My enemy’s enemy is my friend

Tamerlan Tsamaev, one of the two Boston bombers was under investigation by the FBI. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul asked the FBI why Tamerland did not raise any suspicion after the Russians asked the FBI to investigate him two years ago? The Russian security service wanted Tamerlan to be investigated as possible Islamic radical.

The FBI said it had no further comment after saying it ‘did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign, after speaking to Tsamaev and checking his travel records and internet activity’. And less than a year after being interviewed by FBI, Tsamaev did make a trip to Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region where Islamist militants were active.

Now the American House of Representatives are asking a lot of questions and kicking themselves crazy for FBI not following up on this vital lead from the Russians. And the FBI is under the spotlight for its handling of this case. Why was the FBI so cavalier in its handling of this Chechen immigrant that was tipped off as potential Muslim radical? Is it because my enemy’s enemy is my friend and that this guy has potential to give the Russians more trouble in the future, an American asset to give problems to the Russians or to support the Muslim insurgency in Russia or elsewhere? Or is it that this supposedly top notch intelligence agency is slip shod and its professionalism in question.

The FBI has a lot to answer as the House of Representative is unlikely to let this matter rests. They are asking for all information the US Govt had on Tamerlan Tsamaev before April 15.

Count down to May Day Rally at Hong Lim

10 days to the protest rally and I have this nagging fear that the rally may not happen. The little activities last week, NPark also involved, so innocuously, advising the organizer to apply for permit, the hints of foreigners at the rally, part of the organizers, not sure if being there as spectators will count, is making people nervous. Would there be a last minute cancellation by the authority that no permit was applied and some members of the organizing team were PRs or foreigners? Or because a lot of foreigners will be at the park, some specially ferried there by tour agencies for a new experience of peaceful demonstration inn Sin City?

The call so far is for Singaporeans to be there, rain or shine. For safe measures, Gilbert may want to add another call, be there no matter what. Even if the rally is cancelled by the authority, Singaporeans can still be at the park, with no speeches or stage or shows. Would there then be a case when the park will be barricaded to keep Singaporeans out? It will be really weird won’t it?

The message from the people against the big population is loud and clear. Would the Gang of 77 hear or get notice of it? Would anyone of them be bothered to say, hey, the people did not like what we are going to do? Let me try to put myself into the Gang of 77 and try to sense or feel what are they thinking, if they do bother to think about it.

In the first place, are all 77 in full support of the 6.9m population? I hazard a wild guess that maybe 50% are not in favour but bo pian, got to toe the party line. They did not see it as a national issue that affects the lives of all Singaporeans and their children and grand children and more. They only see it as a party position. It is what the party wants. No care what the people want.

Actually, how many of the Gang of 77 are in support of it? 10, 5, 3 or 1? How many are really in favour of the 6.9m? Whose idea is it? Who really wants to push through this idea? Is there someone that has the omniprescient power of God to guarantee that this is the only way forward, there is no other way and Singapore will be finished? Or someone really believes that this is the mandate of heaven and his will is the way, all the peasants can kpkb, no matter. My way is the way. What I say goes?

Until today, it seems that this 6.9m deal is already cast in stone. No one would want to take a step back to say, hey, the people don’t want that, or at least a significant number of people are unhappy, shall we go and ask them again, maybe a referendum? Or it is case of ignoring the people as the people’s view are just not important, the people are daft and cannot see the goodness of the 6.9 position?

What does this whole episode say about the Govt? The Natcon is still ongoing, going into stage two. There are still plenty of opportunities to talk about this 6.9m. Or is this something that cannot be spoken about? Why is this issue so sensitive that it must not be discussed further, no room for discussion?

A different kind of World Cup

Not too long ago Singapore was aspiring to be in the World Cup by buying foreigners to play football for the country. It was a wet dream that was best forgotten. Now Singapore is in the World Cup of a different kind. NUS is ranked number Two best university in Asia after Tokyo Unversity and 29th in the whole wide world.

This is indeed something to cheer about. Maybe next year Singapore will be number One in Asia and up from the 29th in the world. It is a mean feat, a great achievement. So, how is Singapore going to benefit from this ranking? Is NUS now recognised as a great academic institution of higher learning? Must be. Is NUS producing some great intellectual minds to do Singaporeans proud? Must be. And there must be a lot of great professors in NUS to give it the ballast it needs to be recognised as one of the best in the world. No need to ask if the great minds there are Singaporeans or foreigners. NUS is even better than Tsinghua and Peking University.

Maybe in 30 years time we will hear and read about great names like Emeritus Professor Tan Khee Giap, or Emeritus Professor Eugene Tan, or Emeritus Professor Yaacob Ibrahim, or Emeritus Professor Kishore Mahbubani. Never mind if the renowned professors now have foreign names and credentials. We will make it there, in 30 or 50 years.

And also we could look forward to some Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Engineering, Medicine or Humanities. Hope they will be Singaporeans. New citizens also can. That is what great universities are for. I dunno how much have been spent to acquire such a brand and how much more to produce more world renowned local professors and Nobel laureates. It is money well spend, every cent of it.

And don’t forget, we have two think tank schools in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Rajaratnam School of International Studies staffed by some of the best brains money can buy. Together, Singapore will become famous as an intellectual centre where great minds meet to talk about great stuff. We can forget about being the top casino centre in Asia. This is the Singapore Renaissance. We have the best universities, the best intellectuals all in this island. The only reservation, an unthinking population that needs the help of Third World talents to help it to progress or it will return to Third World very soon. We are still dependent on Third World talents to provide the talents for our economy and industries.

Thus, despite the high rankings of NUS, I remember making a suggestion that Singapore students should enrol in Indian Universities if they intend to seek employment in Singapore. The Indian Universities may have rankings far lower than NUS but they have the right formula and their graduates are in great demand here, and institutions and big companies have greater preference for their graduates than local graduates, or at least the head hunting companies. The general comments are that our local graduates are only good in grades but daft and lack motivation and EQ. Now I am not sure if my suggestion is the right thing. Perhaps with this high ranking, the employers will now look more favourably at graduates of NUS in preference of graduates from Third World countries. I really hope so, I really hope the ranking makes a difference, a meaningful ranking.

But never mind, when NUS becomes number One in Asia, we should have a national holiday declared and street celebrations in town. Looks like China’s and India’s universities would have to start spending more money to employ western professors if they think they want to beat Singapore’s universities in ranking. Money is all it takes to up the ranking.

A piece of RAR Art - untitled

A series of RAR Art with primary colours in red, white and black. A painting by Mother Nature.

911 Revisited - The truth by Emeritus Professor Morgan Reynolds

Are you ready for the truth? Or have you been sold a fabricated truth by the American Administration? Listen to this Sunday sermon and be your own judge. Don't let anyone plant any 'truth' in your head.

Morgan O. Reynolds was a professor emeritus at Texas A&M University and former director of the Criminal Justice Center at the National Center for Policy Analysis headquartered in Dallas, TX.
He served as chief economist for the United States Department of Labor during 2001--2002, George W. Bush's first term. In 2005, he gained public attention as the first prominent government official to publicly claim that 9/11 was an inside job, and is a member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth