Tokyo Auto Salon in Singapore

For the FIRST time in history Tokyo Auto Salon is coming to Singapore, showcasing the finest Japan-tuned Supercars and kawaii race queens from Japan!
Singapore, 28 Jan 2013 : For the 1st time in its illustrious 30-year history, Tokyo Auto Salon will be coming to the shores of Singapore. With the full support of the Tokyo Auto Salon Association (TASA) of Japan, Singapore’s leading media company MediaCorp and Muse Group will jointly unveil “Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013” at the Sands Expo® and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands® from 12 - 14 Apr, 2013.
More than 20 of the finest and most unique cars from Tokyo Auto Salon 2013 will grace the event, together with Japanese race queens, J-Pop idols and other entertainers to provide visitors the unique and unforgettable Tokyo Auto Salon experience
Key Highlights
• Exotic Supercars
• Iconic Japanese/European Tuner Cars
• Specially Tuned Up Show Cars
• TASSG Autostyling Showdown Competition
• Hot Import Race Queens from Japan
• Miss TASSG Race Queen Pageant 2013
• Japanese Anime Cosplay Showcase
• Daily Stage Activities
Public can also look forward to participating in lucky draws that will be held between 1 February to 1 March on the Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore Facebook Fan Page. Simply “like” the page, register on the Lucky Draw tab, and stand to walk away with exciting prizes such as a set of Westlake SV 308 17” tyres and S$500 worth of Takashimaya vouchers. “Invite” or “share” with friends on Facebook to increase one’s chances of winning.
About Tokyo Auto Salon
Launched in 1983 by the editor-in-chief of the iconic custom car magazine Option, Tokyo Auto Salon has today grown to become the largest automotive after-market parts and accessories exhibition in the world. Every year, more than 250,000 automotive fans from all corners of the globe converge at Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan over a 3-day period.

Event Details
Event : Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013
Date : 12 Apr (Fri) – 14 Apr (Sun)
Time : 10:00am – 10:00pm Daily
Venue : Sands Expo® and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands® (HALL A TO C, LEVEL 1)
Admission Fees :
1-DAY PASS – Adult: S$25.00 / Children (under 12 years old) S$10.00
3-DAY PASS – S$70.00
Website : www.tokyoautosalon.com.sg
Visit also www.facebook.com/TokyoautosalonSG for the latest updates on Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013.

The fake awakening of the elite

We read and heard it in the media, everywhere, that the wide income gap is bad, productivity is low and how to deal with these problems. The Americans are worried so it is time we are worried too. Is the conscience pricking or is it just another gapping for another PR exercise, that the elite is concerned with the well being of the lower income group, the poor and the disadvantaged? How real is this expression of shock and awe, that something is seriously wrong and needs to be talked about but not necessarily to do anything about it?

It was not too long ago that the wide income gap was preached as a natural occurrence, that it was a sign of progress. Who, in a position to write his own pay check, in a position to take as much as he wants, would want to cry over having too much to take? This trait of human nature is definitely natural. Greed is in all of us and the only way to control this greed is for a third party to do the checks and balance. No one, not even God, can check himself and his wanton lust and greed. God can be crazy when unrestrained, so what is there to blame the mortals or immortals for their excesses and self serving actions?

The Americans started it all. We resisted in the beginning, that you cannot anyhow pay people enormous amount of money. Thrift is important and morally correct in public service. The civil servants were well paid but not obscenely well paid like what it is today. Don’t mention the politicians. The Americans started to pay themselves crazy not to the civil servants but to the private sectors. Every turkey in a position of authority would want to be paid a life time’s income in a month or a year. And we have learnt to be like the Americans. We are crazily paying the top management a life time’s income in a year or less. Would the recipient be complaining? Would the recipient say, hey, you are paying me too much for so little that I have done!

All sorts of rubbish reasoning were published in the media as god’s wisdom, to pay the employees their life time income in the shortest period possible. Actually this is a good thing if it is carried down all the way to the workers. But it cannot be done. The money is finite. If someone is taking the bulk of it, the rest will have less.

In any organisation, public or private, the revenue generated is limited and has to be spread around. The issue is the distribution. There is the return on capital to the owners or shareholders, the cost of production, the wages, at the top, middle and at the bottom. If one part takes the lion’s share, the rest will have to take less. If the CEO and his immediate kakis take a big chunk of the revenue, the dividends will have to go, the wages of the lower management and the workers will have to go. CBF is to tell the workers to take less while the top takes more. And those taking more will tell the CBFs that it is only normal because they are more deserving.

When wealth is concentrated in a few, they have a lot more to spend and that drives up the prices of everything. Housing and luxuries will be cheap to those with deep pockets but extremely expensive to those who have little or nothing. The high rentals, the high prices of housing and cars do not happen in a vacuum. They are conscious policies of those who have a lot and think that it is ok for them to price out the losers. The losers do not deserve anything better. If they cannot afford a $100k COE, that is their business. If they cannot afford to pay for taxis, just too bad. This is a meritocratic world and the meritorious deserve their comfortable lifestyle while the rest are inconsequential. They should be grateful to have a job and a roof over their heads.

Do not be misled by the conscience pricking uttering of the elite. It is just for show. They believe that they should take as much as they can while the sun shines even when they could have taken enough to last a life time or several life times in a year.

There is a subtle difference between the rich employees and the entrepreneurs or those managing their own businesses. The latter two invested their talents and resources and could lose everything, return on capital risk. As for the employees, public or private, the only thing they can ever lose is the job even if they burn down the company or organisation. The capital they are risking and bringing in big revenue is other people’s capital, OPC. And they could move on to rob another company by demanding to be paid another life time in salary in a year.

Is there a problem? If one is an elite and being paid that kind of indecent money, there is surely no problem. In fact it is the right thing to do. The system is good, the system is well. Do not destroy the system. So what is going to happen? Nothing, everything will be as per normal and the system will tick away until the sun comes down, if it ever comes down.

Another botch deal, another US$600m down

‘The govt of Singapore, well, they lost the most….over $600 million. It just went poof…. Tisman Speyer and BlackRock lost a lot of people a couple of billion dollars, walked away from it unscathed and went into the next deal without anyone calling them out on their colossal mistake….’ NPR.org

The deal was to buy a middle class housing estate, The Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village in NY Manhattan, switch the land control tenants with new tenants paying market rentals. Pretty neat, pretty profits and pretty good deal. The deal was stopped by the courts and money of the investors went poof.

There must be many such good deals that are going around for clever investors to pick up, just like the rotten banks during the 2008 financial crisis. Many were great deals with great promises of big profits and were picked up quickly only to turn out as lemons. No free lunch. Too good to be true.

Thought such good deals will catch the laypeople on the streets, like the gold investment schemes where the returns are more or less guaranteed and in double digits. I am also looking for such good deals to invest my $2.

Did Singapore lose $600m? I don’t think so. Every botch deal a few hundred millions, how much can we afford to botch and botch? But then $600m is really peanuts compared to the tens of billions lost during the financial crisis. Ten of such bad deals only cost $6b and it will take 100 deals to hit $60b.

Obama's Asia Pivot

The article below is written by Stephen Lendman. Mr. Stephen Lendman is a well known versatile writer on international affairs and the citizens of the world can read more of his postings at his blog  : Steven Lendman Blog.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Obama's Asia Pivot by Stephen Lendman In late 2011, Obama prioritized reasserting America's Pacific presence. His Asia pivot was announced.  It involves advancing America's military footprint. Doing so aggressively is planned. China's growing economic might and military strength are targeted. So is checking Russia at the same time. Containment is policy. Cold war politics is back. Unchallenged global dominanceis prioritized. Anything goes intends to maintain it.  War in a part of the world hostile to invaders is possible. Vietnam echoes remainaudible. So are Afghanistan ones today. China's a far more formidable adversary. So is Russia.  It's hard imagining any country challenging them militarily. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. America hasn't won a war since WW II. Lessons weren't learned. Permanent war remains policy. War profiteers demand it. In January 2012, Obama expanded the Bush doctrine. Dick Cheney explained it. In June 2003, he said: "If there is anyone in the world today who doubts the seriousness of the Bush Doctrine, I would urge that person to consider the fate of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq." Bush put it his way, saying "You're either with us or against us." Neutrality's not an option. Neither are equity, justice, rule of law principles, democratic values and peace. Supporters thought Obama was different. He exceeds the worst of Bush. He does so at home and abroad. He hardened homeland tyranny. He asserts America's right to replace independent governments with client ones.  Doing so prioritizes global aggression. It violates international law. Washington operates with impunity. Its interests matter most. Obama's biting off a mouthful targeting China and Russia. He rules out no options. Bush addressed "wars of the 21st century."  Obama continues them. Tactics include creating instability, chaos and violence. North Africa, the Middle East, and Eurasia are targeted. It's done to justify America's intervention and presence. Obama prioritizes global belligerence. He's cold-blooded about America's interests. He's mindless of whatever it takes to achieve them. Realpolitik continues Washington's odious tradition.  Waging wars on humanity reflect it. Doing so spurns rule of law principles. Democratic values don't matter. They never did and don't now.  Obama's pivot escalated regional tensions. Challenging China and Russia pose enormous challenges. Asia's on the boil. Japan's a virtual US colony. It serves US imperial interests. Washington treats Asian areas like its own. It has no right to do so. Administrations and Congress believe America has sovereign rights over East Asian waters and territory. It wants to dominate and exploit them. Strengthening America's regional presence is part of its new imperial strategy. It's going head-to-head with China and Russia. It aims to undermine and isolate Beijing and Moscow regionally. It's a recipe for heightened tensions and eventual confrontation. Washington has been rebalancing East Asia for years. Strategy calls for strengthening military, economic, and political ties with Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. It involves undermining Chinese and Russian influence, isolating them from neighbors, and asserting Washington's dominance over territories and waters not its own.  Echoes of WW I and II remain audible. Never again is possible. Flashpoints have a way of igniting them. Small disputes lead to greater ones.  Obama's Asia pivot encourages them. Military alliances, strategic partnerships, and expanding bases make them more likely. Cold War politics is back. Soviet Russia's dissolution reignited old rivalries. Scrambling for vital resources followed. Marginalizing Beijing's influence is prioritized. So is challenging Moscow the same way. Both countries are rising world powers. America's been declining for years. Its military might is used to offset it. Waging war on humanity is a losing game. Walden Bello calls Obama's Asia pivot "flawed." Critics denounce transgressing areas of traditional Chinese influence. Obama continues the worst of Bush administration policies. His pivot strategy is more than meets the eye.  It's "a faint," says Bellow, "a maneuver to cover up a strategic retreat from America's disastrous two-decades-long engagement in the Middle East and Southwest Asia." It's Washington attempt "to retreat to an area for imperial power projection that it sees as more manageable than a Middle East that is running out of control." It's hard understanding how. It won't work. Realpolitik won't let Washington disengage. It's "condemned to a condition of imperial overreach."  Increasing America's Pacific footprint triggers military competition with China. It prioritizes protecting its part of the world. It's doing so "as it races to become the world's biggest economy."  Its politics reflects centuries of contesting Western intervention. Don't underestimate its capacity to "promot(e) peace, harmony, and respect for sovereignty better than" America's hegemonic madness. Washington uses whatever it takes to advance its imperium. Its Asia pivot encircles China and Russia with bases.  With all related categories included, its defense spending exceeds all other nations combined. It wants dominance over both countries. It wants it regionally and globally.  It wants Beijing and Moscow marginalized and subservient. It wants control over vital world resources. It wants challengers eliminated.  China and Russia are formidable competitors. They're dominant enough to matter. America's grand geopolitical strategy prioritizes Eurasian dominance. China's America's chief economic rival. It's dependent on vital resources. Russia's military might matters. Both countries represent major Eurasian challengers. Washington tolerates no rivals. No-holds-barred tactics target them. Obama declared global cyberwar. China, Russia, Iran, and other independent states are targeted. Draconian cybersecurity legislation is prioritized.  CISPA is back. It's more about destroying personal freedom than online security. It gives government and corporate predators unlimited power. They'll take full advantage. They'll use it to access personal/privileged information online. They'll claim fake cybersecurity threats to do so.  Constitutional protections don't matter. Diktat power replaced them. Big Lies substitute for truth. War on terror is America's national pastime. China is public enemy number one. On February 19, a New York Times editorial headlined "China's Cybergames."  Times editors are paid to lie. They claim Washington "and security experts have long known that China is the main source of cyberattacks on the United States." A new Mandiant report says so. Claims without corroboration don't wash. Mandiant's a private security firm. Kevin Mandia heads it. He's a retired military cybercrime investigator. He specializes in computer forensics. His staff includes former intelligence officials and law enforcement agents. He targets China. He operates like a digital Blackwater. He's well paid to do so. "We're security guys," he says. "We're not diplomats." He claims Chinese hackers are linked to the People's Liberation Army (PLA). US government agencies, corporations and organizations are targeted from a Shanghai area office tower. It's PLA Unit 61398 headquarters, he says. China denounced his report. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "Hacking attacks are transnational and anonymous. Determining their origins are extremely difficult. We don’t know how the evidence in this so-called report can be tenable." Bet on it having no credibility whatever. Most countries spy on others. They do so for national security reasons. Government hacking is war by other means. Washington does it aggressively. Media scoundrels don't explain. Obama stopped short of accusing China. No one's fooled by who he has in mind. Congressional hardliners say the same thing.  Concerns are discussed privately. Patience is wearing thin, said Times editors. "China-emanated attacks have grown," they claim.  A more aggressive response is warranted, they say. "Publicizing China’s transgressions and blocking Internet access to hackers should be a warning to Beijing. Washington is right to defend its interests." Attorney General Holder weighed in. He warned of "a significant and steadily increasing threat to America’s economy and national security interests." He lied saying so. He's paid to lie. So is Obama and likeminded hardliners. Robert Hormats was Goldman Sachs International chairman. That alone makes him damaged goods. Goldman makes money by stealing it. Hormats was complicit in grand theft.  He's now Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. He said Washington "repeatedly raised  concerns about trade secret theft by any means at the highest levels with senior Chinese officials." Get China is official US policy. Marginalizing, weakening, and isolating it is prioritized. New threats follow earlier ones. Cyberwar opens a new front.  Capability to wage it adds to America's arsenal. Preemption is prioritized. Diktat authority bypasses Congress. Obama's word is policy.  He'll say what he wants without evidence. He's a serial liar so expect it. He's waging multiple direct and proxy wars.  Cyber ones are ongoing. They're aggressive, malicious and lawless. New ones are planned. China is prioritized. Obama's got other targets in mind. Cyber sabotage is policy. It's war by other means. Rogue states operate that way. America's by far the worst. US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) has full operational control. It's a cyber hit squad. It's part of the US Strategic Command.  It's based at Fort Meade, MD. General Keith Alexander serves as National Security Agency (NSA) director and US Cyber Command head. Obama's Presidential Policy Directive 20 set guidelines for confronting cyberspace threats. Last fall, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a "cyber Pearl Harbor." It could "cause physical destruction and loss of life," he said. It could "paralyze and shock the nation and create a new profound sense of vulnerability." US officials prioritize hyperbolic fearmongering. Americans are easy marks to deceive. They're dismissive and don't think. They let Washington get away with murder and much more.  Obama may have WW III in mind. He prioritizes waging war on humanity. He does so at home and abroad. He's the worst of rogue leaders.  He risks what no head of state should dare. Despots operate that way. Impeaching him is a national imperative. Doing it in time matters most. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.  His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour http://www.dailycensored.com/obamas-asia-pivot/ posted by Steve Lendman @ 12:02 AM

No need for Singaporeans in Singapore

‘Singaporeans biggest threat to Singapore's growth

Singapore's citizens are the biggest threat to national growth, said analysts at Goldman Sachs at an annual wealth conference yesterday, held in Marina Bay Sands.

Speaking at a panel discussion about emerging markets in Asia, the analysts agreed that the increasingly vocal citizenry in the once-orderly island has disrupted economic growth for 2013 and will continue to be a drag on the economy for years to come.

"Let's be honest here. Does Singapore need Singaporeans? No. The children are taken care off by foreign domestic helpers, the hawkers are Malaysian (PRC Chinese), the buildings are constructed by Bangladeshis. All Singaporeans are good for are populating the army, which has never gone to war!" said emerging markets specialist, Thomas Money.

Money pointed out that Singapore's only comparative advantages against its competitors were location, and immigrants. He proposed slowly phasing out Singaporeans so they would be unable to interfere with pro-growth government policies.

"I love the country, but I really can't stand the people and their disgraceful sense of entitlement. The weather's great, the gastronomy scene is livening up in Marina Bay Sands, and the women are gorgeous. But the xenophobia on the island is extremely troubling. Without foreigners like myself who bring in capital without paying taxes, Singapore would not be where it is today. And no Singaporean ever thanks us for gracing their backwater island with our presence and cash." "If things don't improve, I might just pack up and leave."

Other analysts on the panel also noted that as Singapore grew at an astronomical pace under a soft-authoritarian regime, the only way to preserve the country's economy, is to regress democratically.

"I'm quite ashamed of Singaporeans too," said commodities specialist Chao Hee Lang who is a local and a weekend volunteer at a migrant workers NGO.

"All this xenophobia and hatred... No wonder Lee Kuan Yew once said that only educated people should be able to vote. People like myself, who can see that freedom is not always a good thing."

"God bless the foreign workers. Without them working at ridiculously low wages, we would never get anything done. And yet, no one is grateful to them for doing us a favour!"

The panel discussion was chaired by Acting Ministry for Economic Affairs, Mr Jin Jue Lui who reassured the audience that the government was already working on a plan to reduce the proportion of native citizens in the population to about 50% by 2030.’

http://newnation.sg/2013/03/singaporeans-biggest-threat-to-singapores-growth/



When I first read the article I was naturally annoyed. How dare these people talked about Singaporeans in these ways and that Singaporeans are really not needed in this country. Oops, I mean city or is it hotel? On reflection, I think they made perfect sense. From the cleaners in the foodcourts to the top leaders, none of them are needed, really.

As for the cleaners, they are old, slow and not cheap. They can be easily replaced by the CBF foreign workers. The construction workers are all foreign workers, and so are the retail and sales staff, and the nurses. The doctors too are increasingly being recruited from overseas.

In the PME categories, banking and finance are now nearly all filled by foreigners from the West and India, or at least in top and middle management. And don’t have to say about the IT industry as probably 90% are from India. Their dominance in this industry has made Java and C programming language obsolete. The new language used is Tamil.

For the top political leaders, why is there a need for them and to pay them such a huge salary to prevent them from corruption. Remove this profession and there will be great savings. No need to pay for the fear of corruption. And no need to pay for life long pension in the millions to keep them from being corrupt while in retirement.

What is left that the Singaporeans are deserving to be here? Producing babies. But they failed miserably in this. They can’t produce and for those who can, they are demanding a ransom from the Govt. What for paying them so much when the ICA could bring in plane loads of whatever colour and creed, whatever age group, and all hungry, willing to work and exceptionally talented. Isn’t it so much cheaper, efficient and effective to just import the heads for the needed workers to service the economy?

I think the only thing that is of value in the Singaporeans is the properties they owned, private and public flats. Why not encouraged them to sell at a good price to foreigners and move them to JB, Batam or Lijiang or perhaps some paradise in India?. As for the private property owners, they could sell their properties in the tens or hundreds of millions and could even buy Buckingham Palace in the cheap. Then all these people can have their Tea Parties to make merry in Hyde Park or any parks in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA or anywhere. No need to kpkb in Hong Lim Park.

Seriously, Singaporeans are no longer needed in Singapore. As for the NSmen, what is there to defend when Singaporeans are not needed and the country populated by foreigners and their companies and businesses. Talking about this, in the 60s and 70s when there was no jobs, we invited the MNCs here to create jobs for jobless Singaporeans. Today, Singaporeans not only did not want to work, they are also expensive. It is more economical and productive to import factories and companies here, lock, stock and barrel, with their foreign employees. Cheap and good and fit the CBF model. They can hire 100% foreign staff, not an issue.

So, did I make my point clear, that there is really no need for Singaporeans anymore?