Sanjay Perera – Need for an intelligentsia, the trolls in social media lacks intelligence

This guy in a few sentences has put himself up as the only intelligent person in this island. Let me quote from his letter in Voices in Today paper 17 Mar 15.
 
‘We must build an intelligentsia here, though they need not be primarily academics. This is more important today, as scholars should be trained to participate in public discussions. We need a new generation to set a standard for discourse based on critical thinking.
 
This is crucial in an age when comments from trolls and online haters that only stir up negativity, rather than promote constructive dialogue or innovative solutions, often pass for intelligence. Singapore is short of thinkers.’
 
In these two paragraphs he was saying that this country did not have an intelligentsia and needs to build one, or if it has, they are incapable of public discourse, and if they do they lack critical thinking. Our scholars were not trained to participate in public discussion? Or there are other reasons for our scholars not to participate?
 
And he concluded that Singapore is short of thinkers, excluding himself of course, and the trolls in social media are passing negative discourse as intelligence and he cannot ‘tahan’. Incidentally, has he ever engaged in a dialogue with the trolls pretending to be intelligent? I don’t think anyone in the social media is pitching unhappiness with govt policies and kpkbs as intelligence. By the way, what is intelligence or otherwise is up to the readers to decide. This intelligent thinker Sanjay Perera has already decided that the trolls in social media are not talking intelligence and so are most of the scholars and Singaporeans.
 
Shall we invite him to grace this blog to share his intelligence with us? Or he sees us no up and would not want to be associated with trolls like us with no intelligence but passing ourselves as intelligent? Does he believe that bloggers are academics trying to show off their intelligence in blogs? Just this point alone speaks a lot about his intelligence. Or shall I tell him bloggers are just engaging in a steam letting exercise and trying to be intelligent is the least important thought in their minds? There are many important issues to gripe about, who got time to act intelligent or want to be seen or perceive as intelligent? Many things were fired from the hips, what measures of intelligence is Sanjay expecting from lunatics in the fringe?
 
What do you think?

The US ‘declares’ war with China

Hishammudin Hussein speaking as the Chair of Asean, wants to form an Asean peacekeeping force. A military force within Asean would turn it into a different animal, instead of economic and political, into a gun wielding marshal in town. According to Johannes Nugroho, a businessman writer from Surabaya, the intended enemy is none other than China. Asean, with several of its members having competing claim islands in the South China Sea, would be poised to challenge China militarily when such a force is formed.
 
It is unusual that small countries today think they could provoke and challenge superpowers with might and think they could walk away the winner. The Philippines and Vietnam thought so until China slammed its foot down. When vital core interests are at stake, China is not going to back down when confronted by the little punks in the neighbourhood, even with the backings of another bigger superpower.
 
The best policy for small and medium states is to leave the big powers alone, and let them balance each other and keep a check on each other. A rogue big power will just walk over the small and medium states if forced to when the irritation becomes unbearable. An Asean peacekeeping force is just that, an irritant to be tolerated and to be smacked when it crosses the line.
 
An Asean peacekeeping force to fool around with other small states may make some sense but would be totally useless against any big power. At best it would give Asean a false sense of power and tempting it to be flirtatious and adventurous, and inviting troubles it cannot cope with.
 
What is Hishammudin thinking, Asean as a regional power to call the shots? Should Asean go on this adventure, to be another sheriff in the high seas? He acknowledged that it is difficult to ‘upholding ASEAN’s zone of peace, freedom and neutrality.’ Is he saying that since being neutral is tough, why not give it up and take sides.
 
The above mysterious proposal of the Malaysians, eager to play with fire becomes clear when the Commander of the US Seventh Fleet, Vice Admiral Robert Thomas called on the region’s countries to form a military force to patrol the South China Sea. ‘If ASEAN members were to take the lead in organising something along those lines, trust me, the US 7th Fleet would be ready to support.’ The Vice Admiral said this at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition yesterday. The Americans also confirmed that Japan would be there in the front line with India and Singapore is all in favour of India’s participation in the South China Sea, according Ng Eng Hen.
 
The war plan in the American military chessboard, the Asean countries will be the pawns doing the provocation and attacking the Chinese vessels and assets in the South China Sea. The Japanese and Indian Navies will be in the area to provide protective cover in case China strikes back. The US will be watching from a distance to manage the conflict from afar while the little fools fight and kill themselves instead of gunning for peace and economic growth.
 
What would be the likely lined ups on this battle field? China, Russia, North Korea, and a few Asean states like Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand on one side against the US, Japan, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore?
What would China do in the event that the Malaysian proposal of a regional patrol backed by the Japanese, Indians and US takes form? Would the region in East China hot up, would the Sino Indian border hot up, would the Pakistan Indian border hot up as well? The flame will burn in the South China Sea for sure.
 
All the best to Asean as an oasis of peace and neutrality. They have enjoyed peace for too long and wanted to taste a bit of war like the Middle East. War is fun, a lot of heroes and a lot of black body bags too. Thank you America, for your warm support.

MAS and CAD to probe market misconduct

This is a good piece of news for the stock market. The dying stock market would need a complete cleansing or detox if it is to regain its health. The question is to diagnose the cause of the deadly problem. Is it cancer or cough and cold? Is it such some superficial skin rashes or rotting in the core? Without a proper understanding of the real cause of the problem, without a will to tear off the rotting parts, we may end up with another round of cosmetic changes while the market continues to be kept alive with mechanical ventilators.
 
It would be good if the MAS and CAD start a thorough review of the SGX trading system, what HFT and computers plugged into the SGX main computers are doing, what advantages are they having and whether they have compromised or violated the Exchange’s rules and regulations on fair trading.
 
The NYSE is rigged and acknowledged by an ex board member. Does our Exchange have the same problem? MAS and CAD must ensure that our system is not the same as NYSE, it must be absolutely be free from rigging. There is something very sick with the system and unless the real cause is flushed out, the market will not survive for long. It is also very sinful and wicked at this point in time to encourage the young and innocents to put their hard earned money into the market.
 
The MAS and CAD are in a very favourable position to know what is going on and to save the market before it is too late. Do the necessary and not the unnecessary. The viability of the market is at risk and there is a clear and present danger that it would be destroyed if the parasites and viruses in the system are not eradicated.
 
It is high time that all the tubes and cables attached to the SGX main computers be unplugged or chopped off. This is the likely cause of the cancer that is killing the market. Ignoring this problem then MAS and CAD would be wasting their time and resources and be as good as chasing after shadows. Look inside first before going on a wild goose chase. The problem could be systemic.

Ariffin Sha is back

Saw this young man speaking at Hong Lim Park’s rallies and read some of his writings and came out impressed by his oratorical and writing skills. He is a young man but very advanced in his mental age. There is a lot of potential in this man, 16 year old, I think.
 
Then Roy Ngerng and friends were arrested and charged for public nuisance and there were comments that suggested this young man had given evidence detrimental to Roy Ngerng and his friends. They were together but apparently something was wrong. Ariffin also announced his departure from the political scene, taking a sabbatical for a year. The controversy was not favourable to Ariffin.
 
Surprisingly Ariffin has returned with an article in the TRE/TOC titled, ‘A flyer drop, a political low blow’. Below are extracts from his article..
 
‘I couldn’t help shaking my head when I read the TODAY Report of how PAP ‘activists’ distributed fliers in the middle of the night which bombarded residents of Aljunied GRC with messages against the Workers’ Party.
 
I still clearly recall the robust parliamentary debates between the powers that be and Workers’ Party over the definition of “constructive” politics not too long ago. …
 
Let us not kid ourselves, this is nothing but an appalling political low blow.
Is the kind of “constructive politics” that the secretary-general of the PAP was talking about? Are these the “party values” that PAP Aljunied Branch Chairman Victor Lye boasted about?...
 
This incident is a potent manifestation of the hypocrisy of the powers that be. Let me be the first to admit that although this is not surprising, it is indeed disappointing….
Make no qualms about it, at the end of the day it is not the PAP or the opposition who define the political culture we develop. Ultimately, that decisions lies in the hands of the voters. Through the ballot box, the residents of Aljunied GRC will make clear whether they want to give a nod to the “values” of Victor Lye and team or continue supporting the Workers’ Party.
 
And mud-slinging is politically impoverished, because it puts the accuser in a light much worse what he wishes to cast on the accused.’
 
Ariffin Sha is back in his original self, critical and questioning and with fire in his belly. He has cut short his sabbatical to be in the fray of local politics again, in his former self. Who is the true Ariffin Sha?

The Empire all out to contain China but left out in the cold

Not too long ago there was this naïve professor whose article was published in the ST claiming that the US was not out there to contain China. Only the gullible and ill informed would believe his innocence. The Trans Pacific Pact was a political trade pact designed primarily to excluded China and with China as its main target. It is still struggling to get its feet off the ground with only the die hard American allies wanting to be in. The intent to exclude China was simply too glaring to go unnoticed.
 
Since the days of the Cold War, the US has been blocking China in every move it took, trying to contain and isolate China with the singular objective of keeping the US as the dominant and undisputed world power. China on its part has been trying all it could to break free from the American containment policy and is constantly finding ways either to break into the American dominated international system or to develop its own parallel systems and organizations. If China cannot join in the game, China will develop its own game and play with other willing players.
 
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a China initiative to provide an alternate organization to the World Bank, IMF and Asian Development Bank controlled by the Americans and Japanese. The AIIB’s stated mission is to provide financing for big infrastructure projects that would benefit its members, especially countries that were not in the good books of the US and Japan. China is offering smaller states an option to finance their development without having to be allies or semi colonies of the US. It is a financial institution providing badly needed funds, not a military or political institution.
The US has be pulling all the brakes to keep its allies and semi colonies out of the AIIB citing lack of transparency, corruption and whatever excuses it could fabricate. It is assuming that the rest of the countries joining the AIIB are idiots and would blindly allow China to control them and the bank.
 
South Korea and Australia and of course Japan are thus coerced to stay out of the AIIB against their national interests. The European countries too have been pulled back and likewise kept out of the AIIB. The UK is an exception, it is one and only G7 country that is independent enough to say no to its former colony, the Americans, and has joined the AIIB as a founding member to the fury of the Americans. The Americans have come out openly to rebuke the Brits for disobeying the order of the Empire. The Brits have done their sums, and being strategically forward thinking, knew where their interests are best served. They would want to maintain their pole position as the Number One financial centre in Europe and would not let this golden opportunity to slip by. They must be celebrating and wishing that the rest of the G7 would stay out of the game to give them a monopolistic advantage to work with China and AIIB.
 
The spat between the UK and US is out in the open with the US badmouthing the Brits and revealing its intent to keep China out of the loop, to be isolated from the rest of the world dominated by the American system. The Chinese have found their way, together with the other side of the camp, to build a new financial system independent of the Americans. To the Americans it is all about political dominance and even a financial institution is seen as unfriendly and must not be allowed to succeed.
 
Succeed AIIB would be and with the big war chest of the PRC and the BRICS countries, it is going to rival the World Bank and IMF to offer funds to needy countries. And needy Asian countries would form a long queue to where the nectar is. How long would South Korea and Australia be able to stay out of the AIIB where things are happeining? How long would the rest of Europe stay out and compromise their national interests and seeing the British gaining an easy and convenient advantage over them by joining AIIB instead of toeing the American dictates? What is the price for staying out of AIIB when they should be in?
 
Is there any kids out there still claiming that the Americans are not out to contain China?
 
The above was written yesterday and today the whole picture has changed. With the British breaking the ranks, the dam has been breached. The French, Germans and Italians wasted no time to announce their joining the AIIB as founding members yesterday. The rest of the G7 would be held in the balance. Australia and South Korea would be pinching themselves silly for not being able to join the AIIB as Asian countries. Would they have the strength to disobey the Emperor and join the AIIB?
 
The attempt by the Americans to lay a blockage against China, to contain China, would in advertently lead to its own isolation. Now it stuck and hang high and dry with this AIIB initiative and would be too embarrass to ask, ‘May I come in?’ It would be left out there in the cold, by its own Cold War mentality.