we should thank wee shu min

Someone posted in YPAP forum about thanking Shumin. I thought it was a joke. On second thought, I think he had a point. Without Shumin telling the brutal truth, Singaporeans would still be living in a state of ignorant bliss. Hopefully Shumin's frank talk could jolt them up and face the ugly reality of life. The earlier they know the truth, the earlier they can take actions to look after their pathetic life. It is the same as the peanut story. Otherwise we still would not understand what a peanut cost and what people meant by peanuts. It is another brutal truth that Singaporeans must live with. You people must be grateful to Shumin. That's why they always said that an innocent child will tell the most enlighten truth. You cannot lie to a child.

how real are american professors?

Professor Susan Shirk from the University of California and Director of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation wrote an article reprinted in the Straits Times today. She was US dep asst secretary of state responsible for China from 1997 to 2000. 'N.Korea nuke crisis: China's tough stance may help fix Japan ties.' Her article reveals the standard kind of western bias and understanding of Asia and Asian politics, and this is how Rice and the Bush made all those decisions based on the same kind of thinking and assumptions. Let me point out those that I don't agree. 1. That China is willing to take a tough stand against North Korea and would choose to ally with Japan and the US against its tradition ally, North Korea. How foolish can this be? Has China or Russia raise a whimper that North Korea's nuclear test is a threat to them? China may have to worry over the long term if North Korea falls out and join the US camp. But as long as North Korea is on its side, it will do anything it can to keep it that way. North Korea is the strongest Chinese card against the US and Japan. Without North Korea, the Bush administration and Japan will be playing monkey tricks against China and prodding Taiwan to go independence. And there will be many nonsensical human rights issues and trade issues to pressure China. 2. It is China's intention to keep North and South Korea separated as China fear a united Korea led by the South and under the influence of the Americans. Or is it the other way? The truth is that the Americans are twisting the South Korean's arm and refuse to let them reunite as a single Korea. The Americans fear that a reunited and independent Korea will mean no more American bases in Korea. Didn't Susan Shirk know this or is she pretending that she did not? 3. China voted for a stronger sanction against North Korea? China and Russia stubbornly resisted the US proposal to do a regime change in the North. And they would not allow the US to use the military option. It was forced by the US to accept some kind of sanction unwillingly and had to compromise half way. 4. China compromised its North Korean ally for the reason of pride? The North Korean trump card is so valuable to the Chinese that should the US dares take the military option they can expect the Chinese troops to be there facing them. 5. The perception or impression that all the Americans and western media try to tell the world that North Korea is suffering from food epidemic and its people are dying of hunger as the conventional truth. How true is that? Why are the North Koreans not revolting? And the pictures of hungry babies were of chubby faces with rosy cheeks. Compare them with the skin and bone children of Africa and some third world countries. These children looked so well fed and far from dying of hunger. And those are the worst pictures that they can find and put on air. 6. China is worried about its position in the elite nuclear club being diluted. Horseshit! Did China complain about North Korea, Pakistan or Iran being nuclear powers? The country that fears this dilution of its nuclear power status is the country that makes the most noise and threatening military intervention. Now which country is that? Difficult to guess? 7. China will join Japan and the US against a common enemy in North Korea? She must be mad! How could a professor have such a simplistic view? 8. Chinese politicians didn't dare invite Koizumi to China or meet him outside China? It was China who refused to talk to Koizumi despite his many attempts to visit China and talk to the Chinese leaders. Our poor professor is still reading History 101? 9. Many Chinese political elite blame the dangerous deterioration of relations with Japan on former Jiang Zemin? Where is she from? Venus? 10. Hu Jintao was eager to patch up with Japan and work out a pragmatic understanding with Abe? Partly truth but mainly because Abe has to promise not to visit Yasukuni shrine. At least if Abe wants to keep China Japan relationship on an even keel and if he wants the Chinese leadership to talk to him. My goodness! What kind of history and political science are they teaching or being taught?

we have more than 800 unique readers daily

As we progress up the social and economic ladder, as we become more well read and informed, as we become more aware of the our role and responsibilities to ourselves and our people, we no longer want to sit still and be fed with whatever news people think are fit for our consumption. We want to decide and judge for ourselves what is good or bad, right or wrong. News reporting is no longer a one way street where the reporters and journalists regard all readers as captive peking ducks to be force fed with whatever they deem fit. News reporting has to change. It is interactive and responsive to the needs of the readers. The readers now demands what they want to hear and know. This is where Cyberspace comes in. Only Cyberspace can play this kind of role of news as there are and not news as the MSM want them to be. And when the news are biased, not up to expectation, the readers are there to change them, correct them, rebut them and present their own version of the the news. Everyone here can and should play a part in this new development. The fact that you are all in Cyberspace is enough evidence to show that this is the trend. The only thing that is holding many people back is the apprehension, the self doubt that people may disagree with your views. It is time to remove the apprehension. As for self doubt, this is a natural expectation and there will be people who agree with you and those who disagree. We are all different and see things differently. No one is absolutely right or wrong. There is a growing trend for the young and restive to want to say their peace. This trend is unstoppable.

new trend in news reporting

As we progress up the social and economic ladder, as we become more well read and informed, as we become more aware of the our role and responsibilities to ourselves and our people, we no longer want to sit still and be fed with whatever news people think are fit for our consumption. We want to decide and judge for ourselves what is good or bad, right or wrong. News reporting is no longer a one way street where the reporters and journalists regard all readers as captive peking ducks to be force fed with whatever they deem fit. News reporting has to change. It is interactive and responsive to the needs of the readers. The readers now demands what they want to hear and know. This is where Cyberspace comes in. Only Cyberspace can play this kind of role of news as there are and not news as the MSM want them to be. And when the news are biased, not up to expectation, the readers are there to change them, correct them, rebut them and present their own version of the the news. Everyone here can and should play a part in this new development. The fact that you are all in Cyberspace is enough evidence to show that this is the trend. The only thing that is holding many people back is the apprehension, the self doubt that people may disagree with your views. It is time to remove the apprehension. As for self doubt, this is a natural expectation and there will be people who agree with you and those who disagree. We are all different and see things differently. No one is absolutely right or wrong. There is a growing trend for the young and restive to want to say their peace. This trend is unstoppable.

join me to give MSM a run for their money

Cyberspace is more than just a venue for venting frustrations. It has a very vital role to provide an alternative view, a citizen's view of what is important to the people. The things that netizens discussed are matters that they choose to discuss, spontaneous and unfettered, not imposed by anyone or subject to anyone's approval. It is the people's platform. We have seen how MSM present their news, very selective and with a high dosage of self censorship. The way MSM are going about their roles, they are, yes, many of you have said it, losing their credibility and influence on their readers. In redbeanforum and mysingaporenews, there are hundreds of you fellas out there, all very well educated, concerned, opinionated, articulate and well read. All of you have your own interests and your own views of things. If we can share all these in Cyberspace, we will be a very important platform for people, Singaporeans and international readers, to come here to hear us out. Our strength is our free spirit and freedom of expression. We decide what we want to say or discuss. This will put us well ahead of all MSMs. And we are the pioneers in Cyberspace. We should not miss this opportunity to craft out a niche of what Cyberspace and citizen reporting are all about. Our time is precious. Our effort is precious. We should use these constructively and meaningfully. We can be as creative as we want. Say whatever we want. But we need to develop our own netiquette and professional conduct to be respectable and taken seriously. All of us have different views and opposing views. But as long as we respect each other and discuss on issues, we cannot get too far wrong. Just stay away from attacking people personally or libels and scandals. This is our country, our space. Make it counts. Make our views heard and be taken seriously. For those who are posting in mysingaporenews blog, there is a limitation in that you cannot initiate new topics. Use the forum to tell your story. Talk about things that are close to your heart. We can talk about them passionately, sensibly and sincerely. If we can do that, our effort will not be in vain. The fact that all of you are here is that we share some common values and approaches to what posting and discussion in cyberspace should be like. Let us be the beacon for others who will come after us. Let us show our way. As a first world nation, we must be confident of ourselves and our voice, and be prepared to take a stand on domestic or international issues. Redbean