Can the US Provide Promised Security Guarantees to DPRK?

US Holds Major Key to Unlock Korean Peace

The 2019 DPRK-USA Vietnam Summit will see US President Donald Trump meeting DPRK Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 27-28 February 2019.  This is their 2^nd meeting.

In their 1^st Singapore Summit last year on 12 June 2018, US President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and DPRK Chairman Kim Jong-Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. 

Immediately after the 1^st Singapore Summit, the DPRK dismantled their nuclear test and satellite launch site at Sohae and shut down a long range missile factory near Pyongyang.  DPRK in fact has not conducted any nuclear weapon test or fired any inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) since 28 July 2017.  DPRK also concluded peace agreements with South Korea committing to perpetual peace and no war.

US President Trump in fact declared that Pyongyang was "no longer a Nuclear Threat" after the 1^st Singapore Summit, and cancelled joint military exercises between the US and South Korean Air Forces in the Korean peninsula.

The DPRK also released 3 US citizens arrested and imprisoned for alleged spying, and returned the remains of 55 US soldiers killed in the Korean War.  DPRK also ceased its domestic anti-US propaganda.

However, the US has yet to provide a framework or any details of its DPRK security guarantees agreed in the Joint Statement of the 1st Singapore Summit.  

The US holds the major key to unlock sustainable peace in the Korea Peninsula US. Without categorical security guarantees, it is unreasonable and unrealistic to expect a complete DPRK unilateral denuclearization whose process she has already begun.   

History supports the DPRK’s ambivalence and hesitancy as she lacks confidence and trust in the US Congress’ support of President Trump’s Korean peace initiatives.  

Current domestic politics in the US increasingly make it difficult for President Trump to fulfill his security assurances to the DPRK.  A broken and corrupt US political system has damaged much of American capability to govern effectively. An otherwise highly professional intelligence community network has been rendered dysfunctional by corrupt and highly politicized senior intelligence leaders to cast deep credibility on its own findings.    

The DPRK and the world also remembered vividly US duplicity and role in the 2014 Ukraine Deception and Double-Cross.

  

In December 1994, the United States, United Kingdom and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum, providing security assurances against threats to Ukraine's territorial integrity in return for Kiev's giving up nuclear weapons.  No less than US Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama also reiterated absolute US guarantee of these assurances over the following 20 years.   

In 2014, the US stood with the world alongside the feckless United Nations in abject impotence and inept incompetence to watch Russia invade and annex Crimea, a province of Ukraine. The United States' failure to honor the Budapest Memorandum clearly emboldened Russia as she proceeded to instigate and support military aggression in the Ukrainian Donbas region.  Over the past 5 years, over a million Ukrainians have been displaced with more than 10,000 killed and thousands wounded.

The undermining of the Budapest Memorandum is especially significant because this treaty solemnised and formalised Ukraine’s decision to give up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for territorial guarantees from major powers.

This is EXACTLY the essence and core intent of the Singapore Statement of the 1^st US-DPRK Summit.

Indeed, would Russia have attacked and annexed Crimea if Ukraine had retained a few of its nuclear weapons when she agreed to denuclearise under the Budapest Declaration?  Highly unlikely!

On the eve of the 2^nd DPRK-USA Vietnam Summit, it is paramount for the US to restore credibility to its integrity as a powerful nation trusted with global responsibilities. If the US remained sincere and willing to be the DPRK’s only conditional guarantor of her security, US President Trump and the US Congress must be willing to underwrite with concrete actions the sustainable peaceful stability of the Korean Peninsula. 

Unlike the Budapest Memorandum, the US must commit to unambiguous, unequivocal and categorical international treaty such security assurances to the DPRK’s satisfaction so as to persuade the latter to stop developing her nuclear deterrent and to depend on US protection.  Achieving success at the eventual goal of DPRK’s denuclearization depends entirely on the US. 

In the aftermath of US’ failure to honour the Budapest Memo, Brad Blakeman, former adviser to US President George W. Bush and the former president of the national security group Freedom’s Watch asked: “The US has no credibility. Why would anyone enter into an agreement with us now?” 

The DPRK and the world will now be watching the US, particularly in whether President Trump and Secretary Pompeo, with the US Congress, would restore credibility and trust in American promises of security assurances for the DPRK.  And these promises must go beyond mere words of diplomatic declaration and statement.   

Related Readings:

Trump-Kim Singapore Summit 2018: Reading between the Lines of the Joint Statement

Keep America’s Word Again—and Protect Ukraine

How bad is cyber attack?

'In her recent speech regarding Cyber Risk Management Project’s ‘Bashe Report’ Launch on January 29, Elean Chin, division head of Monetary Authority of Singapore, cited that in Asia, cyber-attacks are disproportionately higher compared to other regions....

Earlier reports claimed that the Asia Pacific had the highest number of unfortunate incidents regarding security issues in the first half of 2018.

Nearly 40% of global cybersecurity activities and 30% of breached records were reported worldwide. In terms of financial losses, Asia lost US$1.75 trillion in 2017 or about 7% of the regional GDP caused by cyber attacks.

In a report released by the Cyber Risk Management (CyRiM) project, a well-planned global cyber attack can be initiated through a simple sending of an email that could bring an economic loss between $85 billion and $193 billion. The report was co-authored by Lloyd’s of London, Aon and other CyRiM partners....' Source Channel News Asia

The quantum of damages at US$1.75 trillion lost in Asia alone is staggering. How much was lost from Singapore corporations? None or cannot tell?

These attacks are likely to come from external sources and all the defensive and protective actions and measures are to put up firewalls and mechanism to stop them from getting in. In a way this is like our NSmen, all trained to defend an external threat but oblivious to the Trojan Horse already in the city state in the form of 2 million foreigners with many engaged in top level IT jobs, guarding our IT systems. How precarious is this? No, the stupidity has no cure disease does not see any threat from so many foreigners dominating and in charge of our IT systems.

All it takes is one of these foreigners to turn rogue and a bank can have all its money in the system emptied within minutes, gone into thin air, in the cloud. While so much effort have been spent to block external threat, the most serious threat is from within, the people hired to do the job, to guard and protect our systems and data. with several thousands of them in the job, in the industry, how high is the chance of a few of them attacking our systems and data?

Trust them? Is this the way to continue to go on with so much trust in unknown foreigners in charge of our systems and data? It was Sri Lankan national bank that was hit. Now it is Bangladeshi national bank. When would be the turn of our national bank?

Would not happen?

PS. The Bashe report seeks to put emphasis on the cost and negative effects of any serious cyber attack. The report noted, in case of a major attack that came from Asia, for the next 24 hours, data installed in 30 million electronic devices could be encrypted. In turn, this could impact over 600,000 companies globally or about US$19 billion in financial losses.

The USA, the land of freedom of expression, religion, etc etc

Professor Megan Neely of Duke University had to step down after an improper and rude email chastising Chinese students in the university for speaking Chinese loudly in the student lounge and study areas. Wow, in the land of the free, when there is freedom of expression, freedom to practice different culture and religion and lifestyle, speaking Chinese is not allowed in a university? What kind of shit is this? The latent and hidden and suppressed racism in the white Americans cannot be concealed for long. Their racist attitude and hatred for the coloured people would just slip out every now and then.
 
According to a Reuter report in thenewpaper, ‘In her email, Prof Neely said two faculty members wanted to identify the students who had been speaking in Chinese so they could “could remember them” if they ever interviewed for ann internship or asked to work with them for a master’s project.’ This is the free America, the non racist America in practice, the real America where racism is deep and guarded but often came off unguarded at the wrong moment when politically correct stance was forgotten.
 
But they should not feel alone. In Singapore, in Nanyang Technological University, the seed of Chinese language and culture, a university with its root in Chinese culture from the days when the Chinese community chipped in to fund the predecessor, Nantah University, there was an incident in the University’s foodcourt when the stalls were told that signages must be in English, Chinese words not allowed. When news broke out they claimed that it was a miscommunication and not sure anyone was punished like Prof Neely. Prof Neely stepped down as director of graduate studies but would continue to teach.
 
Duke University should not take to heart that it happened in a white country when Chinese students were from far away and it was normal for Chinese to be victimized and discriminated under American laws. It happened in Singapore, a Chinese majority little country when Chinese is one of the 4 official languages. And it also happened in a university here with Chinese roots and origins. Can you beat that?
 
Duke University should be comforted for making this slip like walking around with the pants unzipped. Everyone would forget this event as soon as it started. They have no interest in respecting the Chinese in the land of the free when they used to get free Chinese labour to work in the railroads.

Singapore's failed systems

Top of the list is the broken CPF system where the people saved as much as 37% of their monthly income, at one time 50%, but cannot afford to retire. And everyone pretending not to see the cause of the disappearing money from the savers and the system is now tweaked for the people to save into their retirement fund for as long as they live even if they are 100 years old. And the perception is that it is easy to put in but very difficult to take out because they alleged that all Singaporeans, Ah Kongs and Ah Mahs would want to splurge their money in Batam and Bintang for sex tours. As they said, a white lie, told long enough, some people would believe in it. In this island of daft, all would believe in it to the extent that many daft resigned to the fate that their CPF savings are no longer their money.

The Home Ownership system where the people were told that they were owners of 99 year lease public housing and that the value of their flats would only go up, an asset for retirement. Now every one of the believers is in shock that it was a big lie. They are not owners but tenants on 99 year lease and the value of the flats would become zero at the end of the lease. There go their assets in smokes.

This is not all. They used to build enough flats that the waiting time was only a few months until some ass, probably wanted to create the impression of very high demand to drive up prices with less supply turned getting a flat a nightmare, having to wait for years. And they still think this is the right thing to do when housing is a basic need and public housing is to serve this purpose.

The Education system is also a failure as the country could not produce talent and needs to replace the locals with third world talents from cheap village universities and graduates from degree mills or with fake degrees. The situation is so bad that ministers even tell the people not to waste time with university education in one of the most expensive education system that ended up with degrees that cannot be eaten or to find decent jobs.

The public transport system, the MRT, once the pride of the nation, now struggling to pass a day without breakdowns. And yes, it got so bad that they have to look for foreigners working in poor and badly run train systems to work here and to help to maintain the broken down system.

The snail pace of the SMRT can only be matched by the really snail pace of the postal service when mails used to arrive in a day or two now could take weeks, months or not arriving at all.My credit card was sent on 2 Feb and still has yet to arrive, probably lost or in the rubbish bin.

The shipping system, once the life line of the country, now sold to foreign owners. Singapore, one of the largest port in the world, now does not own a shipping line and at the mercy of ship operators that can divert their ships away from Singapore port.

The stock market that once was a thriving market providing employment for tens of thousands of people is now dying and waiting to meet its makers.

And there is the very wasteful car population scheme that killed cars that are 10 years old and still in good running condition.

Dunno what to say about the Ministry of Health. People say can die but cannot fall sick as they will die of shock after seeing the medical bills. And the frequent breaches of health security including protection of health records and personal data.

Sovereign funds that brag about making millions and millions but not showing its accounts and leaving the people in doubt as to its real performance, only told to believe in the profit numbers they claimed to have achieved. Are they broken and also failed systems? Cannot tell, no need to tell, trust them.

Compulsory health insurance schemes that collected millions and billions but paying peanuts when needed.

Finally, not the least, a bankrupt political system that pays millions to politicians but getting only mediocre quality candidates and mediocre performance. The only thing good about the political system is that it makes every politician rich and millionaires.

High time China uses its economic clout

Two of the 5 eyes countries are not given cold shoulder by China and trade deals had been cancelled and no new deals would take place for as long as China pleases. China used to be the number trading partner of Australia, the biggest importer of Australia raw material as well as providing hundreds of thousands of fee paying students to Australian universities. In addition, China has been throwing money at Australian properties, even wanting to invest and develop Australian ports. All these have come to nought. There is a cold freeze in the air. China has stopped buying Australian raw material and farm produce, not buying Austrailian properties, not sending its students and tourists to Australia.

The end result, the Australian economy is tanking. The mines and farms and tourist agencies are folding and stop hiring. It is best for China to keep this little USA in the cold for as long as needed until it wakes up from the new reality that it is really a very small nation with 25 million people.

This small country needs the Chinese market for its products. China does not need Australia and can find raw material from other parts of the world, in Russia, Africa and Latin America. Well done China, for whacking this little American doggie and put it in its place.

The other American doggie is none other than Canada. China is also giving it the same treatment after the silly and disastrous arrest of an innocent Chinese citizen. As far as this country is concerned, no deal. And this country is in the same predicament as Australia, unproductive people needing the big Chinese market to keep its economy alive. Now it is heading towards recession.

To the many small countries, especially the white countries in Europe, China needs only to deal with a couple in the way it dealt with Australia and Canada, cancel all trading activities with them or reduce to a bare minimum. Poland, Italy are two good candidates to be shut out of the China market. What they wanted to sell to China can be bought from other European countries. There is no need for Italian wine or cars. There is no need for the farm produce of Poland. Tell them no deal, go somewhere else to peddle their products.

China must be bold in dealing with little USAs to wake up their ideas. Only then would these little brats behave themselves. China has nothing to lose to cut off a handful of such European countries, even half of western Europe and not affecting much on its own economy. But these little economies would go belly up in less than a year if they have no access to the Chinese market. The falling value of Apple is a glaring example of what it would be like when Chinese customers boycotted Apple products.

In the case of Australia, Canada, and very likely Poland and Italy, when everything is prevented from entering the Chinese market, you can imagine how their economies would suffer, and how their people would suffer.

Go China, just do it, selectively on a few carefully chosen little USAs, especially the naughty ones. the cocky ones, and the stupid ones like Canada and Australia. This is China's best weapon to cane the brats and would be very effective. Shut them out of the Chinese market. The pain is immediate.

China, what are you waiting for?

China ‘theft of jobs and wealth’?

This is what Trump and his war hawks have been harping everyday and the western media would print them in glee. China is the demon, stealing jobs and wealth from the Americans, including stealing their technology. As they said, if you keep repeating a lie over and over again, many innocent and unthinking readers would believe in the lie. The bigger the lie, like the moon landing, the easier it is to believe.
 
Who is or are the biggest thieves in the world? Heard of colonization? Heard of war of conquest? The native Americans lost their continent to the Europeans, now calling themselves Americans and ruling the continent of North America. The native Americans not only lost their country but also their lives, with only a handful surviving today after tens of millions were slaughtered by the invading white Europeans.
 
The Europeans robbed the whole world of their wealth when they invaded them and colonized them. They claimed to own every country in every continent. Not robbers?
 
They invaded China and ransacked the palace, robbed China of all the wealth and treasures they could and bankrupted China for nearly two centuries. All the wealth in Europe was loot stolen from the colonies, with bloodshed.
 
Today Trump and his murderers in Washington got the cheek to shout robbers and thieves? Look at the mirror. Trump’s ancestry and many in the Washington were descendants of white supremacists, killing the niggers, lynching them on the trees, chained them for life, using them as free labour in the land where everything is ‘free’, stolen or robbed from the native Americans.
 
How many of you would want to believe that China is stealing from the Americans, especially jobs, wealth and technology? Did the Americans forget the agreements for exchange of students and technology signed by Carter and China? This is quoted from Wikipedia, ‘Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping's January 1979 visit to Washington initiated a series of important, high-level exchanges which continued until the spring of 1989. This resulted in many bilateral agreements, especially in the fields of scientific, technological, and cultural interchange, as well as trade relations. Since early 1979, the United States and the PRC have initiated hundreds of joint research projects and cooperative programs under the Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology, the largest bilateral program.’ Theft?
 
Did the Americans forget that they moved their dirty factories to exploit on China’s cheap labour? Even Apple is setting up factories in China to sell iphones to the Americans and the Chinese earn their keeps working for Apple with very low pay. The jobs lost were willingly given to China. The technologies were exchanged for the right to manufacture and sell in China, fair deal.
 
The money earned by China was not robbed from the Americans like they robbed the native Americans, the Red Indians, and the way they robbed China of its nation’s wealth. The Chinese earned them by sweat and tear. The technology transfer was agreed upon by both countries/companies operating in China, without a gun pointing at their heads.
 
Today, when many Chinese technologies are leading edge and the Americans could not even catch up but dare to accuse China of stealing from their backward and outdated technology! Huawei stealing American technology when Huawei is the number One technology company in the world in 5G? How could a world leading company be stealing from backward companies that don’t have the technology? China is far more advanced than the Americans in many fields of science and technology today.
 
By shouting theft does not make one superior in technology. When you are behind, you are behind, no amount of pretense and allegations could change the truth. Try to catch up with China, if unable, create more hoaxes like landing on the moon and keep spreading the myth and lie that China is stealing American technology.
 
We will try to believe you, after some heavy drinking or under the influence of drugs. A thief is always a thief. Look into the mirror!

The Americans have also been shouting about democracy, human rights, right for nation to live their own lives, peace, but they have been the worst violators of every one of these claims. Conduct regime change, wars, support dictators, wanton killings of the innocent Arabs and Muslims, Guantanamo, Al Ghraib etc etc.

US China rivalry

SYDNEY: We are not entering a new Cold War, despite both Chinese President Xi and US Vice-President Mike Pence finding the term a useful rhetorical tool.

The Americans have decided to compete against China because they think the last two decades of cooperation has failed. The Trump Administration, though, is careful to say that competition does not mean conflict.

Cooperation is where two states work together for the common good. Conflict involves a clash between hostile entities. But competition is not a state between these two alone but instead a contest between two states over a third party or object....

The prize America and China both seek is clear: Global leadership. They don’t want to fight each other. Instead they are quarrelling over who leads the international system. Leadership, however, is something others grant; it cannot be achieved by edict or force....

Th above quote is from an article by Peter Layton titled, 'US China rivalry is about us'.

Peter Layton is a Visiting Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University. This commentary first appeared on Lowy Institute's blog The Interpreter

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/united-states-china-trade-war-rivalry-is-all-about-us-11016724

China and the US are both in pursuit of global leadership. At the start of this game, in 1972, the Americans needed China to fight the Soviet Union. In 1979, the Americans could not see any challenge from poor and technologically backward China. They opened up their tertiary institutions and economy to China in an agreement for free exchange of students and transfer of knowledge and technology. They did not know that the people they thought could only be good enough to be cooks and laundrymen could learn so fast to challenge their dominance in science and technology and now seriously challenging their position as world leader.

Secondly, China's quest for world leadership is totally different from the Americans. China wants to lead the world through infrastructure development, trade and economic development. The American model is through war and instability, through regime change and military intervention and invasion. These two formula are fatally incompatible. Yes the cooperation has failed as China refused to play the American game of war and destruction to dominate and control the world in the G2 formula. China chose the path of peaceful development, peace and stability.

So today we are seeing the Americans getting more aggressive and initiating all kinds of war like behaviour against China and the rest of the world, even to the extend of isolation and America First. The stark fundamental difference in a policy of peaceful development over interference of internal affairs of foreign states and regime change cannot be reconciled and cannot be same bedfellows. War and peace are incompatible. The Americans chose war in all forms, including trade war, as their way to conduct international relations of dominance and global leadership.

But they are lying to the world that they are for peace, peace loving but very nice rogues and warmongers.

Beginning A Piggy End of the Chinese Zodiac Cycle

2 reasons why Singapore does not need stealth fighter aircraft

The idea or belief that we must have the best, most advanced and even most expensive fighter aircraft is like the young punk wanting his latest iphone or sports car. In the context of our defence policy and strategy, I offer two reasons why there is no need for Singapore to buy ridiculous priced F35s for its stealth ability. And to think of getting the F35B version that is heavy like a fat lady is not only funny but a compromise in its speed and ability to carry more weapons.

My reasons for saying this are based on the assumption that our potential enemies would likely be our closest neighbours, ie Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore can't be thinking of going to war with Thailand or the Philippines or other big powers like China or India. China and India are out of question unless Singapore is going to join the Evil American Empire against these big powers in war. Other than Malaysia and Indonesia, the rest of the Asean countries would be too far away and have practically no reason to consider them as a war potential.

Take Malaysia first. Singapore is so close to Malaysia that on taking off it is already inside Malaysia. Even if the aircraft take off from a southerly direction, it takes less than a minute to be inside Malaysia. Even if spotted by radar, the aircraft would be all over Malaysia. The stealth capability is meaningless and irrelevant as far as Malaysia is concerned and when the aircraft is used in an offensive and attacking role. Against Malaysia, Singapore only needs more and many more fighter bomber aircraft rather than F35s meant to shoot down enemy aircraft hundreds of miles away.

When in defensive role, stealth ability is unnecessary and irrelevant. And this is likely to be the fighter aircraft's role if Indonesia is the enemy.  Singapore cannot afford to go to war with the Indonesians. It is too big and diverse and any victory in the air is momentary and would not determine the outcome of  a war with Indonesia.

Against an enemy like Indonesia, Singapore's best and sustainable position is in defence, to keep the Indonesian air force and navy out of our territory, ie a defensive role that does not require stealth feature. What Singapore really needs is air superiority aircraft like the F16s and F15s and having plenty of them.  The price of a F35 could buy maybe 10 F15s.

If Singapore is thinking of replacing 60 F16s with 60 F35s, can Singapore really able to afford such a huge budget just for fighter aircraft alone? The weapons and supporting systems would cost double of the aircraft. Perhaps Singapore should think longer term, and if relations improved with China or Russia while relations with the US falters, there would be many more cheaper and better options than just the F35s to tinker with.

What do you think?

Huat Ah!

Everything is in pink in the Year of the Pig.

The Quailo Afffair

Maduro, the President of Venezuela, was elected last May. The Quailos claimed that the election was not free. So they put up an unknown Quaido, trained by the CIA to conduct regime change and claimed that he is the new President, without any election.

They demanded a new election within 8 days, if not all the American and European Union states would recognised this non elected coup leader as the President. Who is the elected President under democratic means, who is the coup leader that was not elected under democratic election?

So far Asean leaders have not said a word. For recognising this Quaido is recognising a coup de'tat, recognising foreign intervention, and allowing the Quailos to interfere in their internal politics.

All the countries that recognised this American trained Quaido are in a way opening themselves to American interference in their domestic politics, especially the Latin American states. And when their turn comes, they would have no one to turn to. They have to live under the behest of the Quailo's dictate.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year

Another year past, another year beginning. Let' hope that this will be a better year for all and all our wishes will come true.

The Year of the Pig marks the end of a 12 animal cycle period and there is hope that the new cycle will be more promising and brighter in the personal life and domestic affairs of Singaporeans.

In the bigger picture, the changing of an era where the East will rise and shine again has been taking place amidst opposition and resistance from the fading hegemon. The new Asian Century brings hope of peace and stability against the last era of incessant wars and conflicts. The change would not come easy and peacefully as the demons would not want to change their ways and their control over the rest of the world.

Happy Lunar New Year to all.

Uncultured arrogant western leaders ridiculed the Chinese Zodiac.

The Chinese Zodiac base on the selected twelve common animals is as old as the Chinese Civilization. The wisdom of the Chinese ancestors in choosing the twelve animals to represent the twelve years cycle of human life is unique only to the Chinese. Each animal is carefully chosen as petain to its characteristic behaviour that may be reflected in human life. And each of the twelve animals is paired with another animal of contradictory behaviour characteristics to give a balance in life. And the whole Chinese Zodiac system is based on the Ying-Yang theory of balancing the positive and the negative forces, the weak and strong force, the female and male force, the good and the bad or evil. If either the Ying or the Yang become too strong it must be balanced or else trouble or disaster may take place. The whole Chinese society on earth is governed by this twelve animal cycle zodiac in all aspects of life from choosing life partners, business, to politics and wars. Over 1.4 billion Chinese on earth believe and subscribe to the Chinese Zodiac yet the uncultured crude arrogant western leaders dare to ridicule and despise this Chinese cultural practice.

It was in the early 1950s during one international meetings of various countries political leaders possibly in Vienna that a western minister during a reception spoke ill and in derision of the Chinese Zodiac ridiculing it in front of a Chinese delegation to make the Chinese delegation look low and humbled. However a prompt reply to their crass behaviour by the respectable Chinese premier Zhou Enlai who deliberated in detail on the meaning and significance of the twelve animal cycle of the Chinese Zodiac soon put them to shame.

Below is the rebuttal and deliberation of the  Chinese Zodiac at the meeting by the then Chinese premier Zhou Enlai as sent to me by a friend through 'WhatsAPP'.

Foreigners - the uncouth caucasians ridicule the Chinese Zodiac.

On one occasion, a group of Chinese representatives participated in the reception of a delegation composed of European aristocrats.

Most of the Europeans had kinship with some royal family , very knowledgeable and cultivated, treat people polite, but hidden behind their pretence of high culture was some inborn arrogance.

On the last day of dinner, these aristocrats drank more and began to speak freely.

During the banquet, a German aristocrat stood up and said:  You Chinese people use the common animals like pig, dog mouse as zodiac signs! Unlike us, we take after the stars like Taurus, Leo,Virgo......I do not know how your ancestors think!"

Everyone among the Europeans had listened and then laughed, but they also toasted each other, as their earlier elegance dissipated.

It stands to reason, when others insulted your ancestors, and even if you cannot refute, at least you should topple the table.

However, all those Chinese guests did not say anything at first, perhaps they were unable to respond.

Then one of the Chinese stood up and said in a peaceful tone, "Yes, the ancestors of the Chinese people are down to earth in choosing common animals, and our 12 zodiac animals are paired in duality,reflecting the six realms of reincarnation, and is a reflection of our ancestors' expectations and demands on us."

At this time the atmosphere slowly settled down, but some of the nobles looked arrogant and indifferent.

The Chinese gentleman then said:

"The first pairing comprises rats and cattle. Mice represent wisdom and hard work. Wisdom and hard work must be coupled together. With wisdom alone, and absence of hard work , it becomes valueless wit, and hard work solely , without the use of the brains , denotes a simpleton. The two strengths must be combined . This is the ancestors' expectations and requirements on the first and the most important group"

The second group is tigers and rabbits. The tiger represents bravery, While the rabbit manifests caution. Courage and prudence must be coupled together to be bold and cautious. Being bold alone without caution, one becomes reckless;without courage one becomes timid. This group is also very important .' ..... so the Chinese guest look at these aristocrats , smiled politely and remarked, "When we Chinese people show restraint, please do not think the Chinese people are not courageous."

Seeing that everyone was in deep thought , the Chinese continue . "The third group is the dragon and the snake, - the dragon represents ferocity , while the snake represents flexibility. We all know that hard cast iron is not malleable and can be broken easily,however being flexible alone makes one easy to lose one's assertiveness. So the message from the ancients to us, is to balance both of these qualities.

"Next is the horse and sheep. Horses represent the courage to go forward , the sheep depict their natural docile nature of going with the flow. If a person only sets his sights on his own targets without regard for the surrounding environment , without taking the landmarks into consideration , he will inevitably continue to bounce around randomly, and may not be able to achieve the goals eventually. Therefore the mettle of courage to to step forward and lead , which must be coupled with the crowd. Both characteristics must be married tightly together....this is our ancestors expectations on the fourth group."

"Then there are monkeys and roosters. Monkeys represent adaptability , while all roosters crow regularly on time, representing consistancy . Adaptability and consistancy must be binded tightly and strategically together. If you are constantly changing goals and objectives , no matter how good the policy , the benefits cannot be reaped. On the one hand, stability, harmony and order are needed to maintain on course, but on the other hand one needs to change and adapt to circumstances in order to remain relevant and advance further ahead. This is the most fundamental concept of how to thrust forward for the future."

"Finally dogs and pigs. Dogs represent fierce loyalty, pigs represent the easy going nature. If a person is too loyal , and does not know how to be easy- going , the tendency would be to exclude others . In turn , a person who is too easy-going , has no loyalty, and this person will lose his principles and ideals . Whether it is a nation's loyalty or loyalty to their ideals , both ideas must be closely combined ,so it is easy to keep the balance of the heart."

"In the end I would like to know the significance and qualities behind your constellations of Aquarius, Sagitarius, Capricorn and other stars, and how do these reflect the hope and expectations of your ancestors on you," the Chinese diplomat asked.

These European nobles , for a long time did not speak,..... the audience remained silent.

Reading this is the first time that I have understood the meaning of the Chinese Zodiac as well..

The young man who spoke then was Mr. Zhou Enlai, the former Chinese premier,

Southernglory1

Tuesday, 5th February, 2019

NB : To learn more about the Chinese almanac and the horoscope of the twelve animals just search Youtube or Wikipileaks or google for the Chinese Zodiac of the 12 animal cycles.

Hsien Yang - Would he answer the calls of the people?

After Hsien Yang came out openly in support of Cheng Bock and his new party, social media saw an outcry and support for him to stand with Cheng Bock in the next GE. This is a very rare phenomenon in Singapore where an individual is being asked to stand for political office. Ok there were a few others that have also been asked but not in the way it is happening today. Ok social media was a recent development and has taken an important role in public communication and people get to speak out freely in facebook, twitters, blogs etc etc. And this time is also different because the issues facing the people and the calls for a change of govt have taken to a different level. There are many very serious issues that the people are really very unhappy with and looking for a white knight to come to their rescue.

Many people have in the past claimed that they were answering the calls of duty to serve the country and people. In today's context, in politics and the running of a country, the calls take on a different magnitude and importance.

Would Hsien Yang answer the calls of the people? Can he turn down the calls of the people and their expectation of him? For Cheng Bock to fight alone is as good as a non starter or at best becoming a lone voice in Parliament, not much different from the role the WP is playing. It is as good as not having an opposition as nothing good can come out of it. The people's problems would not be solved and things would go on as normal, spiralling into the abyss. What is the point of it all if nothing is changed?

Would Hsien Yang turn down the people's calls and walk away?

Do not forget, Hsien Yang also has another big responsibility, to defend his family, wife and son. As a father he has to stand up and fight. Not doing so did not speak well of him. In a way he is being cornered and fight he must, and the only way to fight meaningfully is to stand for election to change the power of the day and to protect his family.

CPF - A sordid and sorry state of affair

The saddest day on the CPF issue was when a NMP happily declared in Parliament that CPF was not the contributors money. But this is not the sad part. The saddest part was when the majority of MPs and ministers clapped in approval, that this was indeed the sordid state of affair concerning the CPF savings, the people’s life time savings. No one other than the opposition MPs disagreed with this false claim but in fact supported this misleading myth. No one in Parliament has the courtesy or responsibility to tell this NMP that she was wrong, that the money, the people’s life savings in the CPF belonged to the people. How bad can things be, when the people slogged and saved for a whole life time only to wake up, like a bad dream, to be told that their savings were not their money?

And some, including Matilah Singapura in this blog, are gloating, ‘See, I told you, CPF is not your money’. And they quoted many valid examples to prove that CPF is not your money anymore. And they are ‘right’ in their own perceptions and interpretations of the situation today based on reality, on how the CPF money could be taken away from their rightful owners without their consent, to be spent against their will, in compulsory insurance schemes and in many other schemes.

I put the ‘right’ within inverted commas because this interpretation of right is misleading and controversial, unethical and immoral in many ways. What I want to point out is that is this all these people could say, CPF is not your money, and so be it? Are these people contented that their life savings no longer belong to them, willing to accept this fait accompli, and resign to the fate that nothing else can be done to this bad situation?

Put it in another way, many daft Singaporeans are accepting the fact that many foreigners are brought here to steal their lunch, good jobs going to foreigners, and with the foreigners becoming Singaporeans in large numbers that eventually their country would belong to the foreigners. Never mind, meritocracy, globalization, it is good that foreigners come here to create jobs for daft Singaporeans?

What is the meaning of being Singaporeans in this case? Where is ownership of the country and the CPF savings? Meekly give them away? What is the point of serving NS? What is the point of saving for a life time?

Have Singaporeans degenerated to such an extent that they do not know how to fight for their rights, their belongings, their money, their country? Just give up? If this is what Singaporeans are made of, then Singaporeans deserve to lose their life savings and their country. Why so stupid doing NS when nothing is yours?

CPF is not your money. This is not your country. This country is for everyone here. Not happy move out. How sad. Singaporeans are not only daft but hopeless, to be told by new citizens and foreigners to move out of the country they built, and some willingly accepted this sad fate and really moved out.

What do you think?