the number is not disclosed.

Not only the Americans are behind this lunatic. The whole world is also accepting this gangster Rules Based Order without saying a word in condemnation. The American terrorists are behaving like pirates, like they own and rule the world, attacking commercial ships, boarding them to check their cargoes, arresting ships in international waters. The world looks on in disbelief and in quiet acquiescence. What to do, too weak to fight the American terrorists. The world will only condemn countries and behaviours that they did not agree, like against China, Russia and Iran for their aggressiveness and wanting to take over the world, because the American terrorists said so.

Let me repeat, no world leader dares to condemn the killings of Palestinians, Iranians, Arabs and Muslims. Anyone disagree? Many may even accept that this is the lesser evil, without saying it.  Some proudly say it out loud that they support the evil American Empire, they will support lunatic Trump and his despicable behaviours. And they will not condemn him. The ethos of world leaders is so sick, more despicable than Trump, that they cannot see anything wrong kissing the ass of this pedophiles, rapists, mass murderers and Jesus impersonate or Satan reincarnate. Evil is goodness, Trump is virtuous and everything to loathe and dying for in America.

The world is not resisting, and is preparing to live under the evil Mafia Pax Americano, led by Jesus Donald Trump and his clowns in Washington for another 1,000 years. No one questions how dare Trump to think he is Jesus. And no one is offended, thinking it is fun to mock Jesus like Trump did. This is the new trend in Trump's fan club. Poor thing Jesus! Right and wrong is very confusing. It is so difficult to tell, really, when they all idolise Jesus Donald Trump.

China is the most happy country, China is not the most happy country?

Same as China never can be in the running for being among the topmost happy country, never in the running for Nobel Prizes (if I am not wrong), never able to escape being demonized for any little hiccup, always touted to be collapsing according to the Western media, always accused of mistreatment of minorities and anything that goes wrong in the world is all because of China.

I could not help laughing when a particular survey put China on top of the happiness index truthfully, but which was deemed destroying the cultivated monopoly of the White countries and had to be exhumed from mention after that. What does that action tell us about Western mentality?

As some people like to say, not seeing beggars does not mean there are no beggars.


Anonymous

America is squeezing Japan dry, who is Japan going to attack next?

Just look at how defeated the Japanese Samurai spirit has become, having to ask the USA permission to save its currency. Even India felt slighted earlier when told it had to seek USA permission to buy Russian oil, for one month only mind you. Well, both are good friends of the USA who forgot Henry Kissinger's advice.

Japan is still held tightly by the USA on a leash, unable to do anything about its economy, falling from the second biggest economy to fourth today, with its currency going bananas. That has not helped Japan in its exports realistically, otherwise why is Japan still in the doldrums after three decades of stagnation. The cheap Yen did not help Japan to fend off the competition from South Korea and now China and resulted in Japan losing out its consumer electronics market earlier to South Korea. The shipbuilding sector followed and now Japan's vehicle market if facing stiff competition.

Maybe Japan is looking for another war to rise again. But this time it will not be the same, as China is no pushover today. So, who does Japan want to conquer next? Take over Taiwan? China will never allow that to happen. Japan has problems with Russia too as old debts have never been forgotten.


Anonymous

The world's two least corrupt countries

 Singapore has been the envy of the world for being a corrupt free country, or nearly there. Singapore has its little warts now and then, but the system will not tolerate corruption in principle. In the past and recent past, even political leaders had been caught and dealt with severely by the law, with no exceptions. The squeaky clean Singapore govt wears this as a badge of honour and pride, strutting around the world and deserving it. Don't mess around in Singapore. 

But Singapore can only call itself as number two, not number one, in being a corruption free country. The top honour, the country that is corruption free, is the USA. I will explain this later. Because of this exceptional quality, American Exceptionalism, the Americans were so arrogant and aloof when condemning China of corruption. China tries very hard to keep corruption under control with very strict and draconian laws. But this did not save them from being abused and insulted by the corruption free Americans. The hillbillies and rednecks really believe America is corruption free. Every time a corrupt official is caught and sentenced to death or life imprisonment, the Americans will blow their trumpet to tell the world how corrupt is China. China knows that corruption is a trait that affects all human beans and will take time to eradicate, may not be able to do so completely. But China will keep on pursuing the corrupt officials relentlessly to minimise this plague. Every little trick of the corrupt officials are now known to the Chinese anti corruption bureau.

America is in a happier position, a country without corruption, corruption free. I am serious. This is not a joke. In America, the senators and congressmen and women are not corrupt. But they continue to receive funds or corrupt money through a process call lobby. Anyone, individual, corporation, country, can donate money to American politicians, all the way to the President of the USA, legally. There is no shame or crime when receiving donation funds through the concept or practice of lobbying. Lobbying is legal, part of the American political system. As long as the Americans call it lobby money, not bribery, not corruption, then it is not a crime. It is not corruption. And the receivers of such donations can legally do the bidding of the donors. This is the best American practice that the world can learn and be corruption free.

The Americans can proudly stand on top of the hill, Capitol Hill not Calvary, and tell the whole world that America is a corruption free country. And this is legally correct, no bluff. The Americans are very good at playing with words and with what is legal or illegal. When they made lobbying legal, or call bribery as lobbying, heh, heh, heh, where got corruption? What is legal or legal is what the American said. like what or who is a terrorist and who is not, who is a warmonger, a mass murderer and who is not.

Today, this disease is so serious that practically every American politician from the POTUS downwards is taking money, oops lobbying for money openly, legally. Trump's Piss Board is a good example, asking for US$1b a piece, for his personal fund. No American will say it is illegal. Countries of the world can choose the Singapore or American system to be corruption free. They can be corruption free if they choose and believe in the corruption free American system and can quote that the Americans are doing it, so should be ok. If they choose the Singapore system, they can only be number two, second to America, but better than many countries in the world. 

The pride of Singapore is that corruption is very rare, like errors in the GIRO system. Nothing to worry about.