China, Taiwan, Korea, what are you going to do about it?

The Japanese have arrested 14 Chinese citizens in Diaoyutai, a group of islands seized by Japan after it defeated China in 1894. But the post WW2 Treaty after Japan surrendered made Japan returned all the land and islands grabbed by Japan to their rightful owners.

The Japanese also claim Dokdo Island belonging to Korean want to take their claim to the International Court. They have nothing to lose as the Island was Korean’s. And they could even win if they could somehow get the International Court on its side. When claiming someone’s island it is always okay to bring it to a third party like what the Philippines and Vietnam are trying to do.

The Japanese are prepared to use force to hold on to their loots of the days of military adventurism. Even after the defeat and surrender, they are not repenting and think they are still the biggest Imperial power in East Asia. Diaoyutai and Okinawa etc are islands conquered and taken from their owners. There were historical records and Japanese acknowledgement that they were Chinese territories. Japan only grabbed them when China was weak and defenceless. Japan has shown that it would not return them unless forcefully taken back by the rightful owners.

Though PM Noda has claimed that Japan would not resort to war during his anniversary speech on the surrender of Japan, Japanese militarism is on the rise. They are unrepentant. In the latest incident they rammed their navy ships against the Chinese fishing boat that brought the Hongkies and Taiwanese to set foot on the island.

Now Japan is showing that it would use force to hold on to these captured territories. What would China, Taiwan and Korea do if they claimed that these are their territories? Japan has arrested Chinese citizens in Chinese soil and even talked about selling the islands among themselves? At least Korea’s President Lee Myung Bak has made a visit to the Dokdo Island which they have regained control. When is China and Taiwan going to do something to claim back their islands for good?

The time is now. Not doing anything when its citizens are arrested in Chinese territory is saying that it is not their island and they are only making a claim for it. China and Taiwan, the ball is now in your court. Allowing the Japanese to get away again this time is as good as giving up your claim. The Vietnamese and the Philippines and the US are watching to see how China responds to defend its land and people. Any weakness would be a sign for more encroachment and adventurism by the Trinity of Evil in the South China Sea.

China, Taiwan and the Koreans should work together and give an ultimatum to the Japanese to return all the lands taken from them and put an end to Japanese aggression and imperialism on their sovereignties. Weakness is sexy and inviting for more trouble.

Imagine Sity Singapore

We have more than one million new citizens over the last ten years. And they are mainly from PRC, India and the Philippines. Imagine if a big number of them choose to join the police force or the military. And the forces cannot refuse them as they are rightfully citizens of the country, they are Singaporeans. Right?

Then the Sinkies walk into a Neighbourhood Police Post manned by a team of PRC made Sinkie Police, or Indian Indian Police or Pinoy Police officers. Would it be simply hilarious or would it be frightening? Imagine a Sinkie walking on the street and confront by a team of PRC or Indian Indian or Pinoy police officers and wanting to search or check on him.

My God, I can never imagine what this sity state has become. Yes, I spelt the word sity, no mistake.

Can the citizens penalise the govt?

The people are penalized for all kinds of transgression that are not crimes in any way. Late payment for bills kenna fined plus GST lagi. Earn too much cannot get subsidies, and cannot buy public flats. Kenna mean tested for medical subsidies just to name a few.

Can or should the people fine the govt for failed policies or for not providing the basic necessities? We pay really good money for a first class govt and it is rightly that we expect and demand that they don’t foul up in things that can be planned ahead. And that is what this govt has been crowing about all these years. They are on top of all the problems, they can plan ahead, especially for the good of Sinkies using the Sinkies’ money in the CPF.

Can the people expect the govt to plan ahead for public housing, hospitals and hospital beds, school places for children from primary schools to universities, public transportation and what else? These are things that are within the govt’s control. And if the govt fails miserably in these areas, should it be penalized? The housing fiasco is one. The inadequacy of public transport, the lack of primary school places, the shortage of hospital beds. Is the govt going to say, can’t be helped?

What do you think? Or should the people provide the govt with answers to solve these problems? Or can these questions be asked in Parliament without being seen as insinuating any wrong doings?

Maybe the govt is flawless and beyond reproach.

The new gold mountain金山

California or North America were once called the land of gold mountains in the 19th century. This honour should rightfully go to the new star called Singapore. It now boasts of an average income of US$56,532 per capita in 2010 and the number would balloon to US$137,310 in 2050. Even if S$1 could buy US$3 by then, it is still a handsome amount to be had. The Sinkies would be the richest people on earth several times over.

With this forecast, our population would be 20m or 50m if we are not careful. The citizens of the world would be forming a beeline here, to be in Sin. And Sinkies, what are you waiting for? Go and make babies quick. The average income of these future Sinkies would be almost US$100k when they are 28. And they could easily buy the best HDB flats even if it costs $5m each. No problem.

And this number is only applicable to the average Sinkies. The top 10% could be earning a hundred or two hundred times that. And it would be something like US$10m or US$20m that. Maybe this is too small as many are already earning this kind of money today. Make it US$100m or US$200m, think that would be more likely.

I would not know how people of other countries will be getting. Neither would I know how much it will cost to buy a home or a car or a plate of chicken rice then. But throwing such numbers around today is like day dreaming and saliva dripping from the corner of the mouth.

The future for Sinkies is very very rich. There should be no reason for Sinkies to worry about affordability in bearing children. There is a good life ahead for them. The best the world can offer.

Just a question. How many of you are earning US$56k pa today? Actually the average Sinkies today should be earning at least US$60k or S$78k. Anything less is below average.

More delisting is good in a virtual stock market

In the pages of the media yesterday there were talks of more delisting of companies in the SGX. This is the natural trend of development in the stock market given the lack of interest in the investors and the depressed value of stocks. Many stocks are now trading below market valuations and there is no point in listing and becoming targets of takeovers. Stocks that are doing well in real business will find it more attractive to delist or relist in markets that give them better valuations.

Basically, why waste money paying listing fees and not getting the real value of the stocks and not able to raise funds? I have been talking about his development for a while. What is happening in the stock market today?

The long term investors and analysts are talking about real values and market valuations that made investment in stocks really attractive, good bye, pun intended. On the other hand the big funds with their gambling machines are only interested in scalping the markets, cornering the market with programmed trading to make the margins. Whether a stock is up or down, below or above market valuation, is not their concern. Neither do they have to worry about such meaningless stuff. As long as they move the market the way they wanted, with sheer volumes, they are happy with their profits.

Companies listing their stocks will find it meaningless, with little incentive to pay the listing fees. They will be better off saving the money or to list them somewhere else.

The market is dying and soon mortis rigor will take over. And with the kind of volumes generated, the commission generated, broking houses will find it a struggle to pay for their overheads. Commissions, not clearing fees, are the life blood that feed all the parties in the market and keeping everyone afloat. It is like Quantitative Easing. The need for liquidity is not for fun. Jokers are constantly talking about cutting cost, lowering commissions. In the absence of real commissions, the industry will end up a wrinkled apple, and finally a dried apple without any juice.

Stock markets must operate under the dynamics of real business and organic growth on a fairly long time scale. When the prices of stocks have no bearings to their real values, when machines are only interested in buying and selling in micro seconds, it is a sign of a mismatch as pure gambling based on odds and lightning speed has no place in a real stock market. The machines will thrive very well in a virtual stock market without any real stocks. They talk differently and think differently from investors looking for good value. They belong to different worlds.

How good is a virtual stock market with virtual stocks, no need for real stocks? Put in a few more high speed computers to generate a few more billions of trades. Is it liquidity? A virtual stock market can exist with fictitious stocks and fictitious trading volumes by computers and there is no need for real stocks and real investors. All the broking houses can pack up, all the backroom staff, analysts, management, and remisiers can look for other jobs. And the stock market can continue to exist in full glory with the machines roaring against each other, with hundreds of billions of virtual trades in a virtual world of machines.

Yes, save all the commissions and liquidity, cut more commissions. There is no need for commissions and liquidity. The cost of trading can be reduced to non existence. Machines and computers do not need to be fed. It will be a cheap cheap stock market.