Recolonisation of the Philippines

The last vestiges of American colonialism in the Philippines ended with the vacating of Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base in 1991. The years of ignominy when the Philippines were conquered by the Spanish and then the Americans were over. It is strange that the Philippines are begging to be recolonised today by inviting the Americans back to station American troops in the former bases. It is a voluntary kind of neo colonialism where the colonized is willing and happy with the new colonial master.
 
The Philippines are willing to trade or compromise their independence and sovereignty, national pride to be a semi colony all for a weak claims against China for some islands in the South China Sea. These islands were claimed by China centuries ago in an era when the law of the jungle existed and islands and countries were owned by finder’s keeper formula. The islands were uninhabited when the Chinese visited them and marked them as theirs.
 
On the other hand the Europeans went to take over countries, islands and continents that were inhabited by the natives. North and South America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the continent of Africa were founded by the European empires ignoring the right of ownership of the natives.
 
The Chinese definitely have much more right to claim the islands in the South China Seas under the predominant norms of those days. The Philippines want to challenge the Chinese to claim these islands under a new set of laws prevailing today which have lesser authority than the earlier laws. And the Philippines is banking on the Americans to back them up in a military confrontation with China for these islands. The Americans too have acknowledged in acquiescence to China’s ownership of the islands. Going against the Chinese claims would put their claim to the American continent and the right of ownership of other western dominion countries like Australia and New Zealand in question.
 
The Pinoys think they have a strong case against China and are ready to take on China even compromising the sovereignty of the whole of Philippines to become a semi colony of the Americans. Is the stake too high for some flimsy claims on a few islands that they are unlikely to succeed?

Chuan Jin’s Singapore core in employment flawed

Chuan Jin said a lot in Parliament about building a Singaporean core and giving Singaporeans a fair chance in employment. Unfortunately he is still stuck with the group think and a position that appeared good in theory but seriously flawed in practice. Let me quote him, “it is about making sure that the playing field is level and maintaining meritocracy as a cornerstone of our society. This will send a clear signal that the government expects firms to recruit and develop their staff on merit, and not on the basis of nationality and social ties.”
 
Talking about meritocracy in a vacuum is a very unenlightened position to take. Chuan Jin’s emphasis in ensuring a level playing field and meritocracy is seriously flawed. Can anyone see what I am seeing and why I said it is flawed?
 
In the first place Singapore is a sovereign state with first responsibility to ensure that its citizens come first when employment opportunities are concerned. The Govt owes it to the citizens to be gainfully employed and not to foreigners. Our citizens need a job to survive, to live and to pay for all the high costs of living. There could be some compromises when foreign companies set up business here but they should not dictate their wants. After weighing all the factors, employing Singaporeans first must still be advantages to them than to bring in their ‘special and irreplaceable’ talents that no Singaporeans can do better. I don’t believe there are many such creatures around. I think Chuan Jin should not accept such shitty excuses unless it is very specialized and technical skills are involved and not a matter of know who or a matter of preference.
 
A corollary to the sovereign state is that ensuring a level playing field for citizens and non citizens is not acceptable. Ensuring a level playing field is for citizens competing with citizens, likewise in meritocracy. Why should our citizens be competing on a level playing against foreigners in our own country when citizens not only must have privileges but also responsibilities that are abnormal than in many countries? Our citizens should demand a playing field that is in their favour and no need to apologise for it. The citizens deserve to be treated with special favours and advantages for being citizens.
 
Meritocracy cannot be practiced blindly and not be seen as stupidity. Only a fool will practice meritocracy with the world’s talents to choose from against the limited number of talents in his own country. If meritocracy is practiced to the hilt as the cornerstone of our society and talents from around the world can replace the citizens on merits, we can replace everyone in the country including the whole cabinet and the President. With 7b people to choose from, at least 100m will be better and more meritocratic than every Singaporeans in every job and should replace every one of them. Tio boh? Off the cuff, there must be at least 10m people who are more talented than the whole cabinet or parliament. Should they come and replace them all?
 
One more point, not every job requires top talents or the best of talents. Not every job requires straight As or first class honours or a Ph D. Many jobs can be done by a decent and good employee who is competent enough to do what is required. Many HR practitioners will tell you that not the best candidate or the best qualified is given the job. In many instances, the second or third best would be deemed good enough and a better fit.
 
As an example, a good HR practitioner with a first degree would be equally as competent as another with a first class honours or Ph D in a SME. The higher or better qualifications are redundant or extravagant for the job, and may be more costly in the long term. So it is not necessary that the more meritocratic should deserve to replace the less meritocratic. Only a certain level of skills, knowledge and competency are needed. You don’t replace a Singaporean with a foreigner because he is more qualified or over qualified. Meritocracy in this sense is misplaced and obtused.
Maybe I shall put it even more simply. When a good Taiwan made bike that cost $700 can do the job, why should one buy a European made bike that cost $2000 that may be a little better and more prestigious? In choosing the latter it is indulgence, extravagance and absolutely unnecessary, definitely nothing to do with meritocracy or getting the best.
 
Do not blindly practise meritocracy with no consideration to citizenship. Do not insist on a level playing field for citizens to compete with non citizens in our country. The citizens did not vote you to compete on a level playing field with foreigners. Remember what you promised to do for the voters? Do not utter carelessly about level playing field and meritocracy without thinking.
 
This is our country and the citizens deserve better and first priority in employment. If the govt cannot think through this, cannot see through this, what can I say? What kind of govt are we having, serving the interests of citizens or foreigners? To hell with a level playing field! To hell with meritocracy! This is a country and there is a citizenry to consider and to take care of.
 
The Govt must send a clear signal to employers, both Govt, local and foreign, that employing Singaporean is top priority and must not be conveniently compromised by lame excuses.
 
PS. A jobless citizen still needs to pay for a roof over his head, household expenses, children expenses, conservancy bills, cost of living expenses, medical bills, and many other social and financial obligations. He can't get by without a job.

Making health care more affordable

Another crap exercise is going on. So far the solutions thrown out are as good as what the pimps and prostitutes can offer. In fact the pimps and prostitutes may offer crap solutions, but they came with some pleasure added to soften the impact. So, let’s listen to the rubbish that is being spewed around. Make the young pay more or pay upfront so that when they are old they need to pay lesser or not at all. Soon they will say let’s pay forward from the moment a child is born to make it affordable.
 
Is this a real solution, serious solution, to making health care more affordable? Why are they not thinking about reducing the exorbitant charges and fees? The solutions did not bother about the overcharging and the ever increasing charges that could be slammed at the helpless patients. The sick got in not knowing how much to pay and the bill will come after, at the discretion and mercy of the medical professionals. And the patients just have to pay up. Is there any difference from allowing someone to fill up a blank cheque?
 
This kind of solution is exactly a carbon copy of the HDB solution. If 15 year repayment is not affordable, stretch it to 30 years. If this is still not affordable, stretch it to 45 years. And if still not affordable, get both spouses to pay, and get the father, mother and children to pay also can. Sure affordable.
 
See, the pimps and prostitutes cannot do worse with this kind of brilliant solutions.

The overflowing tea cup

The call for allowing more foreigners into this island has not subsided, instead in some corners the voice is getting louder. We must aspire to be a global and cosmopolitan city, with the best of the rest of the world coming here to give it the buzz. Sounds pretty exciting and positive huh, a vibrant and rich city with a rich blend of culture and lifestyle from people all over. In big countries, the rich city is like a centre or heart of the country, a nucleus of sort. In our case, we will be a global city and also a global country, as the country is in the city or the city the country.

Now what is left of the country for the people? Where is the place for the citizens, or what is in it for the people when the city/country becomes homes to foreigners?

Many of these advocates for a cosmopolitan city of foreigners are just talking through their asses. There must be an optimum or desirable percentage of foreigners to keep a city vibrant without the citizens losing their place or right of existence. The percentage of foreigners could vary for cities in big countries to those in small countries and to those where the city is the country itself. A city like New York or London could have a bigger proportion of foreigners and still would not lose its perspective and place as a part of the USA or UK. A city in a small country with a relatively smaller population would be hard pushed to have a big foreign population without undermining the interests and character of the country. A city like Singapore, which in all sense a city country, would be under great pressure to have 50% or 60% of its population made up of foreigners. Pushing this limit to 70% or more is critical and could put the citizen’s interest in jeopardy. Where are we now? State secret?

What is the desirable or optimal percentage of foreigners should this city state allow in to be comfortable socially, politically and with no compromise to our sense of security? Have we already long exceeded our comfort zone and should be culling the foreigners now instead of foolishly and unthinkingly asking for more foreigners to be let in? Though there are some quarters internally that are rooting for more foreigners, the call for the incessant influx of foreigners is mostly from foreigners themselves. They have no vested interests as citizens of the city state and what is good to them is not necessary good for the citizens and worse, often bad, very bad for the citizens.

When the tea cup is full, it is silly to keep filling it up. We are already overpopulated for our own comfort except for the views of people who think it is good and desirable to live like mice in a small enclosed space. We have also exceeded the safe or comfort zone in the percentage of foreigners vis a vis our citizens. We are already a minority in our own country. Is that not scary? The citizens must have the final say on this.

In whose benefits are the calls for more foreigners into our city home? Is it for the general good of citizens, for the good of a small group of citizens, or for the good of foreigners? The people, non citizens, or citizens who treat this city state as a hotel, will be all for more foreigners. They have no stake or interest in the well being of the citizens except for themselves and their short sighted immediate comfort and good. The citizens’ interests can be sacrificed or ignored.

Please, the tea cup is overflowing. Unless we have a bigger cup, a swimming pool, talk some sense and spare a thought for the citizens that are being squeezed out of their island city state. Foreigners should stop prescribing what they think is good for Singaporeans. We know what is good or bad for us.

Rumour of early snap election

There are some noises that an early poll could be called judging from the visits by ministers to residents. I can’t confirm this but are there reasons for an early premature poll? It is something that would be frown upon as a waste of money and time of the people when the last GE was slightly more than two years back. The calling for a snap poll must need a very good reason to do so. And looking at the sentiments today and the revelations of so many flaws in the system, it cannot be a good time for the PAP right now. Unless my perception is wrong and the PAP thinks that the ground is sweet again. Who knows?
 
There could be a few reasons for the PAP to want to call an early election. LKY is looking more like a physical burden to himself and to his constituency, and it is best to remove the obvious and put in a younger MP to do what an MP is supposed to do. It is also a good time for him to take a really good rest, to reminisce and romanticise his youth, and to bask under the glory before it is gone.
 
It would also be an opportune time to retire all the oldies in the team and bring in a few more eager beavers as several of the dropped ministers are just waiting to be released to the private sector to make their millions. It is agonizing to see them sitting at the back rows in Parliament and trying to bear with the new faces and their out of depth speeches. It is time to set free the tortoises, turtles and birds for them to lead their lives anew, like an act of acquiring merits in Buddhism.
 
Then there are some that are seen more like burdens to the team than assets and it is best to release them as well before they do more harm and damages.
 
But these are still not good enough reasons to risk an early poll. In a time like this when there are obvious anger and unhappiness over so many outstanding issues, unless something can be done to take away the sting, to make the people happy again with a battery of populist policies or handouts, no way will there be an early poll.
 
Ya, maybe this will be the key for a surprise poll. Christmas may come early, snow in June, and Hsien Loong could act as the lovable Santa Claus with bags of goodies for everyone, to lift away the dark clouds and brighten up the sky. Without a slew of positive policies that are people centric, that would benefit the people substantially and not just feeling good for the moment, a snap poll is definitely out of question.
 
Now let’s watch what Hsien Loong is going to say and do in his National Day Rally for a clue to substantiate this rumour. Please don’t accuse me of spreading this rumour. It is something that I heard on the ground. And it is something to think about and talk about.

How to keep the public service corruption free?

Actually there are a hundred and one things to do to keep corruption in govt services in check. We have the world’s most effective corruption prevention formula that may seemingly be legalising corruption by paying out front so that there is no more temptation to want to take more to risk losing everything. This formula would have removed a large chunk of those that may be tempted to corrupt, leaving only a smaller number of potential rogues in the system.

Next, our civil service was not born yesterday. It has been in operation for more than 48 years, even in colonial times, with well tested systems in place. And these systems and procedures have been constantly refined and improved to tighten up the loose ends over the years. By now, anything that can be tightened or enhanced to prevent corruption must have been worked into the system with tomes of manuals on operating procedures. It is unlikely that a mosquito could fly through the layers of mazes set up by the ministries to keep the mosquito out of the system. We have a very robust system of checks and controls. Believe me it is true.

To add to the checks and control there is the annual audit team to comb through the activities to make sure that all is in order. And the latest audit did reveal quite a number of lapses. And this is good as any discovery will mean that things can be captured and rectified.

And there is the fear CPIB to cast its shadow over anyone thinking crooked. This could be the last barrier to keep corruption out. If this fails, that nothing can hold anymore.

Chee Hean has replied to Low Thia Khiang’s queries on the recent spate of corruption involving senior govt officials, the reason for failure is never about the system but about the slack in maintaining and upholding the system. There seems to be an inability to follow standard and approved procedures or deliberately violated to abet corruption, or simply negligent on the part of the officers or their superiors. The flaws seemed to be the ease in circumventing a robust and tight systems of checks and controls. Why?

The causes of all the corruption cases are nothing sophisticated and bizarre that cannot be prevented. What could be the main contributor to the rise in corruption is lack of accountability. No heads will roll or at most a slap on the wrist would be considered the gravest punishment. How then could discipline and abiding to proper procedures be enforced when there is no fear factor? How would anyone not be tempted to take risk when the consequences are as good as no consequences?

A simple recommendation to ensure compliance to procedures is to make the officer directly accountable for his action. There can be flexibility for the officers on the ground to make exceptions but the officer must be directly responsible for his actions and be punished duly for not observing approved procedures or approving to override standard procedures. He decides and if things fall apart, his head rolls. Who ever authorises such actions, and if it leads to abuses or corruption in the system or process, shall be punished accordingly. And the minimum punishment could be demotion or if worse, dismissal and facing prosecution. When officers know that they will have to own up for their decisions, they will take more care to protect themselves and in the things they decide or approve.

The heads of dept, division or ministries must be the one ultimately responsible for the infringements and corruption appropriate to the authority he is bestowed with. When accountability and responsibility are well defined, the officers responsible would have to be very careful of their own actions and discretions. Without the will to punish anyone appropriately for corruption, it is only an open invitation for the officers to corrupt.

No matter how robust and well designed the checks and control systems are, without the will to enforce and take violators to task, it is as good as a system full of holes.

Han Hui Hui, a brave young lass taking on the Govt

Below is an extract of a post by Han Hui Hui, a 21 year old who received a letter from Allen and Gledhill, threatening to sue her for defaming the Council for Private Education (CPE). She had problem finding someone to defend her and finally ended up with Singapore’s Number One Human Rights lawyer M Ravi coming to her defence..
 
‘On 19th April, I went to the high court to seek declaration that CPE being a government body does not have the rights to sue or threaten to sue Singaporeans for defamation.
 
I’m now seeking protection against this defamation suit via the constitution and the ordinary laws of the land. This lawsuit is not for anyone but for everyone, for the entire Singapore population, for the sake of our freedom of speech.
 
I took up this case not because I’m against the government but because of the love for our country, the need to protect human rights, our constitutional rights, our freedom of speech, our basic citizens’ rights.
 
Who does the CPE reports to? The ministry of education.
Who does MOE reports to? The parliament.
Who pays them their salary? Us, we the taxpayers.
How can they use our money to sue us for defamation?
The attorney general’s chamber is now involved as well.
 
The fact that AGC, the government is being involved further shows that our stand that the CPE a government body under Ministry of education does not have the right to sue for defamation. If public bodies funded by the public, can sue for defamation this will result in a stifling of criticisms, or genuine grievances, especially from those who do not have such an amount of resources.
 
How can they use their public fund to sue us? We should not allow public bodies to use lawsuits to silence criticisms against them. Why is the government going against our most creative cartoonist Mr Leslie Chew? Did any of his work Demon-cratic caused violence or people to have inability to pay their bills or be forced to leave the country?
We need to build a stronger and more inclusive Singapore so can we have our freedom of speech to hear the voice of everyone?
 
So our constitutional rights must be upheld against being sued for defamation by public bodies. Statutory board being a governmental body does not have the rights to sue or threaten to sue Singaporeans. I can forget about this case, I can forget about this lawsuit, I don’t have to fight this lawsuit. But I want to protect the rights of all other Singaporeans out there. Should we fight for our constitutional rights and the future of Singaporeans?’
 
More info of the court application: http://statboard-suecitizen.blogspot.sg/. To lend her a helping hand financially for this high court application, you can donate to her POSB Savings account number 279-12328-0.

47,000 voices heard in National Conversation

47,000 people of all walks of life and ages participated in the National Conversation that was conducted over one year. Thanks to these 47,000 people, the concerns and worries of the people are now heard by the Govt. This is quite an achievement as the same concerns and worries were all over the place over so many years, especially in the internet and even in Reach, but somehow they were not heard or no one took much interest in them.
 
Hsien Loong is now going to address the concerns in his National Rally Speech and there are high expectations that things will happen with some major changes in the Govt’s thinking and policies. It can only be good for the people as changes cannot be for the worse.
 
The good thing about the Natcon, despite spending one year and 47,000 people to confirm the obvious is that more people are starting to think country and people and their own well being. And since it is the Gov’t’s initiative, with so much manpower, money and resources committed, something positive has to be done to make it meaningful and money well spent. The Govt also needs to show to the 47,000 people that it is listening and sincere in wanting to change to improve the lot of the people. It is also an important shift in Govt attitude towards a people up policies and a move away from the top down policies of the past. It is also important that the Govt should be seen to do what it preaches, this time listening to the people and trying to meet the aspiration of the people and not the agenda of the Govt or not what the Govt thinks is good for the people.
 
Now everyone is waiting for the fine details to see how far and accommodating the Govt is towards endearing to the people.

Policy changes coming up

Heng Swee Kiat was reported to have said that more policy changes are in the card in Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech next week. The key areas expecting major changes are Housing, health care and education. Nothing was mentioned on the influx of foreigners and the loss of jobs to foreigners due to discrimination? I do hope Hsien Loong will take a personal interest in this and put his weight behind Chuan Jin to give him more clout and confidence to deal with foreigners and foreign companies practising discrimination against Singaporeans.

Boon Wan has solved some of the more urgent issues of insufficient housing supply with his ramping exercise. The backlog of enforced demand due to bad policies should have ease somewhat. Now we will have to see what changes the Govt will come up with. Will there be a fundamental policy shift to ensure that ALL Sinkies be allowed to buy his homes direct from the HDB and to do away with all the silly and stupid Sinkie discriminating policies of the past? Will Sinkies be allowed to be prudent like Boon Wan has said, not to over commit in buying properties beyond their means and be allowed to buy properties/HDB flats that suit their needs and not the size of their income? Would Sinkies be allowed to buy smaller flats if they so desired without being forced by the Govt to buy bigger flats and compromise on their retirement savings just because the Govt think it must be like dat?

The exhorbitant medical care cost must be brought down, at least in govt hospitals, and that they are not allowed to charge like private hospitals just because they are now called privatised. Govt privatised hospitals are built using public funds and have a duty to serve the people and not merely profits. Many senior citizens are waiting to be bankrupt by high medical bills.

Would there be a comprehensive medical insurance scheme for the senior citizens that will minimise the amount they have to pay in govt hospitals or for the govt to fully pay for the medical premiums of those above 65 or 70 and above? The thinking behind medical policy needs a thorough relook as the population ages as the cost is running to frightening and unaffordable level. To what extent is the Govt responsible to the elderly for their medical care and medical bills?

The slippery education policy, the cost and how many to be educated to tertiary level and whether the Govt is seriously looking at a paradigm shift, to educate Sinkies to be crane drivers and hawkers is something mesmerising and truly innovative to watch.

More important is the population size and the size of foreigners in the country. Is the 6.9m a forgone conclusion and the people must accept it with no exceptions or changes? Will foreigners still be allowed to dominate our employment scene, to kick the citizens aside, especially the PMETs and to rule over Sinkies?

What is the ideal percentage of foreigners for the island and should there be a need to obtain the consent of the Sinkies? Or should 77 MPs be allowed to decide the fate of this nation and its citizens without question?

What is going to happen to the Sinkies and the high cost of living?

Kishore – Count our blessings

This is what Kishore said in his article on Saturday of the 48 years of nation building and how successful we have become. We have a lot of achievements, a lot of blessings and also the inevitable weaknesses due to what we are. Every nation has the same two sides of the coin except whether there are more blessings or more weaknesses. There is nothing to be apologetic for praising the Govt for what we are today. The material achievements are there for all to see, with warts and all. In many things we have outdone many countries in many ways and yes, we are the envy of many. We have our problems, still manageable and tolerable. But small problems if not nip in the bud could easily snowball and a mole hill can become a mountain if we are reckless and complacent.

Kishore ended his monologue with an invitation for rude comments to remind him of the obvious that he had missed out that could make this city continue to be great or starting a downward spiral to ignominy. What is so obvious that he is not seeing is perhaps something that is too close to him. He is after all the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Singapore will miss the presence of a strong, robust and dynamic leader that allows it to punch above its weight. The answer is so obvious. For all our money and wealth, our infrastructure and system, they will be nothing without a strong leadership that is recognisable and well respected in the international arena. I don’t see anyone in that shoe anymore. There will be none for at least the next 20 or 30 years. We may be wealthy as a country, but we will not be able to impress or speak and be listened to. You need dynamism, charisma, wisdom and the acknowledgment from other leaders to be able to lead and be respected.

From the current slate, what we have is mediocrity. We will fade away and just be another rich kid in the neighbourhood and nothing else. Empty in the head but driving flashy cars and with some money to throw around at best. That is, provided we did not let the economy runs into a halt, that we did not let a nation in the making becomes a hotel with no ownership and everyone is ripping it apart for his/her immediate vested interests.

What else can be more obvious than a vacuum that cannot be filled for a long time to come? Do we have any leader that is respected, revered and thought highly of by world leaders in the immediate future? Do we have anyone who could look at the whole rather than bits and pieces and have the ability to piece everything together for the greater good of country and people? Or instead we have people who are running the ship aground?

What kind of future can there be when the best hope is to get views from the laymen and women, the aunties and uncles, to guide the country going forward when the million dollar talents have run out of ideas and knowing not where to go or what to do?

Would there be anyone be rude enough to tell Kishore the obvious?

The courts of public opinion

 

The rich and power seek justice in the courts of law. They have the money to hire the most expensive and eminent legal experts to bring them the justice they can afford to pay for. Often the loser lost without a fight as they cannot pay for the fight.

The courts of public opinion is a less defined and big grey area. No one can buy justice in the courts of public opinion as opinion is free and the judges are numerous. Everyone has an opinion, rightly or wrongly, fair or unfair, biased or bigoted, but they all have something to say on an issue. And there are many courts of public opinion on a case, some will favour while some will go against the defendant under scrutiny. And one does not need to commit a crime or do anything to be sentenced in the courts of public opinion.

SR Nathan, the immediate past President is awarded the highest honour of the country, the Order of Temasek First Class. This is a very rare honour that is reserved for a very few and very distinguished individuals. Nathan is now among seven who were deemed fit enough to be decorated with this honour.

While this is something that anyone would feel greatly honoured as a life time achievement, what Nathan did not bargain for is to be hauled into the courts of public opinion. In the main media it was a story of great achievements and accolades for a man of distinction, with many great stories to tell of the man. In another court of public opinion in cyberspace, the story is quite contrary and ugly. Being bestowed such an honour is like being set up for scorn. The commentaries were anything but pleasant. Many were questioning what he had done that was so deserving of such an honour. The criticisms and berating were very subjective, very personal and very uncomplimentary.

The courts of public opinion can be very unforgiving especially the wrong ones. Many luminaries may hesitate to even think of accepting great honours and awards and be praised publicly when the courts of public opinions could disfigure all they have achieved and cast smears and doubts, and disparaging dismissed all the good things that were said. Instead of being affirmed and praised, the experience can be quite humiliating and uncomforting.

The courts of public opinion are never just or fair, more like kangaroo courts. It is a bane to any public figure made to stand in such a court to be demolished and diminished. No amount of money can buy the best legal brains to earn a favourable judgement in these kangaroo courts. No matter how high is the office, how powerful is the defendant, there is no defence against the scorn of public opinion if one is undeserving or has a tinge of grey in a white slate.

The world has since become more grey than merely white and black.

Hsien Loong is going to build a fair and just society for Sinkies

I know this is a motherhood statement but what is wrong with it? It sounded like the PAP is running an election campaign and this is the key slogan for the party. It can also sound like the PAP has just formed the govt and is promising the people that this was what it wanted to do for the people. Wait a minute, this is our 48^th National Day and the PAP has been running the country for the past 47 years and has just started to want to do this. What had it been doing all these years, building an unfair and unjust society? Should we say that it is better late than never, and Sinkies can be hopeful that going forward they can expect a fairer and just society? The worrisome part is that the Govt either does not know that it has built an unfair and unjust society or it has been doing so thinking it is ok.

And the PAP is going to ensure that every Sinkie will have a home when it did not bother, to have a stake in this country now when it was not important. Obviously there are Sinkies that have no home and no stake in this country. It cannot be like, how can Sinkies have no home and no stake in this country in the first place? Then what are these Sinkies doing NS for and what will they be defending, other people’s homes and other people’s stake, foreigners’ homes and foreigners’ stakes?

The high cost of living, high cost of medical care, the high cost of everything, the govt is going to tackle them all. Sounds good, really. The govt will be solving all these problems.  What sounds not so good or unpleasantly funny is that why and how did all these happen? Would it not be better if the govt did not allow all these to happen in the first place, nipped them in the bud like it always said? Would it be better if the govt and those who are responsible did not allow these problems to become problems to the people in the first place? What is the meaning of proactive?

And there are problems of public transport, problems of unemployment, problems of too many foreigners and many others. Who are the twits that created all these problems for the govt to take care of? Who are they that are giving so many problems to Hsien Loong and causing him many sleepless nights trying to solve so many problems at the same time? These must be people who are doing Hsien Loong in, right? I hope they are not being awarded any National Day honours for creating all these problems.

As the PM, his job is really tough, with so many people undermining him by making all the wrong decisions and policies and making him responsible for cleaning the shit. Hsien Loong should rightly deserve the highest National Day Award, the Order of Temasek(First Class) for cleaning shit and not blaming anyone for it. Why no one recommends him for the highest National Day Award?

The Revengeful Japs never forget US nuclear bombing of Japan and will definitely return the same favour to US some day in future

The revengeful Japs will never forget US nuclear bombing of Japan and will definitely return the same favour to US some day in future.

The launching of Japs new aircraft carrier on 6th August is a bad omen for America. It is a veiled threat that they meant to take  nuclear revenge against US some day in future.

Why is US coddling the Japs and inciting them to create trouble in the East China Sea against China? After an era of Western and Japanese domination and imperialism during the last one hundred and fifty years China was left crippled with lost of huge territories of land to invading Western countries and Japan and with her economy in shambles , China was critically weak and despised by the invaders. That was the time Japan thought it could invade and dominate China totally. But with intense patriotism the Chinese under the leadership of Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou En Lai and the Peoples' Liberation Army fought bravely against the Japs and defeated them. However , when the Japs attacked America's Pearl Harbour , they stirred the hornets' nest and brought the Americans into the war against the Japs. With America's atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Japanese war of aggression against China was brought to a stop. The Japs have always blamed America for destroying their only chance of invading and subjugating China not forgetting that even without America's nuclear bombing of Japan , China would definitely and ultimately defeat the Japs and drive them out of China. However, the revengeful Japs in launching the new aircraft carrier on the 68th Anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Tuesday 6th of August is not a co-incident but is meant to carry out a clear signal and reminder to US that Japan will definitely take revenge on that infamy incident against US some day in future and in the same nuclear manner. Thus America should take the warning seriously and stop supporting and rearming an evil monster in the making. America should not side with the Japs but let China have a free hand this time round to deal with the Japs so that the Chinese can teach these Japs a fatal lesson once and for all and make sure  that they will never rise up again to give trouble to the world.

Southernglory1

My National Day Message

The Singapore, our country, is there for ‘US’ to make. The “US’ are Singaporeans, not PRs, the people that made this country what it is today and will continue to make this country a liveable place for our children for generations to come.

Our Singapore, our country, its fate, what it should be, must by decided by ‘US’ and not by a few individuals who think they know best and what is good for ‘US’.

The Singaporeans must make this country and govt to serve the interests of ‘US’ the citizens foremost. And we can be generous and charitable to foreigners who come here to visit or to work. It must not be the other way, when we are second to foreigners and PRs and have to depend on their generosity and charity. The foreigners and PRs are here because we have built such a great city for them to live their dreams and make a good living. We allowed them, we gave them the opportunity, not the other way. While doing this, we must not sacrifice or compromise the well beings of our citizens to the extend that they become jobless and have to scrape for a living, with low paying and unwanted jobs, with no job security while having to cope with extremely high cost of everything.

We must be the owners, we are the owners of our country. We must be in charge and not foreigners in charge. The foreigners, including the PRs, are here with our consent and approval, enjoying our kindness at our discretion. The Singaporeans, the ‘US’, must not be dependent and at the mercy of foreigners for jobs and our well being. We are the host and they the guests. This must be the permanent formula and the host must not be elbowed out by the guests.

I wish all Singaporeans a happy National Day fills with hopes of a better tomorrow, for all Singaporeans and their children.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

I just came back after spending the nearly the whole day out and cannot miss the well and colourfully dressed Muslim brothers and sisters everywhere. There is one place they are missing though, the foodcourts. But that is understandable as they will be having their feasts at home with their families and friends.

I was at this foodcourt and the only people I saw were mainly Chinese, some Indians and some foreigners. Having the Indians and Malays all eating together in the foodcourts was nothing unusual as they are part and parcel of this country, they are a part of every Singaporean. Now the foreigners are also becoming a part of us as well. Their presence cannot be missed.

Today I really felt something missing, without the signs and presence of Malays among the customers. It would likely be the same for a Chinese or Indian festival with the particular tribe making the missing act.

Once again, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

A single swallow justification

Now that the Hair for Hope event in support of the Children’s Cancer Foundation that led to the punishment of 2 girl students by their principal is water under the bridge, I would like to revisit the thinking behind the incident that let to the fiasco and public outrage. I quote the Principal Marion Tan “Can you imagine if I were to say yes, I’d have everybody coming to school with a bald head. Sometimes it’s a fad, so they would take advantage of the situation.”

She has her point in that the girls did promise to put on wigs if they participated in the event. And if she was in the army, the girls would jolly well wear the wigs as promised. That is how the army works, regimentation, and an order is an order. In this case, the demand for such an undertaking by the principal is misplaced as it showed a lack of understanding and appreciation of the Hair for Hope event. It is all about empathy and compassion for those cancer patients that have to go through the painful chemotherapy and the undesirable consequence of a bald head.

Let me return to the quoted statement above. This is like the proverbial saying a swallow does not make a summer but many would insist otherwise. And this is the thinking of the people in authority. They cannot release the CPF savings to the people caused some DOM had squandered all their monies on mei meis, or some have gone to the casinos. So it is best that the money be all locked up. Imagine if the govt would to say yes, every retiree would take out their money and feed the mei meis and the casinos. Jiat lat, all would end up with no money the next day and crying to the govt for charity.

The same justification for not allowing people with higher income to use lower class hospital wards with higher subsidies. If one is allowed, all the rich people will opt for C class wards, maybe people living in the Istana would also do so. Think HDB too, if one is allowed to buy smaller flats, all would want to buy smaller flats.

What kind of mentality is that? Do the people making decisions up there really believe in this logic? The stupid ones do, I am sure. The smart ones are only using this flawed logic for their own convenience and to serve their agenda and whatever schemes they are brewing. They are too smart to think that this is logical thinking.

Don’t take a swallow and claim that it is summer. Don’t think that seeing an albino crow and conclude that all the crows are white. Can this episode be a lesson to the policymakers to fine tune their thinking? Fat hope, this is a golden rule to rule the people and take advantage of the people, for their ignorance and passiveness towards authority. The authority is always right and always logical in their reasoning. Tio boh?

I remember, if we were to give the people a drumstick they will demand for the whole chicken, or something like that. Where got exception one?

Two National Day Celebrations

This National Day is special in the sense that there will be two celebrations held about the same time and within the same vicinity. One has a theme, Many stories, One Singapore and the other, Reclaiming Singapore for Singaporeans. The first, the official celebration organized by the Govt, will be held at the Marina Bay with much fanfare and all the pomp and pageantry, a great festivity for all, Singaporeans and foreigners. At least a hundred thousand spectators will be there, watching the parade and performances and a grand display of fireworks to end the night.

Reclaiming Singapore for Singaporeans will be held a short distance away at the Speakers’ Corner in Hong Lim Park. There will likely be a smaller gathering of mainly Singaporeans to celebrate the National Day organized by Singaporeans with no official budget to give it the glamour and colours of a joyous event. They will celebrate the National Day in a solemn low key way, more in spirit as true blue Singaporeans, to remember the days gone by, the great but forgotten Singaporeans that contributed to the success story of this little island. They will remember what it was like when the island residents were mainly Singaporeans, like a bigger kampong of people who lived together for a long time and knew each and every one in the kampongs.

Amidst this little celebration there will also be a tinge of sadness, of the days gone by, the buildings and places that were lost forever, of the unrecognized and fallen heroes that were cast aside by the furious pace of development and change. There will be remembrance, there will be praises and regrets, but it will still be a National Day celebration by the original Singaporeans, the pioneers who built this nation and their loved ones.

Happy National Day to all Singaporeans.

Silencing of the lamb

The lamb has been silenced. All is peaceful under heaven. 天下太平. Three little girls were silenced, penalized by their school for participating in a fund raising event to help cancer stricken patients and helping to make a statement that it was alright to be bald, after chemotherapy treatment. Their brave and gracious act was seen as of lesser importance to a promise to wear wigs should they shorn off their locks and look bald. This is not acceptable as it could mean something else, a fad or a rebellious act.
 
The parents were furious, the public were furious. The girls were silent. The MOE has yet to make a statement on this. Would the Cancer Society that organized this event make a statement in defend of the girls? Or would this matter be stone walled, silence is better than saying the wrong thing? The three brave girls are facing the music in silence. Instead of being good role models, they are now seen as bad, disobedient and doing the wrong thing.
 
Some may think that this topic, Silencing of the lamb, is related to Leslie Chew. No, actually the silencing of the lamb is not even about the silencing of the girls. It is just coincidental that the case of the girls being silenced happened over the last couple of days.
 
There is a bigger silencing event going on nationwide. Ever been in the train or buses and notice the silence except when some loud mouth foreigners are around and screaming away? Our young are being silenced in a different way, by technology. Practically every one of them will be banging away on their mobile or ipad or whatever pad, oblivious of everything around them. They are busy, very busy, either messaging or playing worthless games of colour balls running down the screens. This is a generation of drones and droids who are glued to their little gadgets and do not care a thing about what is happening. You can sell them away standing or sitting in the trains or buses without them knowing.
 
Don’t the young have better things to do than to play with their mobile and ipads? Do they think about what is going to happen to them in the near future, their lives and their country? These are the lambs that live in a silent and meaningless world of their own, without a care.

We are so rich yet so miserable

Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world, or maybe the richest on a per capita basis using the reserves divided by the population of citizens. With this kind of money at the govt’s disposal, why is it that the people are getting more and more unhappy and upset with the govt? Shouldn’t the govt dish out some from the public coffers to make the people happier and less miserable? Or the govt could do it another way, by not squeezing more from the people through public housing, medical bills in public hospitals or through subsidizing public transportation and education?
 
Let me give two simplistic views on why the govt is not doing the obvious and get elected and get more popular votes in every election without having to stage rallies to convince the people how good it is. One possibility that is being rumoured, I hear drums beating, is that there is not enough money left as the losses in investments could not cover for the debt owing to the people in the CPF savings scheme. I say this is rumour and without any truth whatsoever as no one knows other than those in the know how much is left. The simple thinking is that if the govt has the money, there is no need to keep shifting the goal posts on withdrawal dates for taking out the CPF savings by the people or increasing the minimum sums to ever higher sums. Ok, no need to belabour this point as it is just an imagination of the people.
 
Another possible reason, this is just a personal view and is just as flawed as any rumour or misinformation, is that the govt is made up of sadistic people who enjoyed making the people miserable, especially Singaporeans. The billions or trillions in the reserves are there but the govt just refuses to let the people have them to have an easier time. The people must be strangled financially by a big 30 year housing loan to keep them in check and cannot be funny. The money in their CPF accounts must be kept away from them so that they cannot have fun with mei meis or toy boys. The govt just does not want to let the people have a good time.
 
OK, this is just a theory that the govt is made up of wicked people. Of course this is not true. They are the most compassionate, caring, selfless, righteous, honest and honourable people the country could ever produce. There is no reason for them to keep the money from the people. And the money is there, and they are not taking it to enrich themselves. The money is to be kept there for a rainy day in the future, when the rain comes. Maybe they are waiting for purple rain.
 
Seriously, why is the govt doing this to the people, making the people so angry and unhappy, and risking themselves being booted out in the next GE? Why don’t they take the easy way out, share the nation’s prosperity with the people to make the people live easier and more comfortable, cheaper public housing, free public transportation, cheaper health care, and still can charge foreigners to make up for the deficit? Why make foreigners richer and happier and citizens more miserable?
 
I really cannot understand. The govt cannot be so stupid right? What is the real reason for the govt to make life so difficult for the people and keep trying to make it worse by stubbornly trying to flood the island with more foreigners to replace the citizens, with higher and higher property prices and cost of living? Maybe this is the absolute proof that the citizens are daft and could not understand why the govt is doing this to them, for their own good. Only super talents can understand the goodness of all these tough and painful policies and decisions made by the govt.

A German's view on Islam

Interesting this as the person who sent it to me emigrated as a 13 year old from Germany to Australia. Liz

  

A Germans View on Islam

This is by far the best explanation of the Muslim terrorist situation I have ever read.
The author's references to past history are accurate and clear. It's not a lengthy read, it's easy to understand, and it's well worth the read.
The author of this email is Dr.Emanuel Tanya, a well-known and well-respected psychiatrist.
A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates.
When he  was asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism.

'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care.
I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come.

My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace.
Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history.
It is the fanatics who march.
It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide.
It is the fanatics who systematically slaughte! r Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave.
It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honour-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque.
It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals.
It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.

The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and s! laughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killin! g that i ncluded the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.

And who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:
Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.

Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.

Now Islamic prayers have been introduced into Toronto and other public! schools in Ontario, and, yes, in Ottawa too while the Lord's Prayer was removed (due to being so offensive?) The Islamic way may be peaceful for the time being in our country until the fanatics move in.

In Australia, and indeed in many countries around the world, many of the most commonly consumed food items have the halal emblem on them.
Just look at the back of some of the most popular chocolate bars, and at other food items in your local supermarket.
Food on aircraft have the halal emblem, just to appease the privileged minority who are now rapidly expanding within the nation’s shores.

In the U.K, the Muslim communities refuse to integrate and there are now dozens of “no-go” zones within major cities across the country that the police force dare not intrude upon.
Sharia law prevails there, because the Muslim community in those areas refuse to acknowledge British law.

As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to th! e only group that counts - the fanatics who threaten our way o! f life.

Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand.

So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and they also continue to send it on - before it's too late. And we are silent......

Tharman’s call on repaying the debt to the pioneering generations

Be grateful, all the successful million dollar salary employees in govt service or in the private sector, the politicians included. What you are enjoying today is made possible by the hard work and labour of the pioneering generations who planted the seed to grow this tree. They paid the price without enjoying much of their labour. Many lived a life of poverty and died alone with little material comfort.

It is time for the successful to repay this debt to the pioneers of this modern and prosperous city. There are many things the Govt can do to acknowledge the contributions of the pioneers who were poorly paid and worked in very harsh conditions to make what is possible today. Their woes were not much different form the foreign workers today. But they were the foundations, the steps, the stones that we trampled on to scale greater heights.

For some of the pioneers, the little savings they have are fast eroding and wiped away by the high inflation and high cost of living. And with the longer lifespan, many will be in serious financial troubles before they call it a day. Many were also victims of the early retirement policies that took them out of the economic equation too early when they could continue to work to pay for another 30 or 40 years of existence. The situation will only get worse if the Govt does not give a helping hand.

Below are some of the things that our millionaire politicians and the huge reserves created from the pioneers can do.

1. Govt should come out with a comprehensive medicare insurance with the govt footing the premiums.
2. Seniors should enjoy free outpatient care in polyclinics
3. Senior ex NS men should be given a pension to compensate for the miserable $90 NS allowance they received in those pioneering days. The womenfolk should not be forgotten.
4. The older PMETs are also from the pioneering generations. All Singaporean PMETs qualified in their respective fields and professions should be given first priority to be employed unless their health fails them. The govt should implement this policy immediately in the ministries, stats boards and GLCs. The private sector may be difficult and undesirable to do so. Foreigners in the ministries, stats boards and GLCs should be released as early as possible and be replaced by citizens unless their skills are indispensable.
5. All NS men must be eligible to buy a HDB flat and not be disqualified by any stupid rulings. It is a stake for them to defend and make their sacrifices meaningful and not empty.

It is good that Tharman and the Govt is toying with this idea, to acknowledge the contributions of the pioneering generations. There is no need to pay more millions to those pioneers already having money oozing out from all their orifices.

Be grateful and thankful.

The DRUMS of War

Many bloggers are still very uncomfortable with Eng Hen’s comment on the internet and the acronym DRUMS, meaning Distortions, Rumours, Untruths, Misinformation and Smears, that can spread far and wide in the internet. As this came closely after the new licensing laws on websites, it is natural for bloggers to feel that both are inter related and a concerted effort by the Govt to curb internet freedom. Some fear that this is like the Govt declaring war on bloggers and netizens.
 
One underlying assumption is that DRUMS could be spread in the internet to undermine the Govt, or aiming at discrediting the Govt, or be simply anti Govt. Another assumption is that this would be the works of Sinkies to a great extent. The other more dangerous and expected part is that DRUMS could come from external sources which would be more direct in many cases, or in disguise and subtle as the works of the Sinkies.
 
Paranoia is raising its head in some quarters. No doubt the internet has been pretty critical of the Govt in many issues recently. Without the internet, such issues would not have been blown up and many would either die a natural death through a wall of silence, or be simply dissipated over time. The internet is making a presence that makes governing that much more difficult than before. Every little hiccup or flaw in govt decisions or policies will be pasted on the internet wall, truth or untruth, half truth or exaggeration, for all to see.
 
This development has made the Govt feeling very uneasy and very uncomfortable. They are unable to adapt or get use to being in the spotlight for all the wrong things. Things will be so much nicer and running the city so much easier without the irritating noises coming from the internet.
 
With this kind of mindset, that the internet is NG or up to no good, and DRUMS could be the latest label of threats to the people and country and any perpetrator of DRUMS is likely to face the music. The internet has in a way been seen as a trouble maker, an enemy of the state, on the other side of the fence unlike the main media. They are more likely to create mischief and chaos that will undermine the Govt.
 
Is that true? Admittedly there have been many unhappy and disgruntled views, very critical and some even hostile to the Govt, posted in the internet. If one is to step back and ask a simple question, why are such views posted and what are the intent of the authors, one cannot miss the fact that they are genuine feedbacks to the Govt and demanding attention. They are not advocating rioting or an uprising to overthrow the Govt. Look at them positively, they are saying that the Govt can and still have time to tackle the issues and problems raised. They are not enemies of the Govt but concerned citizens, or citizens who are badly affected by bad policies.
 
Would the Govt embrace them, take the angry comments seriously and work on it? Or would the Govt simply ignore and dismiss them as nothing worth listening to, that they are voices of the enemies? Taking the first stand could lead to a narrowing of the differences and making policies more acceptable to the people. Taking the latter stand would only divide the people further from the Govt.
 
In a crisis situation, or when the country faces a common threat, it is likely that many critics would rally around the Govt as one people one nation, to deal with the crisis. But if the Govt is to take the critics as enemies from first base, then they will be enemies, real or imagined, or even fabricated or concocted.
 
Many netizens are concerned and responsible citizens. Period. Do not regard them as enemies of the Govt. The people who spoke out, who spent efforts to tell the Govt that things are wrong, or things are going wrong, are people who care for this country and its citizens. They are the real patriots, the unappreciated friends of the Govt but wrongly perceived as threats by the narrow minded and the unenlightened.
 
The sound of the DRUMS can be music but can also be noise depending on who is the drummer and who is the listener. No more branding or tagging please.

Cyber Space : The Wolf And The Lamb

The wolf and the lamb
Updated: 2013-07-29 10:41
By Xu Peixi ( China.org.cn)


The wolf and the lamb
  Face off [By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

In Aesop's fable about the wolf and the lamb, the wolf wants to eat the lamb yet does not want to convey an unreasonable or greedy self-image. Keeping this in the back of its head, the wolf invents a series of excuses ranging from "you muddle the water from which I am drinking," to "you insulted me last year" and "you feed on my pasture." Nonetheless, the lamb is able to refute every single one of these accusations. These refutations range from "I cannot be the cause for the water being muddy because it runs down from you to me" to "I have not yet tasted grass." The wolf gobbles up the lamb anyway. The moral of this story? A tyrant will use any excuse to do evil.

To the larger Chinese public, the US-China row over cyber security and whistleblower Edward Snowden seemingly reproduces the narratives contained in the fable.

On the American side, Google accused the Chinese government of accessing "the accounts of dozens of US-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users" and with that left the Chinese market. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned against the risks of investing in "countries with aggressive censorship and surveillance policies." American information security firm Mandiant reported that "140 companies have been hacked … and hacking groups from China were responsible for most of the attacks." American Attorney General Eric Holder announced a plan to "fight the quickly growing threat from cyber spies." National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon was concerned about "cyber intrusions emanating from China on an unprecedented scale" and warned that "the international community cannot afford to tolerate such activity from any country." Finally then, President Obama pushed the hard ball game to new heights by charging the Chinese government with endorsing espionage activities, and consequently called for US Congress to take action in "protecting people's privacy and civil liberties."

From the Chinese side then, some claimed that the US wolf controlled most of the world's Internet resources and was unreasonable in voicing such allegations against the Chinese lamb. Moreover, China said that China itself was in fact the most vulnerable target and biggest victim of hacking activities emanating from the US Former Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi responded that "the Chinese government opposes hacking activities," "anyone who tries to fabricate or piece together a sensational story to serve their political motives will not be able to blacken the name of others or whitewash oneself," and "what cyber space needs is not war, but rules and cooperation." Newly installed Prime Minster Li Keqiang simply dismissed American accusations as being a "presumption of guilt." Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "conducting good-faith cooperation" as to "remove misgivings and make information security and cyber security a positive area of cooperation between China and the US".


Yet for now, let us be reasonable – even in a post-Snowden era. The abovementioned American accusations are "fair" in the sense that they leave China room to refute. Surely, the Chinese refutations have not been heard by a wider global public since the American commercial media often dominates the global public opinion and redemption has to come within the West. Let us just say it is "fair" for the simple reason that China is able to give an explanation.

As the fable goes, for every excuse the wolf comes up with, the lamb is able to refute the claims and back up its arguments with evidence. However, the American trick – dubbed "21st century statecraft" – has gone far beyond what the wolf in Aesop's fable could ever imagine. Let us here reiterate the rationale used by Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In his efforts to defame Chinese telecommunication companies Huawei/ZTE, he said: "China has the means, opportunities and motives to use telecommunication companies for malicious purposes." This charge implies a future tense that China is unable to rebut. In comparison with Mr. Rogers, the wolf in Aesop's fable is still being quite reasonable.

The dispute over cyber security in the post-Snowden era between the US and China has evolved onto psychological and cosmological levels. The issue of cyber security was discussed by a working group installed under the fifth China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue. To many members of the global public, it appeared China wasted its chance at a full-fledged counterattack. Germany and Brazil, for example, would like to discuss the cyber security matter with the US, but their efforts did not materialize. The reason that China actually was able to do so, stemmed from the fact that the cyber security working group had been approved well before Snowden blew the lid off America's mass Internet surveillance, at the initiative of John Kerry and with the original purpose to shame China. Instead of fighting back, China asked for nothing but an explanation over the Snowden case and even this request was brushed aside. The Chinese philosophy behind this grand retreat is one of "live and let live," with the kind expectation that the US would take the message and back down. Nevertheless, this gesture was completely misinterpreted.

The US mistook China's kindness for cowardice. The reason behind this misinterpretation occurred on a cosmological level. The US adores the zero-sum game mentality, making China's reservations a stimulus for more American attacks. According to Norwegian peace researcher Johan Galtung, this American cosmological view of objects and people exists in terms of competition and tries to decide "who is best, who is worst, who wins and who loses." After a bizarre period of truce between both countries, running from early June when the first document was revealed through early July when the fifth China-US Economic and Strategic Dialogue started, the US went back to its old disapproving ways. During their so-called truce, China had wanted to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt and did not undertake any counterattack – despite its people learnt Chinese institutions had indeed been systematically hacked into. The US entered stand-off mode, mainly to observe China's reaction to the Snowden scandal. By the fifth China-US E&SD, the US thought it had figured China out and decided to resume its earlier accusations. Following American logic, when China is involved with espionage activity, it is called IPR theft. Whenever America does it, it is for the sake of national security.

If American accusations continue on the same level as before, China may still find it worthwhile to prove its innocence by providing counter evidence. However, politically-motivated American style accusations are bound to grow and self-escalate.

I would say that the abovementioned points to the typical American mentality that once it has gained any advantage over others (with the term "others" often referring to the former Soviet Union, large parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the global South), it would use it against them; it mistakenly assumes China shares this same zero-sum mentality.

The American history is too short for it to realize that if you overstretch yourself, it will come back to you. In other words, the US need to follow the Dao in international relations. China has learned to respect this adage thousands years ago. "Whoever relies on the Dao in governance does not try to force issues or defeat enemies by force of arms because for every force there is a counterforce; violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself" (taken from the "Dao De Jing," 551-479 BC, Para.30).

The American cyber, hot and cold warring mentality has to be dropped. Its propaganda of righteousness to showcase its moral superiority must be halted – unless it fixes its democracy deficit. My earlier analysis of the sudden rise of American accusations of China over cyber security issues were three-fold: to divert world attention over the American domination of Internet resources through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, to create a new enemy to stimulate the imagination of the American public and bridge polarized party politics and to keep Chinese businesses out of the US in the name of national security while using its leverage to expand American business in China.

A solution for the aforementioned issues may already be overdue as severe harm has been done. The privacy and commercial secrets of global citizens and companies have been intercepted and/or stolen. There is also the particular element of the ultimate breaking point igniting a global sentiment of anger. American senior officials try to justify their actions to American citizens by saying that these activities are directed against foreign citizens. This kind of phrasing had Germans, Brazilians, Indians and Chinese speechless. The damage is done. However, fixing these problems would indeed make a fundamental difference: preventing the country from falling into fascism. At this time, governments ranging from China to Russia, France to Germany are surprisingly silent – with a few Latin American exceptions. By remaining silent, comes the possibility that many of these governments have become willing partners of hegemony and business interests. If that is the case, we will have to re-define the wolves and the lambs.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://china.org.cn/opinion/xupeixi.htm

Loan sharks strike in Hougang

The loan shark scourge does not seem to go away. They are looking like a permanent feature in this city. Three cars were hit by red paints in the carpark in Hougang Avenue 8. And what more, the attacks on the residents have been going for three months. Can you believe that?
 
Several units of flats have had their doors chained locked and the loan sharks even warned the residents that they would set fire to the flats. The beautiful thing about this kind of incidents is that the residents are innocent and did not borrow money from the loan sharks. They are threatened and harassed as collateral damages to force the intended victim to pay up. How could this be? Or are the loan sharks thinking that the harassment would be frightening and disruptive enough that the innocent residents would cough up money to pay for the one who took loans from the loan sharks?
 
The MP Yeo Guat Kuang has advised the residents to install CCTV on their own or the Town Council will help them to do so. What can the CCTV do to deter the brazen and law defying attacks? Are the residents supposed to protect themselves? Can the residents form a vigilante and attack the loan sharks without being hauled to the police station for assaulting them in an act of self defence? Would the loan sharks counter sue the residents for damages and grievous hurt if they are wounded by the resident vigilante?
 
What is happening?

Al Qaeda threat, 21 US embassies and consulates closed

The Americans have received the most explicit threat of attacks by the Al Qaeda and have closed 21 embassies and consulates in the Middle East region. With the vivid memory of the bombing of the American embassy in Benghazi, Libya, the Americans are not taking any chances. The threat is not only limited to Sunday and will extend through the month of August.

The American law makers are busily trying to second guess what this threat is all about with mounting fears over the safety of Americans and their families in the Middle East and the rest of the world. The danger of this threat is best described by a retired general, “We have to remember that we’re up against an enemy who kills indiscriminately — whether it be women, children, diplomats — and our embassies … have been one of the targets,” Mattis told CNN on Friday. Funny that I thought this is what the Arab and Middle Eastern countries are saying about the Americans bombing them and killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of their olds, women and children. But the Arabs did not know that those innocent civilians killed by the Americans were not seen as victims of American warfare but collateral damages, not lives or living things.

With a whole month of Ramadan, paranoia is hitting the American law makers. It could be anything, it could be anywhere. And the Americans are also self praising their govt and claiming credits for taking such a drastic and comprehensive measure in advance. Whether anything incident occurred as a result of this intelligence, the Al Aqaeda won. They are now in a position to cripple the Americans in a big scale across the world by simply creating a threat which could be a hoax. And they need to make it looked real serious to make the Americans jumpy.

The next threat could be American businesses or anything and the Americans would be made to jump and scurry for cover. And this can go on and on till the American’s guards are down and a real incident could strike that will drive the American bonkers and blaming one another and everyone. The intelligence agencies would be the first scapegoat. They will not blame those in Congress and the White House for starting wars against other people.

The initiative is now in the hands of the Al Qaeda to set the time and place in a war of terror, a war without borders, that the Americans or any country will be ill prepared. They cannot keep closing down their embassies or businesses all over the world whenever the Al Qaeda leaked out an intelligence threat. When would the war mongers learn the lesson that the enemies are now in as good a position to deal a crippling blow to them in places beyond their wildest imagination and at their own time and own target?

It is amazing how warfare has changed and the hunter is now the hunted. The terrorists have found a way to squeeze the American balls and make them jump whenever they like it.

Education - What kind of education are our young getting in schools?

Other than teaching the 3Rs, going to schools to get educated involves a lot of other things. The students are taught to be a wholesome person, to learn some good values, to be honest, caring and responsible persons, and more.

And there are more challenging agendas like telling the children to seize the moment, dare to be different, just do it, to stand up for what one thinks is right, to think critically, to challenge conventional thoughts, to be creative, to be caring, kind, compassionate and to help those who need a helping hand. Actually no, none of these if you know what I mean.

One thing I believe our education system should not teach is to make the students conformist, unthinking, follow the rule blindly, to be just another exact copy of many from a standard mould. The educators must not try to force all the different pegs into a square hole.

Educators are there to inspire the students to find themselves, to be themselves, to find their own ways in life, to light up a spark inside them. Educators must not be there to restrain and enforce stupidity for the sake of stupidity.

Foolish, idiotic and bureaucratic educators have no place in an education system that is preparing the young to meet the challenges of a brave new world that is ever changing in increasing speed. This is the 21^st Century. Why are the youth of Korea so innovative and creative and taking the world by storm? Why are our students still sucking pacifiers, restrained, inhibited, and believing in follow the teachers or follow the leaders, without a mind of their own, dull, lacking in fresh ideas, and fearful of authority, and bullied by narrow minded old matrons or school masters that walked around with a cane on their backs?

No wonder our students are straight As but blank in everything. Did I hear that some girl students were punished for shaving their heads bald to support a cause for cancer patients because getting bald is unacceptable in the school? And did the MOE support the stand of the school or otherwise?

What kind of values are our young taught in schools, or what kind of products is our educational system supposed to produce? Little droids? R2D2 or C3PO?

The USA is what it is today because of a dare devil spirit of crossing the line, to do something when they believe in it and will break away with whatever rules and convention. That is the American free spirit. That is the greatest value of American education. Our education system, though we professed to be the best, to want our children to be innovative, creative and entrepreneurial, but in practice we are turning them into fearful conformists, fearful of authority, fearful of initiative and adventurism. And the authority will kill the fire in them before a little spark can light up.

They should duly all be replaced by the never say die attitude of the foreigners grown up in the wild and a free wheeling spirit to try and take the unbeaten road.

National Geography - A publicity stunt in Raffles Place

A group of actors were hired and dressed up as soldiers of the SAF and formed up in the heart of Raffles Place. The public was encouraged to shout orders to the soldiers to stand at attention or at ease, maybe pusing kanan and pusing kiri as well. Some of the lunch crowd, including aunties, were amused enough to shout their orders at the actor soldiers, and they reacted like robots, drilled to respond to commands.

Some Sinkies find it nothing amusing but insulting and belittling our army boys, the guardians of our security. Below are some comments posted in Yahoo News.

‘In a comment on Yahoo! Singapore’s Facebook page, Renson Seow said that regardless of whether the men were full time NS men or paid actors, what mattered was that the stunt portrayed NS men and the army.
“They were being advertised as automatons, playthings for the command and amusement of civilians, who in fact…owe it to our NS men for their security,” he said.
Another Facebook user, Au Kah Kay commented, “It makes a mockery of NS and trivializes the sacrifices that Singaporean men have to make to defend the country and its people, including foreigners.”
A part-time student, 31-year-old Adrian Poon, whom Yahoo! Singapore spoke to, also felt that the stunt trivialised life in the army.’

I think it will be more hilarious and meaningful if we let the foreigners yell at our actor soldiers and see how they will obey without questioning. Let the foreign maids have a good too, and the construction workers. That could be a reality in the foreseeable future when more foreigners are in charge or join the SAF. Then we will have foreigners ordering Sinkies around like robotic toy soldiers. It will be an eye opener of what things could be in the future to come. Mesti akan datang.

When the truth sinks in. What is the moral of this publicity stunt? Is there one or none?