Is Singapore at a stage where it fears foreigners and has to appease foreigners?

SINGAPORE: A "we first" society could include foreigners, and the idea encourages individuals to focus on the community instead of themselves, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Monday (Jan 26).

Speaking during a dialogue at the Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) 2026 Singapore Perspectives conference, Mr Gan was responding to a question about how speeches that evoke a “we first” society may be perceived as referring to Singaporeans, unintentionally excluding foreigners, especially when leaders call on individuals to be involved in integration efforts.

The Nanyang Polytechnic student who asked the question noted that some Singaporeans may also think that if the government calls on foreigners to integrate, this might be seen as the country’s leaders being in favour of “having foreigners over citizens”.

“What can leaders do to promote genuine integration between groups while avoiding a situation where Singaporeans feel that leaders are increasingly accommodating foreigners at the expense of Singaporeans?” he asked.

The idea of a “we first” society was mentioned by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in the 2025 National Day Rally, where he spoke about collective responsibility as a way to strengthen the bonds between Singaporeans.

On Monday, Mr Gan shared his interpretation of a “we first” society.

“I think ‘we first’ doesn’t mean ‘we first, you later’ … Actually, 'we first' means 'we before I'. CNA

The above paragraphs show two different views of the phrase 'We first' spoken by Lawrence Wong. Lawrence was very clear in saying that it is between Singaporeans. When questioned in public, Gan Kim Yong seemed defensive and pressured to say that it is also about foreigners. We also means foreigners. Why did he take such a stand? Is he afraid that the foreigners will be offended and will run away? This is our country. If Singaporeans are not first, and foreigners also first, why not abolish citizenship altogether, call this a Singapore hotel? Why not abolish NS also?

The Americans are proud of America First, with no fear of offending foreigners. No need to apologise to the foreigners. A country must always put its citizens first, right? Or foreigners have the same right and importance as citizens and we are afraid to offend them? Saying We first, Singaporeans first is only the right thing to do. There is nothing offensive about it. Nothing offensive, nothing to be embarrassed about.  If Singaporeans are not the first priority in Singapore, if foreigners share the same status of importance, what is the difference between citizens and foreigners?

Singapore is our country, not the country of foreigners. We must always be first in our own land. We must have privileges as citizens over foreigners. No country in the world would treat Singaporeans the same way as their citizens. Just visit any country and ask to be treated as equals to their citizens. They will kick your ass and throw you out immediately. No country will treat foreigners as equals to their citizens.

What is this We first to include foreigners?

'On Monday, Mr Gan shared his interpretation of a “we first” society.

“I think ‘we first’ doesn’t mean ‘we first, you later’ … Actually, 'we first' means 'we before I'.

“The key is, who are we? All of us together is we. The difference is it’s not about me and myself alone, but about us, together collectively.”'

Who is us? We may want to sleep in the same bed with foreigners. But do you think the foreigners will be having the same dream as Singaporeans?  Will the foreigners be thinking of himself and his country's interest first, even taking over Singapore? Anyone understands what is a Trojan Horse?

What do you think? Would any Singaporean want to share his home with foreigners, as equals?

Trump dumps the useless UN. Might is right and might is with the Board of Piss

 

Charlie Munger has an enlightening way of describing the Board of Piss and why the 20 plus countries are so happy to join and to pay US$1 billion protection fee. This clip is in Chinese, very likely AI generated and attributed to the late Munger. 41 min but worth listening if you understand Chinese. The narrative explained the different approaches in international politics by America and China, and China is losing the plot completely when Trump let go his madness.

China is playing the long game. The strategy is to work with the countries of the Global South and help them to develop their economies, help them build their infrastructure and develop their natural resources and minerals. In the process, China hopes to win their support and friendship especially in the UN. China has many successes in the UN with votes from the Global South countries. Unfortunately these are pyrrhic victories for small issues. Whatever successes in the UNGA, the Americans could simply veto it in the UN Security Council and the issue went dead. And when it is China's turn to use the veto, the Americans would just go ahead and act on its own without the UN's approval, like unilateral sanctions and invasions of sovereign states, like Venezuela. And China cannot do anything about it.

The failure for China to act, to defend its friends and allies are seen by the whole world. China is nothing but a lame duck, cannot be depended on for safety and security. At best, China is just an ATM. And every Global South country is taking advantage of this, taking advantage of China for freebies. China is no different from Taiwan, throwing good money everywhere for fair weather friends or pests. When China is not giving enough, the pests will just go away to look for another sucker. Yes, China is just a silly sucker, throwing away billions and trillions to ungrateful countries that would turn against China any moment. When push comes to shove, they will join the American terrorists. They have no choice. They did not want to be Venezuela, Iran or even Gaza.

On the other hand, the American's way may be lawless and harsh, but it really works. Carry a hammer everywhere and smash the head of anyone that disobeyed. This is America's realpolitik, the real world of might is right. To the Americans, the UN is just a tool to serve its interests. When the UN is not doing America's bidding, kick it aside. This is why America is withdrawing membership in 60 plus UN agencies and refusing to pay its due to the UN for years. And as usual, what can the UN do? Nothing.

The UN is a silly and extravagant organisation doing sweet fark all, doing all the wrong things, the unnecessary things, fattening itself with many agencies, depts and overpaid staff, plenty of them, doing things for the sake of doing things...but not doing the real things, unable to do what is needed for the good of the world. The UN is bloated and defunct and should be closed down, or cut down to size by at least 50% in manpower and resources. In this sense, the Americans are right. The UN is employing thousands of unnecessary manpower doing unnecessary things, stupid things, attending to fake issues with stupid agendas.

The Board of Piss is a rude shock to China when so many of its closed allies are jumping ship to join Trump and to pay Trump US$1 billion a piece for their own safety and security, two important things that China cannot deliver, afraid to give. Trump has shown to Xi that might is right and telling China to stop being silly and to stop throwing good monies to all the ingrates. Trump does not need to throw money, but collecting money by being rough, being rogue. 

Everyone will queue up in Beijing, grinning widely with hands outstretched for alms, free handouts. China thinks this is the way to win friends.  And this is the only thing that China can offer, but unable to protect them from the American terrorists. Trump's Board of Piss will get more memberships when Trump starts to hammer more countries, one at a time, and seeing China doing nothing about it, failing its allies and friends. When Trump takes Greenland, all the European countries will go down on their knees and beg for forgiveness from Don Trump.

Trump and America will eat Xi and China for breakfast, lunch and dinner if China continues to act like a lame duck. This is the real world. When the Americans can go into any country and snatch their head of state, throw blockades against any state, imposed unilateral sanctions, cut off shipping routes, and China can only see and watch with mouth wide open, that is the end of China in international politics.

Caveat, what Charlie Munger had explained are valid and will be the new order of things if Trump continues to be the POTUS, with the American military might at his disposal. And if China chooses to be a lame duck forever, not standing up to the American militarily to defend its allies and friends. Oh, future American presidents could also act and behave like Trump in a lawless world where might is right.

Another caveat, the long game that China is playing comes to fruition before the American terrorists take down more countries, kidnap or assassinate more national leaders to frighten the shit out of all Global South countries. All the plans and strategies that China had put into place are work in progress, eg dedollarisation, alternate banking systems, alternate currencies, isolation of the American Empire, America's own debt and abuses against its allies and the world ... if only they explode before the Americans could hammer everyone, every country into place under the new Imperial Trump Empire.

The Board of Piss is a watershed. Trump means business. You are with us or we will hammer you. Will China still behave like a lame duck and let Trump and his American terrorists hammer every country into obedience? When the American terrorists play rough, the Global South and European countries are unable to resist. China and Russia will have to act or let Trump and his evil Empire take over the world. Those countries that were China's closed allies are voting with their feet and with US$1b each and telling China, we cannot depend on you to protect and defend us. We have no choice but to kiss Trump's ass.

How is China going to respond? Waiting for the moon to fall from the sky and doing nothing? The good sign, only about 20 countries have jumped ship. There is still hope and the majority of Global South countries are waiting and watching ... will China stand up to the challenge.... or let it pass?

Chinese investors should treat investments in India like the plague. Only stupid Chinese will throw good money into the black hole

Chinese investors should treat investments in India like the plague. The trust is gone for good and China has moved on from looking at and bothering with India.

The Indians are still extremely jealous of China's progress, claiming China's industrialization is all because of help from the West. If that were so, why is India so unlike China even with favorable treatment by the USA and the West in the past? In Indian minds, stealing is easier than copying, which is still the mindset and that is what is holding India back. Jealousy does not improve development. Trying to compete does and India has a lot to learn from China.

The Brits were ruling India for almost two hundred years and all the Indians copied were archaic laws and systems that still hang like an albatross on Indian necks. That shows Indians are so backward that they could not learn a single thing from the West except how to steal whole companies set up by foreigners using those archaic laws.

How about the West copying from China that help them in their progress in all fairness? Did not the West adopt the Chinese use of the compass that provided them the tool for naval exploration and colonization? Did not the West make use of the Chinese invention of paper making that was to revolutionize education and the spread of knowledge? Did not the West capitalize on the Chinese invention of paper printing, which was also instrumental in the spread of knowledge and education? And most of all, did not the West saw the gunpowder invention of the Chinese and capitalized on it to produce weapons of destruction, rockets and provided the essential inputs for space exploration?

The above are just the most important Chinese inventions and innovations that helped to improve the world. There are so many other things that the Chinese discovered or invented that the world does not even realize its humble Chinese origin. In all fairness, be objective and not just swallow the propaganda trotted out by the West to demonize China as a thief and copycat.


Anonymous

Someone wanting to drag Singapore and all Singaporeans into China-Taiwan conflict . . .

ST Jan 24, 2026

An article published in Asia Times on the role the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) can play in Taiwan was written by a national service pre-enlistee.

The Ministry of Defence said on Jan 24 that the author, Siddharath Bhowmick, had written the article in his personal capacity prior to his enlistment, adding that the views he had expressed do not represent MINDEF or the SAF in any way.

The article, which was published online on Jan 19, had presented Siddharath Bhowmick as someone currently serving in the SAF

In the article, the author said: “Singapore must leverage its military ties with Taiwan in cross-strait discussions to help de-escalate China-Taiwan relations.”

He argued that Project Starlight – a defence arrangement between Singapore and Taiwan – stands as a critical element in Singapore-Taiwan defence relations, “offering a robust deterrent against sudden acts of aggression from the mainland – even if it does not match security assurances provided by the US’ Taiwan Relations Act”.


Anonymous

Iran will keep the evil American Empire and lunatic Trump busy for the next 20 years. Oops, Trump may not last the next 6 months

Whether the USA managed to cripple Iran or not, the reality is it will affect the oil exporters in the Middle East, and they are very concerned about the consequences. This was one of the reasons that the attempted attack on Iran had been called off at the last minute just recently. Now, 16 planeloads of secret items have been flown to Iran urgently by China, and most people knew what that means. What about other stuff going into Iran by rail. Think about it. Iran even declared a 'no fly zone' during the entry of those Chinese Y20 military cargo planes into Iranian airspace.

Iran is a big country, and Iranians will definitely fight to the last. Those old enough would have read about the Persians (now Iranians) and their military exploits and conquest, until internal strife forced the country into decline. The USA wants to support the former Shah's son to rule under its control, just like the father before, which is not going to happen. This will need a regime change, which the USA is trying to instigate by using the CIA to ferment unrest, and all the while talking about the cruelty of the regime and how many were killed. How does Iranian protestor casualties compare to what Israel killed in Gaza by resorting to hunger, energy and access to healthcare genocides? Isn't that cruelty of the highest order?

For the USA to exert control over Iran is well-nigh impossible. The USA could not even control Afghanistan after 20 long years, with the Taliban not on the same military league as Iran. Supporters of the ruling Iranian Regime will still be around and together with the Houthis, the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab Al-Mandab passage into the oil states will be closed for business. Iran and the Houthis will be setting a trap for the USA, to be entangled in the Middle East for maybe another twenty years.

Will the USA even survived the present next few years with protests erupting into a civil war on top of economic problems galore. Trump is calling the situation in Minnesota as an 'insurrection' which will probably result in more killings and eventual emergency rule, an idea that he is possibly formulating in his sick mind, just listening to his verbal diarrhea about needing a dictatorship to rule effectively. The man is now unfit to rule and should be consigned to the 'cuckoo's nest'.


Anonymous