Spot the idiot

Two super talented housing ministers are saying and doing different things. One cried wolf, claiming that tens of thousands of unsold HDB flats were wasting assets in the billions and need to be got rid off fast, and never to be repeated again. The billions of unproductive dollars were they based on market price or building cost? Did any backbencher question the numbers? The two numbers were as far apart as heaven and hell. Wonder which idiot allowed the surplus to build up to such a huge number, probably sleeping on the job, and which idiot got rid of them only to find that the amount was not enough given the huge influx of immigrants in the pipeline. Did not know? And to compound the problem, the building programme was not only slowed down but no new flats would be built unless the number of confirmed applicants exceeded some numbers that they were happy with. The edict was final.

And of course public housing price was damned affordable and the DPM even quoted in Parliament that a $1000 pm income could buy a HDB flat. And there were more supporting arguments by other ministers and MPs to such a claim. And they claimed that they could be the opposing voice of the people, criticising flawed govt policies, but not a single one of them saw the flaw and the serious problems of housing. Did any of these so called backbencher MPs from the ruling party speak about the housing problems before they admitted that it was a serious problem after the last GE? Can they be trusted by the people to listen to their cries, to represent them and speak for them as individuals of independent mind, speak like opposition MPs?

Now the new housing ministers is trying desperately to ramp out building more public flats and 50,000 units were still not enough. And the prices continue to escalate with continuous demand for more. If the price is affordable, the minister would not need to talk about price easing as a major goal. And funny, the minister is also talking of a pool of over supply HDB flats as a cushion for good measures.

Now, has anyone spotted the idiot? The real idiots are really the voters who believed that ruling party backbencher MPs can really represent them and speak for them. The real idiots are those who believed that public housing was affordable and kept emptying their pockets to pay for a 99 year lease flat that would have no value when the lease expires.

The real idiots are the suckers who would not do anything to help themselves and blindly listen to half truths or fabricated truths. The real idiots are the daft Sinkies. They only have themselves to blame for the plight they are in, for being gullible sheeples. For believing that the housing policies were the best from the most talented, and meekly accepting them, queueing for them, being prevented from buying public housing as citizens while new citizens happily came in to buy and profited from them, and increasing the long queue, and buyers paying happily for public housing at very affordable price as officially pronounced, but the most expensive public housing in the world.

How long would the gullible Sinkies choose to remain as idiots?

Tay Ping Hui: Notable quote

If you have no solutions, shut up.

“Was told if I was going to comment on something, I should provide solutions instead of just talking. My reply:” then what am I paying u 4?” Tay Ping Hui on DPM's comments to the Pre U Students Seminar

Another comment when asked for solutions by the DPM, a student replied. 'But I am on 17. What do you expect me to say?'

The Empire is back

In no uncertain terms, the Americans told the Asean and Asian leaders that they are here to stay. Though they are thousands of miles away across the Pacific Ocean, they are going to deploy the largest armada in the region, consisting of 6 aircraft carriers, destroyers, combat ships and submarines and the bases in Japan, South Korea and Australia, and facilities in some of their allied countries. Resistance is futile, the Empire is here to rule.

The military forces available to the Americans are more than enough to conduct a war against all the Asian and Southeast nations combined, including China and India. That is the kind of dominating force that the Americans are presenting to these nations. What can they do about it? Nothing. They will just have to accept the presence of the Empire, like it or not.

And they invited the Empire to their Summit as a friend, only to be told by this friend that he is the boss and he will dictate the rules of diplomacy and engagement. The Americans never left. Once they are in they will not go away, unless forced out by nationalistic forces as in Vietnam and the Philippines. But both are changing their minds and may invite the Empire to put troops in their countries once again, and become semi colonies.

The two semi colonies in the north, Japan and South Korea, have no choice. One was conquered and will remain a semi colony to host troops from the Empire. The other was caught in a losing civil war when the Empire was invited in. Now that the South Koreans are claiming to be a more superior force than the North and daily itching to attack the North, they are still in no position to ask the Empire to leave. The Empire will not leave once invited in.

How long would Asian and Asean countries be ruled by the Empire and accept its military presence in the region? Are they really so willing to have an overpowering presence of an Empire that will not take no for an answer and will want to have the biggest say in their domestic and regional affairs?

The Empire is back. Resistance is futile. Obey and there will be peace.

Time scroll Series

This looks like a torn and tattered piece of ancient scroll. It is actually a painting that I have created using the Art of RAR Technique. See www.artofrar.blogspot.com for more of my rar art pieces.

11th Asia Security Summit

This high power Summit, called the Shangri La Dialogue 2012, commenced yesterday with a keynote speech by H.E. Dr. H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, entitled “An Architecture For Durable Peace in the Asia Pacific”.The participants include heads of state of Asean and key govt officials of the major powers.

I searched furiously for a report on this event and was frustratingly denied. I thought it would be a front page news in the main media but it seems that a footballer kicking ball into a bumboat as an advertising gimmick was more newsworthy. I finally found it stashed in a corner and spreaded across page 2 and 3, a small column on each page, not bigger than 4R, that befits its importance as newsworthy.

To me this Dialogue is a major event as it is an Asean statement to the big powers of what Asean’s stand is all about with respect to peace and security in the region. Yudhoyono made the Asean stand clear and to the point. Asean welcome big powers in trade and investment, not polarisation and creating military tension in the region. If big powers are here for economic activities, they are welcomed.

He also made it plain to the Americans that it has no right to stop emerging powers to grow and they should not be treated with suspicion by the Americans. Every emerging power has a rightful place in the regional architecture, ‘Asia is certainly big enough for all powers – established and emerging – and there is always room for new stakeholders, as long as they invest in common peace and progress.’

The Americans must know that this is a plain message that every country, big and small, including every Asean country, has a right to grow and be an emerging power in the region. America cannot labelled any country as dangerous just because they wanted to be an emerging power and to be threatened with the raising of tension in the region, just like the case of North Korea. If the American can make a case out of North Korea, it can do likewise to all regional powers, branding them as dangerous and suspicious, and threatening them with sanctions or threats of war.

It is a noteworthy speech that says Asean has a mind of its own and knows where its interest lies, that peace and security in the region is of paramount importance, and regional conflicts incited by the Americans would not be entertained. Asean will conduct its own brand of diplomacy through peaceful negotiations and not through escalating tension or war.

It is interesting to hear what the Americans have to say this time, raising the spectre of a China or North Korean threat again, and Asean needs the US military presence to counter China?