Mayor Boris Johnson – Britain should not keep out talented people

This is what the visiting London Mayor said when he was here. And this is very important as he is the only mayor in London with a population that is double that in this tiny island. In absolute terms, he is running two Singapore alone. In this sense I think it can be said that he is quite talented than those mayors running a housing estate of a few thousand inhabitants. No? Ok, Ok, look at it in another way, he is not so dignified, not because he took the train to visit the Istana, but because his pay is not even half a peanut. He definitely would not qualify to be called a super talent in this city. Did he send a message, that he is the poorest mayor visiting the richest PM, so better to know his place, and take a train?

Ok, I have digressed. Why is his comment important? You see, he just said the right and sexy thing, and our boys and girls would be drumming this comment to justify their push for more foreign talents. And they would not be bothered to look at what else he said to qualify his statement. No, Boris Johnson is not talking about a blank cheque even if he disagrees with David Cameroon. He assured that what David Cameroon is going to do, to curb immigration is also legitimate and necessary. There is a need for foreign talents, and Britain has benefited a lot from it.

Boris Johnson cautioned against the free loaders and the fake talents and the cheats. Britain too would not want the fakes and the cheats. But what to do when they don’t have a system to check on the cheats or are outsmarted by the cheats? Just pretend not to see lor, close one eye, and just treat all of them as talents and no one would miss a heart beat except the loser PMEs who were replaced by the cheats. Anyway, it is the losers’ problems. As long as the losers are happy being taxi drivers and security guards, or remained unemployed, as long as they did not complain or march to Parliament House, there is no problem.

So, before any boys and girls take up the megaphone and blare that we need more foreign talents, please take note of the fine prints. And please do something serious to get rid of the fakes and half bakes to protect the jobs of the PMEs. If not, it is a matter of time before they come after your asses.

Kopi Level - Green

Minxin Pei – Understanding a colonized mind

This is a Chinese by ethnicity professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, US. She wrote an article titled “Why China should drop its slogan of ‘Asia for Asians’” in the editorial page of the ST on 5 Dec. She was obviously very offended by Xi Jinping’s called for ‘Asia for Asians’ as if it infringed on her mental freedom as a ‘westerner’, and thinking all good things must be western centric with the West as the centre of human civilization. She could not see her western biased agenda and thinking process. I will leave you to read her thrash but just to quote a few paragraphs to prove my point.
 
‘Some Chinese strategists believe the US is using Asian states particularly Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, as pawns to contain China. If this perspective has prevailed at home, Chinese leaders, including Mr Xi, could have reached the fateful conclusion that, on balance, America’s security presence in Asia directly threatens Chinese interests and must be eliminated.
 
That would be a grave strategic error, based on a fundamental misreading of Asian security dynamics. Most of China’s neighbours, even North Korea, fear an unconstrained Chinese hegemon – and, if the US security presence were eliminated, that is precisely what they would face. ‘Asia for Asians’ would be ‘Asia for the Chinese’.’
 
From the above quote one can see how naïve is this professor. She does not believe that the US is using Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam to contain China. Of course she believes that this is not the case because the Americans told her so. She also believes that the American presence in Asia does not threaten Chinese interests. I am wondering is she a juvenile? Of course the Americans have been threatening Chinese interests since the Second World War with a series of containment policies and overt and covert threats to China’s interests and national security. She does not know that? My God!
 
Of course the American threat must be eliminated if you are a Chinese and managing China’s national interests. But for a banana thinking like a banana, China is the threat to America and must be contained but keep telling the Chinese to believe that the Americans are not doing anything to contain China. How silly can she be as a professor?
 
What about the perception of China as a hegemon? The Americans are the hegemon and still the hegemon. China is a rising power challenging the primacy of this hegemon but has yet to be a hegemon.
 
What cock is she talking about? Yes, many Afro Asians are thinking exactly what the West and the Americans are telling them, just like her, Americans are for peace and China is belligerent, hostile and a hegemon to be. After centuries of reading this kind of literature, even a naïve professor would have her brain cleansed and washed to think so. It must be.
 
It would take at least half a century for the Afro Asian minds to think that China could be and is a friendly power unlike the American Empire that is oppressing the whole world and threatening the whole world with wars and interventions. It is not easy to clean up the minds of unthinking masses subjected to the daily dosages of mind bending propaganda. Soak the mind with Dettol would not work either.
 
China would have to prove by words and deeds to its neighbours that it is a friendly power. It is doing that in Africa and Central Asia. It is doing so in South East Asia as well but not easy when the Americans are behind their thinkings. China is growing to be more assertive or is it the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan or Australia that are getting more assertive? As a hegemon, China would have kicked the asses of the Philippines and Vietnam and ran all over Japan and India. It does not do any of this stuff but restraining itself to diplomacy unless forced into a tight corner.
 
China is not a hegemon. There is no room for hegemon and empires in modern geopolitics. War is no longer an option to settle big power disputes. China is winning the war for influence by trade and economic policies. Not a single Chinese soldier is engaged in wars of domination and hegemony in any corner of the world. Whose soldiers are doing that, fighting wars and interfering in the domestic politics of independent states and nations and threatening regime change?
 
Only idiots are blind to see. A professor can also be an idiot, be blind to see the truth right before his or her very eyes.
 
PS. I should use the title ‘How to get a university education and still be stupid’.

Kopi Level - Green

Hsien Loong: PAP must set the standard!

The PAP has started its election rally yesterday. And the speeches were as normal as any political rally from any politician. In colloquial style, they amount to ‘Lin peh is the best. Lin peh serve the people, Lin peh is honest, transparent and accountability.’ The rally cries were to stir the emotions, fire the supporters to take up the fight. And the supporters did not fail. They shouted back, ‘Yes, Yes, hallelujah’ in response to the cry of their leaders. If there was a problem, ‘We settle now’. And the supporters roared in approval. This is not much different from meet me at the cul de sac.
 
The atmosphere must be highly charged with every supporter leaving the rally with the glint in their eyes and walking like Bruce Lee ready for a fight. That was what a political rally is meant to be. Get the people motivated, excited and aroused.
 
After the din and fury subsided in the quiet of home and senses, and after the dusk has settled down, not many would remember what was said. But they would be reminded calmly by the media, minus the emotion and temperature on what their leaders said. Hsien Loong said many things. The notable was PAP would do its best to send strong teams to the opposition wards to win them back. But he cautioned about when this could be done. Now the WP must be all in anticipation of very strong PAP teams led by strong ministers. We would have to see.
 
The other thing that came out starkly was flaming in the social media. Hsien Loong talked about transparency and the need for PAP to set the standard. How would this be done? PAP had previously declared the existence of its Internet Brigade. And they have been very active or very inactive and none has stood up to tell the netizen he is from the PAP brigade. Till today, none is proud enough to own up to say, ‘I am PAP Internet Brigade, and I am proud of it’, and signing in his real name with PAP behind it, like BBM or PBM. So far it can be assumed that they are just as opaque and sneaky hiding behind anonymity.
 
Would PAP set a new standard and make all its Internet Brigades to post with their real identity, not anonymous, be transparent, and be proud of what they are doing and be proud of being PAP Internet Brigade? Or would they be like the others, no transparency and flaming others and taking pot shots at other bloggers and feeling ashamed of their very existence?
 
What kind of standard and transparency would the PAP set in the internet and social media? Would PAP be just like everyone else or would it be different, setting the standard for transparency?
 
Would there be a PAP standard in transparency in social media?

Kopi Level - Green

Uniquely Singapore -Billionaires asking govt for help

At first you have poor people asking govt for help to buy food to get buy. Govt was very angry. How much you want? You want to eat in the hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant.

Then the middle class crying money not enough. Their money all gone to buying affordable govt built flats and needed 30 years to service the loans. And just when they have paid up their loans, they lost their jobs. But wait, they thought things would not be that bad as they had carefully put aside a large chunk of their money in the CPF. The shock came when the govt said, this money cannot touch, must be used to buy medical insurance and life annuities for life long protection and to provide them a few hundred dollars a month for life. Sounds good, but with high inflation, money not enough again. So these millionaires, their flats all worth half a million or more, again got money problem and needed govt to help them.

The latest, multi millionaires and billionaires also asking the govt for help. Because their fortunes are all tied up with the billions of dollars of properties they are holding. Now, after so many decades of making millions and becoming exceptionally wealthy, they are multi millionaires and billionaires not for no reason, they want the govt to help them to sell their properties at good prices, better than affordable prices, not that they cannot sell them by themselves.

Who would be next to need govt’s financial assistance? I heard the next group would be the ministers when they lost their election in the next GE. And if the PAP is no longer in power, where are they going to get paid the same millions to maintain their millionaire lifestyle when the GLCs would not be offering them any chairmanship or directorship appointments as ex ministers? Without such appointments who in their right mind, in the private sector, will be willing to pay them by the millions to maintain their lifestyles?

By then the new govt may be in a dilemma. How to justify to pay them millions to help them to live without affecting their quality of life? Hopefully not necessary as quite a number of them are really billionaires or worth hundreds of millions. For those who are not, would the next minister be asking how much they want or whether they want to eat in the hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant?

Sin City is the only super rich city where millionaires, half millionaires and billionaires are all asking the govt for financial help. Yes, there is no poor people in Sin City, only half millionaires, millionaires and billionaires.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Modi received his ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ like Obama

India PM Modi has been awarded the Straits Times’ Asian of the Year Award in a similar fashion as Obama when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a few days into office with nothing to show but promises and promises. Modi is also all promises and sounds and fury if you read the Indian press.

Let’s see what were his great achievements to deserve the Asian of the Year Award that put him ahead of more deserving candidates who have done exceptionally well during their terms in office. Thien Sein of Myanmar and Yudhoyono of Indonesia, two illustrious Presidents that worked tireless, but quietly without any big mouth and highly infatuated Myanmese or Indonesians to blow their trumpets. These two men have achieved a lot for their countries without claiming or saying anything.

Ok, back to Modi and I quote Ravi Velloor in the front page of ST on 6 Dec. His achievements, ‘impressive election victory for his party in this year’s national election,…energised India with is stirring calls for a development focus and “toilets before temples”.’ He would not mind if there are countries willing to offer to build him smart cities if he does not have to pay for it. And he is smart enough to grab the opportunities for such expensive freebies by quickly saying yes to the generous offer.

His other achievements, ‘call for Make in India campaign’. Ravi added a big IF, ‘if pursued to its logical conclusion with a friendlier investment climate and less rigid labour norms, could help fire up the growth engines of US$2 trillion. This is impressive, just a call that, subject to so many what ifs, could lead to US$2 trillion!

And ‘Economists project that as early as next year, India could pick up the growth baton from China…a resurgent India will be a boon for the region and the world.’ I am still trying to figure out what have all these got to do with his achievements when it is the promise of a future created by a changing world economy. I can only see the similarity of Obama and the hope for peace that lies ahead of him.

I think the strongest factor to his credit is that Singapore leaders have seen the potential in him. This must be his greatest asset and achievement to warrant the Award, his potential and noticed by Singapore’s wise leaders. I think he must be the one and only leader to be pointed out by Singapore leaders for potential. Singapore leaders are also exceedingly good at picking potential ping pong players from the kindergartens in China.

Oh, he has made his mark already by ‘reaching out to neighbours and receiving world leaders, including Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott and China’s President Xi Jinping. In January he will be seeing Obama! Fantastic achievements for a great leader with great potential!

I think they may give him an Award for Asian of the Century if he had met Lee Kuan Yew and our President Tony Tan.

Straits Times editor Warren Fernandez had this to say, ‘the award to Mr Modi is as much a recognition of his record as an administrator who has propelled his home state, Gujarat, to global attention, as for the promise of reenergising larger India.’

If making a state to get global attention is the reason for the Award, I think the Sultan of Johore is more deserving for making Johore well known with his huge Iskandar Economic Zone that would dwarf anything in Gujarat.

The Award is more like an Award for potential a la Obama. Modi has a few more years to see through his potential and in this he is one up on Obama who had failed to live up to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee’s faith in him to bring peace to the world. Modi could do well to see the US$2 trillion becoming a reality to do justice to this Award. For the moment his best achievements are meeting state leaders and impressing Singapore leaders with his potential. I think Tony Tan did far better than him by being a house guest at Buckingham Palace and dining and chit chatting with the Queen of Great Britain. Really great stuff.

Kopi Level - Yellow