US has magic bullet

Thomas Friedman used to be quite notable and respectable in his views on the American economic and political policies. Lately he has become more and more jingoistic in his articles on American policies and becoming more like the rough neck Americans on the streets, talking without thinking, and having views that are so screwed without knowing it.
 
His latest post in the Mypaper, reproduced from the NYT, titled ‘US has magic bullet for Russia, Islamic State’ is a case in point. In the article he was lambasting the Russians and the Islamic States for using war and violence as the only solution for all their problems. The Russians and the Islamic State are all about power. What he also meant without saying it, is that the Americans are all about being civilized and never about power and the use of brute force to solve their problems. Clap, clap, clap.
 
Could you believe it, Thomas Friedman could only see one side of the coin, that America is so peace living? Where are his empirical data to show that the Russians and the Islamic State are using more violence than the Americans, or violence means? Does he not know that the number of wars and the number of innocent people killed by the Americans far exceeded what the Russians and the Islamic State combined?
 
And I quote, ‘Both (Putin and the Islamic State) are clearly motivated to use force by an intense desire to overcome past humiliations.’ So, what were the motivations for the Americans to use force in everything it is involved, everything is a nail? A friendly super power walking around with a hammer?
 
As a reputable political commentator, does he not think it is proper to use statistics to back up his claim instead of using his mouth to blast it away? What have the Americans being doing before Putin and the Islamic State decided to meet the American force with force? What was Bush doing in Iraq and Obama in Libya? Not being rude and insensitive, what are two beheadings compared to the hundreds of thousands of victims of drone and cruise missile attacks on children, the women and the old civilians? Less brutal and less barbaric because you don’t see the pain and the body pieces all over the streets?
 
Is this the same Thomas Friedman that won the same prize Obama had, for peace?

PS: The Americans are starting another Coalition of the Willing. Just pray that we are not going to be dragged in to murder innocent people like what George Bush did to us. Living in SE Asia, we better know what we should be extremely careful in doing.

Kopi Level - Yellow

The Govt must come clean and be accountable for the CECA

Below is part of a report by Business Standard on the CECA between Singapore and India. Though it was stated that the Singapore Govt was in no hurry to review the pact, the point is that the CECA is still in effect with all the unfavourable terms affecting the lives of Singaporeans. Many of the controversial and damaging terms have been highlighted and denounced by the netizens as ridiculous and stupid. It would be better for the Govt to rescind this agreement immediately and renegotiate a new agreement minus the adverse terms and conditions that are detrimental to Singapore. The existing CECA terms must be declared null and void pending a new agreement. They are politically untenable and skewed against Singapore but highly favourable to India.
 
The Govt must come clean and be transparent with the new terms it is going to sign with India. They must be held accountable and must obtain the consent of the people for such a sweeping agreement. It cannot sign another agreement with terms similar to the existing CECA. It would need some people with wisdom and the interest of Singaproeans at heart to negotiate the new terms. Just plain good grades in schools have been proven to be useless or dangerous if the terms of the first CECA are to be witness to the stupidity.
 
A rally at Hong Lim is appropriate to express the wills of the people and what the people deem unacceptable for the Govt to take note of. I almost faint when I read the CECA. Cannot believe that our super talents could agree to those stupid terms.
 
Phillip Ang and Leong Sze Hian and their teams must put the CECA under the microscope to remove all the offending terms to ensure that they are not in the new agreement. Being hit by the first CECA in the dark is bad enough. To repeat the same mistakes in silence is unforgiveable.

Below is the Business Standard’s report.
‘Singapore in no hurry to review economic pact with India

The second review of CECA has been pending for more than 4 years

Nayanima Basu | September 02, 2014 Last Updated at 00:52 IST, Business Standard

Singapore is in no hurry to conclude the second review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), even as India is pushing for entry of its banks and professionals into the Singapore market for more than four years.

“Yes, it (the second review of CECA) has taken a bit longer. We are in no hurry. These sort of negotiations take time. The Indian government is yet to come to terms with our laws. If CECA review takes over 10 years then also it is no big deal. Life goes on,” a senior Singaporean government official told Business Standard.

India had signed its first ever CECA with Singapore in August, 2005, under which both sides have a preferential tariff arrangement for over 80 product lines. Besides, India and Singapore enjoy greater access in services and investment under CECA.

The CECA's second review was launched in May, 2010, but since then the review had been held up mainly on two important issues. One is allowing Indian banks to Singapore and second the free movement of Indian professionals.

India had been consistently raising this issue with Singapore at all high-level meetings. The matter was even discussed during the recent meeting between external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her counterpart K Shanmugam in Singapore last month.

The Singapore government, in its effort to reduce reliance on foreign workers, passed the ‘Employment Pass Framework’ in 2010 under which the foreign share of the total workforce has to be brought down to around one-third by the companies located there, while encouraging employers to invest in productivity in return for incentives in the form of tax breaks.

However, India has argued that while Singapore has done this to address its own domestic concerns, it had committed a separate provision under CECA, exempting India from such a rule. The matter has taken a political colour now….’

Kopi Level - Yellow

Singaporeans have another stake in this island

It was the govt’s policy to make sure Singaporeans have a stake in this island, at least owning a HDB flat. This was the old govt’s policy. Never mind those Singaporeans that were banned from buying a stake in this city state. Never mind if they have served their NS and still kpkb caused they could not buy a stake in a city state they have pledged and trained to defend. Never mind if foreigners turned new citizens are allowed to buy and have a stake in this island without having to serve NS.

The govt now has created a new stake for all Singaporeans here. The govt is making sure that the citizens will have a lot of money in the CPF, as another stake for them to feel there is something to protect and die for.

Now NS men will have to protect their CPF until their die, maybe 90 or 100 years. The govt has worked it all out to make sure you will always have CPF money, a lot of money,  in your CPF account. This is a new stake in addition to your HDB flat.

So for those not allowed to buy HDB flats and claimed that they have no stake in this city state to protect, there you are, now you have a stake in the CPF. You can’t take it all out when you need it at 55, so you better defend it with all your life and not allow anyone to take it away.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Candle Light Vigil on 17th September at Hong Lim Green (Pl note change to 17 Sep)

There will be a Candle Light Vigil for Roy Ngerng on September 17, to express support and solidarity for his High Court hearing.

It will be held at Hong Lim Green from 7 pm till midnight. You can bring your own candles, ground sheets, umbrellas and light refreshment for the evening.

As Roy will be facing the biggest trial of his life it is incumbent on all of us to come forward and lend him the moral support that he needs,

 He has done us proud by raising an issue which was left dormant for so many years.

We will mark the evening with music camaraderie and communion on our country’s future.

Please come with your friends and loved ones and spend an evening under the stars

Thank you.

Convenors: Patrick Low, Teo Soh Lung

The above is a release by the organisers of the event. For those who would like to show their support for Roy Ngerng, this is a good opportunity to do something. It is not just about Roy, but also about opposing the methodology used against the critics by the rich and powerful. We have witnessed in the past how the rich and powerful have used the courts of law to force their justice onto the weak and poor who could not afford the legal fees and had to swallow injustice against them. 

For those who have contributed to Roy's legal fee fund generously, this would be another way to show your support, in silence, in the darkness of Hong Lim, with a little light.

For those who are fighting for the return of their CPF money, they could show a little gratitude to this young man who have valiantly fought alone, on their behalf, against a mammoth machinery. Show Roy that you care and are deserving of his sacrifice. Show the rest of the Singaporeans that as a people, you are united behind Roy and would not abandon him at a moment when he needs your moral and physical support most.

The last thing is for Roy to walk alone in this difficult part of his journey, with the people he was fighting for walking away from him.

Would you be there? Do you care? Is there anything that matters to you for you to want to be there with your candle light?

Kopi Level - Yellow

Why China must be assertive?

For centuries, China had been the victim of foreign aggression. Many of the neighbouring tribes were lusting to conquer China. The Mongols and the Manchurians succeeded and ruled China for several centuries each. After the Manchus, the tribes came from further afar, the Japanese, Russians and the Europeans and Americans. China was robbed and raped and dismembered to pieces. Till today, many of its territories are still in foreign hands, now given a new title as disputed territories with the Russians, Indians and the Japanese.

Today China has stood up and demanding the return of these territories seized from her by foreign invaders when China was weak. Why are the Americans crying foul, that China is being assertive and even aggressive? What is wrong with a country wanting to reclaim its lost territories? It is a natural right of the Chinese to take back what was taken away from her wrongfully, by force.

Why are the Americans taking this stand, that China cannot take back its lost territories? It is because the Americans have taken away the territories of the native Americans and many other territories belonging to other natives. To the Americans, what had been taken is a done deal. The natives or losers cannot take them back. If the native Americans were to demand for it, they would also be branded as assertive and wrongful to do so, for wanting to change the balance of power, the status quo.

The same would apply to the natives of Australia and New Zealand, Hawaii, Canada and many other pieces of land. These natives would be branded as not only assertive, they would either be put behind bars or be shot, for wanting to reclaim their land from the thieves.

China is only trying to reclaim its lost territories from the thieves, and the Americans are protecting the thieves and even accusing China of being assertive and aggressive. Many people of Asia and the Asean countries have reclaimed their land through the fight for independence. If they have not done so, if they are still a colony, or if their land is still occupied by the thieves, they would be branded as assertive and trouble makers should they dare to demand for the return of their land.

China must be assertive. China has all the rights and reasons to be assertive to reclaim its lost territories. So do the natives of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and many others. There is nothing wrong about assertiveness when one is demanding for the return of his lost territories taken away by the thieves. The thieves are crying foul now, as if they are rightful owners of the natives’ land.

The deceit and trickery of the thieves to want to keep the stolen land as theirs, as a fait accompli, must not be seen as a rightful thing and the natives reclaiming their land a wrongful thing.

Would anyone put themselves in the shoes of the Chinese and ask themselves what they should do to reclaim their lost land?

Kopi Level - Green