Learning to eat shit blindly

One of the most outstanding characteristics of Sinkieland is learning to eat American shit without thinking. When they said big is good, we went ahead blindly to force merge our local banks into three, with the intent to probably end up with only two, only for the Americans to curse the too big to fail syndrome. The financial crisis brought not only the too big to fail banks to their knees, it also meant that the poor tax payers would have to pay for the crooked ways of the big bank robbers.

Then we went in blindly to sell toxic notes and bonds without knowing that they were more than snake oil, but poison. And the blame was on the ignorant and innocent investors for not doing their homework. Wonder if NTUC sold some poisoned foodstuff and the blame would be put to the people or the AVA?

And the bigger Lehman bond is going to blow in the face of all investors and the finance industry when the stock market goes into a limp when the Viagra used to boost trading activities turns out to be fake, Made in USA. Many investors have lost a fortune and many people in the industry will be losing their jobs and their ability to service the big home mortgages.

The latest, the auntie pattern army uniforms, was copied from the Americans. Whatever the Americans do, we copied. Now, even before every soldier is issued with the uniforms, the US realized their stupidity and is abandoning the pixelised uniforms for a more relevant pattern, which is another farce really. It is not very much different from the one that was replaced earlier. The victims will be the taxpayers for the billions of dollars spent to switch and switch. But that can be expected from the Americans as it is big business interests involved.

Now we will end up with this stupidity and trying to justify that it is the right thing. To me it looks sissy, and nothing like the jungle. It may fit into the wet market or the new botanic garden. And changing it will cost another bomb and another big logistic nightmare.

Failed spamming attacks

I have received reports that my site has been under heavy spamming attacks recently, apparently from 'foreign sources'. I did not know why the foreigners would be so interested to attack a little Sinkie blog so persistently, or is there any reason for them to do so.

Anyway, the attacks failed miserably and all their effort was wasted as none of the spams came through except for one one two occasionally.

Bloggers have a very effective screening process to keep these pests out of their system.

I shall say try harder. They need to be better or need to pay for more talented spammers to do damage to bloggers' firewall.

My two ups to them.

Same challenges different responses

Leong Chun Ying has taken over as the new head of Hongkong. His maiden speech was about tackling the immediate challenges facing the island, high property prices, high income gap and social harmony. These are exactly the same problems that Sinkies are facing. And the Today paper has frontpaged the thoughts of Chan Chun Sing on the same issues yesterday.

The problems are recognized but how the govt is dealing with them can be filtered from Chan Chun Sing’s comments. Taking care of the low income and making sure they have enough to get by is relatively an easier issue to resolve. Raising productivity and increasing social transfers to ensure a basic standard of living for low wage earners will do the trick, and they will have enough to buy milk powder and other basic necessities. It is the aspirations of the highly educated Sinkies that are difficult to deal with. To the latter, it is how much more to have, I think, that is worrying. They need to own assets worth several millions before they are satisfied. For the lower income, they have little or no aspirations. Really?

Let me summarise, helping the rich getting richer is difficult, ie, no answers. Helping the poor with their basic needs is easy. Just make sure they have enough to eat and money to buy milk powder. They will survive. Some are doing very well with $2000 a month income. Why should those earning $5000 be complaining? So $2000 should be enough, afterall $1000 can already buy HDB flats. $2000 must be a luxury.

Now I understand why the income gap will not be narrowed. It is relative and matter of perception and lifestyle. Many can live on $2000. So what is the problem? In Hongkong, Leong is going to listen seriously to the voices and complaints of the people. Here, the income gap can simply be explained away as part of progress and nothing can be done. So is housing prices. Now what is the Hongkie govt going to do to narrow the income gap and high property prices? I don’t think they are going to say the same thing, or the problem is too difficult to resolve.

I think the Hongkie govt will have serious problems trying to solve these if the super talents here could not. The Hongkies did not claim to be super talents and are not drawing super talented pay and can be excused for being not so clever.

Yuriko Koike smearing China’s contribution to save Europe

While Europe is in the doldrum needing resuscitation, China and the BRIC nations are pumping US$55 billion into the Save Europe Fund with China’s share at US$43b. In a report in Today, this Yuriko is accusing China of extending a helping hand to promote its strategic interests, not a white knight. China’s buying land in Iceland is for China’s benefit and not for Iceland. China’s enormous embassy is to improve intelligence collection. China’s investment in the port and transport services in Greece is to China’s advantage.

So, what should China do while spending all the billions of hard earned money to invest in these countries that would not benefit China or must not benefit China? These monies did not fall from the sky. And these monies are different from the monies and national treasures that the Japanese robbed from China, Korea and Southeast Asian countries during the Japanese invasion in the Second World War.

Now what is Japan going to do with those ill gotten wealth to help the European countries that would not benefit Japan as well? What is Yuriko’s agenda for writing this scathing attack at China?

CHC is just a small church

It is good and natural for the believers of CHC to pledge loyalty to Kong Hee. They know him, a friend, a pastor and a servant of God. Never mind about the indiscretion he is facing in court.

Does anyone want to think and ask a few questions like why they listen to him and go to his church? The Church, in layman terms or in believer’s term, is the house of God. They go to the church to seek God which is believed to be infallible and will not err, and will not indulge in money acquisition as an important part of spiritual uplifting.

Sinkies are legendary for being unthinking. Several generations have gone by with this spirit in them. They went to the election booth to vote for a party, not the person, not the policies. Perhaps the person is mixed up with the party. The believers of CHC are also voting blindly, not interested in questioning anything, the act, the person, the whole belief.

Did they know that God will not allow usurers and tax collectors or money lenders in his church? But what to do? The unthinking Sinkies will just vote and support blindly, as they are brought up that way. Blind following and blind obedience are what Sinkies have been indoctrinated with. The Bible said, ‘Seek ye the truth and the truth shalt set you free.’ How can one seek the truth if one refuses to think? Christianity is not meant to be a blind faith. Or is it?

In the wider context, Sinkies are resigned to buy atrociously priced public housing, quietly accepting the fate of their life savings as tax and would not even think of taking it back. My God, it is not $2 but hundreds of thousands! They are resigned to their fate and would accept any fate with empty promises. They embrace hope even knowing that it is hopeless. The believers of CHC are good representatives of the whole population, except for those in Hougang or those wanting to be Hougangkia. Many in the population will just vote blindly for the bigger church.

Matthew 7:15-20


‘Watch out for false prophets. They will come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, of figs from thistles?’ Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.’