India is producing all the talents that Singapore needs to bring it to
the future, from IT, banking, academia, medical, entrepreneurs, public
speakers, journalists and politicians. Now there is another profession
that Singapore could look forward to in India.
The Chinese table tennis players in the Singapore Team have lost to
India in the finals in the Commonwealth Games. This is the first time
that the Singapore Team lost. The last time they met in 2010, Singapore
Team beat them by 3-0. This time it is 3-1 in favour of India. What the
results said is that India is on the rise and China fading away, at
least in table tennis.
The future of Singapore’s table tennis glory is in India. Those MPs that
have nothing better to do must think of leading a team to visit the
India villages to handpick future table tennis players for the Singapore
Team. Yes, headhunt them when they are young and not yet star material.
Singapore’s talent is in headhunting and spotting young talents,
especially in table tennis. We have many experience MPs who are very
good in this skill. If they don’t do it, there will be nothing more to
cheer about in table tennis to galvanise the people together in
nationhood. This is serious matter.
There is hope that our table tennis team will continue to shine with new
talents from budding India table tennis players. Make haste while the
sun shines. Don’t wait or other country’s talent scouts would beat us to
it. This type of thing cannot wait or else next Commonwealth Games
Singapore will have no gold medals for table tennis.
Now what else should they hunt while in India? More Indian chiefs. India
is very good at producing Indian chiefs that Singapore is lacking.
4/09/2018
Dr. Mahatir Mohamed back in Malaysia's politics
Dr. Mahatir has returned from retirement to fight in politics again. His mission is to right the wrongs which he thinks PM Najib is committing He has been accusing Najib for corruption . He conveniently forgets that Najib was his perfect loyal student who learns all the tricks from him .
In his twenty-two years rule Mahatir had played with the country and the people's welfare. Who benefitted from Mallaysia's fiasco in its lost of billions of dollars in Malaysia's investment in the sick British pound. Well, of course Soros the Jewish elite made billions from it. Other than Soros who else benefitted? That is a big question mark.
What happened to Malaysia Airways ? Who benefitted from its lost of billions of dollars? What about the lack lustre development of Port Klang , another multi billion dollar project? Where had all the money gone? Who was the transport and communication minister there and then.
How do some of the scions of Malaysia's prominent politicians become multi millionaires or billionaires overnight?
Dr. Mahatir brought disharmony to the country by practising ill conceived religion and narrow racialistic politics to benefit his party's agenda. So don't be a hypocrite and accuse PM Najib just to suit his own agenda.
His unbecoming or sour talk about Najib's China's capital and investment in Malaysia smacks a nuance of his being now an American mouthpiece . Since when has he decided to become an American poodle to speak ill of China. Under the Evil US Imperial Empire's influence he illicitly and shamefully claims some of the Chinese islands in the South China Sea. He seems to forget there was no country call Malaya or Malaysia until the British chose to leave in 1957 and 1965 when it found that British colonialism was untenable in the face of history. Even then England never claim the Chinese islands in the South China Sea. In fact England and all the West including US and Japan have always recognized the Paracels and the chain of Spratly Islands as Chinese territories. In fact all the islands in the South China Sea have since time immemorial been Chinese territories as far back as the Chin or Han Dynasty over two thousand years ago
In 1986 the West and US floated the UNCLOS - United Nations Convention of the Laws of the Sea. China had asserted that UNCLOS should not and must not encroach or supercede China's historical ownership of her South China Sea's territories before it signed the agreement in later years. However USA itself refused to sign the agreement fearing a lot of legal suits would be filed against US unlawful occupation of other peoples or countries islands and territories. In short USA will not subject itself to international laws it helped to formulate.
Dr Mahatir by his action and stupid assertion that Malaysia has claims to some of the Chinese islands in the South China Sea is thus incongruent with Malaysia's history. Has Mahatir been smoking too much of American pipe and has suddenly come under US's sinister influence.
Those who sleep with the Evil Empire will always end up in big serious trouble and eventually lost their countries' sovereignty. There are too many cases to enumerate. But just to mention a few recent ones like Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Libya and Iran when it was under the Shah.
Southernglory1
Monday , 09th April. 2018
In his twenty-two years rule Mahatir had played with the country and the people's welfare. Who benefitted from Mallaysia's fiasco in its lost of billions of dollars in Malaysia's investment in the sick British pound. Well, of course Soros the Jewish elite made billions from it. Other than Soros who else benefitted? That is a big question mark.
What happened to Malaysia Airways ? Who benefitted from its lost of billions of dollars? What about the lack lustre development of Port Klang , another multi billion dollar project? Where had all the money gone? Who was the transport and communication minister there and then.
How do some of the scions of Malaysia's prominent politicians become multi millionaires or billionaires overnight?
Dr. Mahatir brought disharmony to the country by practising ill conceived religion and narrow racialistic politics to benefit his party's agenda. So don't be a hypocrite and accuse PM Najib just to suit his own agenda.
His unbecoming or sour talk about Najib's China's capital and investment in Malaysia smacks a nuance of his being now an American mouthpiece . Since when has he decided to become an American poodle to speak ill of China. Under the Evil US Imperial Empire's influence he illicitly and shamefully claims some of the Chinese islands in the South China Sea. He seems to forget there was no country call Malaya or Malaysia until the British chose to leave in 1957 and 1965 when it found that British colonialism was untenable in the face of history. Even then England never claim the Chinese islands in the South China Sea. In fact England and all the West including US and Japan have always recognized the Paracels and the chain of Spratly Islands as Chinese territories. In fact all the islands in the South China Sea have since time immemorial been Chinese territories as far back as the Chin or Han Dynasty over two thousand years ago
In 1986 the West and US floated the UNCLOS - United Nations Convention of the Laws of the Sea. China had asserted that UNCLOS should not and must not encroach or supercede China's historical ownership of her South China Sea's territories before it signed the agreement in later years. However USA itself refused to sign the agreement fearing a lot of legal suits would be filed against US unlawful occupation of other peoples or countries islands and territories. In short USA will not subject itself to international laws it helped to formulate.
Dr Mahatir by his action and stupid assertion that Malaysia has claims to some of the Chinese islands in the South China Sea is thus incongruent with Malaysia's history. Has Mahatir been smoking too much of American pipe and has suddenly come under US's sinister influence.
Those who sleep with the Evil Empire will always end up in big serious trouble and eventually lost their countries' sovereignty. There are too many cases to enumerate. But just to mention a few recent ones like Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Libya and Iran when it was under the Shah.
Southernglory1
Monday , 09th April. 2018
Would Singapore invite China into CPTPP?
The anti China TPP, conceived with one specific purpose, to isolate China, went ahead without the Americans and formed a half past six grouping under a modified name called CPTPP. The non participation of America in such a trade grouping would have effectively rendered it a no go proposition. What is there left without the American market?
Under normal conditions, the remaining participants would go around hunting for an equivalent big economy to replace the Americans. The obvious choice was China. But the obvious choice was that China was the main enemy and should not be the choice. Grudgingly they went ahead, on a limb, to sign a trade pact that is as good as a non pact. The persistence of some members in the grouping not wanting to give up is understandable. Without China is the key agenda and going ahead without China is still like half a bird in the bush is better than none. China was excluded and they have achieved what they set out to do.
Hsien Loong is in China to attend the Boao Forum and would follow up with a working visit to China to meet Wang Yi and to discuss areas of cooperation. The test balloon floated, oops, oops, wrong choice of word, the main agenda is to invite China to join the lame duck CPTPP. At least this what I perceived from the statements he made in the media.
In Channel News Asia it was reported that "Mr Lee highlighted the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which was renamed after the withdrawal of the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is a proposed FTA spearheaded by the ten ASEAN member states and involving six major trading partners, including China....that these two agreements will boost economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and promote a seamless flow of goods, services and business that will benefit all countries.
“The CPTPP, which was recently signed, is an open and inclusive agreement. We welcome China, and others, to join the CPTPP when they are ready,” Mr Lee said....
Singapore will continue to support China’s constructive participation in the regional architecture as well as the international system,” Mr Lee said."
The last two sentences are as good as Singapore taking an initiative to invite China into the CPTPP. anyone reading it as otherwise? This trip to China could be ground breaking in Singapore China relationship. In a way the term test balloon could be quite appropriate in the sense that Japan would never agree to have China in the CPTPP. Did Hsien Loong speak to Abe and had his concurrence to brood this matter with China? If not, the suggestion is as good as cheap talk. Japan would definitely throw its weight down to oppose China's entry. China is not just a historical enemy of Japan, its admission into CPTPP would mean that Japan would no longer be the undisputed leader to call the shot and to drive the CPTPP against China's interests.
Not only that, there is the big bad wolf lurking in the dark corner, not in the CPTPP does not mean that the Americans have no say in China's entry into the CPTPP. The Americans would use their veto card to stop China and all the American cronies and little USAs would not be able to say no.
Would Singapore take a lead against the interests of Japan and the USA to invite China into the CPTPP? Does Singapore have the heft and influence to make this happen? Or would it be a case that Singapore has done its best but were blocked by other interested parties to keep China out of the grouping?
Let's see what comes out of this China trip.
In today's news, it was reported that Hsien Loong has inked a couple of MOUs with Li Keqiang on the BRI and to promote cross cultural cooperation. There was some mention of the RCEP but nothing about the CPTPP. Perhaps my reservations on Japan not going to agree to China's entry and the USA, though no longer a party, would also not permit China to be admitted to the CPTPP. The vacuum cannot be filled by China. Any other country will do but not China. So looks like Singapore is not going to be able to do a thing on this.
Under normal conditions, the remaining participants would go around hunting for an equivalent big economy to replace the Americans. The obvious choice was China. But the obvious choice was that China was the main enemy and should not be the choice. Grudgingly they went ahead, on a limb, to sign a trade pact that is as good as a non pact. The persistence of some members in the grouping not wanting to give up is understandable. Without China is the key agenda and going ahead without China is still like half a bird in the bush is better than none. China was excluded and they have achieved what they set out to do.
Hsien Loong is in China to attend the Boao Forum and would follow up with a working visit to China to meet Wang Yi and to discuss areas of cooperation. The test balloon floated, oops, oops, wrong choice of word, the main agenda is to invite China to join the lame duck CPTPP. At least this what I perceived from the statements he made in the media.
In Channel News Asia it was reported that "Mr Lee highlighted the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which was renamed after the withdrawal of the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is a proposed FTA spearheaded by the ten ASEAN member states and involving six major trading partners, including China....that these two agreements will boost economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and promote a seamless flow of goods, services and business that will benefit all countries.
“The CPTPP, which was recently signed, is an open and inclusive agreement. We welcome China, and others, to join the CPTPP when they are ready,” Mr Lee said....
Singapore will continue to support China’s constructive participation in the regional architecture as well as the international system,” Mr Lee said."
The last two sentences are as good as Singapore taking an initiative to invite China into the CPTPP. anyone reading it as otherwise? This trip to China could be ground breaking in Singapore China relationship. In a way the term test balloon could be quite appropriate in the sense that Japan would never agree to have China in the CPTPP. Did Hsien Loong speak to Abe and had his concurrence to brood this matter with China? If not, the suggestion is as good as cheap talk. Japan would definitely throw its weight down to oppose China's entry. China is not just a historical enemy of Japan, its admission into CPTPP would mean that Japan would no longer be the undisputed leader to call the shot and to drive the CPTPP against China's interests.
Not only that, there is the big bad wolf lurking in the dark corner, not in the CPTPP does not mean that the Americans have no say in China's entry into the CPTPP. The Americans would use their veto card to stop China and all the American cronies and little USAs would not be able to say no.
Would Singapore take a lead against the interests of Japan and the USA to invite China into the CPTPP? Does Singapore have the heft and influence to make this happen? Or would it be a case that Singapore has done its best but were blocked by other interested parties to keep China out of the grouping?
Let's see what comes out of this China trip.
In today's news, it was reported that Hsien Loong has inked a couple of MOUs with Li Keqiang on the BRI and to promote cross cultural cooperation. There was some mention of the RCEP but nothing about the CPTPP. Perhaps my reservations on Japan not going to agree to China's entry and the USA, though no longer a party, would also not permit China to be admitted to the CPTPP. The vacuum cannot be filled by China. Any other country will do but not China. So looks like Singapore is not going to be able to do a thing on this.
The Real US Problem: Multilateral Trade Deficits - Part 2
Basically Donald Trump looks like an economics noop or perhaps simply trying to bluff his way through.
He acts as if there is no single able economist in the US to provide him any advice on how to solve the US trade deficit problem, beginning with going after China with all kinds of dubious excuses in an attempt to reduce bilateral trade deficit.
Any trained economist would surely see through the holes in such a stance. The Americans real problem is their multilateral trade deficits with the world and not the bilateral trade deficit with China. Even if China accepts Donald Trump's unreasonable demand and unilaterally import another US$100 billion of their oil or aircrafts, such measure hardly solves or improves US economy overall or in the long term. In fact it may even cause more harm in the long run by making such US industries even more inefficient and addicted to such measures to enable exports to foreign markets.
And for the 1,300 products worth US$60 billion slapped with 25% tariffs, how is it going to solve the US trade deficit problems when importers can turn to other sources to import such goods?
Under free trade agreement signed with trading partners, such protectionist measure is known as trade diversion and to so called divert trade revenues from other countries to trade partners within the FTA grouping. But in this case, probably the US could end up importing many of the 1,300 Chinese tariffs targeted products from many other non-FTA countries and create jobs in those countries instead of the US, meanwhile making cost of living worst off and higher for the average US consumers through paying more for similar products from elsewhere.
Faced with an unhinged bully, China's counter moves so far have been measured but firm, otherwise it would probably invite further unabated aggression from the antogoniser who smells blood in any weak response or weakness and further rain countless blows and inflict untold injuries on the hapless victim.
Many international experts find Donald Trump's trade arguments confused and befuddling and would ultumately worsen than solve the Americans domestic economic problems. Doubling down last Thur 5 Apr on intention of hitting another US$100 billion worth of Chinese products with tariffs may be more of a sign of an unravelled binged gambling addict at the casino table who has lost his head and mind and desperately trying to recoup his losses and in the process ends up eventually in an unsalvageable situation for himself. Unfortunately, at this moment, there seems no one able to rein in on the muddled protectionist trade war measures taken by Donald Trump thus far.
Leo81
He acts as if there is no single able economist in the US to provide him any advice on how to solve the US trade deficit problem, beginning with going after China with all kinds of dubious excuses in an attempt to reduce bilateral trade deficit.
Any trained economist would surely see through the holes in such a stance. The Americans real problem is their multilateral trade deficits with the world and not the bilateral trade deficit with China. Even if China accepts Donald Trump's unreasonable demand and unilaterally import another US$100 billion of their oil or aircrafts, such measure hardly solves or improves US economy overall or in the long term. In fact it may even cause more harm in the long run by making such US industries even more inefficient and addicted to such measures to enable exports to foreign markets.
And for the 1,300 products worth US$60 billion slapped with 25% tariffs, how is it going to solve the US trade deficit problems when importers can turn to other sources to import such goods?
Under free trade agreement signed with trading partners, such protectionist measure is known as trade diversion and to so called divert trade revenues from other countries to trade partners within the FTA grouping. But in this case, probably the US could end up importing many of the 1,300 Chinese tariffs targeted products from many other non-FTA countries and create jobs in those countries instead of the US, meanwhile making cost of living worst off and higher for the average US consumers through paying more for similar products from elsewhere.
Faced with an unhinged bully, China's counter moves so far have been measured but firm, otherwise it would probably invite further unabated aggression from the antogoniser who smells blood in any weak response or weakness and further rain countless blows and inflict untold injuries on the hapless victim.
Many international experts find Donald Trump's trade arguments confused and befuddling and would ultumately worsen than solve the Americans domestic economic problems. Doubling down last Thur 5 Apr on intention of hitting another US$100 billion worth of Chinese products with tariffs may be more of a sign of an unravelled binged gambling addict at the casino table who has lost his head and mind and desperately trying to recoup his losses and in the process ends up eventually in an unsalvageable situation for himself. Unfortunately, at this moment, there seems no one able to rein in on the muddled protectionist trade war measures taken by Donald Trump thus far.
Leo81
4/08/2018
Donald Trump's Trade War is 10 Years Too Late -Part 1
In
2009, the year after the 2008 GFC (Global Financial Crisis), world trade
shrank for the first time in half a century. China then was far more
dependent on the American market in terms of percentage share of exports
to GDP.
Over the past 10 years, China's GDP more than doubled, averaging more than 7% per annum, though economic growth ranges between 6.5% to 6.9% in the last 3 years but overall the average annual growth rate was well over 7% in the past decade for the Chinese economy to more than double between 2007 to 2018.
After the onset of the 2008 GFC, the drastic fall of demand for Chinese exports in the American and European markets, massive efforts and policy initiatives were taken by the Hu/ Wen led Chinese government to diversify and restructure the economy away from the export-led economic growth especially to the debt-laden American economy which is predicted to implode cyclically given its massive imbalance in its GDP consumption spending composition, savings rate, budget deficit etc. After 10 years of silent but relentless slogging, the Chinese economy is far more diversified, urbanisation has continued to intensify, services has become much larger as a share of GDP, social security has improved and more and more Chinese consumers are confident and willing to spend on consumption. All these implied that any protectionist measure especially tariffs would harm the American consumers and economy much much more than the Chinese.
With the US economy heavily in debt and the average consumers highly leveraged, the days of the American economy as the number one consumers are likely numbered and its importance diminishing each passing day. Any further escalation of the current budding trade war posts far more systemic threat to the American than the Chinese.
All the major political events in China such as last year Oct Party's Congress and this year March NPC are over. President Xi Jinping has consolidated his power and the people and society are ready to stand united behind the government in any economic showdown forced upon them by the imperial American white supremacists. On the other hand, the domestic political battles in the US are just beginning and subjected to change especially from missteps in managing the economy and international relations which bring more setbacks than benefits to the American economy.
Donald Trump is facing a more and more uphill battle in the upcoming mid-term election to maintain the Republican razor thin majority in the US Senate and given more and more House of Representatives seats held by the Republic are becoming hot battle grounds, even the majority in the lower Congress is under threat. By losing their majority in the coming mid-term, Donald Trump would probably become the most "besieged" US President in history and his remaining term may just become pure lame duck and all about dodging impeachment as much as possible. Also he will likely face a strong challenge for the 2020 Presidential bid within his party if he survives a full term till 2020.
Given such outlook, likely Donald Trump would become more and more desperate in maintaining the majority in the Congress. Desperation probably would lead to taking more and unnecessary high risks. As most of his best advisors are gone and now surrounded by like-minded hawks, the perils of groupthink under such circumstances are much more heigthened and the enactment of "Bay of Pigs 2" groupthink fiasco may become more and more of a reality.
Above article posted by Leo81
Over the past 10 years, China's GDP more than doubled, averaging more than 7% per annum, though economic growth ranges between 6.5% to 6.9% in the last 3 years but overall the average annual growth rate was well over 7% in the past decade for the Chinese economy to more than double between 2007 to 2018.
After the onset of the 2008 GFC, the drastic fall of demand for Chinese exports in the American and European markets, massive efforts and policy initiatives were taken by the Hu/ Wen led Chinese government to diversify and restructure the economy away from the export-led economic growth especially to the debt-laden American economy which is predicted to implode cyclically given its massive imbalance in its GDP consumption spending composition, savings rate, budget deficit etc. After 10 years of silent but relentless slogging, the Chinese economy is far more diversified, urbanisation has continued to intensify, services has become much larger as a share of GDP, social security has improved and more and more Chinese consumers are confident and willing to spend on consumption. All these implied that any protectionist measure especially tariffs would harm the American consumers and economy much much more than the Chinese.
With the US economy heavily in debt and the average consumers highly leveraged, the days of the American economy as the number one consumers are likely numbered and its importance diminishing each passing day. Any further escalation of the current budding trade war posts far more systemic threat to the American than the Chinese.
All the major political events in China such as last year Oct Party's Congress and this year March NPC are over. President Xi Jinping has consolidated his power and the people and society are ready to stand united behind the government in any economic showdown forced upon them by the imperial American white supremacists. On the other hand, the domestic political battles in the US are just beginning and subjected to change especially from missteps in managing the economy and international relations which bring more setbacks than benefits to the American economy.
Donald Trump is facing a more and more uphill battle in the upcoming mid-term election to maintain the Republican razor thin majority in the US Senate and given more and more House of Representatives seats held by the Republic are becoming hot battle grounds, even the majority in the lower Congress is under threat. By losing their majority in the coming mid-term, Donald Trump would probably become the most "besieged" US President in history and his remaining term may just become pure lame duck and all about dodging impeachment as much as possible. Also he will likely face a strong challenge for the 2020 Presidential bid within his party if he survives a full term till 2020.
Given such outlook, likely Donald Trump would become more and more desperate in maintaining the majority in the Congress. Desperation probably would lead to taking more and unnecessary high risks. As most of his best advisors are gone and now surrounded by like-minded hawks, the perils of groupthink under such circumstances are much more heigthened and the enactment of "Bay of Pigs 2" groupthink fiasco may become more and more of a reality.
Above article posted by Leo81
Singapore's Killing Fields
Singapore's own Killing Fields were forgotten by many, history let to rest. No one wants to talk about it any more. Why would they want to bring up bad memories that would tarnish their good friends, embarrass them for their crime against humanity when they regard the Japanese as the highly respected and most trusted big power in Asia, according to a silly banana.
Thank you Aqil Haziq Mahmud for bringing these Killing Fields to light again.
Mr Goh, who was aged 25 at the time, had just uncovered a mass grave filled with piles of bones belonging to victims of the Second World War. This was near Jalan Puay Poon in Bedok, close to where Temasek Junior College now sits.
The victims were killed in Operation Sook Ching, a “purge” campaign targeted at the Chinese in Singapore. Those suspected of being anti-Japanese were hauled into lorries and executed at remote locations across the island. Jalan Puay Poon was one of the killing grounds.
According to a National Library Board resource, the Japanese put the official Sook Ching death count at 5,000, although the actual figure is believed to be much higher...Mr Goh, now 81, estimated that thousands were killed and buried at the Jalan Puay Poon site, which contained several mass graves.
“We didn’t dare touch it, so we quickly covered it,” Mr Goh said of his discovery. Eventually the bones were dug out, washed with water and disinfectant, then dried in the sun. Once ready, they were put in 1m-tall funeral jars.
Mr Goh would also go on to scour at least 10 other sites in places like Punggol, Bukit Timah and Choa Chu Kang. The exhumations lasted at least six years, producing 681 jars of bones that were filled to the brim....(RB-Many were also massacred on the beaches of Pulau Blakang Mati now Sentosa, East Coast, Punggol and Changi).
But the sheer size of the Jalan Puay Poon site meant the four-man squad was overwhelmed. Eventually, more than 50 people worked over a year to exhume the bones there....Workers toiled in the sweltering heat from 9am to 6pm, six days a week....The remains were transported by lorry to the Civilian War Memorial on Beach Road. Each truck could only carry 30 jars to avoid breaking them....
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/grave-bones-world-war-ii-victims-singapore-sook-ching-10089202
Thank you Aqil Haziq Mahmud for bringing these Killing Fields to light again.
Mr Goh, who was aged 25 at the time, had just uncovered a mass grave filled with piles of bones belonging to victims of the Second World War. This was near Jalan Puay Poon in Bedok, close to where Temasek Junior College now sits.
The victims were killed in Operation Sook Ching, a “purge” campaign targeted at the Chinese in Singapore. Those suspected of being anti-Japanese were hauled into lorries and executed at remote locations across the island. Jalan Puay Poon was one of the killing grounds.
According to a National Library Board resource, the Japanese put the official Sook Ching death count at 5,000, although the actual figure is believed to be much higher...Mr Goh, now 81, estimated that thousands were killed and buried at the Jalan Puay Poon site, which contained several mass graves.
“We didn’t dare touch it, so we quickly covered it,” Mr Goh said of his discovery. Eventually the bones were dug out, washed with water and disinfectant, then dried in the sun. Once ready, they were put in 1m-tall funeral jars.
Mr Goh would also go on to scour at least 10 other sites in places like Punggol, Bukit Timah and Choa Chu Kang. The exhumations lasted at least six years, producing 681 jars of bones that were filled to the brim....(RB-Many were also massacred on the beaches of Pulau Blakang Mati now Sentosa, East Coast, Punggol and Changi).
But the sheer size of the Jalan Puay Poon site meant the four-man squad was overwhelmed. Eventually, more than 50 people worked over a year to exhume the bones there....Workers toiled in the sweltering heat from 9am to 6pm, six days a week....The remains were transported by lorry to the Civilian War Memorial on Beach Road. Each truck could only carry 30 jars to avoid breaking them....
Mr Goh said 38 lorries would pull in at the
Jalan Puay Poon site. “At 9am they lined people up one by one and
started shooting,” he recalled. “The gunshots were never-ending.” This
would go on till the evening."
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/grave-bones-world-war-ii-victims-singapore-sook-ching-10089202
4/07/2018
Trade war offers great opportunities for Singapore
The trade war between China and the US offers great opportunities for Singapore despite doomsayers saying the contrary. When China cancels all its orders for soya beans and pork and other food stuff, and this could also apply to Boeing aircraft, the American producers and manufacturers would have their hands full of these products that their warehouses could not hold. What are they going to do with all the foodstuff and beans and aircraft? There will be over production, over capacity and over employment that would need to be shed.
Who has the money to buy these excess produce and aircraft? If Singapore is smart, ask for fire sale prices. Make sure they are dirt cheap. The Americans must sell, desperate to sell, and there would not be many buyers with the dole. It will be buyer’s market.
What would Singapore do with the purchases? For aircraft, there is SIA and its subsidiaries to pick them up. SIA then can cancel its orders for Boeings as well. With the fire sales, there is no need to go ahead with the orders at high prices. Sorry Trump, you slapped Singapore with Broadcom, now it is only fair that Singapore strikes back.
Singapore can also quietly negotiate with China, the original buyer of Boeings to offer them at greatly reduced prices and make a commision just by being the middleman. This can also apply to the soya beans, pork and whatever. The real end losers would be the American farmers and Boeings and other American producers. China could pick up the same stuff for a song with Singapore making the money and the Americans making the losses.
Singapore should quickly send a special team to the US to pick up these great bargains that come once in a life time. But don't tell Trump that Singapore is capitalising on the spoils of war. Tell Trump Singapore is there to help. Trade war is good for Singapore. Let them fight and Singapore can pick up the pieces.
What do you think? There are caveats of course. The relations between Singapore and the US and China must be really good, not fake good. And the price must be really dirt cheap for China to want to buy.
Now is saying that trade war is bad?
Who has the money to buy these excess produce and aircraft? If Singapore is smart, ask for fire sale prices. Make sure they are dirt cheap. The Americans must sell, desperate to sell, and there would not be many buyers with the dole. It will be buyer’s market.
What would Singapore do with the purchases? For aircraft, there is SIA and its subsidiaries to pick them up. SIA then can cancel its orders for Boeings as well. With the fire sales, there is no need to go ahead with the orders at high prices. Sorry Trump, you slapped Singapore with Broadcom, now it is only fair that Singapore strikes back.
Singapore can also quietly negotiate with China, the original buyer of Boeings to offer them at greatly reduced prices and make a commision just by being the middleman. This can also apply to the soya beans, pork and whatever. The real end losers would be the American farmers and Boeings and other American producers. China could pick up the same stuff for a song with Singapore making the money and the Americans making the losses.
Singapore should quickly send a special team to the US to pick up these great bargains that come once in a life time. But don't tell Trump that Singapore is capitalising on the spoils of war. Tell Trump Singapore is there to help. Trade war is good for Singapore. Let them fight and Singapore can pick up the pieces.
What do you think? There are caveats of course. The relations between Singapore and the US and China must be really good, not fake good. And the price must be really dirt cheap for China to want to buy.
Now is saying that trade war is bad?
4/06/2018
All the real news or all the fake news?
In the Select Committee on fake news, Janil Puthucheary quoted this, ‘a
survey published by REACH indicated 92% of Singaporeans want tougher
legislation against “fake news”, with a majority vouching for
perpetrators to be punished.'
This one I say is 100% real news. Why I say so? One, a minister would not lie or would not anyhow misquote. Two, Reach is an official govt platform, so would not lie. Three, the people responding to Reach are honest and sincere Singaporeans reflecting on the views of honest and sincere Singaporeans in the whole island.
If I were to conduct a similar survey among the MPs, all 89 of them, NCMP and NMP excluded, 83 would support more stringent laws and 6 would oppose. That would give a 93% supporting for more stringent laws.
If I were to conduct a survey among the SDP or WP followers or some other opposition party followers, I think I would get 100% against more stringent laws. This is also real news.
And hypothetically, if I were to walk into a kopitiam and ask the Ah Pek and Ah Ma political analysts to kee chiu, I think got chance 90% or more would be against more stringent laws because in the kopitiam they talked about anything. Stringent laws may tangkap them before they closed their mouths. But the result could vary depending on which constituency or GRC is the kopitiam in.
If I were to conduct a survey in mysingaporenews, I think at least 70% would vote against more stringent laws. There is one caveat, if Raymond did not bring in his whole gang of IBs to vote. If the latter happens, then the result could be 70% in favour of more stringent laws.
All the above surveys are real surveys, real news, not fake news. Everyone is telling the truth. Now, if one is to avail himself to all these surveys, what is the conclusion? You tell me lah? Who is right, who is telling the truth and who is spreading fake news? It is controversial lah. So what is real news and what is fake news? Depends on who you are and whether you are the law or you are an outlaw. Tiok boh?
This one I say is 100% real news. Why I say so? One, a minister would not lie or would not anyhow misquote. Two, Reach is an official govt platform, so would not lie. Three, the people responding to Reach are honest and sincere Singaporeans reflecting on the views of honest and sincere Singaporeans in the whole island.
If I were to conduct a similar survey among the MPs, all 89 of them, NCMP and NMP excluded, 83 would support more stringent laws and 6 would oppose. That would give a 93% supporting for more stringent laws.
If I were to conduct a survey among the SDP or WP followers or some other opposition party followers, I think I would get 100% against more stringent laws. This is also real news.
And hypothetically, if I were to walk into a kopitiam and ask the Ah Pek and Ah Ma political analysts to kee chiu, I think got chance 90% or more would be against more stringent laws because in the kopitiam they talked about anything. Stringent laws may tangkap them before they closed their mouths. But the result could vary depending on which constituency or GRC is the kopitiam in.
If I were to conduct a survey in mysingaporenews, I think at least 70% would vote against more stringent laws. There is one caveat, if Raymond did not bring in his whole gang of IBs to vote. If the latter happens, then the result could be 70% in favour of more stringent laws.
All the above surveys are real surveys, real news, not fake news. Everyone is telling the truth. Now, if one is to avail himself to all these surveys, what is the conclusion? You tell me lah? Who is right, who is telling the truth and who is spreading fake news? It is controversial lah. So what is real news and what is fake news? Depends on who you are and whether you are the law or you are an outlaw. Tiok boh?
4/05/2018
Part 5: Thucydides Trap vs Kindleberger Trap
Current Harvard
University Professor Joseph S. Nye Jr. who served as the Chairman of the
National Intelligence Council between 1993 to 1994 under the Clinton
Administration and subsequently as Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Affairs between 1994 to 1995, wrote in early Jan
2017 in an article in ProjectSydicate.org before the inauguration (20
Jan 2017) of current US President Donald Trump about what history has in
store for him ... The following are extracts from that article:
"As US President-elect Donald Trump prepares his administration’s policy toward China, he should be wary of two major traps that history has set for him. The “Thucydides Trap,” cited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, refers to the warning by the ancient Greek historian that cataclysmic war can erupt if an established power (like the United States) becomes too fearful of a rising power (like China). But Trump also has to worry about the “Kindleberger Trap”: a China that seems too weak rather than too strong.
Charles Kindleberger, an intellectual architect of the Marshall Plan who later taught at MIT, argued that the disastrous decade of the 1930s was caused when the US replaced Britain as the largest global power but failed to take on Britain’s role in providing global public goods. The result was the collapse of the global system into depression, genocide, and world war. Today, as China’s power grows, will it help provide global public goods?
In domestic politics, governments produce public goods such as policing or a clean environment, from which all citizens can benefit and none are excluded. At the global level, public goods – such as a stable climate, financial stability, or freedom of the seas – are provided by coalitions led by the largest powers."
As many foreign ministers and public servants working in foreign affairs would be aware, the current international political system of nation states has existed since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Another renowned Harvard University political scientist at the John F Kennedy School of Government Professor Graham T. Allison Jr. observed in his 2017 book "Destined for War: Can the Americans and China avoid Thucydides Trap?" that since the late 15th century, there were about 16 historical case studies of Thucydides' Trap out of which 75% of them (12 cases) ended up in wars and the remaining 25% (4 cases) avoidance of wars.
In 2015 when China President Xi JinPing met the then US President Barack Obama, President Xi noted in his speech: "The US and China need to work together to avoid Thucydides Trap - destructive tensions between an emerging power and established powers: should major countries time and again make the mistakes of strategic miscalculation, they might create such traps for themselves."
On that, former US President Barack Obama said: "I don't agree with the interpretation of Thucydides Trap that an established power must have conflict with an emerging power. Major powers like China and the US must prevent conflicts as much as possible. I believe the two countries are capable of managing the disagreement."
Alas, when current US President Donald Trump was elected, the first "act" he did was to "shred" the TPP agreement "into pieces" ...
Could US President Donald Trump still have gone ahead with his recent trade walls he erected against several countries' imports ranging from solar panels, refrigerators, steel, aluminium etc if he did not oppose TPP at the outset?
Post by Concerns of a Heartland Sinkie
"As US President-elect Donald Trump prepares his administration’s policy toward China, he should be wary of two major traps that history has set for him. The “Thucydides Trap,” cited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, refers to the warning by the ancient Greek historian that cataclysmic war can erupt if an established power (like the United States) becomes too fearful of a rising power (like China). But Trump also has to worry about the “Kindleberger Trap”: a China that seems too weak rather than too strong.
Charles Kindleberger, an intellectual architect of the Marshall Plan who later taught at MIT, argued that the disastrous decade of the 1930s was caused when the US replaced Britain as the largest global power but failed to take on Britain’s role in providing global public goods. The result was the collapse of the global system into depression, genocide, and world war. Today, as China’s power grows, will it help provide global public goods?
In domestic politics, governments produce public goods such as policing or a clean environment, from which all citizens can benefit and none are excluded. At the global level, public goods – such as a stable climate, financial stability, or freedom of the seas – are provided by coalitions led by the largest powers."
As many foreign ministers and public servants working in foreign affairs would be aware, the current international political system of nation states has existed since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Another renowned Harvard University political scientist at the John F Kennedy School of Government Professor Graham T. Allison Jr. observed in his 2017 book "Destined for War: Can the Americans and China avoid Thucydides Trap?" that since the late 15th century, there were about 16 historical case studies of Thucydides' Trap out of which 75% of them (12 cases) ended up in wars and the remaining 25% (4 cases) avoidance of wars.
In 2015 when China President Xi JinPing met the then US President Barack Obama, President Xi noted in his speech: "The US and China need to work together to avoid Thucydides Trap - destructive tensions between an emerging power and established powers: should major countries time and again make the mistakes of strategic miscalculation, they might create such traps for themselves."
On that, former US President Barack Obama said: "I don't agree with the interpretation of Thucydides Trap that an established power must have conflict with an emerging power. Major powers like China and the US must prevent conflicts as much as possible. I believe the two countries are capable of managing the disagreement."
Alas, when current US President Donald Trump was elected, the first "act" he did was to "shred" the TPP agreement "into pieces" ...
Could US President Donald Trump still have gone ahead with his recent trade walls he erected against several countries' imports ranging from solar panels, refrigerators, steel, aluminium etc if he did not oppose TPP at the outset?
Post by Concerns of a Heartland Sinkie
The Americans lost another war
After Vietnam, the Americans are facing another major defeat in the
battle field in Syria. The monster they created in ISIS to destabilize
Syria and to remove Assad has been defeated. No longer are these rebels
shouting long live the Caliphate. No more new fighters joining their
ranks as their dream of a victorious Caliphate has turned to smokes. The
invincible ISIS is as good as dead and gone with the few remnants being
flushed out of Douma and Ghoutta, thanks to their conspirators, the
Americans, working out a deal to let them depart for the little safe
enclave in Idlib. Idlib would be the last stand before Assad and the
Russians wipe them out for good. But it would be a tough fight against
the objections of the Americans, their creator, and the western powers.
The evil Americans would do anything possible, under whatever guises, to
keep the amber of the dying ISIS burning, to live to terrorrise another
day.
Thanks to Putin, the Russians put up a strong stand to support Assad at all cost and this has proven to be the decisive factor that saved Assad from being lynched by the Americans and join Saddam and Gaddafi in nether world.
Trump did not start this and is happy to call it a day and has announced the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. This would leave Assad and the Russians to clean out all remaining rebels in Syria and bring peace back to this unfortunate country.
Russia should not stop at Syria and should continue the offensive to bring about peace in Iraq the same way as in Syria. The American henchmen, the ISIS, are still alive in Iraq and need an all out assault to free Iraq from their clutches and the trouble maker American forces. The Middle East states must save themselves from this perpetual war created by the Americans to make them poor and hapless, to destroy their land and economies and to cripple the Arabs from ever being normal nations and people living in peace. Getting rid of the evil Americans is the only way to bring peace to the Middle East.
Russia is now the key, the white knight, to save the Arabs from killing themselves under a constant state of siege and warfare. Only then can they rebuild their countries and their lives and their people living a normal life like the peaceful nations around the world. If they are going to enjoy peace, they must seek the help of the Russians to free them from this American evil trap of perpetual warfare in their homeland. The Syrians have done it, so can the other Arab states. The Middle East must not be forever the land of instability and warfare under the dictate of the evil American Empire.
The evil Americans may have been defeated again. But war is in their DNA. They have conceded that they could not win a military war against a people that did not want to be ruled by them. So they have started another war on another front, a trade war with China and the rest of the world.
Now which idiot is still saying that the Americans are peaceful people?
Thanks to Putin, the Russians put up a strong stand to support Assad at all cost and this has proven to be the decisive factor that saved Assad from being lynched by the Americans and join Saddam and Gaddafi in nether world.
Trump did not start this and is happy to call it a day and has announced the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. This would leave Assad and the Russians to clean out all remaining rebels in Syria and bring peace back to this unfortunate country.
Russia should not stop at Syria and should continue the offensive to bring about peace in Iraq the same way as in Syria. The American henchmen, the ISIS, are still alive in Iraq and need an all out assault to free Iraq from their clutches and the trouble maker American forces. The Middle East states must save themselves from this perpetual war created by the Americans to make them poor and hapless, to destroy their land and economies and to cripple the Arabs from ever being normal nations and people living in peace. Getting rid of the evil Americans is the only way to bring peace to the Middle East.
Russia is now the key, the white knight, to save the Arabs from killing themselves under a constant state of siege and warfare. Only then can they rebuild their countries and their lives and their people living a normal life like the peaceful nations around the world. If they are going to enjoy peace, they must seek the help of the Russians to free them from this American evil trap of perpetual warfare in their homeland. The Syrians have done it, so can the other Arab states. The Middle East must not be forever the land of instability and warfare under the dictate of the evil American Empire.
The evil Americans may have been defeated again. But war is in their DNA. They have conceded that they could not win a military war against a people that did not want to be ruled by them. So they have started another war on another front, a trade war with China and the rest of the world.
Now which idiot is still saying that the Americans are peaceful people?
4/04/2018
Post by Concerns of a Heartland Sinkie - Part 4
As mentioned in late 2016 in MSN and (mentioned) again in early 2017, a head and shoulder trend was formed in terms of the tide of globalisation and at least a 70% chance of an unmistakable trend reversal?
1) 911 marked the "left shoulder"?
2) The 2008 GFC the "head"?
3) And Jun 2016 Brexit & Nov 2016 "Brexit+++" marked the right "shoulder"?
The current wave of globalisation that took off massively in the 1970s could be in reverse gear?
However, way back in late 2014 and again in 2015, the warning sirens of possible de-globalisation was sounded (in MSN) but noboLEE paid any heed (to it)?
As mentioned previously (& repeatedly) in 2014 to 2017 (in MSN), the last cycle of internationalisation (aka globalisation) was in even higher gear than the current but the trade wars that started in the 1890s culminated 2 decades later in the WW1 that saw Pax Britannica ceding its preeminent world policeman role and the global hegemon title was left unfilled ......, can any reader recall? (Pls KEE CHIU ...)
Subsequently, the then world order collapsed in a power vacuum and an anarchic world order ensued.
During those inter-war years (1919-1938), the global economy went into a tailspin, wall street collapsed in 1929 and precipitated the first ever global Great Depression?
The late Professor Charles Kindleberger, in his 1973 book "The World in Depression: 1929-1939", expounded his world famous theory of HST (Hegemonic Stability Theory).
The late Professor passed away in 2003 (at the ripe old age of 92) after the 2nd Gulf War broke out.
The fast recovery of Western Europe was to a large extent due to the late Professor spearheading the then Marshall Plan in the post-war reconstruction.
Many policies that the late Professor advocated that are key determinants of a stable world order are now been "thrown into the incinerator" ...?
The immutable MSN wiseman lao hero wrote in his post dated 4/03/2018: "Hundred Flowers Movement Revisited 百花运动" under the final two short but thundering concluding paragraphs:
Quote
"People who did not know history or learn from the mistakes in history would be condemned to make the same mistakes and bury themselves only to verify that history would repeat itself with their folly.
Thank you very much for a precious but painful lesson in history."
Unquote
Given China's latest retaliatory counter protectionist measures announced this afternoon, a full blown trade blows between the world's 2 top most preeminent economic powers and giants seems unavoidable UNLESS the perpetrator who started this potential full scale trade war back down ...?
In 1985, Sg's founding PM went to Capitol Hill, Washington and spoke in the joint US Congress session [see Youtube video: https://youtu.be/X6CZ3C0niPg], arguing against an oncoming trade war then between the Americans and the Japanese which culminated in the 1987 Plaza Accord and an immediate 30% revaluation of the Yen vis-a-vis the major world currencies in particular the USD but which also subsequently led to the "destruction" of the then world #2 economic powerhouse and the subsequent Japanese economic malaise since 1990 ...?
This time unlikely there will be another iconic world leading figure to thwart the US of firing the 1st trade cannon (which already happened) and more importantly there will not be a repeat of the 1987 "Plaza Accord"?
What next?
Kim Jong Un, the statesman extraordinaire
Praises and accolades are pouring in to acknowledge the achievements and
abilities of Kim Jong Un as a maverick statesman to bring North Korea
to where it is today. Under his able leadership, North Korea has stood
up to all the American aggression and traps to bring the country to its
knees. Not only has Kim Jong Un survived the daily military threats of
war, the economic sanctions and the threats of a preemptive strike and
regime change, he has singlehandedly turned North Korea into a nuclear
power, a status that made the Americans hapless and no longer able to
threaten him with war with impunity. The possession of nuclear weapons
that could reach the USA is the sole factor that now offered Kim Jong Un
and his North Korea peace of mind.
With his new stature confirmed, Kim is now on a charm offensive, visiting China and agreeing to meet up with the presidents of South Korea and the USA. Kim has out manoeuvred and out foxed the Americans and gained great respect from leaders around the world. This young man is no easy push around, not even by the mightiest evil Empire. Trump would have to meet him and negotiate with him, no more, no less, on equal terms, on Kim’s terms.
The rise of Kim Jong Un must have taken a hit on the silly unthinking critics that gobbled up all the nonsense and negative remarks fabricated by the Americans to discredit Kim. No longer is anyone going to talk about the rocket man or using other derogatory labels against Kim. The Americans would have to treat him just like another leader of a nation, with respect. Yes, Kim knew how to talk tough with the Americans, not by words, but by the language that the Americans understood, by possessing nuclear weapons, to be able to hit back.
Kim did not get this respect the easy way. Many leaders would have buckled under the daily attacks by the Americans. Saddam and Gaddafi were good examples of leaders that could not stand the pressure of the Americans and could not live to see another day. They were murdered by the Americans. Kim would be around for a long time. Trump and his hawks would quietly be saying to themselves that Kim is a worthy opponent in his own right. Making silly remarks about Kim is not going to be useful anymore.
Kim has gained great stature as a national leader that stood up to the Americans and survived and be respected by the Americans and the world.
With his new stature confirmed, Kim is now on a charm offensive, visiting China and agreeing to meet up with the presidents of South Korea and the USA. Kim has out manoeuvred and out foxed the Americans and gained great respect from leaders around the world. This young man is no easy push around, not even by the mightiest evil Empire. Trump would have to meet him and negotiate with him, no more, no less, on equal terms, on Kim’s terms.
The rise of Kim Jong Un must have taken a hit on the silly unthinking critics that gobbled up all the nonsense and negative remarks fabricated by the Americans to discredit Kim. No longer is anyone going to talk about the rocket man or using other derogatory labels against Kim. The Americans would have to treat him just like another leader of a nation, with respect. Yes, Kim knew how to talk tough with the Americans, not by words, but by the language that the Americans understood, by possessing nuclear weapons, to be able to hit back.
Kim did not get this respect the easy way. Many leaders would have buckled under the daily attacks by the Americans. Saddam and Gaddafi were good examples of leaders that could not stand the pressure of the Americans and could not live to see another day. They were murdered by the Americans. Kim would be around for a long time. Trump and his hawks would quietly be saying to themselves that Kim is a worthy opponent in his own right. Making silly remarks about Kim is not going to be useful anymore.
Kim has gained great stature as a national leader that stood up to the Americans and survived and be respected by the Americans and the world.
4/03/2018
Back to the past
The official launch of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) last Saturday (31 March 2018) at the National Stadium promised to be a new dawn for Singapore football. This was supposed to mark a resurrection from the embers of the failed S-League but alas there were echos of the past even at this embryonic stage of its young life. And I am not even talking about the football. I am merely talking about the administration that goes into a simple match.
On that supposedly auspicious day, as I rushed off bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to attend the season-opening Community Shield match between Albirex Nigata and Tampines Rovers, I decided to “tapow” my dinner with a view to eating it inside the stadium. Bad mistake. At the entrance, I was told that food cannot be brought into the stadium. “No problem”, I said, “I’ll just leave it outside and eat it at half-time”. “No way”, said the authorities, “You cannot leave the stadium at half-time. If you leave, you’ll have to buy another ticket to re-enter. You either eat it now or you eat it after the match”. That really put me in a fix as it was 2 minutes to the game and I had no wish to choke on my food just to make the kick-off. On the other hand, stuffing down cold food wasn’t exactly an appetizing way of crowning a night-out. At this point, a gentleman who had overheard the conversation kindly offered me a complimentary ticket to re-enter the stadium after my meal. Thank god there are still sensible souls around!
Later I learned why food could not be brought into the stadium. There were eateries - no doubt paying ceiling-high rentals - inside the stadium and these obviously needed “help” to ensure a captive clientele. I have no issue with this. But why make it difficult for people to leave the stadium during the half-time break? Surely, 15 minutes is too short to queue, buy and consume outside food all at one go? I came to support Singapore football but left with a sour taste in my mouth. At a time when Singapore football is in dire need of customers, this was a bad piece of public relations. And as I said earlier, I am not even talking about the football.
Hundred Flowers Movement Revisited 百花运动
In 1957, Mao Zedong was so confident in the correctness of his socialist ways encouraged the people to speak out, to criticise the govt, believing that the criticism would lead to more progress and a better govt. Thus the Hundred Flowers Movement was launched with the full backing of Mao himself. Let a hundred flowers bloom. In his own words, Mao said, "Our
society cannot back down, it could only progress... criticism of the
bureaucracy is pushing the government towards the better." The speech indeed was to encourage the people to speak out, vent their
criticisms and frustration as long as they were constructive and not hateful and destructive.
The silent intellectuals, the frustrated intellectuals, and those that opposed the way communism was introduced to run the China honestly believed that Mao was sincere and wanted to hear them, wanted their honest opinions on how best to run a country. They fired away in all honesty and sincerity. Never did they think that the movement was a red herring, a test balloon. The intelligentsia got carried away and the criticisms of the govt went too far and became unbearable.
Mao ordered a crackdown that ran for several years and all those that spoke out were arrested and sent to labour camps to reflect and to correct their errorneous thoughts. Many died in the process. Many were condemned for life.
In all honesty, Mao was sincere when he launched the Movement, confident that he was right and the criticisms would lead to more progress and a better govt. He did not set a trap from the start to lure the innocent intelligentsia to speak out and exposed themselves to be arrested. He did so only when the attack became too damaging to his govt and his authority to rule.
The moral of the story is that when a dictator encouraged the masses to speak out, the masses must speak out but must also know what to speak out and what not to speak out. Say what the dictator wants to hear, not what they want the dictator to hear. They must also know the difference between an honest campaign inviting suggestions and a test balloon to trick them stand up and give themselves away for prosecution and arrest and hard labour. The intelligentsia then were just too naive and were taken in.
People who did not know history or learn from the mistakes in history would be condemned to make the same mistakes and bury themselves only to verify that history would repeat itself with their folly.
Thank you very much for a precious but painful lesson in history.
The silent intellectuals, the frustrated intellectuals, and those that opposed the way communism was introduced to run the China honestly believed that Mao was sincere and wanted to hear them, wanted their honest opinions on how best to run a country. They fired away in all honesty and sincerity. Never did they think that the movement was a red herring, a test balloon. The intelligentsia got carried away and the criticisms of the govt went too far and became unbearable.
Mao ordered a crackdown that ran for several years and all those that spoke out were arrested and sent to labour camps to reflect and to correct their errorneous thoughts. Many died in the process. Many were condemned for life.
In all honesty, Mao was sincere when he launched the Movement, confident that he was right and the criticisms would lead to more progress and a better govt. He did not set a trap from the start to lure the innocent intelligentsia to speak out and exposed themselves to be arrested. He did so only when the attack became too damaging to his govt and his authority to rule.
The moral of the story is that when a dictator encouraged the masses to speak out, the masses must speak out but must also know what to speak out and what not to speak out. Say what the dictator wants to hear, not what they want the dictator to hear. They must also know the difference between an honest campaign inviting suggestions and a test balloon to trick them stand up and give themselves away for prosecution and arrest and hard labour. The intelligentsia then were just too naive and were taken in.
People who did not know history or learn from the mistakes in history would be condemned to make the same mistakes and bury themselves only to verify that history would repeat itself with their folly.
Thank you very much for a precious but painful lesson in history.
4/02/2018
The Singapore Syndrome - The ironies of history a consequence of human stupidity
I happened to flip the switch and watch a forum titled 'Japan and Asean Relations' in Channel News Asia with four speakers, two Japanese and two bananas. The Japanese were not hiding anything. Their main agenda were to discredit China, sowed doubts and disinformation about the BRI and the AIIB and to tell Asean countries to militarise and to support Japan's militarisation to be the leader of Asean to confront China. The two bananas wholeheartedly agreed with the Japanese proposition and praised Japan as the most peaceful and trusted nation by the stupid Asean leaders. I make a distinction between leaders, people and bananas.
Japan is the most trusted country according to a survey conducted by one of the bananas among his peers. I must agree with him as the survey would be just another echoing chamber of like minded bananas. But it is not as simple as that. I thought about it and found a common thread among the South East Asian countries that believed in Japan as the most trusted country. All these countries were invaded, plundered and conquered by Japan during the invasion of Asia and SE Asia by the Japanese Imperial Armies. All were part of the Japanese Empire, their treasuries raided, countries looted, their people massacred, women raped, children bayoneted.
This link to love your conquerors is not unique just to Japan or to SE Asia. The Taiwanese also loved the Japanese after being conquered and ruled for more than 50 years, much longer than all the SE Asian countries but did not suffered as much as the SE Asian countries. The point is this, the more vicious and ruthless the invaders, the more loved and trusted they would be by the conquered leaders of the SE Asian countries. The people would be different as they were the ones that bore the brunt of the cruelties and atrocities of the Japanese/invaders, not the elite or leaders.
Take the same line of thinking to Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan. They were victims of the worst destructive forces of the American military might. The Philippines were conquered and ruled by the Americans for several decades, with many massacres. The Vietnamese almost went that way, suffered the most devastating bombings in human history, second to the atomic bombs in Japan. The fact is that they all loved their conquerors/invaders, the Americans. The Indonesians are also very fond of the Dutch, their colonial masters. No need to say more about the Malaysians and Singaporeans. they often reminisced about the good times under their colonial masters.
There is another common thread here. Besides being loved and trusted by the victims of invasion, the opposite is that countries that did not invade, plunder, loot, rape or massacre people of other countries would be distrusted and even hated by the countries they did not invade or conquer. China is a perfect example of this love hate relationship. China did not invade or conquer any of the SE Asian countries but is hated and distrusted by them.
My conclusion, China would have been loved and trusted by the SE Asian countries if it had invaded them, conquered and ruled them, conducted atrocities against these little weak countries. Maybe China should learn from the Americans and the European powers, and Japan, invade and conquer all these silly countries if it wants to be loved and trusted by them, like Japan and the USA. This is the failure of China for not harbouring the thought of colonising these countries.
This theory is quite similar to the Stockholm Syndrome where the victims fell in love with their captors that held them hostage. Maybe I shall called this the Singapore Syndrome or SE Asia Syndrome. I thought about calling it the Asean Syndrome or the Banana Syndrome. After thinking it over, the Singapore Syndrome is most appropriate as the greatest admirers of Japan, the brutal invaders, are from Singapore.
Come to think of it, the choice of Syonan as the name to remember fondly of the Japanese Invasion was not surprising. If that idea was not stopped, the next thing would be the demolishing of the War Memorial to remember the hundreds of thousands massacred by the Japanese during the Occupation, and probably another shrine to be built in its place to remember the heroic Japanese Imperial Army and the Kempeitai. They loved them and trusted them dearly. You have the most pristine display of the Singapore Syndrome here in this island.
Japan is the most trusted country according to a survey conducted by one of the bananas among his peers. I must agree with him as the survey would be just another echoing chamber of like minded bananas. But it is not as simple as that. I thought about it and found a common thread among the South East Asian countries that believed in Japan as the most trusted country. All these countries were invaded, plundered and conquered by Japan during the invasion of Asia and SE Asia by the Japanese Imperial Armies. All were part of the Japanese Empire, their treasuries raided, countries looted, their people massacred, women raped, children bayoneted.
This link to love your conquerors is not unique just to Japan or to SE Asia. The Taiwanese also loved the Japanese after being conquered and ruled for more than 50 years, much longer than all the SE Asian countries but did not suffered as much as the SE Asian countries. The point is this, the more vicious and ruthless the invaders, the more loved and trusted they would be by the conquered leaders of the SE Asian countries. The people would be different as they were the ones that bore the brunt of the cruelties and atrocities of the Japanese/invaders, not the elite or leaders.
Take the same line of thinking to Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan. They were victims of the worst destructive forces of the American military might. The Philippines were conquered and ruled by the Americans for several decades, with many massacres. The Vietnamese almost went that way, suffered the most devastating bombings in human history, second to the atomic bombs in Japan. The fact is that they all loved their conquerors/invaders, the Americans. The Indonesians are also very fond of the Dutch, their colonial masters. No need to say more about the Malaysians and Singaporeans. they often reminisced about the good times under their colonial masters.
There is another common thread here. Besides being loved and trusted by the victims of invasion, the opposite is that countries that did not invade, plunder, loot, rape or massacre people of other countries would be distrusted and even hated by the countries they did not invade or conquer. China is a perfect example of this love hate relationship. China did not invade or conquer any of the SE Asian countries but is hated and distrusted by them.
My conclusion, China would have been loved and trusted by the SE Asian countries if it had invaded them, conquered and ruled them, conducted atrocities against these little weak countries. Maybe China should learn from the Americans and the European powers, and Japan, invade and conquer all these silly countries if it wants to be loved and trusted by them, like Japan and the USA. This is the failure of China for not harbouring the thought of colonising these countries.
This theory is quite similar to the Stockholm Syndrome where the victims fell in love with their captors that held them hostage. Maybe I shall called this the Singapore Syndrome or SE Asia Syndrome. I thought about calling it the Asean Syndrome or the Banana Syndrome. After thinking it over, the Singapore Syndrome is most appropriate as the greatest admirers of Japan, the brutal invaders, are from Singapore.
Come to think of it, the choice of Syonan as the name to remember fondly of the Japanese Invasion was not surprising. If that idea was not stopped, the next thing would be the demolishing of the War Memorial to remember the hundreds of thousands massacred by the Japanese during the Occupation, and probably another shrine to be built in its place to remember the heroic Japanese Imperial Army and the Kempeitai. They loved them and trusted them dearly. You have the most pristine display of the Singapore Syndrome here in this island.
4/01/2018
Singaporeans need the protection of stringent laws against fake news
Yes, you read me correctly, Singapore must pass more stringent and even
draconian laws to protect the daft and hapless Singaporeans from fake
news. Fake news is not only dangerous but becomes much more dangerous in
the Singapore context because daft Singaporeans cannot tell the
difference between fake news and real news.
How could that be? Didn’t Singapore have the best education system and with some of the top universities in the world taught by the best ang mohs and third world best professors? Didn’t this world best education system and the world best professors that money could buy teach the Singaporeans to think, to be discerning, to know simple things like fakes and truths? The education system in Singapore is so expensive not for no reasons. It is quality education measured by how much is being paid to get educated in this world best education system. How could it produce duds? Is there a contradiction?
Can anyone see the contradiction or something wrong with this world best education system that produced daft and unthinking Singaporeans that need to be protected from fake news? I see no difference because Singaporeans are by nature daft and no amount of good and expensive education can help them to be just a bit smarter to protect themselves from fake news. Papa is right and doing the right thing.
Didn’t they build a first world city from the third world? Yah hor, how could that happened to a daft people? How could they build a world class city if they are or were daft? The only reason I can think of is that Singaporeans were not daft then but the new Singaporeans are. How come?
The proof is everywhere. There are more than 2m foreigners here, many from the third world with fake or funny degrees that are employed to replace them. If this is not enough proof that they are daft, I can go on. Singapore is a banking and financial centre but got no banking and financial talents. The top bankers are almost entirely recruited from the third world where they got backward financial and banking industry. Funny isn’t it? Let me make it funnier. Singapore is supposed to be a modern cosmopolitan city, a smart city, but got no IT talent. Almost all its IT talents came from the third world countries, and more are being recruited, more are coming by the plane loads. You know why? Exactly, to replace the daft and no talent Singaporeans of course. Want me to go on?
Singapore is a tropical country, but all the talents managing the tropical gardens in Singapore are foreigners from temperate land. This has been happening since the independence of Singapore. They could not find a Singaporean with enough local and tropical knowledge to run these gardens. How come locals, oops, I should not use this bastard word, how come Singaporeans brought up in a tropical island cannot manage tropical gardens but foreigners that never lived in the tropical region know better? Daft question.
We don’t even have talents to study and implement solar energy system here despite being under the sun all year round but need foreigners from cold temperate countries to teach us how to do it.
OK, ok, let me not go too far to say we have no talent. We have talents doing research about the Artic and Antarctic regions. For what I don’t know. We are no good and know nothing about our tropical region but got experts studying about the cold north and south poles. See, we got talents.
Oops, I digress from the fake news and stringent laws to protect daft and unthinking Singaporeans. How many of you would now agree with me that daft Singaporeans need more stringent and draconian laws to protect them?
My reasoning very cheem and very correct right? To introduce such draconian and stringent laws is an acknowledgement that our education system, the schools, polytechnics, the universities, have failed to educate the people to think. If they have done their job to educate the daft, then there will be no need to protect them from simple things like knowing what is true or fake news. I rest my case.
How could that be? Didn’t Singapore have the best education system and with some of the top universities in the world taught by the best ang mohs and third world best professors? Didn’t this world best education system and the world best professors that money could buy teach the Singaporeans to think, to be discerning, to know simple things like fakes and truths? The education system in Singapore is so expensive not for no reasons. It is quality education measured by how much is being paid to get educated in this world best education system. How could it produce duds? Is there a contradiction?
Can anyone see the contradiction or something wrong with this world best education system that produced daft and unthinking Singaporeans that need to be protected from fake news? I see no difference because Singaporeans are by nature daft and no amount of good and expensive education can help them to be just a bit smarter to protect themselves from fake news. Papa is right and doing the right thing.
Didn’t they build a first world city from the third world? Yah hor, how could that happened to a daft people? How could they build a world class city if they are or were daft? The only reason I can think of is that Singaporeans were not daft then but the new Singaporeans are. How come?
The proof is everywhere. There are more than 2m foreigners here, many from the third world with fake or funny degrees that are employed to replace them. If this is not enough proof that they are daft, I can go on. Singapore is a banking and financial centre but got no banking and financial talents. The top bankers are almost entirely recruited from the third world where they got backward financial and banking industry. Funny isn’t it? Let me make it funnier. Singapore is supposed to be a modern cosmopolitan city, a smart city, but got no IT talent. Almost all its IT talents came from the third world countries, and more are being recruited, more are coming by the plane loads. You know why? Exactly, to replace the daft and no talent Singaporeans of course. Want me to go on?
Singapore is a tropical country, but all the talents managing the tropical gardens in Singapore are foreigners from temperate land. This has been happening since the independence of Singapore. They could not find a Singaporean with enough local and tropical knowledge to run these gardens. How come locals, oops, I should not use this bastard word, how come Singaporeans brought up in a tropical island cannot manage tropical gardens but foreigners that never lived in the tropical region know better? Daft question.
We don’t even have talents to study and implement solar energy system here despite being under the sun all year round but need foreigners from cold temperate countries to teach us how to do it.
OK, ok, let me not go too far to say we have no talent. We have talents doing research about the Artic and Antarctic regions. For what I don’t know. We are no good and know nothing about our tropical region but got experts studying about the cold north and south poles. See, we got talents.
Oops, I digress from the fake news and stringent laws to protect daft and unthinking Singaporeans. How many of you would now agree with me that daft Singaporeans need more stringent and draconian laws to protect them?
My reasoning very cheem and very correct right? To introduce such draconian and stringent laws is an acknowledgement that our education system, the schools, polytechnics, the universities, have failed to educate the people to think. If they have done their job to educate the daft, then there will be no need to protect them from simple things like knowing what is true or fake news. I rest my case.
3/31/2018
How the white Americans cheat the world to get rich
They were enterprising, yes, but they would not have been that enterprising without cheating the rest of the world to get a jump start to wealth and glory. The wealth of the white Americans are built on cheats and deceits, on plunders, violations of human rights and laws, and wars. Let me put it in very plain terms for all to understand.
First they came and conquered, killing the native Americans and stole all their land, for free and termination of a civilization of people. They got free land from the native Americans, a whole continent of it. That is why they called America the Land of the Free!
Next, they built their farms and agriculture on free labour. Yes, they had free labour from the African continents. They treated the Africans as beasts of burden, as slaves, to work for free for the white farmers. Now you know why America is called the land of the free, free labour, pleasures from the African womenfolks included.
This is not enough, they got free labour from the Chinamen to build railroads. The Chinamen were treated not much different from the slaves from Africa. See, everything is free in the Land of the Free, to the white men.
After stealing land and exploiting free labour, another remembers anything about human rights, they got free money from the rest of the world. How did they do it?
It’s elementary Watson! The rest of the world have to give free money to the Americans to spend lavishly on themselves. Still dunno how they did it? Petrol dollar! Let me give you a simple analogy. If India or Indonesia or Japan needs to buy petrol, they must buy US dollars first. They need to go to an American bank and exchange their rupees, rupiahs and yen for American dollars to buy oil from the Arabs. The Arabs gave away their oil, lost their oil to get American dollars. The Indians, Indonesians, Japanese, the rest of their world, lost their currencies to get the oil. The Americans did nothing but collected all the monies from the rest of the world. All they did was to print American dollars without a sweat for the billions, trillions, quadrillions, the rest of the world voluntarily gave to them in exchange for the papers they printed.
Now you understand how the Americans got so rich without having to work? Now you understand why petrol dollar is so important to the Americans, to make them so rich without having to work a day? In the Land of the Free, they get free money from the rest of the world to spend. The biggest and most lucrative product of the USA is the American dollar.
With all the wealth they accumulated from free land, free labour and free money, they could invest in R and D, in education, in the finer things in life. But they did more. They continue to exploit the rest of the world by starting wars, starting fires every where. Then they sell them weapons to fight more wars. And as the rest of the world are madly engaging in wars, they forget that they have to build their countries, develop their countries and build a better life for their people.
The rest of the world are so lost in fighting wars, preparing for wars, engaged in arm race, to buy more weapons for wars. And the American military war complex keeps producing more weapons for the rest of the world to indulge in wars while the Americans continue to live in peace in homeland America, Land of the Free.
The Americans don’t just export weapons, they export wars. This is how the Americans destabilised countries, kept them busy fighting and buying weapons and forgot about developing their countries and economies.
Thank you very much.
3/30/2018
59 interviewees attended the Select Committee on fake news
Out of 59 people interviewed by this Committee, only 4 objected to more stringent laws to curb fake news. Oops, I forgot to add the Facebook rep and the objections from Google and Twitters. So, with so many people in favour of stringent laws, not sure about the 3.5 million Singaporeans, the majority win. So the people favour more stringent laws to protect them from fake news. Anyone out there saying No? I can’t hear you, or you are not counted, irrelevant. The gods said so and have decided.
From the reports in the media, the impression I got from the questions posed by the committee members, it seems that they are all for more stringent laws and they were there to convince everyone interviewed why more stringent laws are needed. At least that is what I perceived. My question, is the job of this Select Committee to gather feedback, a consultation platform, or is its job to tell everyone interviewed to comply, that more stringent laws on fake news are good?
Oh, Edwin Tong said the existing laws not enough and many things related to fake news cannot be charged in court. Please, can I have some examples of what are not covered by the existing laws and fake news writers can write them and get a way from being charged in courts? Surely there must be real examples right? It cannot be red herrings right, or test balloons? Oops, cannot say test balloons, afterwards got to apologise.
I think everyone would like Edwin Tong or whoever who said that there are things that are not covered by existing laws to give specific examples and not just say things but cannot give examples right? Please do not use the Cambridge Analytica case as this is cyber espionage or cyber warfare. This is more than just fake news, it is conspiracy.
It cannot be like got people go to Batam and spent all their CPF savings to live like emperors for a few days so everyone’s CPF savings kena locked up. Can give examples or not? Or if only a handful, why everyone is punished? Why waste so much of the time of super talents and demi gods to talk about something that only a handful of people would violate and better still, not covered by our existing laws? How much money and precious time were wasted on this thing called fake news? Come to think about it everything one does not agree can be fake news.
What do you think?
_________________
3/29/2018
Don’t fake the news
Ever since Donald Trump became US president, it’s been my habit to do constant Google checks for any wayward sparks the gentleman may care to generate in the waking hours of his day. And he has been most obliging. Just hours ago, The Guardian online reported that Trump had tweeted “misleading photos” to suggest that his proposed 2,000-mile “wall” with Mexico was underway. How? Well, the guy simply tweeted images of work being done on a 2-mile stretch of barrier last month BEFORE Congress refused to fully fund the wall’s construction. In fact, Congress had since agreed to allot only US$1.6 billion for a project estimated to cost over $20 billion. In short, Trump was using images of work done on a 2-mile stretch to create the illusion of work done on a 2,000-mile stretch. (“Great briefing this afternoon on the start of our Southern Border WALL!” gushed the man)
In a week where fake news was very much in the news, Trump’s action showed that it is not just the media or ordinary netizens who are capable of faking the news. If it suits their purpose, governments and leaders are equally adept at online fabrications. Academic Dr Norman Vasu said at the public hearings of the Select Committee on deliberate online falsehoods that there are six categories of online falsehoods based on the degree of threat they pose, with disinformation aimed at undermining society topping the list. Under this categorisation, Trump’s misleading photos on the Great Wall of Mexico would probably rank somewhere near the bottom. But a fake is a fake, so shouldn’t Americans ask the president to take down the phony photos? Or must it really be sufficiently serious? If so, who decides how serious? If it’s the government, then who will order a take-down if the government is behind the fake news (as in Trump’s case)?
Fake news is a by-product of Internet technology. In the pre-Internet age, we only have to contend with rumours, spread by word of mouth, not click of mouse. Hence the attendant issues we now face have no precedent or proven solutions. But one thing remains the same. As in the past, the role of the government is a bone of contention. Activists claim we don’t need new laws as there are enough existing ones to deal with online falsehoods. What is needed is greater public access to information and improved media literacy. Not so, says the government as it pointed to a poll last year indicating that over 90% of Singaporeans supported stronger laws to remove or correct fake news. Whatever it may be, there’s no faking that we are all in new territory and it’ll take us a while to get it right.
Xi and Kim show hands to Trump and the Americans
It is official, Kim Jong Un visited Beijing and had a photograph taken
with Xi Jinping and their respective first ladies. All the foolish talks
about China and North Korea breaking up and relations at a low would
now sound so hollow. Trump and his scheming idiots thought they got
China by the balls to do their biddings, above all, to betray and
abandon North Korea. They were congratulating themselves that they were
so successful in creating a rift between the two neighbours with
historical ties in fighting the Americans, and probably sniggering at
how easy to drive them apart. Many stupid western analysts still cling
to this farce and trying to explain that Kim is making a last minute
effort to gain China’s support when the support was and is there all the
time, and that the superficial rift was just that, to play along with
the Americans.
This visit by Kim, his first visit overseas and to meet a leader of another nation, speaks clearly where his confidence lies and who he regards as his most reliable and important friend. Since the Korean War against the USA, China had withdrawn every single soldier fighting in that war from Korean soil. On the other hand the Americans refused to leave and had made South Korea a semi colony with the Americans commanding the South Korean soldiers.
On the other hand North Korea is a full fledged independent state in charge of its own destiny and sovereignty. China did not behave like the devious and treacherous Americans, to sit tight and refuse to leave. China could easily use the same excuse, American troops are still in South Korea, as justification to remain in North Korea. But the Chinese honoured their obligations and respect the independence of the North Koreans, and completely withdrew from North Korea.
For a while, the ugly and treacherous Americans have the world believing in their sneaky tricks of driving a wedge between China and its closest ally, North Korea. China even went along to agree to the American led sanctions against the North Koreans. Many fools really believed that China has become the enemy of North Korea and the North Koreans are depending on the Russians to protect and defend them. Should this be the case, Kim would be in Moscow to visit Putin.
The truth is out. The devious Americans really believed that China is weak and could be pushed around, conduct provocations in the South China Sea islands and waging a trade war with China thinking that China has no card to play. China has now thrown an ace at the Americans with this Kim visit. China would do more if the Americans did not desist from their provocation and aggression. Next China could withdraw support for the American sanctions against the North Koreans, and more to come.
As the Americans foolishly step up the pressure on China, China will respond accordingly and with more vigour and force. Let there be no mistake that China would not walk away when its core interests are challenged. China would not abandon its close allies and let them be bullied by the Americans. China cannot afford to do so or it would lose credibility in the eyes of big and small nations of the world that China is a reliable and dependable friend in times of need.
The game has just begun. China has stood up to the Americans for the world to see. Anyone still believes that China could be pushed around by the Americans and betray its friends? Anyone still believe that there was a big rift between China and North Korea and this visit was a desperate move by Kim to mend fences with China, or China and North Korea telling the bullies that they have been duped all this while? Are the Chinese and North Koreans so naïve to believe that the Americans could drive them apart by provocative acts, threats and sanctions?
This visit by Kim, his first visit overseas and to meet a leader of another nation, speaks clearly where his confidence lies and who he regards as his most reliable and important friend. Since the Korean War against the USA, China had withdrawn every single soldier fighting in that war from Korean soil. On the other hand the Americans refused to leave and had made South Korea a semi colony with the Americans commanding the South Korean soldiers.
On the other hand North Korea is a full fledged independent state in charge of its own destiny and sovereignty. China did not behave like the devious and treacherous Americans, to sit tight and refuse to leave. China could easily use the same excuse, American troops are still in South Korea, as justification to remain in North Korea. But the Chinese honoured their obligations and respect the independence of the North Koreans, and completely withdrew from North Korea.
For a while, the ugly and treacherous Americans have the world believing in their sneaky tricks of driving a wedge between China and its closest ally, North Korea. China even went along to agree to the American led sanctions against the North Koreans. Many fools really believed that China has become the enemy of North Korea and the North Koreans are depending on the Russians to protect and defend them. Should this be the case, Kim would be in Moscow to visit Putin.
The truth is out. The devious Americans really believed that China is weak and could be pushed around, conduct provocations in the South China Sea islands and waging a trade war with China thinking that China has no card to play. China has now thrown an ace at the Americans with this Kim visit. China would do more if the Americans did not desist from their provocation and aggression. Next China could withdraw support for the American sanctions against the North Koreans, and more to come.
As the Americans foolishly step up the pressure on China, China will respond accordingly and with more vigour and force. Let there be no mistake that China would not walk away when its core interests are challenged. China would not abandon its close allies and let them be bullied by the Americans. China cannot afford to do so or it would lose credibility in the eyes of big and small nations of the world that China is a reliable and dependable friend in times of need.
The game has just begun. China has stood up to the Americans for the world to see. Anyone still believes that China could be pushed around by the Americans and betray its friends? Anyone still believe that there was a big rift between China and North Korea and this visit was a desperate move by Kim to mend fences with China, or China and North Korea telling the bullies that they have been duped all this while? Are the Chinese and North Koreans so naïve to believe that the Americans could drive them apart by provocative acts, threats and sanctions?
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