Confirmed, China had a hard landing. Clap, clap, clap. Finally, after so many years of doomsaying and praying, China had a hard landing. The analysts were right after all. China is going to collapse big time and go begging for help from the Western countries, the World Bank and the IMF. Zoeller would have his last laugh. See, we told you so.
Let’s look at the figures from Market Watch, WSJ, for October 2011. The latest figures could be more frightening but have not seen them yet. The trade surplus for August, September and October grew by US$17b, US$14.5b and US$17.76b respectively. The ‘slump’ in September was due poor demand in Europe. And the numbers really fell below the expectations of Newswires and Reuters, forecasting a growth of US$25.8b and US$24.9b respectively. These are dangerous numbers and signs of weaknesses and can become more widespread.
More dangerous signs, ‘Exports were 15.9% higher than a year earlier, though missing the average 16.5% growth projection from a Reuters survey of economists, and below the 17.1% rise in September.’
And according to ‘Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Chinese exports grew 20.6% on average each month throughout the third quarter, while imports averaged 24.8% growth.’
The growing imports and shrinking exports must be troubling China and its decision makers. I am just wondering, would the US or European countries be happy to achieve these numbers? I bet many of them would love to have such a hard landing and probably asking for more. And I am sure many of the EU countries would love to switch places with China and celebrate every time the growth numbers failed to meet the forecasts of Newswires and Reuters but still registering a 20% average monthly growth. Even an average of 10% monthly growth would be like striking the biggest jackpot win.
I really love all these enlightening and frightening reports about China. And I don’t see why China should be crying with all these conjectured hard landings. Many would be so envious of these hard landings and would still crawl to China to ask for handouts. And they better pray that the hard landings would still allow China to be generous as there is no more Santa Claus out there except China or maybe Singapore.
3/15/2012
Am I amused?
I was reading some of the comments in TRE on Shanmugam’s fame statement of not wanting to burden our young with more taxes. One trend of thought shone through the deluge of angry voices. The PAP has lost touch with the ground, did not know what is happening, did not do its homework. Now, now, now, can’t make such sweeping statements about the crème ala crème of our super talents. They would not be where they are and earning millions, if they did not know what is happening or did not do their homework.
I hate to disappoint the losers. They are in control and know exactly what is happening and what they are doing. Period. Do not under estimate the super talents. They are brighter and smarter than the losers for sure. The main difference is that both are existing on the same piece of rock but living on different planes of existence. One is apple and one is buah long long. One lives a lifestyle whereby $50k a month is too pressurizing. The other must be grateful to be able to buy a 2rm HDB flat with $1000 pm income. You cannot compare the two as both are deserving of what they have. Don’t be unreasonable. The rich poor gap is only natural and would get wider as we progress. The rich must get richer and the poor must get poorer. There is nothing that can be done about it. It is the law of nature. Darwinism!
The losers must accept their fate that they are simply not good enough. Why then must the govt bring in more foreign talents? Isn’t that clear enough that the losers are unable to make the best of their lives in such a conducive money making environment and should only have themselves to blame. Look, look, all the foreign talents are so happy here, making so much money and not complaining. If there is anything wrong, it must be the local losers.
Want another spur on your hike? The whole world is being invited to be here to get rich. How could the locals be complaining that they could not make it? This is the freest economy for the meritocratic, regardless of nationalities. The third most competitive country in the world ot do business. I mean do business, not selling bak chang or nasi lemak. If you are good, you deserve to be rich. If you are no good, don’t kpkb. The govt does not believe in a welfare state, not even with your CPF money for your own charity.
And don’t complain that the govt is not doing anything for the people. $1.1b to subsidise public transport. What more do you want? More parks will be built for the people to enjoy. Fresh air and landscaped environment. No good meh? There will be more upgradings and SERS to give more money to the people. Cannot complain lah. The govt is doing everything it can for the good of the people. And the hundreds of billions in national reserves are for the people. Don’t you feel rich? See, all the western countries are in debt and going bankrupt. We got hundreds of billions to buy up fire sale companies for a song. Soon they will be turned around to double the money invested.
The future of our country is in good hands. They know what they are doing. The losers don’t. The writing is on the wall but the losers failed to see. Every policy is carefully fine tuned, targetted for the desired results, by the best talents money can buy.
I hate to disappoint the losers. They are in control and know exactly what is happening and what they are doing. Period. Do not under estimate the super talents. They are brighter and smarter than the losers for sure. The main difference is that both are existing on the same piece of rock but living on different planes of existence. One is apple and one is buah long long. One lives a lifestyle whereby $50k a month is too pressurizing. The other must be grateful to be able to buy a 2rm HDB flat with $1000 pm income. You cannot compare the two as both are deserving of what they have. Don’t be unreasonable. The rich poor gap is only natural and would get wider as we progress. The rich must get richer and the poor must get poorer. There is nothing that can be done about it. It is the law of nature. Darwinism!
The losers must accept their fate that they are simply not good enough. Why then must the govt bring in more foreign talents? Isn’t that clear enough that the losers are unable to make the best of their lives in such a conducive money making environment and should only have themselves to blame. Look, look, all the foreign talents are so happy here, making so much money and not complaining. If there is anything wrong, it must be the local losers.
Want another spur on your hike? The whole world is being invited to be here to get rich. How could the locals be complaining that they could not make it? This is the freest economy for the meritocratic, regardless of nationalities. The third most competitive country in the world ot do business. I mean do business, not selling bak chang or nasi lemak. If you are good, you deserve to be rich. If you are no good, don’t kpkb. The govt does not believe in a welfare state, not even with your CPF money for your own charity.
And don’t complain that the govt is not doing anything for the people. $1.1b to subsidise public transport. What more do you want? More parks will be built for the people to enjoy. Fresh air and landscaped environment. No good meh? There will be more upgradings and SERS to give more money to the people. Cannot complain lah. The govt is doing everything it can for the good of the people. And the hundreds of billions in national reserves are for the people. Don’t you feel rich? See, all the western countries are in debt and going bankrupt. We got hundreds of billions to buy up fire sale companies for a song. Soon they will be turned around to double the money invested.
The future of our country is in good hands. They know what they are doing. The losers don’t. The writing is on the wall but the losers failed to see. Every policy is carefully fine tuned, targetted for the desired results, by the best talents money can buy.
Uneasy calm over Hougang
The usual jostling for a right to stand in Hougang in the by election has quieten down. A few opposition parties have spoken, officially, that they would not undermine WP’s attempt to regain its lost seat. The few opportunists that were habouring the idea of joining the fray have taken a retreat as well. They have been warned, by the voice of the people, that doing so would make them look very ugly, and with eggs on their faces. The opportunist tag is heavy to wear. The image of unprincipled spoilers would nail them for life as non starters in local politics.
The heat has subsided in the opposition camp. The wild ambitions of gamblers thinking that running for election is like entering a casino, hoping to win without any principles or ethics, have been doused, I think. Just place your bet! As each day slowly passes by, reasons seem to have triumph for the moment. Or has it?
On the PAP camp, it is like a defeated army trying to avoid another big battle and risking a devastating and embarrassing blow that would signal that the end is near. No generals would dare to stand up and blow his trumpet to lead the assault to retake lost ground. No one would say the ground is sweet or the chiku is ripe. The best outcome is not to have a contest and sit it out till the next GE.
How long can they be on the bench? The suit by Mdm Muthu is due for hearing by end of the month. Would there be calls for further adjournment for another 6 mths or a year and probably more time to prepare the case as it will affect the nation’s future and security? This is how important this by election is taken to be. The nation’s interests will be a paramount consideration in deciding whether a by election will be called.
The people have spoken, or at least aired its view, that only WP should stake its claim against the PAP. The people are also waiting for a by election to take place soonest. Would this be heard or be ignored? There are other noises that would tell the contrary. No need for by election. The Hougang residents deserve to be in the shit for voting the wrong candidate and the wrong party. Such noise is likely to get louder to make a case for no by election, no need MP representation for the Hougang residents. They must pay for their folly.
While the WP is anxiously waiting to do battle, the opponent is making a quiet retreat, a surprising move from a party in control. Or it is no longer in control, except the timing to call a by election or not? The game has changed.
The heat has subsided in the opposition camp. The wild ambitions of gamblers thinking that running for election is like entering a casino, hoping to win without any principles or ethics, have been doused, I think. Just place your bet! As each day slowly passes by, reasons seem to have triumph for the moment. Or has it?
On the PAP camp, it is like a defeated army trying to avoid another big battle and risking a devastating and embarrassing blow that would signal that the end is near. No generals would dare to stand up and blow his trumpet to lead the assault to retake lost ground. No one would say the ground is sweet or the chiku is ripe. The best outcome is not to have a contest and sit it out till the next GE.
How long can they be on the bench? The suit by Mdm Muthu is due for hearing by end of the month. Would there be calls for further adjournment for another 6 mths or a year and probably more time to prepare the case as it will affect the nation’s future and security? This is how important this by election is taken to be. The nation’s interests will be a paramount consideration in deciding whether a by election will be called.
The people have spoken, or at least aired its view, that only WP should stake its claim against the PAP. The people are also waiting for a by election to take place soonest. Would this be heard or be ignored? There are other noises that would tell the contrary. No need for by election. The Hougang residents deserve to be in the shit for voting the wrong candidate and the wrong party. Such noise is likely to get louder to make a case for no by election, no need MP representation for the Hougang residents. They must pay for their folly.
While the WP is anxiously waiting to do battle, the opponent is making a quiet retreat, a surprising move from a party in control. Or it is no longer in control, except the timing to call a by election or not? The game has changed.
3/14/2012
Everything is for sale – Uniquely Singapore
Put it in another way, everything can be bought in paradise. We can buy honesty, buy loyalty, buy talents, and of course everything else in Orchard Road. That reminds me of all the great properties there. All one needs is money, and you can have your pick.
The latest thing to buy is good character. Pay the bugger for showing good character. In no time Singaporeans will all have good character. Not sure about foreigners. Some have shown that good character cannot be bought even if we pay for their education, food and lodging and a good job waiting for them, even giving them citizenship.
Can everything be bought with money? Good character can? The goodness will go away once the money is not there. Loyalty and pride of being a people, citizens of a country, cannot be bought by money easily. Just issuing a pink IC does not guarantee that the person will want to be one of us. Many are just in transit, transient citizens. The most glaring evident is their children or they themselves refusing to do the little sacrifice that every male Singapore citizen does, National Service.
Please stop throwing tax payers money to the ingrates who are just passing through or waiting for better opportunities elsewhere. And don’t think people can turn good because of monetary rewards. The goodness of a person must come from within that person.
Incidentally we can't even buy a decent football team to compete against Malaysian state teams.
The latest thing to buy is good character. Pay the bugger for showing good character. In no time Singaporeans will all have good character. Not sure about foreigners. Some have shown that good character cannot be bought even if we pay for their education, food and lodging and a good job waiting for them, even giving them citizenship.
Can everything be bought with money? Good character can? The goodness will go away once the money is not there. Loyalty and pride of being a people, citizens of a country, cannot be bought by money easily. Just issuing a pink IC does not guarantee that the person will want to be one of us. Many are just in transit, transient citizens. The most glaring evident is their children or they themselves refusing to do the little sacrifice that every male Singapore citizen does, National Service.
Please stop throwing tax payers money to the ingrates who are just passing through or waiting for better opportunities elsewhere. And don’t think people can turn good because of monetary rewards. The goodness of a person must come from within that person.
Incidentally we can't even buy a decent football team to compete against Malaysian state teams.
A critical time in our history
1963 we were part of Malaysia. Before we became independent in 1965, we were in an undeclared war with Indonesia that opposed the formation of Malaysia. Our two Singapore Infantry Regiments were sent to East Malaysia and Johore to defend Malaysia, and their barracks were occupied by new troops from Malaysia. Great musical chair strategy.
I could not remember the exact dates and details, but when the two SIRs returned, one or both could not move into their barracks and had to camp in the field in Farrer Park. The old soldiers could fill in the gaps on this part of our history. It was a precarious time when foreign troops were in our soil in a way, yes we a state of Malaysia then. We were once colonized by the British, then conquered by the Japanese and then became part of Malaysia. It was sheer good fortune that we were given independence without bloodshed. It was dicey that our troops could return to their barracks. It was like your flats being occupied by your FT tenants and you had to squat in the field.
The lack of a credible military force to defend our country was something that most scared the light out of our pioneering leaders. We then had the colonial masters around whose main interest was to keep us independent and friendly to their interests in the Far East. As long as they were around, we were safe within their protective umbrella, and as a semi colony. The stark reality of being walked over by a foreign power led to a hurried effort to build up an army of our own.
1967 saw the first batch of our local boys being trained in SAFTI by the Israeli advisors. The following years saw the dispatched of more young men to the UK for training for our future Navy and Air Force. And we thought time was on our side, to gradually build up our defence capabilities only to be hit with a double whammy. The British decided to pull out from their bases here in early 1970s. This was a big hit to our trading economy. And our national defence was still in infancy. We had just introduced National Service a couple of years back and everyone in uniform was still technically a trainee. Everything had to be short circuited to gain time. It was all a mad rush to put an army together out of nothing.
We were in a vacuum of sort as far as soldiers were concerned. Without the people willingly coming forward despite that it was called National Service, we would have a hard time building up an army. The people responded to the call of the nation and everyone played his part in a big jigsaw puzzle with blank pieces. And every piece had to fit or knock in to fit at the quickest time possible. It was that easy if we don’t think about it. It was DIY quick fix and hoped for the best.
Though we were fortunate not to have been in a war during our formative years, it was a critical time, and a treacherous time. The British were there holding the umbrella. But they could fold it up if the people and govt did not have the resolve to pull it through. If the govt was weak and could not rally the people to build a nation for themselves, we would have been doomed, economically and politically as a country. The British could give up and give the island to anyone able to hold it together. They could have abandoned us if we did not treasure the moment and the opportunity.
The early batches of NS men were there to fill up the void, to hold the fort for the time being while the bigger picture was being put into place. Their sheer presence was what was needed in those precarious moments of truth, to exist or to fade away, or be taken over. Our future would have been different if the people did not gel together to answer the call of a young nation in the making.
Those were the times when nothing was a luxury. Everyone was a piece of the big jigsaw puzzle in formation, the NS men, the workers, the entrepreneurs and the civil service and the govt. They were living for a strange new mission, to build a country, a nation. It was not starting a SME. And many things they were doing were completely alien to them. They were all learning on the job, doing things for the first time. Yep, like the blind leading the blind. It was only forty odd years ago. Many have walked in those days and have vivid memories of their experience.
We have forgotten. We have forgotten the difficult times, the times when personal sacrifices were part and parcel of nation building. Many civil servants and military officers were just told to get the job done with no issues of sacrifices. We forgot that at one time we were struggling to turn this island into a country. We forgot the price our parents paid for what it is today. $90 NS allowance and rubbery meat that bounced off the floor. The bread and kaya for breakfast were not much different from what prisoners got then. Today, we talk about sacrifices like having diarrheoa. Every little drop of shit is damn big sacrifice. If the NS men of then did not turn up at CMPB in Kallang, or if there were violent protest to NS, how would we have turned out today, an independent state or part of someone else’s state?
We have forgotten that together we have built a country, a nation. And still some would rubbish it as a state in the making. So we can give it away, invite everyone here and issue citizenship certificates like toilet papers. Come, take, it is no man’s land. We are migrants or descendants of migrants. You migrant, good, same same. Come share my home. Feed yourself and take all you want. There is no ownership to this land. No one feels that it belongs to the pioneering migrants who crafted it out as a country and wanted to make this home for their descendants.
And the daft descendants are calling themselves migrants and not owners of a country their forefathers have fought, worked and died for. They are willing to share with anyone, give to anyone. How generous!
How stupid can they be? No, they don’t think so. They don’t know that this is home, their country. When there is no ownership, you can expect what it will become next. Think public toilets. The daft Sinkies don’t deserve this country. And the new arrivals will tell them to go if they are not happy here.
When you lose your inheritance…or sell your inheritance away….
I could not remember the exact dates and details, but when the two SIRs returned, one or both could not move into their barracks and had to camp in the field in Farrer Park. The old soldiers could fill in the gaps on this part of our history. It was a precarious time when foreign troops were in our soil in a way, yes we a state of Malaysia then. We were once colonized by the British, then conquered by the Japanese and then became part of Malaysia. It was sheer good fortune that we were given independence without bloodshed. It was dicey that our troops could return to their barracks. It was like your flats being occupied by your FT tenants and you had to squat in the field.
The lack of a credible military force to defend our country was something that most scared the light out of our pioneering leaders. We then had the colonial masters around whose main interest was to keep us independent and friendly to their interests in the Far East. As long as they were around, we were safe within their protective umbrella, and as a semi colony. The stark reality of being walked over by a foreign power led to a hurried effort to build up an army of our own.
1967 saw the first batch of our local boys being trained in SAFTI by the Israeli advisors. The following years saw the dispatched of more young men to the UK for training for our future Navy and Air Force. And we thought time was on our side, to gradually build up our defence capabilities only to be hit with a double whammy. The British decided to pull out from their bases here in early 1970s. This was a big hit to our trading economy. And our national defence was still in infancy. We had just introduced National Service a couple of years back and everyone in uniform was still technically a trainee. Everything had to be short circuited to gain time. It was all a mad rush to put an army together out of nothing.
We were in a vacuum of sort as far as soldiers were concerned. Without the people willingly coming forward despite that it was called National Service, we would have a hard time building up an army. The people responded to the call of the nation and everyone played his part in a big jigsaw puzzle with blank pieces. And every piece had to fit or knock in to fit at the quickest time possible. It was that easy if we don’t think about it. It was DIY quick fix and hoped for the best.
Though we were fortunate not to have been in a war during our formative years, it was a critical time, and a treacherous time. The British were there holding the umbrella. But they could fold it up if the people and govt did not have the resolve to pull it through. If the govt was weak and could not rally the people to build a nation for themselves, we would have been doomed, economically and politically as a country. The British could give up and give the island to anyone able to hold it together. They could have abandoned us if we did not treasure the moment and the opportunity.
The early batches of NS men were there to fill up the void, to hold the fort for the time being while the bigger picture was being put into place. Their sheer presence was what was needed in those precarious moments of truth, to exist or to fade away, or be taken over. Our future would have been different if the people did not gel together to answer the call of a young nation in the making.
Those were the times when nothing was a luxury. Everyone was a piece of the big jigsaw puzzle in formation, the NS men, the workers, the entrepreneurs and the civil service and the govt. They were living for a strange new mission, to build a country, a nation. It was not starting a SME. And many things they were doing were completely alien to them. They were all learning on the job, doing things for the first time. Yep, like the blind leading the blind. It was only forty odd years ago. Many have walked in those days and have vivid memories of their experience.
We have forgotten. We have forgotten the difficult times, the times when personal sacrifices were part and parcel of nation building. Many civil servants and military officers were just told to get the job done with no issues of sacrifices. We forgot that at one time we were struggling to turn this island into a country. We forgot the price our parents paid for what it is today. $90 NS allowance and rubbery meat that bounced off the floor. The bread and kaya for breakfast were not much different from what prisoners got then. Today, we talk about sacrifices like having diarrheoa. Every little drop of shit is damn big sacrifice. If the NS men of then did not turn up at CMPB in Kallang, or if there were violent protest to NS, how would we have turned out today, an independent state or part of someone else’s state?
We have forgotten that together we have built a country, a nation. And still some would rubbish it as a state in the making. So we can give it away, invite everyone here and issue citizenship certificates like toilet papers. Come, take, it is no man’s land. We are migrants or descendants of migrants. You migrant, good, same same. Come share my home. Feed yourself and take all you want. There is no ownership to this land. No one feels that it belongs to the pioneering migrants who crafted it out as a country and wanted to make this home for their descendants.
And the daft descendants are calling themselves migrants and not owners of a country their forefathers have fought, worked and died for. They are willing to share with anyone, give to anyone. How generous!
How stupid can they be? No, they don’t think so. They don’t know that this is home, their country. When there is no ownership, you can expect what it will become next. Think public toilets. The daft Sinkies don’t deserve this country. And the new arrivals will tell them to go if they are not happy here.
When you lose your inheritance…or sell your inheritance away….
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)