Shangrila Dialogue – The Empire threatens

The USA, the most irresponsible Empire of modern history, speaks at the Shangrila Dialogue in Singapore yesterday. And true to its acquired demeanour as the Empire for the last seven decades, it opening speech was to warn an aspiring new power that it is still the Empire and calling the shot. Its Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, lashed out at China for cyber spying. What is new?

The Empire has been spying for the last decades by all means, from flying high altitude spy planes blatantly, in broad day light, across every country it wants to snoop at, knowing no one had the technology to bring them down, or facing the consequences if they did so, to an extensive network of spy agencies, and cyberspace spying is just another cup of tea. What the Empire said is that only the Empire has to right to do so, to spy on other countries, overt and covert, espionage, and the whole menu of collecting intelligence, including assassination or termination with extreme prejudice, and anyone else doing it is not acceptable, irresponsible behaviour.

It is the same story as acquisition of nuclear weapons and WMD. Only the Empire can do so and other aspirants are dangerous and irresponsible and will face an invasion by the Empire troops, for regime change. And only the Empire can foment, support, feed and train insurgents and terrorists to overthrow existing govts. No other country can do that or be branded as evil, or the Axis of Evil.

It is also the Empire’s right to police the seas and space, to bring their military forces to any country’s back yard or front yard, to conduct war games simulating an invasion, and no other country can do so. Only the Empire is the responsible power and other countries and powers are behaving irresponsibly without starting or fighting a war. The right to start a war, to fight wars, to invade another country for whatever pretext, is the privilege of the Empire. When the Empire did do, for the right or wrong reason, for real or fabricated reason, it is normal. It is the Empire!

In the Shangrila Dialogue, the Empire will be setting the tone, warning other smaller powers to behave when the only power that is not behaving is the Empire. The Empire will call the shot and set the agenda for the Dialogue, and to stamp its approval if it agrees with the final statement of the Dialogue. The Empire is always the responsible one, and the rest are either irresponsible or evil.

Who is the real Evil One? Whose vocabulary consists of nothing but threats, sanctions, military intervention, military power, use of military power, war games, regime change, etc etc?

More taxi drivers being beaten by FTs

I was quite aghasted at a video showing two locals charging at a taxi driver and wanting to beat him up for sounding his irritating horn. And then there was this uncle taxi driver that did not give way properly and was punched in the tummy by the other driver.  Seems like taxi drivers are getting into situations where they become easy punching bags.

And in the ST a few days ago, an angmoh FT lecturer whacked a taxi driver till his umbrella broke, and punched his face as well, and did not pay for the fare. In the same report another FT was also reported to have beaten another taxi driver.

Is this a new reality game in Sin City, beating up taxi driver and see who can do it best, and get a free ride at the same time? Why are taxi drivers such easy targets and can anything be done to protect them in this only protected occupation for Singaporeans? This also means that when a taxi driver is beaten, a Singaporean is beaten while doing his job, and for driving his passenger around, driving them home, providing them a chauffer service.

What a way to be rewarded! Where is Singa? Retired? Just as well. Singa is only meant for Sinkies, to be polite even if beaten.

Notable Quote by Yaacob Ibrahim

I think it is important for us to ensure that they (ordinary Singaporeans) read the RIGHT thing.  Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister of Information on BBC.

Who is this ‘us’? And what is so righteous about this ‘us’ to decide and ensure what is the RIGHT thing for Singaporeans to read? I think Singaporeans should read the right things in mysingaporenews. Boleh, betul?

MDA: Bloggers need not apply for licence

MDA has clarified that individual bloggers need not have to apply for licence under the new regulation. This is no cold comfort as things may change along the way. This controversial move to regulate something that is virtual and unlikely to be feasible without playing rough is still a mystery to many, and keeps everyone wondering why it is found so necessary to do so.

When a blogger puts up a post in cyberspace, it is just that, a post in cyberspace. Where is this cyberspace? It is in a way a void that you cannot see or touch, just like a memory in a human brain, there but not there. And the blogger making a post can be sitting here, in London, New York, Beijing or Tokyo, and he does not specify that his post is to go to Sin City or whatever place. Once in cyberspace, it is out there but not there at the same time. Only those who want to view them will see them, with a conscious effort of going to the url. Without making this effort, the post is transparent to anyone and virtually not there, non existence.

How can information (slander or personal attack etc aside) in cyberspace come under anyone or any country’s jurisdiction? And in a way, messing up someone’s blog in cyberspace is an intrusion into someone’s private space even if it has no privacy restriction. Why should anyone be given the right to go out there to block someone’s url because he does not like what the other person is writing? Put it in another way, can anyone go into a person’s diary to do as he pleases? Or can anyone, including govt, think it is ok, it has the right, to mess around with an individual’s diary or blog?

Every individual should have his right to write as he pleases in his own diary or blog, as long as he does not venture into areas of libel and scandal or posting offending comments to violate others or incite violence against anyone. Tiok boh? And there is no law to say he cannot leave his diary or blog about for people to assess them at their own free will.

The whole thing about licensing and regulating blogs is crazy and vain, and only control freaks or people with an obsessive fear of being exposed of their freakish acts or wrongdoings would be so perturbed by it. If one has nothing to hide, why is there so much fear, so much obsession, to want to control people speaking their minds? The doer has all the freedom to do as he pleases, and the commentator must also has all his freedom to have his views, contrary or conflicting views. Cannot meh? Any part that violates whatever safeguards to an individual’s right is all there in the legal provisions of the state.

We are just having a peep into this paranoid thinking process, that being in the govt, one is given the god forsaken right to do what one pleases, even in interfering with the free flow of information and speech, in what people can see, read, hear, write or say. And even the audacity to set standards in civility or language or way of writings. KNN, I want to write in whatever way or style or broken English, what has that got to do with the Govt?  Boh song huh? This is indeed a funny circus.

How dangerous can cyberspace be?

Before the new MDA regulation comes into effect tomorrow, social media is just another social site for individuals to write, comment, and chat to whoever they want as long as they don’t flirt with scandals and libels that will expose them to Sue. When the new regulation takes effect, website owners have to be extra careful with what appears on their website, intentionally, unintentionally, or being spooked.

Other than having to apply for a licence, put up a $50k bond, their pockets can be burnt real bad. The licence fee could be small change, the $50k bond is not. But the more treacherous is that the $50k bond would be the first to go, as advanced ransom payment. Then comes the big one, $200k to be exact, the maximum fine that can be imposed. And if suay suay kena fined for this sum, and unable to pay, hey, there is a jail to go to.

Now, is social media a dangerous thing, or can social media or cyberspace become such a dangerous place? Don’t forget that there are all kinds of strange fellas floating around in cyberspace and can turn an innocent website into hell.