Is a massive market crash imminent?

‘In the financial world, the month of October is synonymous with stock market crashes. So will a massive stock market crash happen this year? You never know. The truth is that our financial system is even more vulnerable than it was back in 2008, and financial experts such as Doug Short, Peter Schiff, Robert Wiedemer and Harry Dent are all warning that the next crash is rapidly approaching. We are living in the greatest debt bubble in the history of the world and Wall Street has been transformed into a giant casino that is based on a massive web of debt, risk and leverage. When that web breaks we are going to see a stock market crash that is going to make 2008 look like a Sunday picnic.

Yes, the Federal Reserve has tried to prevent any problems from erupting in the financial markets by initiating another round of quantitative easing, but 40 billion dollars a month will not be nearly enough to stop the massive collapse that is coming. This will be explained in detail toward the end of the article. Hopefully we will get through October (and the rest of this year) without seeing a stock market collapse, but without a doubt one is coming at some point. Those on the wrong end of the coming crash are going to be absolutely wiped out....’

The above is posted in yolohub.com. Many financial experts are telling of the great danger of the stock market and financial system heading towards a big crash. And all because all the regulators and govts could not do anything to restrain the banks and funds from gambling and turning the whole financial system into a big casino.

Everyone with some knowledge knows how bad the situation is. What should they do about it? Some say, since nothing can be done, just join the fun and wait for the crash. Why is it that no govt is willing to say this is not the way to go, and decides to stay out. Keep clear from the danger and things they don’t understand.

Is there really no option, that govts can only watch and wait for the big collapse and nothing can be done? The least a govt can do is to stop getting dragged into the trap. Don’t participate. The worst thing is to go along, put in the chips as well and engaged the rogue gamblers to design the same system to be part of the dangerous system.

Then say, no choice, must follow the crowd and the rogue gamblers and let them do what they want. Such defeatist attitude is unimaginable. Holy cow, what is happening?

Do we need a lynching party?

Many police reports were made by the public against people, some times kids, making racist or anti religious remarks in the internet or facebook. Though all racist and anti religious remarks are not acceptable and cannot be condoned, is there really a need to make a police report? In many instances the comments were made in the heat of the moment or at a thoughtless moment by someone who could not understand the seriousness of the remarks or the consequences that could follow. Many would not have done so if they knew what they were doing. Not many, not even one in all the reported cases, was there a recalcitrant who had the intent to stir racial or religious hatred.

It is right to put such people into their proper place and telling them what they did was wrong. And if they need to be punished, let it be. Making police reports often is only aggravating a bad situation that is unnecessary. The last thing is to treat making police reports callously, like people making calls for ambulance service for the slightest reason. Making police reports is not like going for a pee. It must be a serious matter that needs the police attention.

The police must not be exploited by anyone for personal attention or to serve their personal agenda, or to use the police to whack another person. People who think they can misuse or abuse the police, to set the agenda and make the police to run around like bull arse flies, need to think again. First, the police have many serious matters to deal with. Two, the police would not react every time a public make a police report.

For those who are passionate and feel that people making racist remarks in the internet must be hanged, I would suggest that they form a lynching party if that is what they think should be done to appease their anger. I think there are many such righteous and upright fighters for justice, for fair play, for teaching the bad boys or girls a lesson they would not forget. And they want them to be whacked badly.

No one is going to stop them from forming their own lynching party. But don’t expect the police to do the lynching for them. The police would unlikely have the resources to answer to every report made and to conduct an investigation.

But after reading today’s ST, in the front page, the police has already launched an investigation into the Amy Cheong police report. So I take back whatever I said about police not having the resources and people should not suka suka make police reports. Our efficient police will investigate into their reports if this case is an example of the standard of our police force.

By the way, the outbursts by some netizens and bloggers could be a manifestation of the problems of overcrowding and strains in our compact living environment. Feel the pulse of the people and understand the real cause of the problem instead of attacking individuals. The symptoms of a people under stress are all there but the people that matter are blind to them and stubbornly persisting with their agenda of increasing the population to even bigger numbers.

The age of Scams

Why are consumers being scammed by the insurers and no authority bothers to do anything about it? Why are the workshops continuing to scam the insurers who in turn pass the buck to the car owners? Really, that there is no way to curb the scam, like loan shark harassments?

Scamming and cheating the consumers seem to be fair game as there are profits to be made, depending on which side one is on. Even in the internet, spamming, Nigerian scams and spreading viruses are allowed with eyes wide opened, encouraged, as it means big businesses to the software developers.

There is no moral or ethics to talk about when making money is concerned. As long as there is money to be made, the scams will continue, the spammings and the development and spreading of viruses will be part and parcel of internet biz. Only the poor consumers ended as suckers, paying for the irritations, harrassments and the damages.

This is the real world. How many of the less enlightened, computer illiterate, and the poor, have to end up forking up money to clean up the virus infecting their computers? How many people would fall victims to Nigerian scams? How many people will have to live with the spamming and abuses or invasion of privacy to their internet accounts because no one deems it necessary to stop the nonsense?

This is exactly like the American weapons industry. The industry thrives on warfare and they will get the American govts to continue to incite and start wars to feed the industry. The poor buggers will be the American boys and girls coming home in black plastic bags or live a life as invalids on wheelchairs, and the collateral damages, the innocent victims of the targeted countries and the ruins of their countries and lives of their citizens.

Scams are good for biz.

What we need to feed the bananas?

The issue of ethnic and religious practices is getting more annoying to some Sinkies. The huge population and crammed up environment, living so closely with each other, undoubtedly, have added pressure to mutual tolerance. When there were lesser of us, when there were more living space, when such practices were relatively less frequent as the number of people were smaller, things were much manageable.

Now the crazy thought of 6m, without thinking how the sardine packed environment is going to turn every average tolerant Sinkies into a monster in an instant is not funny. People who lived in 30,000 sq ft houses, who are being chauffeured around in comfort, can NEVER understand what it is like to be cooked in such a pressurised environment and would merrily go around spouting nonsense that 6m or 10m is no issue. We have the technology to build more houses and be creative in space management. To me they are just asses that only use their own comfortable lifestyle as a reference point. The masses can be squeezed and moulded to any shape and size for all matters. It does not affect them.

What has bananas got to do with multi racial religious and cultural activities? Bananas’ lifestyle is highly dependent on the media hype. The media says go and jump into the Singapore River in your evening dress at 12 midnight and they will do it. Go and scream at Block 108 at 3am in the morning, they will go and think it is fun. Go to the next field or park and bang the dustbins for an hour to create a record in the Guinness Book, they will do it. It is hip, fun, cool and spectacular.

Ethnic celebrations and ceremonies? Yak, so uncool, so backward, so noisy, dirty, smelly. Bananas cannot appreciate their own cultures or anything Asian except something that I don’t think much about, a bastardised culture called Peranakan. This is the only hip thing that they adored and craved about.

But there is hope. All the govt needs to do is to invite a few westerners to say a few good things about our ethnic diversities, cultural practices and ceremonies. Film the angmohs having a good time at a void deck wedding, at a seventh moon ghost festival, at a Thaipusam procession, and let them comment how excited and exciting these events were. I bet the bananas would turn up in droves, with the reporters, to report on these events as something new and fantastic that they never know were so interesting, something so cool and they want to be a part of them. A little PR using the media, and using the westerners, and the western lenses will do the trick.

Then all our ancient and antiquated cultural and religious practices would be in vogue, cool. Otherwise they will be viewed as disgusting, tasteless, offensive and waste of time and money.

The govt, Tourism Board, Media Corp, can do their part. And yes, you need to spend money using angmoh PR firms and angmoh models if you want it to be successful, to change the taste of bananas. Don’t use MPs or ministers.

Big banks can gamble away your money

There were so many excruciatingly painful stories of gamblers gambling away everything and ended in deep trouble, and dragging their families along with them. And both the govt and NGOs are struggling to come up with more rules and regulations to keep the gamblers from trouble. The most notable thing is the self exclusion order, or family members can choose to exclude them with the same order. These are individuals that could do just so much harm to themselves and their loved ones.

What would happen if banks, financial and investment banks were to gamble with high stakes, with the depositor/investor/shareholders’ money? Any mess up means hundreds of thousands of people will be in deep shit. This is exactly the same problem with the ‘too big to fail’ banks in the last financial crisis. The govts had no choice but to rescue them using taxpayers’ money. And hopefully these rascal bankers would have learnt and stay away from high gambling using other people’s money. No, they are back at it, everyone of them.

I am really surprised to read in the BT today what Hsien Loong said about these big time gamblers while in New Zealand. Below are some of his comments:

‘The difficulty is that financial markets have variegated into all kinds of sophisticated activities, products, derivatives, investment activities, trading – and the banks are also in these….But the reality is that the gambling part is intrinsic to the financial system….Noting that central bankers and regulators are under a lot of pressure to split the deposit taking role of banks from the reckless and even morally doubtful part that many argue amounts to gambling with money….These were investment banks, risking their shareholders’ money. But they were all doing similar things, they were all getting sick at the same time and the govt had no choice but to go into it.’

What can I say? And these bankers knowing that the govt cannot do anything about their gambling activities, will go on crazily gambling away with OPM and demanding huge outrageous pay for doing that. And should they lose, they know that the govt will have to bail them out.

What kind of shit are these animals made of? Licensed to gamble and to break banks and destroy the savings of everyone coming into contact with them, having trusted them and putting their money with them? And better still, govts simply dunno what to do with them and cannot control their wild gambling streaks disguised as sophisticated investments!

My goodness, what is happening? No wonder all the banks and SWFs are happily gambling away.

The Tramp’s Corner

With million dollar public flats everywhere, Singapore is a country that literary has no slums. The closest that one can get to resemble a slum is the little corner in Potong Pasir, a void deck with an aged and worn out desk and with a couple of make shift dividers to keep the weather away. This little corner in Block 108 was the make shift office of the elected representative of the people where Chiam See Tong used to meet his residents to assist in their problems.

Comparing to the surrounding, it was quite pathetic really. It was not much better than the desk of Chief Minister David Marshall under the staircase in City Hall in 1959. The colonial govt was too poor to provide the Chief Minister a proper office. It is difficult to understand why the richest country in the world, willing to spend billions on make belief gardens, but could not afford to provide its elected members of Parliament with a proper office space to serve the people. It is puzzling to think that a junior civil servant is found necessary or appropriate to ride around in a top end model bicycle that cost $2000 when a $200 would suffice. And the junior civil servants would also have a decently equipped office with very decent chairs to sit on in an air conditioned environment.

Why are our members of Parliament treated so shabbily? Are they not serving the people, not working for the people? Are they not the law makers of the nation? Are they not the leaders of the country, the elected representatives of the people?

For justice and equality, may I suggest that all members of Parliament be given a proper office with desk and chair in a void deck to conduct their meet the people’s session there? I think any security guard would have a more decent office to work in. Maybe the country cannot afford to pay for such an office. It must have something to do with being financially prudent, not to squander public funds too freely.

How many slums corners are there in the island of millionaires and million dollar flats? Can the govt show some decency and respect to the office of the Members of Parliament? Thank God this little tramp corner is gone and not need to be an eye sore anymore. Are there anymore eye sores in Hougang and Aljunid?

Malaysian hospitality

I literally enjoyed a day of Malaysian hospitality yesterday. That’s the reason why I did not post anything. Woke up at 5.30am to have golf at Horizon Hills. The new maze of flyovers and viaducts still posed a serious problem to unwary drivers. My partner driver has driven in many many times and still can get lost quite easily.

I was aiming for Jalan Tun Razak, that means trying to get back to town instead of heading to KL. We missed a lane and the next familiar turn was Permas Jaya. We took it and fortunately I am quite familiar with that area, made a U turn towards the coastal road along Bukit Serene and was on our way to the Club.

Fine day for golf with bright sunny sun. On the 6^th hole after making a decent drive I was tripped by the tee box marker. Some jokers thought it was a great idea to carve the alphabet H to be unique, HH equal Horizon Hills. Nice. But it was too big and high, and being blue did not stand out from the green grass.

I stumbled, couldn’t control myself and smashed my face against the hard buggy track. There was a 5cm deep cut on my forehead and that was the end of my game. I ended at a nearby hospital, brand new, medium size and with the name of Columbia Hospital. Nice thought, sounding very American in bumi country. Indeed it was an American chain of hospitals.

What surprised me was the staff. All Malaysians, no pinoys, PRCs, Indians or Myanmese. There was a Dr Soh, a senior nurse Ms Lim, a staff nurse by name of Jawady or something like that, another Indian staff nurse and many local female Malays nurses. The uniform was smart and probably by a good designer. And they were first class in their attentiveness, politeness and very professional. And they work very well as a team, very friendly among themselves and to the patients.

There were quite a number of patients but they don’t seem to be queuing for several hours like here. And the number of hospital staff, especially the nurses, was clearly sufficient to do an efficient task.

The hospital is entering its third year and the equipment was brand new and modern. I was taken into the surgery theatre, spanking clean and modern. And that was after all the checks and X-ray, and everything was over in about 3 hours with 14 stitches to close my wounds.

With this kind of service, the club is paying for the bills and I never ask, they will pose a serious alternative to the atrociously expensive hospitals we have here. The service quality is as good and you can feel that they are looking after you with tender care.

The other big surprise, far away from the politicians, is that the people work harmoniously despite all the hype about racism in the country. Get rid of politics and the politicians, the people will not be spending time bickering against each other on stupid political issues. There was not the slightest tension arising from race related staff.

The politicians should stay far far away from the economy and industries and let the people run their own businesses and live their own lives in peace, harmony and prosperity. The only thing they need to do is to make the infrastructure efficient and easy for the people, and make sure the place is crime free.

The Sinkies will have a good alternative in JB and not be robbed in our hospitals.

It is criminal to force our young into huge debt

Do not force our young into acquiring huge debt in the purchase of properties. This is a very wicked thing to do when seemingly responsible people are blowing the trumpet of prudence and not spending beyond one’s means.

Young people, fresh from schools, should be encouraged to save rather than to force them into buying big ticket items that run into several hundred thousands or millions of dollars and hang a big mortgage mill on their necks. They should be saving their first few years of income to act as security, to cushion from upheavals and upsets in the early stage of their lives.

The govt should make it a priority to provide young people the opportunity to buy their first flat, to start life, in a thrifty manner. The outrageous income ceilings on first time buyers of public housing is daylight robbery, forbidding the young people from a little savings and forcing them to spend all their income/savings in their first home.

Only very wicked people would conceive of such a policy and peddle it as good. As it is, public housing is no longer cheap and the ceiling is obnoxiously low and unjustified.

Standardization of pre schools

Standardising pre schools or setting standards for pre schools. Are they joking? Pre schools are play schools, not the proper schools for older children. Are they going to set standards as to how many words a child must acquired in pre schools, how many numbers, how many this and that?

As far as educators are concerned, there are wide and varied views as to what pre schools should be, what is good or bad for the little children. There is still no agreement as to what is best or what should not be done. The thought of setting stands for pre schools could end up with the same problems as proper schools, academic achievements, banding and branding.

Perhaps they are not talking about such standards but the standards of the infrastructure and the teachers. What would probably be important are the quality and professional training of the pre schools teachers and their compensation. Raising the standards of the pre school teachers is important as better trained professionals would be better placed to look after the little tots relative to untrained caregivers that are not more than caretakers with little value add other than feeding and looking after their physical needs and safety.

Good and well trained professionals must be recognized and rewarded accordingly for their level of training and expertise. They have invested time and effort to be more knowledgeable and professional in their very specialized field of childcare that requires them to know and understand a whole new skills set and information.

With quality and trained professionals as the standard, the pre schools should be allowed the freedom to design their own programmes for the toddlers. Some may emphasize play, creativity, relationship, social skills, confidence, cognitive skills, motor skills, etc. Different schools should be allowed to market their own programmes that may be very different from another school. The last thing that pre schools should become is straight jacket curriculum and ended up as factories with a standard mould and producing one type of toys that will respond similarly when the right button is pressed. Variety and free wheeling activities are the keys at this tender age and regimentation or standardization should be frown upon.

In praise of great Sinkie schemes

The last few days have seen many young Sinkies crying out loud and screaming for blood. They are unhappy about the rising property prices. On the other hand, 800,000 Sinkies with HDB flats and many more with private properties are quietly congratulating themselves of their new found fortunes. And many are secretly praising the great schemes that the govt have devised to make them all so rich.

What the young Sinkies did not know or could not understand is that this great scheme of paying forward will also reward them when their time comes. Their parents bought flats at $20k/$30k and are now worth $400k or more. Some bought at $200k and are worth $800k or so. So what is the problem for them to pay a million now when they could see their flats worth several millions later? Just close the eyes and pay, and good things will happen. Don’t worry. No need to worry. We have the brightest and most talented with the best interest and intent to serve the people managing the schemes. It is all for the good of the people. Be thankful and grateful

This is a housing scheme, savings scheme and retirement scheme all rolled into one. All Sinkies that faithfully follow this scheme will be handsomely rewarded. The current oldies will retire as millionaires. The young today will retire as multi millionaires or billionaires in times to come. It is a sure win scheme.

Look at the good stuff, the bright future ahead and stop complaining. The schemes are very well thought out and planned by the best talents money can buy. Trust me.

Malaysia’s third grade thinking ticking again

I call it envy thinking or missing the woods for the trees. Malaysia is unhappy that their companies are paying Malaysian employees less than Sinkie employees. They want to pay their employees as much as the workers in Sinkieland are being paid.

The first question, are the Malaysian workers really underpaid? I don’t think so. A Malaysian employee earning RM3000 or RM5000 will probably be much well off than his Sinkie counterpart earning $3000 or $5000. His cost of living is so much cheaper relatively and he could own a much bigger home, maybe even landed properties than the Micky Mouse flats which Sinkies called home and so bloody proud of it. But you can’t blame them when they have been so conditioned to think less is best.

And every Malaysian could easily own a car to travel around the vast country and paying cheaper petrol for it. Everything costs lesser in Malaysia when it used to be the other way. What is this talk about Malaysian workers being underpaid? Maybe the companies could pay them much more if they take into consideration the cheaper cost of business and rentals, not forgetting their top management are not robbing the companies to pay themselves crazy. They can afford to and still be more competitive than their Sinkie counterparts. That is the reason why many Sinkie companies are moving over, and more will do so.

Does Malaysia seriously think that it should go the Sinkie way, to price itself out of competition in the international market? China’s manufacturing factories are being pressurized by the Americans to pay more and to price themselves out. Is this what Malaysia wants? The Sinkie model is designed for self destruct in the next 10 or 20 years, or earlier should a major world crisis hit. Life will go on as per normal in Malaysia should it happen. Sinkies will be jumping off from their million dollar Mickey Mouse flats when they cannot service the huge mortgages and debt that they have acquired. The truth is that the average Sinkies are all heavily in debt and this will only get worst.

The issue of Malaysiansskilled personnel working in Sin is a totally different problem. The proximity of Sin and the comparatively higher salary, and the ability to return and spend the money in Malaysia is a strategic factor Malaysia would have to cope with. But this is not the only reason for the brain drain. The Malaysian govt should know better why. Given a decent govt policy to value their own talents on their own merits, many Malaysians would be the first to run back to Malaysia today. Their salary though comparatively lower than Sin does not mean that their standard of living will be lower as the cost of living is so much lower. Simply put, it is bad govt policies that created this problem.

Malaysia should be thankful that its economic system has not been taken down the Sinkie way, a system that is unsustainable and is likely to cause much grief in a crisis. The Malaysian system will grow slowly and steadily. They need not work themselves to death. They can afford to stop in their path to smell the roses and take a nap under the coconut trees.

Sinkies will die or be in deep shit if they stop working before they die at the ripe old age of 80 or 90. Malaysia should stop this rubbish envy thinking and look at how blessed it is and can only get better with good and positive govt economic and political policies. Malaysia can only get better. Sin can only get worst. And Malaysian workers are not paid worst relative to their cost of living.

When or if the Malaysian govt embarks on a path of enlightened economic policies, and discards the unproductive and counter productive political policies, it will seriously undermine the economic development of Sin. Many of the highly trained and experienced Malaysians would rush back to lift up the quality of life in Malaysia in all fields. Malaysia could be a shining first world country when the talents returned. The past policies were doing just the reverse, leveling down in all aspects of economic, technology and social endeavours.

A lesson from Genneva

Genneva, a gold trading company that offered its customers 24% returns on their investments has its business suspended. It was definitely too good to be true. Its office has been raided and is now under investigation by CAD. It was under the watchlist of MAS all the while.

When the company was set up, it tells a story of good returns and everything good. The returns were absolutely good, very good, outstanding. No one borders to ask what can go wrong to make the promises turn sour. The company would be the last one to want to tell what can go wrong.

Sinkies are now living it up, in high heavens. Everything is so rosy, so good, so very good. The housing price is just on one track, up. The savings in the CPF with 4% interest rates for the oldies must be excellent. Jobs aplenty and more foreigners and more citizens are needed. Nothing can go wrong. Really?

Murphy’s Law says that what can go wrong will go wrong. Same thing happened to Genneva. Same thing happened to toxic notes and Lehman Bonds. Same thing happened to all the too big to fail banks in the US and Europe.

Anyone believes that nothing can go wrong? Anyone believes that the housing price will be happily stay up there? Anyone believes that the high population is only good? How many believe that their CPF savings will not be worthless at the end of the day?

And how many believe what the ministers said, that the young today will have a lot of money when they retire? Anyone out there willing to say what can go wrong, what can go awfully wrong?

How dangerous can internet be?

A Caroline wrote in her Facebook ‘…I will always make sure that they know our govt is to b blamed for what is happening to us n to Sg: )’

A MJ Rina Huang replied, ‘Dear Ms Caroline, if you are married and have kids, please pray that they don’t hear you, or that no one tells them that their mummy is to be blamed for what’s going to happen to them: )’

The Caroline posted the above and received a threat from another blogger in their Facebook posts. Though both signed off with a : ) sign, the latter can still be interpreted as a threat. One cannot be blamed to think that some harm or something bad could happen to the children.

Caroline went to make a police report and it was reported in TRE that Rina Huang had since removed the offending post from her Facebook. The ball is now in the police’s court. Is there a criminal intimidation threat made by Rina Huang against the children of Caroline? If there is, what are the police going to do about it?

The internet is no place for intimidation or causing mischief. Everyone should have freedom of expression, differences in views and opinions. But no one should be allowed to go around abusing one another, threatening another or irritating others. There must be some form of discipline, decency and not to do to others what one does not want others do unto them.

I would suggest the police set up a unit to make tracing of the mischief makers easier when an official report is made. There is no room for gangsterism or thuggish behavior in the net. Some may think that these are reasonable and part and parcel of freedom of expression, I must say I disagree. The right to speak freely does not give one the right to abuse another person or to threaten another person. With the police providing such a facility, you don’t need any more code of conduct to keep some peace and decency in the net. The wrong doers and mischief makers will know that even hiding under anonymity will not let them get away scot free. This facility is always there, don’t think it is something new. It is only how accessible it is to the public or to people who are being offended.

It is okay to post using a nick or even anonymous, and to exercise freedom of expression. It is another thing to use it to attack people personally or to cause mischief, and worst, threatens others. Why should anyone think that it is alright to verbally attack another person in the net or to abuse another person?

A very dangerous proposition

The New York Times

September 19, 2012

http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/the-inconvenient-truth-behind-the-diaoyusenkaku-islands/

I’ve had a longstanding interest in the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, the subject of a dangerous territorial dispute between Japan and China. The United States claims to be neutral but in effect is siding with Japan, and we could be drawn in if a war ever arose. Let me clear that I deplore the violence in the recent anti-Japan protests in China: the violence is reprehensible and makes China look like an irrational bully. China’s government should reign in this volatile nationalism rather than feed it. This is a dispute that both sides should refer to the International Court of Justice, rather than allow to boil over in the streets. That said, when I look at the underlying question of who has the best claim, I’m sympathetic to China’s position. I don’t think it is 100 percent clear, partly because China seemed to acquiesce to Japanese sovereignty between 1945 and 1970, but on balance I find the evidence for Chinese sovereignty quite compelling. The most interesting evidence is emerging from old Japanese government documents and suggests that Japan in effect stole the islands from China in 1895 as booty of war. This article by Han-Yi Shaw, a scholar from Taiwan, explores those documents. I invite any Japanese scholars to make the contrary legal case. – Nicholas Kristof

The above article appeared in the New York Times and argued convincingly in favour of Chinese ownership of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. The hard evidence was clear, and Nicholas Kristof was chastising the Chinese for protesting in the streets instead of taking the case to the International Court of Justice. On face value it is a very good and logical suggestion. In reality, it would be the most foolish thing for China to do so. The islands belong to China and were taken away as war booty by the Japanese who now insisted that the islands belonged to them. Why would China want to go to court with the robbers when the outcome could turn the other way? Why would China want to risk its territory in a court that China is not even convinced of its objectivity and neutrality? What happens if it turns out to be a kangaroo court? How high is the possibility of the judges being bribed and bought over by the Japanese? The Japanese would be very willing to offer the judges a sum that they could not refuse. Not possible?

The worst case would be for the court to try to appease both parties, like the Pedra Branca case, and apportion the islands equally to both parties. And China would lose, legally, half of its territories to the robbers and never think of getting it back anymore.

The fact today is that the robbers, Japan, are lying through their teeth and refused to acknowledge the truth, and are likely to do anything to keep the loot. The only way for China to take back its property is to do it the same way as the robbers, in a war, unless Japan is willing to return it voluntarily before it happens.

China must never bring the case to the ICJ. It could be a trap. It should do it the same way as the Koreans. It is their island and there is no dispute and no necessity to go to court. Chinese territories are not negotiable. They are setting China up for the kill.

PS. Never trust the Americans.

They are paid what they are worth

This is Matilah’s truism. I always discount what he said by 50% as most of the time he just shoot from his hip. In this case he added a qualifier, ie, a free market mechanism. Of course there is no real free market mechanism to talk about, especially when pay is concerned. For this, I will deduct another 20% from his truth.

The corruption in both public and private practices as far as compensation for the top dogs is concerned is as innocent as the devil wearing a halo over its head. How could anyone justify paying a joker hundreds of millions a year or tens of millions a year? Superman or Wonder Woman? Yesterday’s ST reported about the scions of billionaires paying themselves millions simply because of their genealogy. But the recipients would tell you they really deserved every cent paid to them.

How deserving a person is should not be determined by the incumbents or those with vested interest in the well being of the incumbents. We have seen and heard a lot of hogwash regarding the super salaries the employees are getting and claimed to be worth every cent of it. Would any of the recipients or those related to the recipients say otherwise? Or would anyone of them be honest enough to stand up, with a straight face, or embarrassingly and meekly say, actually I don’t deserve the money as I am doing sweet nothing?

Closer to home, the hot topic of the ministerial salary is always on the mind of most Sinkies. The ministers will vouch and swear that they deserved every cent they are paid. Some will even claim that they are underpaid. I am not going to discount any of their claims. I do not know how hard they work for their money or what is their true market value.

What is important is the paymaster. Does the paymaster think that the ministers are being paid fairly? You will know the answer in 2016.

The real stuff in the real world is that many are paid outrageous salary because they are family. And many are equally paid dubious salary because of political reasons, using public funds. How many of you really believe in this Matilah truism?

Return of Warlordism

The high profile news of the rich and powerful in China flaunting their wealth and abusing their power hinted towards a return to the days of Warlordism. After 300 years of shame and near bankruptcy, 亡国时代，the new China has just stood up on its two feet to stand shoulder to shoulder as a respectable nation, there are ominous signs that China is sliding back to it corrupt and decadent days. The days of lawlessness, 无法无天, when the rich and powerful are starting to abuse their positions, and the excesses of their children in total disregard to law and order and propriety, misbehaving in the wildest kind, 花花公子，are putting China and its society in a very bad light.

The rapid fall into ill repute, abuses, corruption, no respect for law and order, and bullying the ordinary citizens are a shameful display of not only a country, but a people and its values and culture. The philosophies of the great sages of Mencius, Confucius, Lao Tzu etc, did not seem to teach the Chinese any good. It is becoming another wild country if things are not put in order. Or, if it is not the fault of the great philosophers, it must be the poor upbringings of the rich and powerful. They did not know that their misconduct is not only bringing shame and embarrassment to the country and people, it could lead back to a period of decadence and the destruction of the nation.

It took 60 years of hard and arduous work for the country to climb back to respectability, but in such a short span of time, the ugliness of the Chinese and its culture are already rearing its head. Would China be able to transform itself into a powerful and gracious nation, or would the decadent past catches up and return China to become the Sick Man of Asia once again? The signs are very unhealthy. The top officials who are not able to educate their children to be decent and respectable people are failures and should not be in public office. They are the role models to set a good example for the 1.3b people to emulate. Hopefully the disgraceful acts and conducts of the few are only exceptions and can be corrected and eradicated from becoming the new cancers of the new China.

Housing, half hearted or half baked measures won’t work

Frankly, I am not too sure whether the measures to cool down property prices were half hearted or half baked measures. They have proven not to work, or they could be intended to work this way. Don’t expect me or any bloggers to know the whole story. We are blogging on superficial understanding of what was going on and at most we are just skimming the surface of a very complex problem, but not unsolvable if the will is there.

Bloggers are not paid to spend all their time and resources to understand the problem and to come out with good solutions. This should be the duty of the professionals who are paid millions and full time on the job to solve the problem. If they cannot to anything right, they should not be there and should not be paid the big salaries. Is this a difficult logic to understand?

The people on the job are professionals and must have a good grasp of the situation and the extent of the problem. It is very disheartening to hear professionals saying that the housing problem is due to one or two factors, a supply problem, or BTO and resale market are separate issues. Some even think that it is okay for foreigners to continue to grab anything available in the market.

Everything in the market affects the market. Everything is linked to the housing price that is ballooning, not just supply and demand, not just a matter of private properties and public housing. Even the scrapping of estate duties is a major factor that influenced the price of properties.

I am not here to give a solution. I am not paid to do it. The public demands that those that are handsomely paid to do their job, starting with a correct policy or mission statement from the govt on what it thinks is its role in providing housing for the people, and what kind of housing and affordability. Everything must gel together for a comprehensive solution and not piece meal. It is obvious that the people are getting very angry with the housing situation.

Can the govt get it right? If they can’t, learn from Malaysia and China. These two countries are serious in wanting to curb property prices and have their priorities right. Housing, a roof over the head at a really ‘affordable’ price is what they are trying to achieve. Even Hongkong is getting serious while we are getting reckless. They are less concerned with the profits of developers and those rich who are hoarding properties to get a good profit for their investments. And in Singapore’s case, with the high density and the squeeze on limited land, the concept of investment in properties and property speculation, foreign ownership, estate duties, must be thoroughly reviewed.

There are many vested interests at stake. What is more important?

Traffic jams at Bukit Panjang!

Where is Bukit Panjang? Quite near to JB lor. How could a little town in the periphery of the island be facing traffic jam? In the city, in the suburbs, still possible, but out in the country side, 5 mins to JB and the residents now have to coop with traffic jams. And it is expected to get worst when the BTO units are occupied in a few years time.

You really believe that we can take in another 700,000 people to raise population to 6m? Really, sure or not? Sure, at most is to have a gridlock over the whole island. Then more people can take public transport and no need to drive. Quickly buy SMRT and SBS shares.

That would not be the case. There will be no gridlock in the island. The answer is in COEs and ERPs. ERPs can be erected in Bukit Panjang and all the outlying new towns to control cars on the road. It is only a matter of how many more ERPs and how much the drivers will have to pay to keep the roads congestion free. The ultimate solution will be to erect ERPs at the exit of HDB car parks. Yes HDB car parks or condominiums only where there are concentrations of cars.

There will be no gridlock on our roads. That I can guarantee, even with 10m population. Have faith in the govt. Our roads will run as smoothly as they are today with 5.3m people. Double that or triple that will not make it any worst.

The political govt

What is that? It is a term I have coined for a blur govt. No, not that the govt is blur, but it is blur in the sense that it is not the govt but something like the govt, or the govt but not the govt. Ok, you are all confused by now.

Take Britain as an example. They have things like royalties, dukes and duchess, lords and what not. These are, in a way, political appointments, not the govt but the govt, the ruling elite. Or there could be MPs running a district or constituency that is doing all the necessary works but then someone is appointed as a mayor, presumably to do the same job of the MP, or an honourary political title. These are political appointments that can be done without, of no real relevance to the working of the govt.

The other kind of political govt are the titles or positions awarded to people for political reasons but not because of necessity of work. These are appointments like chairman, directors, advisors, assistant this and that, all because of political connection or patronage. This is the western model of corruption but not branded as such. It is like the current little clip in CNA when one notable was quoted as saying, corruption can be a gift to some and a token of appreciation to another.

What is troublesome about political govt is that it is not just appointments and titles. Somebody got to pay for it. And if the payment to such political appointments are huge and comes from the public coffer, directly or indirectly, it can be serious. It means that the country’s revenue is being used to pay for political appointees in the political govt.

All countries have some form of political govt, big or small. And the people ended up paying for it. No, it is not corruption but a derivative. It is just using public money to pay to people doing something not really necessary, like the dukes or whatever, not because the job or title is necessary but add ons, like badges of honour. Simply it is a political payout from the state’s fund, public money that need not be. In monarchies, it is a parasitic scheme that sucks away money from the state for the royal families, and the amount can be a strain on the country unless there is oil money coming out from the ground.

In modern nation states, republics and democracies, such payouts are getting more prevalent under different guises. No wonder many democracies in Europe are going bankrupt and the people did not know where the state money goes to. It is convenient to just blame it on the welfare system. But without lifting the blinkers, they would not know how big is the political govt and the political payouts. They would not know that there is a horde of dependents happily being paid enormous sums of money by the people without the people having any clue to it.

The people in the countries of PIGS are thinking that they were the ones bleeding the countries through welfare schemes. They did not know of the bigger schemes that their elite are parties to, and taking much more than them. And the elite will never admit that they are in the take, taking money from the public coffer.

Sinkies lack motivation

Don’t laugh, this is true. And this is the reason why they are not keen to take on low paying jobs. How could they? How could they survive when a HDB flat cost several hundred thousand dollars, a car also cost a hundred thousand and 3 meals a day cost $15! And there is public transportation cost as well. So how to motivate them to accept lower paying jobs? Some may find it cheaper just to stay at home and live with their parents.

Money can fail to motivate when it is too little or not enough. And this can be relative and can also be real. A young adult will need a thousand dollars to get by a month not counting housing and household expenses. Anything less is just not enough. Would he be motivated to work for $1k pm or would he be motivated to work for $2k pm when the cost of living is so high?

At the other extreme, someone earning $30k pm, would he be motivated to change job that pays him $31k, and worst, when the heart is not in the new job, when there is simply no interest for the new job? Maybe try doubling the amount like $60k and throw in more perks for someone who is not interested but can be bought over. The excessively high offer could extract some interest for a while but not for along as money, like drugs, need to be increased in dosage to acquire the same effect as before. That means more money will be needed tomorrow, next month and next year to keep the employee interested.

This money and motivation problem could be seen among the gods. Look up into the clouds and it is not unusual to see the gods feeling down. Why should they be made to do things they are not interested when they were happy in what they were doing before? And offering them money, how much and how much more, and how much longer before they feel jaded again?

Is this the problem facing our political leadership? Putting square pegs into round holes and holding them there by plastering them with more money and more money? It is definitely easier and less costly to motivate someone earning $2k with a $20k job. He would work 24 hours for it and never feel tired. What effect would it be to offer someone $50k when the person is already getting $50k and to do something he does not like? Yes very costly and very ineffective.

Party time for Sinkies

The Trojan Horse is in the city. Let’s party. Sinkies are entering an enjoying the golden years. Prosperity is everywhere. Practically every other Sinkie is a millionaire or multi millionaire. Open the champagne, lay out the tables with good food and wine and everyone should go celebrate, have a good time.

There is no time to waste in whinning and kpkb. Enjoy while you can. Enjoy while it lasts. Pray the party never ends. Pray the night does not fall. There will be no hangovers the morning after. Sinkies will not remember when the party ends.

For those who are able and smarter, it is the time to grab as much as they could before the curtain comes down.

The ugly Japanese revealing their true colour

After the defeat in WW2, the Japanese took on a new persona, of efficient and meticulous businessmen and were very successful in that. They rebuilt their war torn and devastated country into a new modern and industrial economy. They travelled the world, invested in every country with their new found wealth, and wore impeccable business suits. And with the help of Hollywood’s romancing of the honourable samurai cult, they were projected as decent, well mannered and honourable people.

In a short span of 40/50 years, the cruel, barbaric and brutal soldiers that invaded practically every Asian country, plundered, raped and looted and killing their victims, pregnant women, the olds and the babies, in the most despicable and vicious ways, were changed. The silly Asians and the Westerners painted a wholesome and new image of an honourable and dignified people. And many believe so, especially the bananas.

The current dispute with China and Korea on some Chinese and Korean islands is like a rekindling and revisiting of the times of militaristic Japan, all might and arrogance. They were the most powerful Asian country then and took advantage of their military superiority to invade Asian countries, to conquer and to seize their wealth and land. Dokdo, Ryukyus, Diaoyus and Taiwan etc etc were lost to the Japanese by the logic of the gun.

And the countries are reclaiming their islands but facing the militant Japanese with their logic of the gun once again. The Japanese plainly insisted that these islands were theirs historically and refused to acknowledge how they were acquired by force. They still believe that if they carry a big gun, they could steal other country’s land as their own. And they will have their believers and sympathisers from the victim countries. And the Japanese also have the evil American Empire on their side, acting innocently claiming not to take sides by not standing on the side of logic and historical rights. The treacherous Americans even included the Diaoyu/Senkaku under the American Japan Defence Treaty.

And many silly Asian bananas would naively say that it was history, no need to fight over a few pieces of uninhabited islands. Why don’t they tell the robbers to lay off, no need to continue to insist that the islands they stole should be returned to the rightful owners?

The robber and gangster’s mentality of reasoning is very simple. They already have the loot in their pockets and would tell all the victim parties not to stir shit or revive history. Why should they when they are the gainers of other people’s land? So the victims who lost their land are seen as trouble makers, quarrelsome and not wanting to let the past be the past.

And the robbers and gangsters are standing on high pedestal as peaceful robbers and gangsters. The victims have no right to claim back what they have lost to the robbers and gangsters. This is the ugly Japanese of the past surfacing in the present, that might is right. Did anyone say the Japanese are honourable or dignified? They could think so by ignoring that the Japanese had raped, killed and looted their countries and do not feel any remorse about it. These are the type of losers that would be easy to rape and loot and to conquer. They will not resist and will fall in love with the dignity and honour of their violators.

PS. The Japanese are demanding the Russians to return the four islands taken from them in the same period of history.

China is again facing the danger of foreign aggression

China is again facing the danger of foreign aggression. War clouds are hovering in the horizon. This time the danger comes from the Evil Empire, US whic h is instigating and encouraging its colonial lap dog the Japanese to steal Chinese lands and territorial seas. The Evil Empire , US may create any incident to start a war with China either directly by itself or through its proxies like the Japs or the Pinoy vermins or Vietnamese rats.Whatever it is, China and every Chinese must be very vigilant and be constantly aware that the only true protection, safeguard and guarantee for Chinese peace and security is that China must have the strongest economy and most powerful military in the world, for without which China may suffer again as happened in the last century. China should not play the gentleman anymore. China should adopt a forward policy, be fiercer and more aggressive to attack and destroy all potential enemies  and if necessary to recover all territories stolen by foreign aggressors in the last century.

Singapore claims that  it does not lean on China or the Evil Empire. But Singapore is now a military base in which the Evil Empire operates its navy and airforce in and out freely . If the Evil Empire,US out of  economic and financial desperation starts a war with China, will Singapore still allow the Evil Empire to operate its navy and airforce freely in Singapore or will Singapore put a complete stop to the evil activities of the Evil Empire. The government should not expose Singapore and Singaporeans to the danger of nuclear annihilation and hence it should forthwith put a stop to US naval and airforce operations out of Singapore.

China should take the US to ICJ for CBT

After the defeat of Japan in WW2, the leaders of the Allied Forces, Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill and Chiang Kai Shek, stripped Japan of all the territories it robbed from it neighbouring countries. The Ryukyu Islands and Diaoyu Islands were handed to the Americans to hold in trust for China. All the leaders in Cairo and Potsdam were in no doubt that the islands belonged to China. Chiang Kai Shek was caught in a civil war with Mao Tse Tung and had his hands full.

The Ryukyus and Diaoyu Islands were held under the trusteeship of the US in the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951. By then China became the People’s Republic under communist rule, followed by the Korean War and the Cold War.

The treacherous Americans then handed the administration of the Ryukyus and Diaoyu Islands to the Japanese unilaterally for its own political agenda an interest in 1971. It did not have the right to do so as the Islands were Chinese territories. While China and Japan are now at loggerheads fighting to claim the islands, both have forgotten the disgraceful act of the Americans in failing in its duty as trustees of the islands and for handing the islands to the Japanese, doing exactly opposite to what were agreed in the Cairo and Potsdam Declaration and the Treaty of San Francisco.

This is a breach of faith, a breach of trust. And the Americans conveniently forgot about their shameful act and acting as if nothing had happened and pretending to be the peace broker. China should take the Americans to the International Court of Justice for failing in its international duty as trustees of the islands. China should also raise this dubious act of the Americans in the UNGA and demand the Americans to recover the islands and return them to China as they were trusted to do so by the Allies.

The Americans and the western media would not want to mention about the shameful and evil acts of the Americans. Today, with internet, it is only fair to expose the misdeeds and treachery of the Americans to give the masses a more balance view of what this evil Empire did and stood for.

No doubt the Americans had also did some good. This is the pattern of historical empires. They would first rape, kill and loot and destroy their victims. Next will come a phase of generosity, to help their victims. See what is happening in Iraq and the Arab countries? After the murders and the bombing, came the aid, the saviours, the angels and the white gods. What about the crimes they committed against the innocent children, the womenfolks, the oldies and the rest of humanity?

America, like all empires, has entered the last evil phase, a phase when it will do anything to hold on to its power. This is the last phase and will lead to its own destruction and the rise of new powers to replace this evil Empire. No, the Americans cannot see that they are evil. Neither can their allies and the world until it is too late. The halo of goodness is still staining the conventional view that the Americans are angels of God.

What’s wrong with our education system?

The British is going to learn from us. We sold ourselves as an education hub, definitely not because of the reputation of Middle Road but the reputation of our very own national education system and our world class universities. And many foreign students are here simply because of this. We provide quality education through our national education system.

Now we are saying our education system is rotten. Are we really saying that? Would this message get round and the foreign students got scare the shit out of their brain and scurry out for safety?

The recent reaction to changes in the education system is buckling under pressure for the wrong reasons. And the saddest thing is trying to appease unreasonable and unenlightened parents and resort to tear down something that is good and start meddling it like a piece of shit and believing that it is really shit.

I sincerely believe that many FTs that are here and strutting around with their noses in the air and bossing around with academically superior Sinkies would fail or not do well in our education system. Many would end up in the normal stream. But why are they seen as superior and acting superior to the locals? Simply because we made them superior, we called our local daft, we give them the opportunities and deprived our locals of the opportunities. We believe in them instead of our own kind.

We simply do not have faith in our people. This boils down to the feeling of inferiority, insecurity of our people at the top. They don’t even believe that our system is good. They don’t believe that our people are good. We turn this place from a third world country to first world and the leaders still think we are all full of shit. And now they place their confidence on the FTs who came from third world countries, who are unable to do well in third world countries, unable to lift their third world countries to where we are, and believing that these people will bring us to greater height, and help our people to be better.

See the silliness in the whole system and thinking, and the mantra of foreigners are the best and Sinkies are daft? How could daft people turn this country into a first world country? Or how could third world FTs turn this first world country into a better place and not into another third world?

Maybe this is where our education has failed? Or is it that we are not giving opportunities to our own people, our own children, but chose to throw our money and favour to the strangers that we don’t even know? Heard of the prodigal son that squandered the family’s fortune and inheritance?

Sea of Humanity

A piece of rar art.

Obama and the Evil Empire threaten war against Iran

Obama uses UN speech to threaten war against Iran

By Bill Van Auken
26 September 2012

President Barack Obama postured before the United Nations Tuesday as the champion of peace and democracy, while threatening war against Iran and demanding a crackdown against the wave of anti-US demonstrations that have swept the Middle East.
This, Obama’s fourth address to an opening session of the UN General Assembly since taking office in 2009, was saturated with hypocritical invocations of “American values” and lies about Washington’s actions on the world stage.
The US president delivered an unmistakable threat that the US is preparing to launch yet another war of aggression, this time against Iran, with potentially far bloodier consequences than those it has carried out in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last decade.
“Make no mistake: a nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained,” Obama declared. “It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations, and the stability of the global economy. It risks triggering a nuclear arms race in the region and the unraveling of the non-proliferation treaty. That is why… the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”
Asserting that there is “still time” for the US to force Iran to cede to its demands by means of diplomacy, he added, “that time is not unlimited.”
The facts are that international inspectors have found no evidence that Iran has embarked on a nuclear weapons program or is doing anything other than developing nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Israel, which is supposedly threatened with “elimination,” has built some 400 atomic weapons while refusing to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and categorically rejecting any inspection of its secret nuclear program. If there is a threat of an arms race in the region and a breakdown of the non-proliferation agreement, this Israeli nuclear stockpile is its source.
Obama’s speech came one day after the US Treasury Department claimed to have uncovered links between Iran’s state oil company and the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, providing a pretext for escalating its unilateral sanctions against banks doing business with the company.
Meanwhile, the US has assembled its largest ever armada in the Persian Gulf, including two aircraft carrier battle groups, a new “forward staging base” vessel, and half of the US Navy’s mine-sweeping fleet, all of which are participating in joint exercises with warships from over 30 countries.
Much of the US president’s 30-minute speech was dedicated to the recent upheavals that swept the Middle East and predominantly Muslim countries in South Asia and Africa, with crowds attacking US embassies in over a dozen capitals. Describing the protests as “mindless violence,” Obama lumped them together with the September 11 attack by an Islamist militia on the US consulate and a CIA headquarters in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi that killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
Obama declared these events “an assault on the very ideals upon which the United Nations was founded—the notion that people can resolve their differences peacefully; that diplomacy can take the place of war.”
What insolence! After a decade of US wars that have claimed the lives of over a million Iraqis and Afghans, the US president is the last person to lecture the people of the Middle East on how to “resolve their differences peacefully” and the advantages of diplomacy over war.
Obama added, “If we are serious about these ideals, we must speak honestly about the deeper causes of this crisis.” However, he did no such thing. Instead, he treated the anger against the US as merely the product of the crude anti-Islamic video “Innocence of the Muslims” and of those who promote “hatred of America, or the West, or Israel.”
There was nothing in the speech about Washington’s wars, its unconditional support for Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians, or its reliance on dictatorial regimes and absolute monarchs to secure semi-colonial control over the region and its energy resources.
Obama went on to present a potted history of US reaction to the so-called “Arab Spring” that began with working class uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt early last year. Washington, he claimed, had “supported the forces of change,” had been “inspired by the Tunisian protests,” had “insisted on change in Egypt,” and had “supported a transition in Yemen, because the interests of the people were not being served by a corrupt status quo.”
Anyone familiar with the recent history of the region knows that the American president is lying. The US government was so “inspired” by the revolt in Tunisia that it approved a $12 million military aid package to the dictatorial regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to help it beat and shoot the demonstrators into submission.
It pursued the same policy in Egypt, seeking to the bitter end to prop up Hosni Mubarak, whose regime had been kept in power with US military aid and political support for three decades. Only after it was clear that the two dictators could no longer cling to power did the US shift policy, working to salvage as much as it could of the old regimes.
As for Yemen, the US-backed “transition” has kept in power a regime that is virtually identical to the old one, with the dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh replaced by his vice president, and with the US carrying out far more intense military intervention, with dozens of drone assassinations and special forces raids.
Obama presented the US-NATO war for regime-change in Libya as well as the attempt by Washington and its allies to topple the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria as a continuation of this “Arab Spring.”
In Libya, he claimed, the US intervened under a UN mandate to protect civilians. In reality, it brazenly violated this mandate, waging an aggressive war that led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Libyans. The proxy forces it supported on the ground included the same Islamist militia elements that killed the US ambassador in Benghazi. Its aims, as in Iraq, were not humanitarian or democratic, but predatory—principally to assert US hegemony over Libyan oil reserves, while denying control to its rivals, particularly China.
Obama repeated his demand for regime-change in Syria while expressing concern that the current civil war “not end in a cycle of sectarian violence.” In reality, the US has done everything it can to stoke sectarian warfare as part of its scheme to mobilize the Sunni monarchies of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, as well as Al Qaeda-linked militias, in a campaign to bring down the Syrian government and thereby weaken Washington’s main regional rival, Iran.
The US president offered no proposal whatsoever on the Israel-Palestine question. Instead, he called for the region to “leave behind those who thrive on conflict, and those who reject the right of Israel to exist.” This amounts to a blanket endorsement of Israel’s illegal occupation and its continuous expansion of settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Echoing the bellicose rhetoric of his predecessor, Obama spoke three times in his address about “bringing to justice” those who attacked Americans abroad. It was a not-so-subtle reminder of the US president’s status as “assassin-in-chief,” holding weekly meetings at the White House to choose targets for execution by US drone attacks.
The hollow rhetoric, hypocritical sermonizing and bullying threats received a tepid response from the assembled delegates. The US president had not a single new initiative or original conception to offer. The speech only made clear that his administration will continue to employ military aggression, economic pressure and CIA destabilization to secure US control over the Middle East and its energy wealth, all the while posing as the patron of “democracy.”


The whole world should rise with one voice against the Evil Empire , USA and destroy it before it destroys the world.

Southernglory1

Brain dead 死脑

A dead brain is a Chinese expression of the inability to think out of the box. One track mind, cannot think of anything else, or any new solution, a mental block. Are our top leaders having this problem that the only way forward for economic growth is by increasing the population? All our policies and policy statements are anchored around more people in the island. Funny they forgot to build more housing and increase the infrastructure in the island. Perhaps not. How can super talents failed to see this correlation, more people means more of everything, including problems. It is not only benefits.

Now why do we want so many people in such a small place that is having the highest density in the whole world, and all the signs of strains in the system are showing? Why do we need more people here to buy more flats, to buy more mobile phones, to buy more ipads, to build more shopping centres and more food courts?

Are these the reason for our existence as a country, to consume more goods and services so that we can put on paper, economic growth? So that our properties prices can go up higher, so that we can convert more land into buildings, so that we can tear down more old or not so old buildings to rebuild more buildings? Or so that we find ourselves unable to provide the basic essentials like water and electricity and giving us a good reason to go nuclear, and some jokers can then say, we must go nuclear as it is a necessity?

What the f is happening? We are at a phase of importing more people for the sake of importing more people because we must have more people for more growth. Can our policies be to promote economic growth without having to bring in more people, without having to waste our precious little land left to build more buildings to house more people? Can there be ways for economic growth minus the pressure on land and resources and the acute pressure for living space? Economic growth through more people that will eventually destroy the lives of the citizens is like digging a big hole to bury ourselves in it. Can we see that? How can, when the brain is dead.

We need growth policies that are sustainable and not for self destruction in the long run. And we need growth to provide a better quality of life for the people, not for useless economic activities like more consumers to buy more hand phones or computer gadgets or more people to patronize the food courts and shopping centres or to buy up more HDB flats and to use up all our available land.

I am sure they are not that daft. What is the truth? What is going on?

Diaoyu and Liuchiu Islands(Senkaku and Ryukyus) belong to China

The most vocal journalist with the most critical view against China has spoken. Ching Cheong, arrested and detained by China for several years, for spying against China, has said, with historical records, that both Diaoyu and the Ryukyu chain of islands belong to China. He also quoted the views of the American and Russian leaders at the Cairo Declaration in 1943 and the Potsdam Declaration in 1945, all acknowledging that the islands should be returned to China. And the Japanese liars are still shouting that the islands are integral parts of Japan historically.

All the islands and land grabbed by Japan before the war should be returned to their owners. The Cairo Declaration, ‘Japan shall be stripped of all the islands in the Pacific which she has seized or occupied since the beginning of the first World War in 1914, and that all territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese such as Manchuria, Formosa and the Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China. Japan shall be expelled from all other territories which she has taken by violence or by greed….Most World War II historians agreed that the “territories” in the last sentence referred to the Ryukyus.’



On Feb 2, 1946, ‘US General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, issued a statement limiting Japanese territories to the four major islands and about 1,000 small islands situated north of the 30 deg latitude.’ Ryukyus and Diaoyu lie below the 30 deg latitude and no longer were Japanese territories.

When China and Japan reestablished diplomatic relations in 1972, they signed a Joint Statement agreeing to abide by the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Declaration. How could the Japanese, including their PM Noda, openly declare at the UN that Diaoyu Island was an integral part of Japan! The Japanese are lying with their eyes wide opened. Who is talking about Japanese having honour and dignity?

Now that the Japanese are adamant on hanging on to Chinese territories, China should go ahead and take back Diaoyu and the Ryukyus as well. There is no reason to be nice to the lying Japanese anymore. And the scheming Americans, tell them to go to hell. If the Americans think that it justifies their interest under their treaty obligation with Japan to protect a wrong they helped created, let it be. It will be MAD, both blowing each other out of this world for a wrong committed by the Americans and to protect a nation of liars.

Why is it unjustified for China to take back its territories but perfectly justified for Japan to keep the loot it seized from China?

We are so sorry

We are so sorry that we have messed up the public housing programme and many people have suffered because of the bad decisions. Our biggest mistake was to sell off the 10,000 excess units when we knew that the number of new immigrants coming in was so huge that the stocks would not even be enough. We knew, and please, don’t ever think that we did not know. Our system was so efficient and we had all the top scholars in all the departments and it was ludicrous to think that several hundred thousands of new migrants were arriving on our shore and we did not know, that we could be sleeping!

Yes, we made a very serious mistake by deciding to get rid of the stocks in double quick time. And yes, we compounded the problem by not building new flats and insisting that new building programmes would only be launched when the order book was full. And we were too arrogant, ruthless and uncaring to dictate that ‘take it or leave it’, the new flats would only be ready in 4/5 years time. The people who could not wait, it was their problem, not ours.

And the confluence of events and data, we had all the statistics, influx of new immigrants, young people coming of age and getting married, number of pubic housing needed and how long it would take to build, and how many units must be built every year to meet the demand. But we did not do the necessary. We did the reverse. Please don’t ask why. We cannot tell.

We are very sorry that many people are badly affected, financially affected by our ill conceived housing policies and regulations. We know that many are still not able to buy a flat direct from the HDB. And if they do, the prices would have gone up several folds and it would be very hard on them. We also are very sorry to those that were kicked out of the public housing system and now presumably too rich to buy HDB but too poor to buy private properties and hanging between the devil and the deep blue sea. And we know that they would not have the chance to ever buy a public flat as their income would have exceeded the ceiling determined by HDB. Even as we ramp up the building from 25,000 to a record 27,000 this year, nothing will change the fate of these people.

And no, we are not responsible for the shit they are in now. We will not admit any mistake on our part. How can we do that? We are incapable of making this kind of silly mistakes that cannot be made even by a 18 year old kid. Too embarrassing if we were to say so and it is not possible to unwind the situation now, and to bring down the high property prices. We know the prices were not affordable but we insisted that they were. What can you do about it?

You losers would just have to live with it and for those who fell victims, well, it is water under the bridge. Don’t call us. We know but we are not going to do anything about it. Neither would we apologise for it. We are sorry? You must be joking.

The apologetic part and the ‘we are sorry’ part, are all my imagination. Nothing of this sort will happen. Saying sorry is not a practice here. I stand corrected if anyone can contradict my statement and say yes, so and so said sorry for creating the big mess and hurting so many people, not only financially, but their whole lives, to spend more time working and saving and ended no time to get married, to have babies or start a family.

Actually there was no mistake at all, and no big mess. Everything happened the way it was supposed to be, very well executed by the best talents available. That is why there is no need to say sorry. No mistake how to say sorry? And if I am not mistaken, the policy makers could be duly rewarded for doing an excellent job, maybe even awarded with public service medals.

Now 27,000 units and the problem is getting worst, the prices are going higher. Just pretend to cry over spilt milk without meaning it. We are an inclusive country. But for those that were screwed by the bad housing policies, the inclusivity does not apply. Even if they are first timers, it will not apply to them too and they will not be allowed to buy direct from HDB. It is their faults.

Foreigners help created good jobs for Singaporeans

Hsien Loong was quoted to have said foreigners help created good jobs for Singaporeans. Or is it the other way? Singaporeans create good jobs for foreigners…and ended up with no jobs or shitty jobs for themselves.

And many Sinkies have to retrain themselves to take on jobs at lower level and lower pay.

Which is the truth when some have quoted that of the new jobs created, 70% gone to foreigners.

Which is the truth? I think the best gauge is to ask who is happier here, Sinkies or foreigners. The happier ones must be getting the better jobs. Right? Wrong?

Sinkies must be sick or insane to be so unhappy with the foreigners when the latter are helping to create good jobs for them.

The Evil Empire asked, Why does China need an Aircraft Carrier?

The Americans try to be funny and asked a stupid question, " Why does China need an aircraft carrier when Nobody is going to attack China." The world especially the third world or developing countries want to ask the White Americans , Why does USA need more than ten aircraft carriers and why does it need to build hundreds of military bases all over the world? Why is the Evil Empire creating wars everywhere and attacking and invading smaller weak countries ? Who gives the Evil Empire, USA the right  to carry out regime change by killing many national leaders of countries who refuse to toe US line or follow US
dictates. Who gives the Evil Empire the right to stir up trouble in the East China Sea and the South China Sea?Does the Evil Empire hope to make use of its Japanese lap dog and some unsuspecting littoral states in  the South China Sea to fight its proxy wars.? The Evil Empire has never stopped expanding its territories since its independence from its evil and aggressive conquering forebears England. It had attacked and destroyed all the self governing North American native Indian states, it invaded and annexed more than one million six hundred thousand square miles of Mexican lands viz the present Florida, Texas, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and California. The Evil Empire then stretched its evil claws and mopped up and invaded many Pacific island kingdoms , the clearest examples of which are Hawaii and Guam. With such evil history of aggression and invasion , can the Evil Empire expect China to feel secure and live in peace. Instead China should continuously build up its navy and airforce as well as its nuclear armed ICBMs to deter the Evil Empire and its lap dog , the Japanese from creating troubles for China. China needs to expeditiously and simultaneously  build up at least  twenty nuclear armed aircraft carriers and send them on peaceful missions in the high seas off the coasts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. China should continue to build up the strongest and most powerful economy and military in the world and teach the Evil Empire a lesson if it dares to mess up with China.

Southernglory1

True or Not? All first timers will get to buy a HDB flat at affordable prices

Sure or not? This is what Hsien Loong and Boon Wan are saying. Is this for real? Is there a change in HDB policy? If there is, why are HDB notannouncing it to tell the people what is the new policy on this?

If I am not mistaken, many first timers are still banned, yes disqualified, from buying direct from HDB because of the existing rules.

How many first timers are still not eligible to buy HDB flats? There is at least one big group that is disqualified because of the income ceilings. Has this ruling been revised or still effective? If it is still effective, then not all first timers are even eligible to buy HDB flats.

Please tell the whole truth. What is the new policy on this or nothing really has changed.

In the name of economic growth…Sinkies must accept.

Sinkies must accept more foreigners if we want economic growth. Without foreigners, salaries will go up (is this bad?) and cost of living will go up as well. Has the cost of living come down because of the foreigners or has it gone up?

Sinkies must accept higher property prices, because the queues to buy properties, from private to public housing, are so long and growing longer, because we must have 6m people and may be more and more. It is a must, no buts, that foreigners must keep coming in, a necessity for our survival. Really?

Sinkies must accept that higher building cost means nursing home cost will not only go up, but no land to build them. More land is needed to build homes for the growing population and maybe a few avatar gardens and for dinosaurs. We must thus accept that our oldies must move to JB or Batam or Bintang.

Because the cost of living is going up and up, our savings will not be enough and our oldies must accept to work till they die.

Sinkies must also accept to have more of our savings locked up in minimum schemes, schemes that Sinkies never ask for, that Sinkies didn’t have a say at all, because some benevolent, wise and compassionate leaders think it is good for Sinkies to leave their savings with them so that Sinkies will have a lot of money when they stop work. When are Sinkies supposed to stop work?

We must accept the high salaries paid to our ministers because they are the most talented and if they don’t become ministers then the country will not be well run, or they may work for the competitors.

Sinkies must accept to travel in crowded trains because we need more foreigners and the transport system is just like that.

What else must Sinkies accept? Everything the govt done for the Sinkies is good and Sinkies must accept as good.

Containment of Japan

There have always been talks about the containment of Communism and China as if this is something only the Empire and its allies can do. Why don’t the Russians and Chinese do the same and starting with the containment of Japan? Russia, China, Taiwan, Honkong and Korea, all have problems with Japan and were victims of Japanese aggression in the past.

The above countries are not dependent on Japan anymore and can do away with trades with Japan. All they need is to cut down on their trading activities with the Japanese, boycott or sanction Japanese goods etc to strangle the Japanese to go on their knees.

Crippling of the Japanese economy will force the Americans to extend its helping hands, but being a bankrupt country there is really nothing the Americans can offer except its military might. Neither can Europe be of any help. If there is anything that the East Asian countries want to do against Japan, this is the moment.

The combined forces of China and Russia, plus Korea and Taiwan would be something to keep the Americans wary and not to do anything foolish.

Hey, the containment game can be play by other parties too.

Survey results on the future of Sin

A sociologist conducted a survey on a group of Sinkies on their views of the future of Sin. This was done through questionnaires and interviews with the participants. Below are some of the findings.

1. They would like to see a population of 20 million for growth and prosperity.

2. They wanted their HDB flats to fetch $3m and landed properties $100m each.

3. They didn’t mind paying $200k for a COE.

4. They were looking forward to having $1m in their minimum sums account in the CPF.

5. They thought congestion is a sign of prosperity.

6. They believed the future would be very good for the young of today.

7. They believed that only through population growth could there be economic growth.

The sociologist concluded that given the participants’ character traits, the findings were reasonable, understandable and expected. It was not easy to remove the madness in the participants that were from a mental hospital. Their vision of what was good was peculiar to their own insanity and hardened beliefs. The survey simply confirmed that madness could be a serious sickness as the participants did not know of their conditions. So what they perceived as good was as good only with respect to their mental condition and conditioned views of things using their own coloured lenses.

And they sincerely believed that their views were the only right views. And there was no other alternatives available, as, in their madness, they thought they were the best and no one could thus come up with a better solution. Of course this survey is simply fictitious. But it is good to know how mentally deranged people perceived things and their one track thinking process. Don’t expect them to think out of the box.

Do it and think/plan later

The title is about summed up the philosophy of this govt. This is what Lim Hng Kiang had to say regarding seizing the opportunity even when we are not ready, don’t have the capability or trained manpower to do the job. Just grab the job and import the labour. "If you train Singaporeans to fill up the sector before you launch the sector, you may lose the opportunity, and you take too long," he said.

Singapore is adopting the strategy of bringing the sector in and allowing the companies to hire foreign talent and workers while it train Singaporean workers to fill up the jobs.

"If you tell Rolls Royce, wait until we train all the workers and technicians, I think we would have missed the investments," …”

It sounds very aggressive and very positive. But it means taking very high risk and opening up unnecessarily by grabbing anything that moves and that can fill our immediate needs. As a private enterprise, entrepreneurs taking high risk with his own money and willing to gamble with anything, and with not a care of how it would impact the people and country, well, by all means. Cowboy antics can be good at times.

Does a govt need to make this kind of decision and take this kind of risk? Is this the reason why the SWFs are so afraid of missing opportunities and hurriedly jumped into any bankrupt company or fire sales that nobody dares to touch or willing to risk their good money, all because we are so frighten that others will move ahead of us to grab the shit?

Our SWFs have been burnt many times and losing hundreds of billions by not waiting and not wanting to miss opportunities even when they are not ready. When successful, it will be back slapping and congratulations all round. But if it fails, it is OPM. Never mind, wait for another golden opportunity to grab before other’s grab it.

Would companies like Rolls Royce just jump into bed with any beggars or incompetents? If we are not ready, could there be anyone that is ready in such a high tech venture in the region? Is it really sound to jump to bed whenever there is an urge or when a fair lady passes by?

Are we rubbing off too much from the two casinos to think and behave this way? Look at the infrastructure and housing mess that the people are facing? Eat, shit, and clean up later. Or let others face the shit.

I always think that our govt is very conservative, calculative and careful in deliberation before making a big decision involving high risk and a lot of money. Looks like our govt is really very entrepreneur and a high risk taker. We now have many mavericks in charge.

Teo Ser Luck: Singaporeans must accept F1 race as a necessary event

Is this true? No mistake, that Teo Ser Luck said this. Singaporeans must accept F1 as a necessary event! Does it mean that if Sinkies do not accept, something bad is going to happen? Our woman folks will become maids or something like that? So the F1 is being raised to the same status as foreign immigrants. Sinkies must accept more immigrants as a necessary thing or there will be no economic growth?

So the future well being of Sinkies is now dependent not only on foreign immigrants to increase our population, but also F1, another savior. Would the F1 organisers and drivers now also can thump down Sinkies as without them, like without the casinos and foreigners, our economy would go on a downward spin?

What else are necessary and Sinkies must accept other than the super talented govt? Keep more money in the CPF that is untouchable? I think this one is also something Sinkies must accept as necessary. High property prices must also be one. High cost of living nothing to say. And congestion, crams and jams everywhere, and not being able to afford a car are the few unnecessary things Sinkies must accept to live with as quality living.

And Sinkies got to be very grateful. With a house full of super talents, only a few things are necessary and must be accepted. If the house is not filled with super talents, Sinkies would have more things to accept as necessary, like cleaning toilets or working as foreign workers or foreign maids, with a degree from one of the world’s best universities.

Be grateful, be very grateful.