Serious mental stimulation or fear mongering?

This is what LKY said about China in a report by The Australian on his new book, Lee Kuan Yew: The Grandmaster’s Insight on China, the US and the world, ‘Will an industrialized and strong China be as benign to Southeast Asia as the US has been since 1945? Singapore is not sure. Neither is Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam. He says “many small and medium countries in Asia are concerned. They are uneasy that China may want to resume the imperial status it had in earlier centuries, and have misgivings as being treated as vassal states.’

What is so intriguing about such a westernized view now spoken by LKY? The Americans have been selling this fear daily in all the western media to frighten the shit out of unthinking Southeast Asian countries that China will be eating them up piece by piece. This is American and western fear mongering all these years. It is ‘wolf, wolf, …wolf, wolf’. So what is the big deal parroting an American/western loaded view?

The more dicey part is to link this to a China that ‘wants to resume the imperial status it had in earlier centuries’ and making Southeast Asian states China’s vassal states. How possible and realistic is such a thought? This is antique thinking. The geo politics of the world have changed. The dynamics of world politics have changed. There is a bigger monster in the USA riding roughshod over smaller countries around the world, particularly in Africa, Middle East and recently in Afghanistan.

The main purpose of such rumour and fear mongering is to justify the military presence of the Americans in the region, the American pivot. What else could it serve other than pandering to the interests of the Americans? Of course the Americans will say, good boy.

A China to dominate over Southeast Asian countries is a near impossibility for at least the next 50 years as long as there is a mighty American military that is unchallenged in the world. And as have been proven by the belligerent and imperialist Americans and the Russians, the world today, with nationalism a vital force, no superpower can conquer and subdue a country when the people are ready to fight the invaders. The Americans could not subdue the North Koreans, the Vietnamese, the Arabs, the Africans and now facing the same fate in Afghanistan like the Russians.

World domination by military means is no longer a viable and sustainable option. There cannot be another evil empire to rule the world unless it is so overwhelmingly powerful and it could press and extinguish any form of military resistance like a cockroach. And even if possible, the cost of maintaining peace and security will be a perpetual pain to any evil empire.

It is a different world in a different century. Old ideas and imaginations no longer hold, and the new world order is not going to be like history, Imperial empires, vassal states and all that jazz. It is all about playing computer games and more. The world has changed baby.

By the way, is the USA a benign superpower? Ask how many wars it had started and how many countries it had invaded and bombed and how many innocent people it had killed. Ask those countries that were victims of US aggression and invasion. We happen to be useful and play by the rules of the USA and got some crumbs to feel grateful. Also, thanks to our Muslim neighbours for taking a not too friendly anti USA stance to make us useful to the USA.

Govt policies a major cause of low TFR

Come on, let’s cut the shit. The low TFR of Sinkies is largely the result of bad Govt policies. The other problems, though presumed to be personal, are also related to Govt policies. No?

NS already robs the guys two to two and a half years of their lives from the activities of finding a partner and procreation. Many would have to start dating all over again as their relationship with the opposite sex could have been prematurely terminated while in NS. Absence does not necessarily lead to growing fonder when there are plenty of guys around to pick and choose from, or there to make the move.

The high cost of living cannot be ignored. It is no joke getting married when everything is so expensive, and getting a flat is top priority. Don’t talk cock by asking the young and well educated to stay together in a HDB flat with their parents. They want to start life anew, to create their own little paradise. Can’t blame them. And due to the high cost, they need a few years of working life to save up for the marriage. Money does not grow from the tree, or to be so fortunate to having a rich papa and mama to provide the big ticket items.

And the savings are not limited to just housing, some may want to have a car, but most important, having babies doesn’t come cheap. The medical fees and all the accessories needed for a growing child, the school and tuition fees and all other fees to equip them for a better life, all costs a lot of money. Not many can afford to marry young. Several more years will have to be set aside for this saving phase of their lives.

Then the biggest asshole pompous policy must be housing. Getting a HDB flat is the biggest pain in the arse for many young couples. Many got to put off marriage or having babies because of this. And the wait was 4 or 5 years if they are lucky, though now reduces to 3 or 4 years.

Not only that the flats take a long time to come, and expensive, but small, baby, small, for small families only. Having two is already too big a bundle to handle. Young and upward mobile couples with babies need maids, a place for live in maids. Govt policies right, shrinking flat size and wanting more babies, what a contradiction? But not Govt’s fault really. Govt’s policies are all well thought out, well planned ahead into 2030. All the ministries know what the other is doing and will coordinate to have a set of well considered and coherent policies that make sense and not nonsense, and pro family. Don’t worry, trust the Govt.

And hey, by the time these young people got their flats and are ready, they have lost almost 10 years of their youth, and for the ladies, the biological clock too is a big disadvantage, and many would not have that many productive years left to risk making healthy babies.

Whose fault is that?

Then there is this subconscious memory of Stop At Two that have entered the psyche of many Sinkies. Many would not have broken free of this psychological barrier to have more children, and for good reasons. With the high cost of living and medical fees, stiff competition even at the tender age of schooling, having babies is no longer masak masak, just poot poot and out come the babies. Serious considerations and thoughts must be put into this long and arduous process of bringing up children, to love them and enjoy them, not to become someone’s economic data for GDP growth. That would be the saddest thing to happen.

Australia opens its door to convict immigrants

A White Paper will be submitted to the Australian Parliament on the need to increase the population of Australia to ensure a high GDP growth rate. One of the key features is the need to allow more immigrants into Australia. The TFR of Australia is low, just like any developed country.

The choice of immigrants is more specific. Australia is founded and built by the early immigrants that were mainly convicts from the British Empire. This is the rich history of Australia and it is appropriate that Australia should allow more convicts from Europe to settle in the continent, the caliber of people that has the drive and talents and motivation to build what is Australia today.

Many Australians were angered by this proposal. When challenged, the MP said that the proposal is not without precedents. He was inspired by Singapore for forever remembering that their forefathers were immigrants and so immigrants become part and parcel of the nation’s psyche. Singapore will always welcome immigrants as that was how it started. It will always be a nation of immigrants, with shallow roots, more like instant trees. Forget above national identity and culture and all the bull shit, those are at best only an aspiration. And this is how the City grows and prospers. The ageing immigrants and their descendants have lost their drive and ability and talent to sustain the continued growth of this progressive City. The City needs the drive and oomphs of new immigrants to keep it alive and vibrant. The City needs help from talented immigrants.

Similarly, Australia is suffering the same fate, low GDP growth and a lazy population. Australia needs to lay down the red carpet and welcome convicts, the European types, to reinvigorate the population and reinvent itself, more drive and vitality and vibrancy, like before.

Still many Australians are angry with this silly MP and his silly logic. But his White Paper is likely to be pushed through when the Whip is in force.

Why 6.9 and not 7m?

Why did they use the figure of 6.9 M instead of a round figure of 7 M?

After all it's only an estimate.
Please take out your calculator:
Since the population will grow from 5,300,000 to 6,900,000
from 2013 until 2030 ( 18 years )
6,900,000 minus 5,300,000 = 1,600,000
Divide it by 18 years and see what you get!!

------>88,8888888888......HUAT AH!

If you use 7,000,000 minus 5,300,000 = 1,700,000
Divide by 18 years will give 94,444.44444 .... that will be to die forever!
So ???

Same reason why we have a "ba-gua" shaped $1 coin!

The above was sent to me by a friend. Must have been circulating everywhere by now. Huat ah!

Myth 232 - Ageing population crisis

Demography expert, Professor Wolfgang Lutz declared that the negative effects of an ageing population have been blown out of proportion and argued that Singapore’s vast tertiary educated population core will counter the consequences of low replacement levels. So, have the Sinkies been fed with myth or deception, that there is a life time crisis because of this ageing population? The expert said otherwise.

I would like to add that the expert would have an even stronger case if he knows the real situation on the ground. Our highly educated seniors also have acquired a lot of wealth, a lot of savings and do not need charity except for the first batch of baby boomers where many were illiterate. Many from this batch have passed on and the younger baby boomers are more than able to take care of themselves. Then the Asian culture of looking after the elders, the family, will be there to support those that need support. And many will be economically active way past 70 with very few years to twiddle their thumbs and doing nothing. Bloody hell, some are even making millions in their 80s to provide for their grandchildren. What problem are they causing to society?

But one more serious consideration that no one seems to want to talk about. From 3m, our population has been pumped to 5.3m in something like 10 to 15 years. At replacement rate of 2.1% TFR, using simple arithmetic, the population should increase by 21% or 30% for the same period, ie to 3.6m or 3.9m. Round it up our population should be not much more than 4m today, but we have 5.3m! That is many times more than the replacement rate. We have over replaced haven’t we?

And for ramping it up to this number, shouldn’t more care be taken to minimize the ageing process with younger people? Or it is another case of just adding more senior citizens into the pool to aggravate the situation, to create a life time crisis? The flexibility to bring in more than 2m new people must have plenty of rooms to do the right thing, to avoid the ageing process and problems, not to add on to it.

Now, do I make any sense? Why bring it 2m people without solving the ageing problem and wanting to bring in another 1.6m people and hoping to solve the problem? Who is kidding?