1/15/2016

Obama has a lot to learn from Singapore

I went through Obama’s final speech before his Presidency expired and found many similarities and many shortcomings with Singapore. There are really many things that Obama could learn from Singapore and before quitting his Presidency on a high note. Alas, it is a bit too late now. Let me just mention a few points and maybe the next American president could pick up the cue from Singapore’s success.

The first point, Obama felt that ‘many Americans feel frightened and shut out of a political and economic system they view as rigged against their interests.’ How can the American political and economic system be rigged against the Americans? I only know that the American stock market system is highly rigged and they knew but not doing anything, allowing the cheats to cheat the innocent investors with their super computers. It is a crime that many silly countries are copying without thinking of the consequences. As for political and economic system, the Americans need to look no further. Come to Singapore and learn from our unrigged, fully transparent and fair system. Obama also called for an end to gerrymandering. This one he can also learn from Singapore, definitely no gerrymandering here. Then the American system will become fairer and more transparent.

Losing jobs and continuous training are also affecting the Americans.  Obama also told the Americans that they must retool and retrain but ‘they shouldn’t lose what they’ve already worked so hard to build in the process.’ This one I am not too sure if the Americans should learn from us with our many good lifelong training systems and SkillsFuture stats board helping the people to be retrained to be taxi drivers and security guards and many well paying jobs. I pass on this one.

Oh, one thing the American system is different from Singapore, they have unemployment payments which we don’t have. This one maybe we have to learn from the Americans.  Obama also wanted to raise minimum wage and strict immigration laws. Yes, the Americans should have more lax immigration policies like Singapore and let in more immigrants for more growth. No wonder their economy is not growing. Donald Trump would disagree and I can understand him.

Obama also advised the Americans to get more involved in politics. This one is the same as us. We also want our Singaporeans to get more involved in politics of the right kind, not the Hong Lim Park kind or the opposition kind. We need to vote and support a one party system, a ownself checks ownself system, the best kind of political system in the world that brought us from 3rd world to 1st World. The proof is in the pudding. We have proven that this system of one party ownself checks ownself works very well.

The Americans must come more often to learn from Singapore even if the Oracle is no longer around. We have many super talents that are paid in many millions not for nothing. They are really super talented and can offer the American presidents many good advices. It is a wisdom to learn from people earning more money than you. Talent and wisdom are measured by the money one commands and earns.

79 comments:

Anonymous said...

// Talent and wisdom are measured by the money one commands and earns.//

"Shortie" put in charge of the CON-MITTEE to "offer hope" ......

Anonymous said...

...... but was practically reading off the script ( prepared by somboLEE else? ) in a major speech ....?

Anonymous said...

..... a speech littered with countless "fatherhood, grandfatherhood, grandmotherhood" statements ......?

Anonymous said...

Not to be "outdone" and "be seen in the running. ......", kee chiu oso said ants workers ...... oops ..... sinkieland's workers //must retool and retrain // .......?

Anonymous said...

Why 3 speeches made within one day have so many similar "great, great, great grandmotherhood" statements?

Anonymous said...

Omapa, "shortie" and kee chiu "copied and pasted here and there" from some "model answer speeches"?

Anonymous said...

// We have many super talents that are paid in many millions not for nothing. //


Tiok?

Anonymous said...

Even scripts "copied, cut and pasted" from standard "model answer speeches"?

Anonymous said...

So?

Anonymous said...

Lol ......

Anonymous said...

// There are really many things that Obama could learn from Singapore and before quitting his Presidency on a high note. //


Actually Omaba should be wary of the erie and chilling similarities in the market in his last year of presidency and that of the "swashbuckling wild" bush in 2008?

Anonymous said...

Anyway, about a month ago, FED chairwoman Janet Yellen testified in a joint Congress select committee hearing that monetary policy "cannot cure" structural unemployment and out of the hand of the FED. ...?

It is the job of the US government?

Anonymous said...

But omapa, after almost 8 years in office ( and at the end of his term ) is talking about //retool and retrain// .....?

Anonymous said...

"Talent and wisdom are measured by the money one commands and earns."
redbean.

I disagree.
Talent and wisdom are measured by whether you can decide on your own salary.
If you can write your own paycheck, you are talented.
Own self decide how much to pay own self.
Obama is definitely not talented.

Anonymous said...

Do you think Obama will continue to stay in the White House as "Mentor President" after he retires as President?

Anonymous said...

With "Shortie" and Kee Chiu "parroting" such lines?

Anonymous said...

Might as well all these politicians next time bring a recorder along, go to the podium, take out the recorder, place near the mic, press "play", go for "coffee break", and come back a few seconds before the "speech" stops ( and in time ) to "receive" the ( mechanical ) applause from the ( numbed ) audience?

Anonymous said...

In the new economy, with many jobs made redundant and being replaced by robots, why not have robots replaced politicians or G-O-H ( guest of honour ) since the speeches are almost always pre-written by a backend staff and thus can be fed into a robot and read by one?

Make sense?

Politicians oso better // retool and retrain // or get replaced by AI ( artificial intelligence )?

virgo49 said...

Hi Anon 10.46.

You are absolutely right.

Those who write their paychecks or dont call salaries lah are the talented ones. For the earnings belong to them.

Rest,aiyo, how much you earned as Japanese said still salarymen.

Thats why our million dollars ministers and three quarter Million MPs were thinking.

KnN, we are the law makers and how can we lose to people like Mr Wee Cho Yow. So.we.must also benchmarked our incomes to them.

But they did not realised that they are duds with 800 dollars salaries when employed outside their domain.

Anonymous said...

// I went through Obama’s final speech before his Presidency expired and found many similarities and many shortcomings with Singapore. //


True?

Anonymous said...

Difference # 1:

They don't suka suka redraw electoral boundaries such that the State of Minnesota ( bordering Canada ) oso belongs to State of Texas ( bordering Mexico ) electoral ward like Braddell Heights and Serangoon Ave ( in the north east ) oso can belong to Marine Parade ( in the south west )?

Oso the State of New Hampshire ( as an electoral ward ) is the State of New Hampshire whether during Abraham Lincoln time in 19th century or during FDR time in 20th century or during Omapa time in the 21st century .......

In GE 2011, suddenly there was Moulmein-Kallang GRC then GE 2015 suddenly kena carved up and disappear liao .....

Uniquely Gerry-meddling?

Rb is definitely right in his post title ......?

Omapa has a lot to learn ......?

Anonymous said...

Similarity # 2:

Both have "very high" Gini coefficient, which is more commonly associated with African countries?

The rich jiak buy liao for 100 generations?

The poor, poorer than the a bony lioness who had not succeeded in her hunting for a week. .....?

b said...

Obama is a great orator ie liar. A lot of his speech is baseless.

Anonymous said...

Difference # 2:

America has some of the world's best uni and oso a few hundred Nobel Prize Laureates over the years .......

The city of sins ...... ermmmmmmmm. ......... ermmmmmmmm. .......... ermmmmmmmm ..... 100 minus 2,000 plus 1,900 Nobel Prize Laureates. .......

Anonymous said...

Difference # 3:

The total land size of the US is about 9.55 million sq km ......

The total land area of city of sins is about 0.000 718 million sq km .....

Anonymous said...

Similarity # 3:

Despite such a huge disparity, the US and city of sins share a common characteristic. .....

They both have casinos ......

In the US, casinos are built in the one of the remotest desert part of the State of Nevada. ........... In the city of sins, living up to its name, 2 huge casinos, built at the cost of almost $10 billions each, are smacked right in the middle of 2 of the most prime locations in the city centre ......

Anonymous said...

// Let me just mention a few points and maybe the next American president could pick up the cue from Singapore’s success. //


Going by the current trend in the US economy, likely the wind is blowing in the GOP's favour?

Anonymous said...

If Trump trumps in the end, international relations could be less predictable between 2017 to 2020 ......?

Anonymous said...

But in terms of the current international situations, Trump might have more of the economic attributes that the world needs to steer the world economic fortune to calmer waters .....?

Anonymous said...

// Oh, one thing the American system is different from Singapore, they have unemployment payments which we don’t have. //


New York FED President William Dudley seemed to confirm the fear of the USD 4.3 Trillion QE medium and long term effect on the economy with essentially neutral effect on economic growth?

Anonymous said...

Macroeconomics theory is well substantiated the outcome of that amount of money sloshing in the real economy ( and worst more likely to come, with the central bank having to unlimitedly and infinitely back stopping the Federal government's ballooning national debts now estimated at USD18.9 Trillion )?

US public debts are more than 6 times their annual revenues ( and no chance ever to be repaid or paid down short of 1923 Germany Weimar Republic style of money printing with every loaf of bread costing one wheelbarrow of notes )?

Anonymous said...

The question is what is the timeline?

Anonymous said...

// The Americans must come more often to learn from Singapore even if the Oracle is no longer around. We have many super talents that are paid in many millions not for nothing. They are really super talented and can offer the American presidents many good advices. It is a wisdom to learn from people earning more money than you. Talent and wisdom are measured by the money one commands and earns. //


Yes?

Anonymous said...

One thing the Americans can learn is to appoint duds ...... oops ...... economics kongcum to MAS and MTI?

Anonymous said...

Current FED vice chair Stanley Fischer wrote 3 economics textbooks and taught at Ivy League U ......?

Going by city of sins ( appointment ) logic, they should appoint engineering and chemistry background duds ...... oops economics kongcum to such posts and not economics professors. .....?

Anonymous said...

Goh Keng Swee last post in MAS lasted till 1992.

Ever since GKS presence was not felt in economics policies in the city of sins, the competitiveness of sin "grew" from "strength to strength " till it has to resort to vices to "stay afloat" in the 2000s and 2010s?

The economic policies team is "so strong" and full of "engineering trained economics duds and kongcums " that sin NODX ( non oil domestic exports ) "nosedived for the the past few years" ( including in 2012 and 2013 when China was still growing strongly and the rest of the world notably the US etc recovering rapidly )?

Anonymous said...

Omapa and the next incoming in Jan 2017 should learn from the HR expurts in sin and appoint more "engineering trained economics kongcums and duds" to MAS and MTI ........ oops. ...... FED to oversee their economics policies?

Anonymous said...

If not, anybolee with the education title sthg sthg economics oso can, doesn't matter got substance or not, as long as can "TKSS" or go on stage, beat and thump the chest, shout like tazan in motherhood statements like "TLLM" can liao?

Anonymous said...

// The proof is in the pudding. We have proven that this system of one party ownself checks ownself works very well.//


Some may ask, then why the economy is in a "mess"?

Anonymous said...

Well, probably the answer may be epitomised in 3 words:?

"GREED"?

Anonymous said...

"POLITICIANS"?

Anonymous said...

"CRONY CAPITALISM"?

Anonymous said...

Oops ..... typo @ 7.48am

Should be 4 words ......

Anonymous said...

No?

Anonymous said...

Below are excerpts from a report ( Business Insider ) on FED vice-chair Stanley Fischer in Jackson Hole, Wyoming August 2015:

"For a while, the consensus was that the economy was strong enough to absorb an initial rate hike from the Fed in September. But the recent plunge in inflation expectations exacerbated by tumbling oil prices suddenly had people wondering if a rate hike would be appropriate considering it would theoretically exert even more pressure on prices. And price stability is one of the Fed’s mandates."

Below are what Fischer spoke:

//“Given the apparent stability of inflation expectations, there is good reason to believe that inflation will move higher as the forces holding down inflation dissipate further,” Fischer said on Saturday.

“With inflation low, we can probably remove accommodation at a gradual pace,” he added. “Yet, because monetary policy influences real activity with a substantial lag, we should not wait until inflation is back to 2% to begin tightening.” //

The above-mentioned from a report in the Business Insider last year.

Anonymous said...

Putting together with what William Dudley ( New York FED President ) said, it is double confirmed what is in the minds of some of the FOMC members, if not most or all of them?

Anonymous said...

The hike ( in interest rate ) in Dec 2015 is unlikely the last, in the coming months in 2016, not withstanding the current market turmoil or the knowledge of such caused such the turmoil?

The FED fired 2 "bazookas" after the 2008 GFC to avert a deep global depression?

One was the near zero-interest rate which is the easier of the two to unwind and the first minimal pull-back already sent the ( global market ) for a ( "Iron" Mike Tyson type ) knock-out countdown ( of his opponents in his first 30 pro fights ) in the past 2 weeks right from the start of 2016?

Should the FED put the market back on ( perpetual ) life support and wheel it back into the ICU or continue their cold turkey treatment ( of the market ) in the high-dependency ward, much less a normal ward?

Anonymous said...

Do not think Trump is stupid.

The only stupid thing is to make duds as politicians whose only understanding of politics is about fixing opposition.

Selling out national interest and interest of the people is fair game to dud politicians.

Virgo49 said...


Be afraid, very afraid.

Now they are tweaking the Political System.

When they tweak, they break your arms and legs to their benefits.

PE coming next. By 2nd quarter, many sinkies will feel the impact of their past bad policies.

Many would want to have a next President hopefully like the late Mr Ong Teong Cheong. Calls for release of CPF funds for reliefs.

Better with 83 out of 89 seats amend the Power-invested President to the Ceremonial President.

Afterall, past Power-invested Presidents also turned out to be duds. (Prata and KFC)

Anonymous said...

// Be afraid, very afraid//


Ha ha ha

Uncle Virgo49,

Quite true ....?

Quite true ....?

For one specie of spider, after "erection", the spider is eaten up as well .....?

Sounds familiar?

Ha ha ha

Anonymous said...

// By 2nd quarter, many sinkies will feel the impact of their past bad policies. //


One likely ( very ) badly affected group is property buyers who committed during the peak of property bubble in 2012/ 2013?

Just the downpayments alone, easily the sum ( of cash ) were a few hundred thousands ......?

Even then, many properties are under water now ( wiping out the cash downpayment on paper ) many more would be when the US FED further tightens in 2016?

Anonymous said...

// Many would want to have a next President hopefully like the late Mr Ong Teong Cheong. Calls for release of CPF funds for reliefs. //


The ( repeated ) devaluation of the RMB in recent months after several rounds of prior RRR ( Reserve Ratio Requirement ) and interest rate cuts by PBoC ( People's Bank of China ) are signs of the severity of challenging economic environments facing many businesses in China?

Anonymous said...

By devaluing, China is focused on preventing waves of mass business failures, especially in several labour intensive ( export ) sectors?

Anonymous said...

By the accounts of several Chinese economists based in China, the sights are not "pretty" in many industrial areas when they made the actual field trips around the country. ......?

Anonymous said...

With the latest indicators showing falling business inventories in the US economy, the 3 largest international economic bodies ( including EU ) are simultaneously encountering severe challenges in their aggregate demand and thus economic output?

What could be worst?

The confluence of perfect storm factors?

Anonymous said...

According to some anecdotal accounts ( in China ), for several businesses, to have any revenue ( at all ), many business transactions have to be done at a loss .....?

Anonymous said...

On the other hand, how is the FED going to unwind the USD 4.7 trillion on its balance sheet?

Anonymous said...

And by when ( if ever )?

Anonymous said...

What do all these mean for the city of sins?

Anonymous said...

Especially the ( adverse ) impact on its ( extremely open and relatively miniscule ) economy?

Anonymous said...

1) The more than 75% plunge in oil prices from about USD120 to the current USD30 spells doom ( in the short and medium term ) across the entire spectrum of the O & G ( oil & gas ) sector?

One pillar ( of the city of sins economy ) is kaput ( in the short and possibly medium term )?

What are the ramifications ( and ripples ) across the rest of the economy?

Anonymous said...

2) If YEW look at the manufacturing numbers in recent months, this sector is already in a recession?

Total trade constitutes about 400% of the city of sins GDP .....?

With a collapsing NODX ( non-oil domestic exports ), how will consumption, investment and tax revenue be impacted as exports are functions of these 3 demand in the city of sins economic structure ....?

One more pillar kaput ( in the short and medium run and even possibly in the long run )?

Anonymous said...

3) Rising interest rate and "normalisation" of the US unorthodox monetary policy taken to combat the downturn during the 2008 GFC are putting immense pressure on the property sector and it's periphery support sectors ......?

With rapid erosion of the wealth effect and (severe ) diminished expectation of future income, consumptions, investment and tax revenue again will be hit?

Triple whammy?

Anonymous said...

4) Will the tourism sector hold up, at least injecting some wind into the sail of the city of sins economy?

To put matter in some perspective how expensive and unaffordable the cost of living has become in the city of sins, anecdotal evidences at many instances showed many regional tourists emptying their wallets, whatever they have with them to buy enough food to eat not in restaurants but just in food courts in the city of sins. .....? And some were overheard wondering they have enough ( for transport ) to make it back to their hotel before leaving sin the next day ......?

Do YEW think such tourists will drop by the city of sins any time soon or even recommend to their frens and relatives?

So the positive effect of the vice trade and casino is short lived and unsustainable?

How many rich tourists can the city of sins continue to attract in big numbers?

Will the hospitality/ service sectors such as F & B, retail etc continue to hold their own or things will turn nasty after the festive season is finally over in late Feb 2016?

Another ( growth ) engine down ( in the short and medium run )?

Anonymous said...

5) Other service sectors such as shipping probably need no further elaboration ( of its outlook ) with the recent high profile sale of the iconic national shipping line to the French shipping group ......?

How many more engine ( of growth ) left ( and remaining )?

AnyboLEE with any answer?

Pls KEE CHIU?

Anonymous said...

// The Americans must come more often to learn from Singapore even if the Oracle is no longer around. We have many super talents that are paid in many millions not for nothing. They are really super talented and can offer the American presidents many good advices. It is a wisdom to learn from people earning more money than you. Talent and wisdom are measured by the money one commands and earns. //


Ha ha ha

RB, perhaps YEW are right?

Super talented .....?

Anonymous said...

Omapa should ( cum and ) learn about the best system in the world .....?

Own self write own pay checks?

Anonymous said...

Americans no match for the talents of the other surviving "oracle" aka " lao goa" ......?

The master sifu of "own self check own self" ......?

Sinkies are so "lucky" to have such "talents" and surviving "oracle" around ......?

Sinkies must really treasure such a "国宝" 。。。。。。?

Sinkies really jiak buey liao to have such "own self check own self" super talents around .....?

Sinkies really lucky .....?

Omapa really have a lot to "learn" ........ from "own self check own self" super-talented "immortals" ..... who easily earn a few hundred percent more than omapa .....?

Anonymous said...

In order not to lose such "talents", the first thing to tweak in the political system is the pay of the "super-talents" ......?

The Chinese term is call:

"高薪养廉"?

The first thing to tweak is to allow 100 months bonuses for sinkieland's "super-talents" .....?

What else to tweak except this to make sinkieland's political system "better". ......?

Tiok bor?

Anonymous said...

Otherwise how can the elites have confidence when they meet business honchos?

The elites need the many, many own self write own self checks millions salaries and bonuses to buy "2-door super luxurious sports bentley", "ferrari" .....etc?

Those 7 or 8 series BMW, A8 Audi, 4-series Lexus, ......etc may be "too cheap" for the elites .....?

Anonymous said...

Oso their spouses need to "burn cash" to "doll up" like a queen for functions. .......?

Just their clothing for a single dinner easily worth tens of thousands. .....?

If include their super branded bags, jewelleries. ......, just a single dinner outing needs several hundred thousands of "adornments" to "look and feel like a queen" ......?

Anonymous said...

All these are "not decadent or opulent spendings" ......?

They are "investments" ......?

To show ( off ) they have "arrived" ......?

The bottom 30% barely made it through with 3 square meals is ok .....?

As long as the rich ....... oops ...... elites can drive their super luxurious sports bentley, their wives dolled up several hundred thousands per dinner outing to "look like a queen" ....... is worth all the sacrifice for the mortals, low standard non elite and daft 70% .......?

Anonymous said...

Omapa and their spouses must cum to learn how to have the cake and eat it too .....?

Aka own self check own self .....?

Anonymous said...

One more thing to learn :

Treat foreigners especially students like gold and precious treasure and freely give $50,000 to $100,000 scholarships and subsidy per student to learn the best stuff ......

For ( the daft ) sinkies, just paint some beautiful stories about future skills and sell them some snake oil idea ...... like $500 top up to learn 10,000 courses available. ......

KNN .......

Any mother with school kids will tell YEW tuition fee for one or two subjects easily exceed $500 per month ......

$500 learn what "shit" skills for the future?

Tiok?

Like rb said, learn to be taxi drivers and security guards .....

KNN ...... actually $500 oso not enough to sign up for taxi drivers course ?

KNN ...... treat sinkies like real daft ........


Tak Boleh Tahan.......?

City of sins confirm gone care liao?

Leeders selling $500 courses for the skills of the future for adult sinkies to compete with foreign students given $50,000 to $100,000 scholarships?

Got fight meh?

Skills in the future so cheap to learn meh .....?

KNN ......

Just one semester 1st year university course textbooks and notes already more than $500 ......?

KNN .......

$500 skills for the future course .....?

Simisai?

Anonymous said...

Every sinkie oso have $500?

Does it make sense?

Where did the $$$$$ come from?

Why should a dirt poor 1-room rental flat occupant receive just $500 ( for simisai course he can take ) and then say a billionaire bank owner or developer going to do with the $500?

Do YEW think the billionaires need $500/= subsidy from some dirt poor taxpayers ( revenue from GST )?

Skill retool and retraining makes sense but HOW to do it under the current policies makes ( SIMISAI ) NONSENSE?

HOW MANY FACE PALMS?

1 gazillion?

YEW decide?

Anonymous said...

Does it make sense that a Professor in the uni gets $500 and then a bortakchay hawker centre or market auntie oso get $500?

Anonymous said...

How effective would such a ( bor nao, kong cum ) policy be?

Anonymous said...

Heard about "DOA"?

"DEAD ON ARRIVAL"?

The "foetus" is already dead "in conception"?

The "What" is good but the "How" is "PURE STUPIDITY, WORK OF KONGCUMS AND PUREST DUDS"?

Anonymous said...

Any of our junior ministers or young ministers would be more talented than Obama and more qualified to give him advises on how to run his country.