China’s strategic interest to be the Number One super power

It would be hypocritical to take the position that China does not have the ambition or aspiration to be the Number One super power in the world.  But there is a big difference being the Number One super power and world dominance or hegemony like behaving like an Empire. The Number One super power China is pursuing is a status by virtue of its wealth and influence rather than military domination and oppression. China will eclipse the USA as the Number One super power but on its own terms. China will want to win this war with the Americans cheaply, without having to go to war with the Americans. And this goal of a peaceful transition of power is a long one. China is patient, is in no hurry, and time is on China’s side.

China’s strategic plan to take over world leadership from the Americans is based on a two prong strategy in the economic and military fronts. Militarily, China does not need to over take the Americans in military hardware. There is no need for China to have seven fleets of naval armada to police the seven seas. This is obsolete in the 21^st Century and in theChinese strategy. Only an anachronistic Empire still thinks of ruling the seven seas.

With a policy of non intervention in the domestic affairs of foreign countries, without the need to conduct regime change, and without the ambition of occupying foreign land and setting up foreign military bases, all archaic concepts of an imperial empire, China does not have to spend extravagantly on its armed forces. China only needs to maintain a sufficient force to keep the Americans from their wildness, to stop them from thinking that it is possible to fight a war with China and win.  A strong enough deterrent force to check the Americans from becoming reckless and trigger happy would be more than enough to maintain peace between the two super powers. China could thus spend modestly on defence while allowing the Americans to continue to indulge in their extravagant ways in military spending. The Americans will spend itself to poverty if unchecked.

With the military front covered and maintained at status quo, China will move rapidly in the economic front to invest all over the world and gain influence and leadership in economic development and commerce, in infrastructure development, in financial assistance, anything but the use of military force. This is an area that the Americans would not be able to compete with China’s cheap labour and cheap cost of production and cheap finance with no political strings attached. China has been making big strides in South America, Europe, Africa and Central Asia. Its next big target will be South and Southeast Asia. When these two regions accept Chinese investments and infrastructure development, China’s economic conquest of the world will be more or less complete. By then the Americans would be left alone as a solitary military power but unable to do anything with its military might. It will be a new prosperous world under Chinese leadership in economic development, in peace.

Of course in the process the Americans would try their best to incite and provoke wars, regional wars, to upset and derail the Chinese plan for world leadership. How many countries would be sucked into the American military pipe dream of empire building, to start wars and to fight wars, when they have all to gain in peace and to grow and prosper and elevate the quality of life for their people? Who would want wars when they can have peace and prosperity?

China has already seized the initiative in economic cooperation and development with the rest of the world without asserting any military or political pressure on countries that it is investing and helping to rebuild. The economic benefits to these countries are tangible and immediate. Compare what China is doing in Central Asia, Africa, South America and what the Americans are doing in the Middle East, in agitating and provoking tensions in East Asia and the South China Sea.  China is moving in with money and expertise for economic and infrastructure development. The Americans are moving in with all their military hardware and weapons of war, to set up military bases and to start wars.

The strategies of both the Chinese and the Americans for world supremacy are in stark contrast and not difficult to see except for those that chose not to see. Who shall eventually triumph and win this war for influence over the world? The Americans would be left with crazy allies that are trigger happy and think war is fun and glorious. China would be gaining fans in countries that it invested and brought economic growth and prosperity to their people in peace.

The battle has begun in a long protracted war in all corners of the world, without the use of guns and bullets. It may take several decades for the victor to stand on the rostrum in a war without bloodshed and with winners everywhere. Should the Americans win this war, it would be a brutal and devastating world war and nothing much will be left standing and could also mark the end of civilization.

Some western analysts are speculating that China would want to push the Americans out of the western Pacific by force. This is too shallow a view to come from supposedly serious thinking people. The cost of a military conflict with the Americans is unimaginable. China would avoid an all out war with the Americans at all cost unless forced into it. There is nothing to be gained by the Chinese except to bear huge losses of lives and the destruction of their country and with no certainty of winning. China would seek to win this war peacefully, by economic means.

At some point in time the rest of the world would have to choose between peaceful economic development and progress led by China or continuous tension, armed conflicts and destruction led by the Americans.

Cynical Investor’s take on my comments on opposition candidates and unity

After the rout of the 2015 GE, the political scene has quiet down by several hundred decibels. Only a few political commentators are left writing about local politics. The IPS did a big survey on the possible reasons for the collapse of the opposition camp in the GE with fairly similar conclusions as those coming out from the social media.

The two points that I made on opposition unity and rounding up of credible candidates are something practical to do but would not guarantee that they will win the next GE but would definitely put them in a much stronger position to take the PAP head on. How the opposition is going to form a coalition and what this coalition will be like is amorphous and there is no absolute formula for it. It would depend on the opposition leaders to work out what kind of coalition they would be comfortable with as each party and leaders would have very strong views on that. It may be a loser coalition, something like the Pakatan Rakyat of Malaysia when uncomfortable they may be about each other’s manifestos or objectives, there is still a common enemy to face. To propose or suggest a formula from anyone is premature and may not even be welcomed.

As for the credible candidates available today versus the loose cannons, let’s be polite and not to be too specific and personal. The credible opposition party leaders would know who are the better candidates to fish out from the mirky waters. It is not necessary that one must have a Ph D or be a lawyer or doctor to be a good politician or national leader. What is important is the heart must be in the right place, that the well being of Singaporeans must be the most important goal for whoever that wants to lead the country. Definitely you do not want pretenders or people that would sell out the interests of Singaporeans even if they are genius in their own fields.

The present loose opposition camp with all the talents scattered would not do. There are many good candidates appearing in the last GE. They did not lose because they were no good. Many were any time better than the PAP candidates. There were many factors and unknowns that shaped the result of the last GE. Many of the factors would not be around or would still have the same effects in the next GE. The PAP possibly have maxed out their advantages and political capital this round. When the political wind changes, the same batch of good opposition candidates could turn out to be winners. Good and bad, credible and not credible are relative. And in a GE there are many imponderables that would determine the final outcome.

What the opposition camp needs to do is to strengthen their position, regroup their forces to fight a better fight. How the voters would cast their votes, if all things are fair and equal, is anyone’s guess. No one has a solution that can ensure success for the opposition, not me, not any of the opposition leaders, not anyone. The opposition leaders must get working now and not to let time to slip by and wait for the wind to change. 4 years could pass at a wink and the new faces of the last election would be more matured and seasoned and could be better recognized by working for it from now till the next GE.

A GE is not just about the two weeks of campaigning. The campaigning starts now. The ground work starts now. The coalition work starts now. They need to build this up to be in time for the next GE. They did to do something more substantive to make a difference. Not doing anything is not an option. If the next GE is going to be the same, then it would be a waste of time for the opposition camp. They need to make things happen in the next GE by working for it now.

Nikkei Asian Review delirious about American adventure in the South China Sea

I just went through some articles in the Nikkei Asian Review and could not miss the trend of thoughts of the Japanese. They are delirious that a war between the US and China is in the offing. Here is a short article of the Japanese high expectation.

‘October 20, 2015 1:00 pm JST

US Third Fleet

115 naval vessels ready to help in west Pacific

KEN MORIYASU, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, the first female fleet commander in the history of the U.S. Navy, is responsible for the 115 vessels and 60,000 sailors that make up the powerful Third Fleet. Although the fleet's area of responsibility lies in the eastern Pacific -- an area extending from the international date line near Hawaii to the U.S. West Coast -- Tyson said she is ready to deploy her ships to the tension-prone western Pacific to assist the Seventh Fleet, based in Yokosuka, Japan.’

 

The key question is whether the Americans would be crazy enough to be nudged into a war with China over Chinese islands 10 thousands miles from their occupied Indian territories. By the look of things, the Americans may be tempted to be trigger happy with their overwhelming naval forces and fire power.

China should send a message to Obama that all the DF21s and DF26s anti ship and anti aircraft carrier missiles are on alert and will welcome the American warships with open arms. This would be a polite way to tell the Americans that China has a very cheap way to play with their warships, sailors and airmen. The batteries of China’s anti ship missiles are dotting the coast of China and would be sent to shower the American warships with Christmas lightings by the push of a few buttons. Quite easily and cheaply done.

The Americans may want to test the effectiveness and destructive nature of these anti ship missiles to prove they are right, that they are superior in the high seas with two aircraft carrier fleets at their disposal. The ball is in the American court and the Japanese would be the happy bystander, killing two birds with one stone.

How many of our politicians did not serve NS?

To be more specific, how many of our current serving politicians that are of NS age but did not serve NS? And how many are new citizens or not Singaporean by birth? This question will increasingly be raised by the people when more and more foreigners are being invited to become political/national leaders, to think and to serve the Singaporeans.

The big question in the minds of the true blue citizens would be this: You mean these people are better than Singapore born citizens, that we cannot find better Singapore born citizens than them to be our national leaders? Look at every one of them and ask, are they really that exceptional that they are the best, better than our Singapore born citizens and better than the men that have served NS and committed to defend this country with their lives?

You really believe that all the Singapore men are duds, not better than the foreign born citizens especially those that somehow did not have to serve NS?

What do you think?

The 1.5 quadrillion dollar derivative bubble waiting to go bust

I too could not imagine how big is 1.5 quadrillion dollars. Let’s hear what Michael Snyder said about this 1.5 quadrillion problem and what it has to do with derivatives.

“Today there is a horrific derivatives bubble that threatens to destroy not only the U.S. economy but the entire world financial system as well, but unfortunately the vast majority of people do not understand it. When you say the word “derivatives” to most Americans, they have no idea what you are talking about. In fact, even most members of the U.S. Congress don’t really seem to understand them. But you don’t have to get into all the technicalities to understand the bigger picture….

Well, the truth is that the danger that we face from derivatives is so great that Warren Buffet has called them “financial weapons of mass destruction”. Unfortunately, he is not exaggerating. It would be hard to understate the financial devastation that we could potentially be facing. A number of years back, French President Jacques Chirac referred to derivatives as “financial AIDS”. The reality is that when this bubble pops there won’t be enough money in the entire world to fix it. But ignorance is bliss, and most people simply do not understand these complex financial instruments enough to be worried about them. Unfortunately, just because most of us do not understand the danger does not mean that the danger has been eliminated….

One day some event will happen which will cause a sudden shift in world financial markets and trillions of dollars of losses in derivatives will create a tsunami that will bring the entire house of cards down. All of the money in the world will not be enough to bail out the financial system when that day arrives. The truth is that we should have never allowed world financial markets to become a giant casino. But we did. Soon enough we will all pay the price, and when that disastrous day comes, most Americans will still not understand what is happening.”

The above were extracts from Michael Snyder’s article at http://themillenniumreport.com/2014/07/will-the-1-5-quadrillion-derivatives-market-collapse-in-2015/

This is a chilling article of how the whole world is allowing the floating of a hot air balloon into the stratosphere and waiting for it to go bang. There are so many experts and men of wisdom who could see the danger of this monster created by the financial thugs in New York and in all western model financial centres and crying out loud. It is not crying wolf just to frighten the children. The cries and pleas are for the financial thugs to stop this scam and unwind. Unfortunately, at this point in time there is no option to unwind but to keep blowing the bubble. Any attempt to unwind would cause a panic riot and deflate the bubble just as well. It is not that they did not understand and insisting of blowing it bigger. They knew the danger and are just praying that the bubble would not go bust.

Singapore is not so daft to pretend that it did not know and did not see the danger of this gigantic bubble. No, they are pretending to be daft, pretending that if it is ok in the US and Europe, it should be ok for us. If the West is not afraid of the bubble, why should we. If we don’t join them we will miss the boat. Let’s all pretend that all is well and blow our very own derivative bubble and join the party. If it goes bust, we can’t be blamed. Is there a need to sign an indemnity or disclaimer form like after the Lehman bonds and toxic notes now before blowing the bubble? And who should be the one to sign the forms first, the people selling the derivatives, the regulators or the ‘sophisticated clients’ aka rich and stupid and did not know what the fund managers are doing with their money but have millions to lose?

Singapore has now boarded the derivative hot air balloon and enjoying the ride. It is trying to play catch up with the West by pumping more hot air and cheering as the derivative balloon gets bigger and flying higher. Higher, higher, there is plenty of room to go higher. Derivatives are the way to go, to blow the top. There is absolutely no danger of a derivative bubble bust. We know what we are doing.

Did they not see the warning signs and the calls to curb this derivative monster? What warning signs, what monster? What would happen if the derivative bubble goes bust? Oh, they have all signed the disclaimer and waiver of indemnity forms. So should be alright. Not my problem. The ‘sophisticated clients’ have all signed their licence to lose all their monies.

Heng ah!

China, the student that surpasses the master

With no due disrespect to China, in 1978 when Deng Xiaoping arrived for his state visit, China’s leaders were still caught in an inward looking mindset, wanting to do everything indigenously, to reinvent the wheel of modernization. What Deng saw in Singapore, the transformation of this island into a cosmopolitan city state, must have set him thinking of what China could be. Lee Kuan Yew rightly pointed out to him that what Singapore could do, China could do many times more and better given the same industrious population.

In less than 40 years after Deng opened up China and modeled it after the Singapore of 1978, China has surged ahead in all fields and left Singapore behind like a jaded master. Singapore’s pride in housing is nothing compares to what China has built in the last 3 decades and still building in grander scale. Every Chinese city is transformed into a modern and bigger city, bigger than the island of Singapore. But that is not all, China is the factory of the world, not just producing plastic flowers and earthernware. China is producing everything that the western developed countries are producing and is closing the gaps in high technology and high engineering industries. In 1978, China did not have any of these. Today China is a front runner in high speed trains and giving Japan a run for its money.

I read in the news today that a French company is going to build LNG plants in China. I was a little baffled. Then again, if one is to look at the bigger picture of what is happening in China, this is part of the normal process of learning new technology. Ford, GM. Toyota, Honda and many international brands of heavy equipment manufacturers are setting up operations in China. There is nothing new in having foreign investments and attracting foreign investments into China.

The big difference is that in a few years, China would be producing everything the foreign corporations are producing, with local engineers and technicians, with local brands producing similar but better products at cheaper cost. Chinese brands are starting to appear in the international scene. The Chinese are not reinventing the wheels but hitching a ride, borrowing and copying foreign technology and using indigenous talents and workforce to carve up new markets for themselves.

Creative Technology had many years of head start ahead of the Chinese. But with very little govt support, it is shrinking in market share, in products and recognition. What would local companies like Creative Technology be if the govt had invested fully into them, with finances and local talents? Would our lead in water filtration plants like Hyflux be a household name in the world market if the govt invests heavily into it and be ranked among the Hyundai, Matsushita, Panasonic, Ssangyong etc etc?

The big difference between China and Singapore is that the former believes in its own people and talent and wanting to produce and make products of their own. Singapore only believes in buying, like buying kindergartens. We do not believe in growing our talents and our own industries. We want to buy them and replace our local talents and industries with foreigners and foreign industries. Instead of investing in our own talents other than lip services, and local companies, we went overseas to look for foreign talents and buying failed companies or cheap low tech companies and committing the sin of giving up on our own talents and companies.

China sent out hundreds of thousands of their best to foreign universities to learn and to come home to rebuild their country and industries. What did we do with our talents? Become administrators or politicians or soldiers. And what about the talents needed in the industries? Just buy them, bring them in, open the door in the name of free market and free competition, we don’t need to grow our own timber. We buy and buy but allowed our own timber to go to waste. In another word, we don’t have faith in our own talents, we dismissed our own talent as no talents and covet other people’s talents. But the sadder part, the talents we brought in are in many cases fakes and frauds.

While China leapt forward to take on the world, moving bravely and confidently into the 21^st Century, Singapore is slumbering in the past of 1978. Singapore has stagnated. Our top industries today are in food and services, in hawker food. Our banking and finance industries, IT industries have been overrun by foreigners, taken over by foreigners. Our health industry too has been overtaken by foreigners except for the top end. But this would not be long before foreigners take over the whole industry as well when citizens become a minority.

At least Malaysia is still trying to manufacture a national car. We are now promoting hawker food as the national icon, the industry of the future. And we don’t even know that in a matter of time, the hawker fare would be operated by foreigners as well. Our last bastion is the taxi driving occupation and maybe sublet rooms to the foreigners to make a living.  The plum appointments in the security industry are also filled by foreigners and our local PMETs would only be good to be security guards. Our so called talents would be only good enough as part time workers or working as temp staff.

The future is very bright. For who?

PS. A happy Deepavali to all our Indian brothers and sisters.

Kishore: Let’s nationalise public transport

Wow, Kishore, what are you saying? Don’t you remember all the clever reasonings to privatise public transport into privatized public transport? Shit what am I saying? Isn’t the private public transport a private company listed in the stock exchange? Or is it a public company owned by the govt and that is why a minister is running the show now?

I can still remember vividly that the main reason to privatise the public transport system is that civil servants are duds, inefficient, and only privatization would make public transport efficient. In other words, the talented people are in the private sector. Even a sales girl is good enough to run a public transport system and made good profit. Now a general also can do. If not a minister should do.  Wait a minute, aren’t a general or a minister a public servant, a kind of civil servants that were originally assumed to be less efficient or inefficient?

The call to return public transport to the hands of civil servants must be horrifying. The govt took so much effort to privatise the public transport, how to justify publicise the public transport system? Have the talents to run private public transport gone back to the civil servants, so civil servants are now efficient enough to run publicise public transport system?

If this is the case, then there is good ground to nationalize the private public transport system to make it public public transport system. In the same reasoning, private public hospitals must also be nationalized to be public public hospitals, to be more efficient and not be run to the ground like the private public transport system.

After writing the above, I am thoroughly confused. What is the difference between a private public transport system and a public public transport system in terms of operational efficiency and not breaking down daily?

Perhaps Kishore could explain and share his wisdom on this call.

John Hardings tireless effort to compile the crimes of the Evil Empire

Below are extracts from John Harding’s article posted in his blog(URL at end of article) on the crimes committed by the USA against countries of the world. These are things that the blind believers of the USA refused to see, did not want to know and keep on praising the Evil Empire as the bastion of goodness, of democracy and human rights. The Americans have committed everything under the sky in violation of all the things they said about democracy and human rights. If these facts still cannot erase the fake beliefs that the Evil Empire is anything but goodness, nothing will. The incorrigible and unthinking Afro Asians would continue to want to believe in the Great White God as their saviour, as the saviour of mankind. That is their choice. For the thinking and rational people out there, here is all the proof that you need to change your mind.

Since the end of World War 2, the United States has:

• Attempted to overthrow more than 50 foreign governments, most of which were democratically-elected.
• Dropped bombs on the people of more than 30 countries.
• Attempted to assassinate more than 50 foreign leaders.
• Attempted to suppress a populist or nationalist movement in 20 countries.
• Grossly interfered in democratic elections in at least 30 countries.
• Plus … although not easily quantified … more involved in the practice of torture than any other country in the world … for over a century … not just performing the actual torture, but teaching it, providing the manuals, and furnishing the equipment.

Below is an open letter posted by John Harding in the same article of a plea by Jürgen Todenhöfer that laid down the facts in in different way.

 Dear Presidents and Heads of Governments!

Through decades of a policy of war and exploitation you have pushed millions people in the Middle East and Africa into misery. Because of your policies refugees have to flee all over the world. One out every three refugees in Germany comes from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. From Africa comes one out of five refugees.

Your wars are also the cause of global terrorism. Instead of some 100 international terrorists like 15 years ago, we now are faced with more than 100,000 terrorists. Your cynical ruthlessness now strikes back at us like a boomerang.

As usual, you do not even consider to really change your policy. You care only about the symptoms. The security situation gets more dangerous and chaotic by the day. More and more wars, waves of terror and refugee crises will determine the future of our planet.
Even in Europe, the war will one day knock again at Europe’s door. Any businessman that would act like you would be fired or be in prison by now. You are total failures.

The peoples of the Middle East and Africa, whose countries you have destroyed and plundered and the people of Europe, who now accommodate the countless desperate refugees, have to pay a high price for your policies. But you wash your hands of responsibility. You should stand trial in front of the International Criminal Court. And each of your political followers should actually take care of at least 100 refugee families.

Basically, the people of the world should rise up and resist you as the warmongers and exploiters you are. As once Gandhi did it – in nonviolence, in ‘civil disobedience’. We should create new movements and parties. Movements for justice and humanity. Make wars in other countries just as punishable as murder and manslaughter in one’s own country. And you who are responsible for war and exploitation, you should go to hell forever. It is enough! Get lost! The world would be much nicer without you.
 
Jürgen Todenhöfer

http://johnharding.com/2015/11/the-anti-empire-report-140/

Conversations for A Truths-Seeking Purposeful Life

Learning a Life Of True Purpose

By Michael Heng

 

The following Conversations with my good friend, Him, take place in real time over social media:

Him: “U read doctrine of christian discovery?”

Me: “Not yet.” 

Him: “Must read. The source of european domination of afro asia n the americas. They r still trying to hold on to the empire. Forces of history changing. Time to repay their debt of conquest. Europe will fall to the Muslims.” 

Me: “BBC has good stories on Buddha, Confucius & Socrates. Talk further when meet.” 

Him: “Political Science PS 101 : )

Him: “I read the bible many times just to know biblical truths. Even attended alpha course. Not impressed. Only confirms bible has two sides like God has two sides, the good side n the evil side.” 

Me: “Actually, only the Truth and others, but no sides. The pursuit & uncovering of this Absolute Truth is what I am interested in now. Basically, the Truth of Christ points to the other Truths as the Holy Spirit enlightens me.”

Him: “The truth of jesus' teaching is wat he said. 'The secrets to the kingdom of heaven have been given to you.' Unfortunately no one knows wat r these secrets.” 

Me: “Actually, the "kingdom of heaven" is HERE on earth, not somewhere in some future place. Christ said: "It's within you." Elsewhere repeatedly, he said that the "secrets" consist of just "worshipping" God the Creator, and ACTIVELY help the poor, sick, women, widows, children & orphans. Nothing else matters in true & authentic Christianity. All else is fluff & hollow designed to profit the power elite, mostly priests, theologians & lay leaders in the church. The real "Church" composes of INDIVIDUAL Christians & NOT in buildings & institutions. Each Christian is the self-sufficient Church of Jesus Christ. The "authentic" Christian is evidenced by his/her "fruits" of good work in the name of Christ.”

Him: “Doing good is in most religions. Goin to heaven is a different thing altogether.” 

Me: “There is no going anywhere. Here and now is all there is. Doing good & doing right NOW are the only most important things. Cannot worry about the irrelevant "next" life. Just start living this current one right while worshipping God. Let's continue when we meet.”

Him: “U been reading buddhism: )”

Me: “I know Buddhism b4 accepting Christ. We are who we are - all "sinners" before God. Desire, warts and all define mankind. Impossible to suppress or overcome desire. No human effort is effective to make us "good" enough. That is NOT life's purpose or objective. Like it or not, it is to "know the True God and worship Him". Period. Do not fight & kill one another over religion. True religion makes a person "better" than he can ever be as defined by whether his fellow men can "see" Christ in him.”

Him: “What is the common spiritual practice of all religions.”

Me: “All religions prey on fear. Fear of hell, of eternal damnation, of continuous never-ending "punishments" for various human weaknesses & imperfections, of death and of the "end" of this life. That's how "holy men" gain power over devotees. True religion offers real freedom and sense of liberation in the loving forgiving bosom of God. He said: "you have been forgiven of every sin, current & future, AND I, God, will remember them no more". How's that for absolute true freedom!”

Him: “I m looking at meditation as the way to enlightenment. Jesus did the same n spoke abt it many times. Believers dun understand or did not want to understand this most impt part of his teachings. Many parts must hv been edited fr the bible.”

Me: “Meditation as part of the worship of God is indeed Christian practice. Unlike other meditations which recommend "blanking out" or escape the man-made social realities of pain, sickness, crime, poverty and human relationships. More important is to demonstrate God-likeness in our ACTIVE conduct towards humans, animals & climate around us.” 

Me: “Enlightenment" refers to the continuous discovery of the Truths.”

Him: “Not really. Jesus was enlightened the same way as Gautama (Buddha). Both had the same experience, one after 40 days n one after 49 days of meditation.”

Me: “Both shared their "discoveries" of the Truths that they found until their respective deaths. Truths continue to be unfolded to the seekers, meaning those of us who want to pursue them. Buddha's Truths excluded God's role; Christ included the role of the Creator, which to me embraces the "larger" Truth. Christ did not end there - He said his Truth will lead us into "other" Truths. All Truths overlapped, since no one could humanly discover exactly the same amount of knowledge. They merely shared what they believe to be SUFFICIENT for existence in this world. That's why there is consensus on the overlapped common Truths, but considerable diversity and contradictions outside the overlaps. Focus should be on inside the overlapped Truths. The test is whether one is "comfortable" with the unfolding Truths. No need to force others to believe the same; once absolute Freedom is attained in the mind and soul, the believer knows and will adapt physically. He experiences what the bible refers to as the "peace that surpasses all understanding". That I have experienced on some occasions. And that's why I know my God is real.”

Him: “What is truth?” 

Me: “The absolute Truth or Reality is enveloped by onion-like layers of man-made delusions, philosophies, religions, knowledge and superstitious beliefs and practices. It lies at the core. Try taking a large onion and start peeling off its layers one at a time. Imagine the false reality onion which is many thousands time bigger with overlapping layers. What lies at its Core is the answer to your question, which may never be obtained in your lifetime; and neither do u need it in order to live the rest of your life. We can however embark on realistic journeys towards the Core Truths. For me, the Final Truths have to do with worshipping God the Creator; and to Love my fellow men actively as much as I love God and loved ones. These 2 journeys are sufficient endeavors for the rest of my remaining life. I will continue to peel off the "onion-like" layers of false realities in my writings & speeches. 

Him: “The peeling analogy is like knowing ur true self. The part abt loving god n praising god - does god need to b loved n praised when he is everything n needs nothing?”

Me: “Not the Christian God. The Christian God loves being worshipped through praises & thanksgiving music and songs. This is evident throughout the bible. That's why He created human beings to enjoin Him in the celebration of life. Such Godlike human qualities are also in us since He created us in His image as the bible said.

Him: “The christian god is the god of israel. Actually all the assumptions abt god is a human interpretation of wat is god. We live not to love god. We live n we make meanings of our own existence. Is there a purpose n wat is this purpose? To love god, cant b right?”

Me: “God is the God of all He created. Israel did not invent God. God appeared to Abraham, the Father of those referred to later as the Jews. God also appeared to many, many other early and earlier civilizations. But NOT all the early Gods refer to the SAME God the Creator. Many are imposters, who are quickly found out and abandoned. I think if you want to know who is the True God ... Better to discover Him yourself, if serious want to. It's a personal discovery. Different religions have it own "formula". Choose wisely; pray to the True God to guide your choice. 

Him: “I always find this obsession to praise god n love god amusing. It is like a loveless god craving for love n attention. N he is there to meddle with everyone n displeases with man not wanting to know him or to believe him, not to love him. My view, god is too big to indulge in such things. He creates man to know him?”

Me: “Depends on which religion u want to use to talk about God. Again it is not what u think about God that matters, it's what God think about you.” 

Him: “U r saying god is thinking abt everyone n wat each ind thinks abt him?”

Me: “God doesn't think about everyone; He knows each one of us.” 

Him: “Exactly. U r talking abt the all knowing, hv everything n does not need anything. The christians believe they r connected to god n know god while other believers r connected to anything but not god. This is just a belief wld u think so?”

Me: “Yes. That's just Christianity the religion. Others have their own beliefs in their religions; and they shd feel comfortable in those beliefs. No need to argue relative merits ... There are no merits in any religion. Truths are independent of religious and man-made beliefs.”

Him: “I see u r getting closer to the real thing, religion a man made self delusion. God is not confined by any religion: ) i m still asking a lot of questions but no satisfactory answers. Still searching n waiting for the truth whatever that maybe.”

China Taiwan reconciliation – A handshake that was 66 years late

What was meant to be a private meeting between the leaders of China and Taiwan turned out to be the main event in President Xi Jinping’s agenda in his official state visit to Singapore. There were many agreements and MOUs to sign at the Istana between Singapore and China, speeches at NUS and other programmes, but all turned out to be sideshows. More than 600 media representatives congregated at the Shangri La Hotel in eager anticipation of something big or at least a historical event would unfold after the meeting and that they would not want to miss it.

China and Taiwan were technically still at war after the KMT govt fled the mainland after a long fought civil war. No peace agreement was signed since that eventful day in 1949 and both sides officially were not on speaking terms, diplomatically. A meeting of the two leaders was undiplomatic despite the strong and multi faceted relations of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. China is the biggest trading partner of Taiwan and the growth engine driving the Taiwanese economy. But the leaders are not meant to be speaking to each other in public or in an official capacity.

Earlier media reports on the meeting between Xi and Ma was also supposed to be a hush hush private affair and no press statement was expected from the meeting. The dramatic turn of events when both leaders appeared and shaking hands in front of the media of the world, giving off their warmest handshake and smiles were signs that the meeting went off very well, at least better than expected.

The 66 years late handshake was followed by a press conference held separately by China and Taiwan. In the case of China, only 3 questions were accepted and the press conference ended quickly. In the case of Taiwan, it was like China acquiescing to Taiwan’s request for more space in the world stage, a full panel of Taiwanese officials led by Ma Ying Jeou faced the media and took more than a dozen questions from the crowded floor.

What was significant in this meeting was the sincerity and accommodating spirits of both sides to move forward and pave the way for closer cooperation and reconciliation. The only principle that China held on and shared by Taiwan is that there is one China as agreed in the 1992 Communique. The mood was positive and earnest and China made several concessions and goodwill gestures to accommodate Taiwan both in creating space and also in welcoming Taiwan to participate in joint ventures and other Chinese initiatives.

China now welcomes Taiwan’s membership in the AIIB that it objected earlier. Taiwan is also welcomed to participate in the New Silk Road project. A hot line would be established for the two sides and more space for Taiwan in the international scene as long as the One China Principle is abided by. The other concerns by Taiwan like interference in Taiwanese Presidential election and Chinese missiles pointing at Taiwan were also addressed. China officially said that it would not interfere in the Presidential Election and that the missiles were not targeted at Taiwan. The missile myth was a mischievous red herring created to stir up fear of China as it was not necessary to point the missiles at any country to mean that it was targeting that country, not forgetting that there are many hostile aircraft carriers at sea.

Ma Ying Jeou got his assurance from China that both sides would pursue peace and stability through negotiation and to cooperate for the future generations of the Chinese civilization on both sides of the Straits. The press conferences were testimonies that both China and Taiwan are positive about moving forward together under the One China Principle. Though reunification was still an issue left to the future generations, there is at least some closure and assurance that there are common grounds and objectives to work together for the good of the Chinese civilization.

China and Taiwan are one family. The two siblings have agreed to remove the hostilities of the past and to sit together for a meal and to work together as members of a family. The cordiality and optimism of both leaders could not be missed by all present at the press conferences and both leaders would return home with a sense of achievement that this is another milestone in the reconciliation process.

It was a story with a good ending.

My article in China Daily

A little commercial.

China Daily has accepted me as a contributor and here is the link to my maiden post on China Vietnam relations, www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2015-11/07/content_22396783.htm

The PAP flip flop

Flip flop or flip flopping is a term associated with the opposition parties. It is a tag attached to them by the PAP for changing their policy stance every now and than as claimed by the PAP. How true is this charge depends on what one drinks or where one is coming from. The opposition parties also accused the PAP of flip flopping, of changing its policies or using the opposition’s recommendations or proposals and claimed as PAP’s original. Again whether this is true of false depends on the water one drinks.

Generally flip flopping is seen as a negative light and used in that way by both sides. There are many instances of PAP flip flopping as well. Look at the housing policies, the education policies, the foreign talent or worker policies, the flip flopping are obvious. Whether these flip flopping are good or bad, that is again subjective.

Lately there is a new kind of flip flopping introduced by the PAP that is positive in nature. This is the flip flopping of ministerial appointments. The management gurus will call this training by exposing the person to different jobs, in the process of grooming the person for higher appointments. Job rotation is good for the young turks being handpicked to be the next PMs.

In some cases these job rotations are also called musical chairs for good or bad reasons. If an incumbent is not performing, shift him out or put him into less stressful jobs. The positive flip flopping is synonymous with the name Khaw Boon Wan. This magical wan is PAP’s trump card to be flipflopped whenever there is trouble. The flipping of this magical wan is positive flip flopping, to solve a tough problem when on one else is capable of solving.

Khaw Boon Wan is the PAP’s flip flop king, the magical wan. Let’s see where and when would he be flipped to again. There are many ministries that are waiting for Hsien Loong to move the magical wan to, MOH, NEA, MAS, hopefully not MOE.  MOE cannot be flip flopping every time there is a change of minister. Don’t ‘main main’ with the future of our children.  Boon Wan should look into the finance industry, in particular the stock market. It is on the road to finito.

Hsien Loong must be very grateful to have this magic wan in his armoury.

The wickedness of the evil American Empire exposed

All those silly Asians that still believed in the goodness of the Great White God must watch this short video on the evil intent of the Americans in the Middle East. (Watch "Putin Killing ISIS" on YouTube - https://youtu.be/Dg9TqwlbB_w).  If the content of this short video still cannot wake you up from your stupidity, nothing else would and you can go on living with your fantasy.

The clip is produced by Infowars.com on the origins of ISIS. But that is what everyone knows, even the incorrigible believers of the Great White God know. What they did not know is the real objective of the Americans in creating, arming and supporting the ISIS. The removing of Assad is only a side distraction. The real intent and purpose of ISIS are to keep the Middle Eastern countries in perpetual warfare, to be bogged down in warfare in a pathetic struggle of self destruction. It would keep the Arabs/Muslims fighting and killing themselves and with the Americans and the western powers, particularly the Brits, supporting and selling all the weapons they need to keep the weapons merchants very happy and their military industrial complex very busy.

And all the hypocritical senators and congressmen in Washington, the infamous John McCain, knew how the game is being played. The Americans have no interest in wanting to wipe out the ISIS. And they are furious that Putin is doing such an effective job destroying the ISIS that they are now arming the ISIS and the so called anti Assad rebels with weapons to shoot at Russian planes attacking them. The British RAF has also been given the permission to shoot at the Russian planes.

The whole game plan was not just about regime change, but about creating instability and continuous warfare in the Middle East and to profit from the slaughtering of the Arabs and Muslims by the western forces or among themselves. This is the evil plan but unfortunately the Arabs and Muslims are falling for it and happily, furiously and passionately killing each other with gusto.

View the video clip and ask yourself what is really going on. The same game plan is going to be replicated in Asia, particularly in South East Asia. Who would be the ‘ISIS’ to do the dirty job for the Americans? The daft Pinoys are very eager to take on this role, but the good thing is that they will behave like weasels and could only make noise and have no bite. The Americans have been agitating the Vietnamese and even the Malaysians and Indonesians to be their henchmen, to go start a war and get themselves killed in the process and to be heavily indebted to the Americans. So far none of them is taking the bait. Why would they want to send their people to kill or be killed to benefit the Americans?

Then there is the very dangerous Abe at the door waiting to swing into action. Now this is a really dangerous animal and very difficult to deal with. And he wants to con the South Koreans into this silly and deadly game too. The only hope is for the Japanese themselves to rein in this wild beast in Abe and his yakuza and prevent them from dragging Japan into another world war. This time Japan will be annihilated by the combined forces of China, Russia and the two Koreas. Abe and the Americans still believe that the Koreans are stupid and can be manipulated to kill themselves because the Americans and the Japanese will it so.

The rest of the South East Asians are starting to get to see the true picture especially the Indonesians and the Malaysians. They would not want to become the Arabs/Muslims of South East Asia and be caught in an unending warfare that they did not know why or how they got involved.

For the silly believers of the Great White God in the little Red Dot, they can keep on believing in the Americans as the God of wholesome goodness and can do no evil.

Watch the clip. It is only 11 minutes, and wise up to the evilness of the Americans and their wicked schemes. Remove your blinkers and save your own skin and the skin of your fellow country men and women. Do yourself a favour.

Has the Singapore Govt gone mad?

An article in the TRE quoted The Telegraph Calcutta with this report, ‘By K P Nayar, New Delhi: The government of Singapore will regulate its citizens’ access to a Madison Square Garden-style reception for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the massive 100,000sqm, column-free arena of Singapore Expo on November 24.’

Why would Singapore allow a foreign leader to stage such a huge rally here? Who is going to foot the bill for crowd control? Would Singapore also allow Xi Jinping to do the same, or Najib or Jokowi or any other foreign leaders after this incident?  What is the Singapore Govt thinking? Is this a proper thing to do? Is this the new normal, for foreign leaders to address their citizens in this hotel? Would there be Indian flags flying all over the venue and turn it into an Indian Independence Day Celebration? Would Aquino also want to have one here since there are so many Pinoys in the hotel? They tried but aborted last year in the face of public outcry.

Even before this event is held, the move to restrict Singapore citizens of Indian origin to attend is receiving criticisms from India and would likely to get the same from the Indian community here. And not to pour cold water on it, what if the crowd turn delirious and rowdy and run wild?

Just thinking, can any national leader come to this hotel to stir nationalism and national pride in a large gathering of their citizens?

What do you think?

Stanchart cutting 15,000 jobs worldwide

Gloom in Stanchart Singapore as the axe is falling in this bank. How many would be axed as a result is still unannounced but fear is across the banking floor.

What is the union going to say? What is MOM going to do? Would this be seen as a good opportunity to save some Singaporean jobs or would Singaporeans to be the first to be axed?

Meritocracy man! Only the meritorious would be retained regardless of nationalities! It would not be Singaporeans be the last to go. Will this be the policy of Stanchart when it starts to wield the axe? Would it end up more Singaporeans be axed and more foreigners be retained?

What do you think?

USA recognises China’s sovereignty of South China Sea islands

The Americans sailed a warship in the South China Sea as close as 12 nm from the Chinese islands. The big news was splashed across all the major western media that the US was bold and big enough to challenge the Chinese in the waters of China. Big deal! The allies especially the Aquino guy was beaming a wide smile from cheek to cheek and telling his fans that the Americans dare. The Americans are not afraid of China and are beating their chests in front of the Chinese.

So what’s next? The Americans announced that they would sail the South China Sea twice in every three months, to exercise the right of freedom of navigation. The Americans will fly and sail anywhere as they like, in international waters. This must make their allies and believers very happy.

What the Americans are not saying but admitting is that the islands in the South China Sea belonged to China and the Americans would respect and not cross the 12 nm territorial waters of China. Period.

Oh, the Americans are also saying they are not recognizing the Chinese islands. That is true only to the extent that they would not cross the 12 nm line, the Americans would not cross the waters around Chinese islands. This must be something that Xi Jinping and Obama had agreed in his recent visit. The Americans can do whatever they like, have wild dances, parties in the South China Sea, but do not cross into China’s territorial waters. Those are off limits. And the Americans were doing just that and Xi Jinping is not saying a word. There was an agreement for a circus performance by the American sailors to entertain the Japanese and the Pinoys and the need for a pyrrhic victory for the American people, particularly the hawks in Washington. We did it, we showed the Chinese our fist. Just don’t go over board.

The other agreement is that China would continue to do what it wants to do in the islands with no interference from the Americans. It was a waltz of two elephants to entertain the little states in the South China Sea. The realities and new status quo, the islands belong to China and also the Americans would be sailing the South China Sea.

What about the countries around the South China Sea? They would have to live with the new realities. Nothing change except a bigger American presence in the region. There is no issue on freedom of navigation. The Americans can sail to any part of the South China Sea as long as they keep out of China’s territorial waters around the islands. And as a side benefit, the frightened Japanese and Pinoys would welcome the Americans to station troops in their countries. Clark and Subic would welcome the Americans back to give a kick start to the Filipino economy.