And at a global level, what used to be "win-win cooperation" - despite disagreements - on issues such as trade, climate change and nuclear non-proliferation has now changed, said Mr Lee.
“Now it’s win-lose - you want the other guy to be down, fix him, crash his economy,” said Mr Lee. “So how then do most of the countries, if possible, hang together and cooperate with one another and not fall into disorder, autarky or anarchy?” Lee Hsien Loong - CNA
The above quote by Hsien Loong during his recent visit to the US has 3 parts to think about. The first is about crazy decisions and historical errors to invade another country. Which invasion is more serious, the invasion of Ukraine or Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan or Libya? For Ukraine, it is the threat of nuclear and biochemical weapons at the door step of Russia. In the case of Iraq, it was a fake threat, a fabricated lie of WMD. In the case of Syria and Afghanistan, it was another fabricated lie of terrorist threat against the continent of USA by poor tribesmen. In Libya's case, it was a country that did not want to sell its oil in US$.
Which is a crazy threat and which is a crime against humanity? You judge.
The second part is about a win win cooperation that China is promoting. The evil Americans cannot accept that. To these evil white men, it must be a win for the Americans and others can only share the crumps. China cannot be richer and stronger than the Americans, just like Japan or Europe cannot be richer and stronger as well. Only the Americans can win and be the number one economy and number one bully in the world.
Is this reasonable and acceptable? That the world must be controlled and ruled by the American Empire?
The third part, which follows the second part, only the Americans can win and if not, they would put down the other guy, fix him and crash his economy. They had done that to Japan, Europe and Russia and now attacking Russia. Is this the rule of law of the American Empire? Is this American version of democracy and human rights, that they would dictate to others to obey them, and if not, they would sanction and fix or crash the economy of another country.
Would Singapore and the rest of the world accept this dictate and obnoxious bullying by the Americans? What the Americans are doing to Russia, and wanting to do to China, and to any country that wants to be richer and stronger, is the American version of the world order. Should this be dismissed and dismantled, and thrown into the dark corners of history, not allowed to be the governing principles of international relationship? Why should the world be bullied by the Americans and let them live in glory and riches at the expense of the rest of the world?
What do you think? Who is the rogue country?
21 comments:
We are moving into full scale currency war"
'The Russians and Chinese will be acutely aware that Western currencies, particularly the yen and euro, are likely to be undermined by recent developments. The financial war, which has always been in the background, is emerging into plain sight and becoming a battlefield between fiat currencies, and it is full on.'
https://www.goldmoney.com/research/goldmoney-insights/edging-towards-a-gold-standard
Any wrong step Pink dot makes will lead to disaster for ordinary Sinkies..
What Singapore's Loong had pointed out certainly raise awkward questions for the United States . . .
Spoken without sanctions. But with the proper decorum, the effects of the three scenarios are chilling, very frightening.
It is not only awkward questions that are the main thrust. It is how are we going to deal with the big bullies - especially the Americans?
What is fair game then? None! It must be true. Is it not?
He does not understand the Law of Nature. He got to know that in the Jungle, the Lion calls the Shot whether the Other Beings like it or not.
In survival, everything, including deception and might, is fair. No reason is needed for any justification. Period
宾不厌诈 meaning in war all are fair. We see all kinds of propaganda, information and news fake and real. All are actually warfare strategies. Deception, devious schemes are weapons in war. So, the Most lntelligent Species are best at it and should know how it works.
I shall cut it short by saying the Humankind is no different from the Lion and Hyena, just that the Humankind is more vicious than all the Other Beings.
May one be blessed with luck to live safely and well.
Cheers
Ah long San ah.. is arresting a bunch of churchgoers n labelling them as Marxists a crazy decision..is allowing changi naval base to be used by foreign power with warships armed with enough firepower to flatten Singapore 10 times over..a crazy decision? Hehe
Which is the rogue country is clear to you and me. Not to the lackeys, sycophants, apple polishers and poodles.
How many countries that deal with the USA have win win results? The only one that wins is the USA. Even then, when the USA wins, the people still suffers, like in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan.
So who is the rogue?
I think Pinky's mental capacity is going down much like Biden. Biden makes comments that are clueless and disastrous, and the White House had to come out many a time to try to roll back the damage that his remarks had caused.
Biden is mentally unfit for the job, but he is a tad better than his Vice President. That women is even worse than Biden himself. Biden made a smart choice - a case of a dumb choosing a dumber to make him look good. But it did not work out.
Senile grandpa Biden may be in the presidential office but he has no power, and is controlled by the hardliners surrounding him who are creating havoc freely.
That's why when Biden reiterated in the call with Xi Jinping that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed, Xi told Biden that “some people in the United States are sending the wrong signals to the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces, which is very dangerous”.
Uncle Redbean asked " Would Singapore and the rest of the world accept this dictate and obnoxious bullying by the Americans? "The answer to that question is all plain to see. Your Pinky PM has already gone to the US with a begging bowl and hoping that his master would give him some crumps from the table. Of course Singapore accepts the bullying and obnoxious of the evil empire. It is clear to see that Singapore joining the US/NATO clan to sanction Russia shows the direction Pinky has taken. I like to know where is voice of condemnation was when the US invaded Irag, Libya, Syria or Afghanistan. Just goes to show where he hangs his loyalty hat.
The USA cannot accept the rise of China, and it is trying very hard to make life difficult for the Chinese over Taiwan and South China Sea. Russia and China have been instrumental in forging an alliance to marginalise the US$ Hegemony, because they know the USA has gone too far by using their US$ Hegemony as a sanctioning weapon against any country that it does not like, particularly communist countries and those under one party rule. The sanctioning of Russia, particularly Russia's Central Bank is the tipping point.
China and Russia, I believe, discreetly decided to abandon the US$ many years ago, but first needing to build up their military deterrents and co-operation, as neither one is able to take on the USA alone. Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi's death put them on standby. The USA meanwhile continued with printing of banana money and that results in spreading inflation all over the world, which is their motive. The pace of printing is getting ridiculous over the last few years, as they now assume that it is their right to do so without limits, and thinking that the world has to sell their products to them for banana notes forever.
China had, over the decades, accumulated trillions in US$ from their trade surplus with the USA. How then did China managed to push away or spend those fiat US$ printed from thin air? The Chinese wisely started the BRI project with US$ loans to countries all over, thus spreading the fiat US$ worldwide, and in return those countries have infrastructures to show and fuel their progress. Those loans are the perfect alternative to the IMF, which had been rendered obsolete. Those Chinese loans to them in US$ will ultimately return to the USA, fueling inflation that is now returning home to roost.
The USA is facing inflation it has never seen before and likewise in Europe of more than 7% and will rise further. China's inflation rate was below 1% in beginning of 2022, and China benefits by washing it's hands free from inflation generated by the untenable printing of fiat US$ from thin air. The BRI was a brilliant move by China. And that is also why China still holds more than a trillion US$ in US treasuries, a move I used to wonder, which China bought with the surplus US$ as well, making sure it remains in the USA.
Now, with Putin passing the decree of Russian gas to be paid in Rubles today, that is another nail in the coffin of the US$ Hegemony. And many countries are also keen to move away from the US$. Countries like India and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile China and Russia are chipping away at the SWIFT messaging system and many countries in the BRICS grouping are already on board the move to do so.
US Warns India Not to Help Russia Undermine Dollar
A top US national security official has called on India to scale back its economic and military ties with Russia, warning of “consequences” for any nation that helps Moscow avoid the recent wave of Western sanctions.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Indian officials on Thursday, Washington’s deputy national security adviser for international economics, Daleep Singh, urged New Delhi not to boost Russian energy imports, and to avoid any moves that might “undermine” the US dollar.
“What we would not like to see is a rapid acceleration of India’s imports from Russia as it relates to energy or any other any other exports that are currently being prohibited by the US,” he said, adding that the United States is “very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the ruble and that attempt to undermine the dollar-based financial system.”
While condemning Russia’s “needless war” on Ukraine, Singh said his visit to India was “in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of our sanctions,” but nonetheless warned that there would be “consequences [for] countries that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill” those penalties.
Asked what those consequences could entail, the adviser declined to elaborate, saying that was part of “private discussions that I’m not going to share publicly.”
Singh’s remarks followed reports that Moscow and New Delhi are currently working out a rupee-ruble payment system, which would allow the two nations to conduct bilateral trade in each others’ currencies. India also recently agreed to buy a quantity of Russian crude oil at a discount, an unpopular decision with the US and some allies, who have embarked on a punitive sanctions campaign designed to isolate Russia’s economy and wreck the ruble.
Often portrayed as the “architect” of the US sanctions regime on Moscow, Singh went on to cite growing ties between Russia and China, cautioning that their partnership could have major consequences for India, which has long been locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing along the Sino-Indian border.
“If you set that against the reality that China and Russia have now declared a no limits partnership, and that Russia has said that China is its most important strategic partner, by extension, that has real implications for India,” he said, claiming that Moscow would not “come running to India’s defense” in the event of a Chinese incursion.
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Need to Bypass Dollar-Based Payment System: Russian FM Lavrov in Delhi
Russia has developed a system to engage in trade in national currencies with countries like India and efforts to move away from the dollar-based payment system will intensify, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
The Russian Foreign Minister also complimented India for its position on the Ukraine crisis, saying it follows an independent foreign policy.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday held talks with Lavrov, a day after the US warned of consequences over attempts to “circumvent” American sanctions against Moscow.
The high-level talks took place in the backdrop of indications that India could buy greater volumes of discounted Russian oil and both sides were keen on having a ruble-rupee arrangement for bilateral trade.
Soon after holding talks with Jaishankar, Lavrov said Russia is exploring ways to bypass impediments for bilateral trade with its allies and partners.
Lavrov said a rupee-rouble payment system for trade with India was put into place earlier and it could be strengthened further.
"More and more transactions will be done using national currencies and bypassing dollar-based system," he told reporters.
Asked about India's plan to buy discounted Russian oil, Lavrov said Moscow is ready to provide anything that New Delhi wants to buy.
“We are ready to supply whatever India wants to buy from Russia,” he said. “We are ready to discuss and reach mutually acceptable cooperation.”
He said Russia is committed to continue with India its cooperation in defence sector.
Undermine US$ Hegemony? Are countries to help the USA maintain that hegemony so it can use it to undermine countries that cannot agree with the USA?
Notice how arrogant they can be. In other words they want to control the world?
China, India, Iran and Russia among others are sovereign nations. They have rights. They can trade and do business with any country they want. The USA talks about upholding 'Freedom of Choice' to associate with anyone in relation to those ex Soviet satellite states, but never walk the talk when it comes to reality. What a hypocrite! India must choose wisely and not be cowed. The threats are the modus operandi of the USA, but that era is ending.
Ex-Russian President Says Russia Could Cease Food Exports to “Unfriendly Countries”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev unveiled plans to sell “food and crops only to our friends” in rubles and their respective national currencies. According to him, Russia has “a lot of friends” outside of Europe and North America.
Medvedev, who is currently the deputy chair of the country’s Security Council, published a list of suggestions related to Russia’s food security and exports on Telegram on Friday. The post notes that Russia is a “major grain producer, on a par with India and China,” and when it comes to wheat, the country has been the “largest exporter in recent years.” He also pointed out that agro-industrial exports reached over $37 billion last year.
The West and its allies including Singapore has imposed sanctions on Russia since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its military offensive against Ukraine. The Kremlin has vowed that no hostile step will remain unanswered.
Arrogant US Will ‘Allow’ India to Buy Russian Oil, Threatens Sanctions If New Delhi Buys Too Much
India will be “allowed” to buy Russian energy resources, but will face a “great risk” if it fails to comply with western sanctions, a senior Biden administration official has warned.
“The US has no objection to India buying Russian oil provided it buys it at a discount, without significantly increasing from previous years. Some increase is allowed,” the unnamed official told Reuters.
The anonymous official did not elaborate on whether this “great risk” might mean US secondary sanctions, nor what precisely would constitute a “significant” rise in the purchase of Russian energy.
“We, over the next several days and weeks, are going to be stepping up the enforcement of sanctions. We are telling everybody, everywhere around the world to ensure you are compliant with sanctions…this is the message to everyone,” the official said.
Last week, President Biden rebuked India for its “somewhat shaky” response to the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Indian officials responded by pointing to western hypocrisy of continuing to buy Russian oil and gas while trying to press New Delhi into shunning Russian energy supplies.
US and European officials have expressed consternation about how India, Pakistan and other non-western countries have responded to the Ukraine calamity, including over the way regional rivals New Delhi and Islamabad, who rarely agree on anything, jointly abstained from condemning Russia at the UN General Assembly. Earlier this month, Pakistani President Imran Khan slammed western envoys calling on Pakistan to denounce the Russian operation in Ukraine. “What do you think of us? Are we your slaves … that whatever you say, we will do?” Khan asked.
Indian officials expressed similar anger. Last week, a planned trip by a high-powered delegation of senior UK lawmakers including Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to New Delhi and Rajasthan was cancelled after the Indian government refused to meet them.
The PAP must have this island to live on.
Sure they have 2nd homes in other countries,
but then, they will not have slaves to die for them.
They need this island to call their own.
Their own laws,
Their own Army
Their own Police
Their own slaves.
Be prepared to die for the PAP...
"They received our gas, paid us in euros, which they then froze themselves" - Vladimir Putin, Russian president
Putin said the switch to rubles would strengthen Russia’s sovereignty. He said the West was using the financial system as a weapon, and it made no sense for Russia to trade in dollars and euros when assets in those currencies were being frozen.
“What is actually happening, what has already happened? We have supplied European consumers with our resources, in this case gas. They received it, paid us in euros, which they then froze themselves. In this regard, there is every reason to believe that we delivered part of the gas provided to Europe practically free of charge,” he said.
“That, of course, cannot continue,” Putin said, although he said Russia still valued its business reputation and would continue to meet obligations in its gas and other contracts.
French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said France and Germany were preparing for the possibility of Russian gas flows being halted. He declined to comment on technical details linked to latest Russian demands for ruble payment.
Top EU officials warned China's leader Xi Jinping at a virtual summit Friday that any attempt to aid Russia's war in Ukraine could hurt business ties between the two economic superpowers. Yahoo News
How stupid the EU has become. They are totally dependent on China for trade and investment and want to threaten China? China could just shut them off and they would go into a recession immediately.
Silly white men.
By freezing the EUR200 billion reserves of Russia, the Europeans have effectively taken back EUR200 billion they had paid for gas and oil that they received from Russia over the years.
Russia is not returning the 500 planes on lease to Russia. At US$100m each, that would be US$50b to hold on to.
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