Chuan Jin – logically speaking

“Even without the IRs, people will find a way to gamble if they want to gamble — like going on online gambling sites, or going to neighbouring countries,”
Chuan Jin was at a forum in Ngee Ann Polytechnic and a question thrown to him was whether the two casinos at the Integrated Resorts (IRs) have brought more social ills into the country. The above statement was his answer to the question.
 
Does this look like going with the flow? Or is it like, since they would do it, why not let them do it here, and we can control the numbers? And since people are going to Batam and Bintang to spend their CPF savings, why not convert some southern islands to be like Batam and Bintang? Stretching this kind of logic further, since people are going to take drugs, why not?
 
Can there be a better explanation for the existence of the two IRs here when some quarters of the population were against them for the social ills that they would cause? Don’t bet on it that the two IRs would be closed. Like the CECA, no chance of turning back the clock, no chance to unwind as there are legal implications and cost involved. You cannot simply strip away a multi billion dollar set up with thousands of jobs at stake even if many are foreigners, directly or indirectly.
 
When a decision is made on a difficult basis or difficult to defend premises, the more one tries to explain it away, the more ridiculous it will look. It is best to take it by the horns and tell the hard truths and be less embarrassing explaining something by using funny logic, or is it power logic at work?

Hostile acts in peace time

China fired a cruise missile into the America Embassy in Tokyo, blowing it up and killing a few American personnel. China sent a note to Obama claiming that it was a mistake and would pay compensation for the damages and loss of lives. Would the Americans accept the apology?
 
China flew its spy planes, called surveillance planes, closed to the 12 nm territorial limits of Hawaii or American bases in Japan. Or China flying its nuclear bombers, carrying no bomb under its belly, but heading straight to California. How would the Americans react to such threats and show of force? The nuclear bombers came within range where they could fire its nuclear weapons.
 
These are hostile acts, acts of war. Any of such acts could force the defending country to activate its defensive mechanism, and strike down the attackers. And these were the hostile acts that the Americans have committed against China, in peace time. China, being militarily weaker, took the aggressive and hostile acts quietly, allowing the Americans to bully them and got away with it.
 
China is stronger today, though still unable to match the Americans in numbers of nuclear weapons and military might. But China is now able to destroy as many Americans as the Americans could do to them. The Americans are continuing to push the boundaries, crossing the Pacific Ocean to provoke the Chinese with their air intrusions into Chinese airspace. A point has been reached and the Chinese would not take it anymore. The Chinese would allow the Americans to bully them, to provoke them, to humiliate them and do nothing. You want the Chinese dead, the Chinese would bring the Americans along, dead.
 
The American provocations are increasingly dangerous, highly irresponsible, and China would have to put a stop to them if it wants to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. If the Americans refuse to back down, China would have no choice but to take the Americans by the horns. China would have to shoot down the American planes in its air space or nuclear bombers heading straight to China. It has no choice.
 
China would have to go to war. It cannot run away with the Americans at its door and pointing the guns at them. War is inevitable with the bully standing there with guns drawn. Who is the aggressor? Who is the bully? Who is starting a world war? The Americans are asking for a World War that they cannot control.
 
When China talks about war with the Americans, it is ready for it. It would not win in this war, but it would set New York, Washington and all the major American cities burning. China would be flattened, so would the USA. Would the ordinary American boys and girls and families want to risk being evaporated because a few evil men and women in Washington and Pentagon thought it is fun to travel a few thousand miles across the Pacific to poke their fingers in someone’s backyard and a few pieces of rock that have nothing to do with their good life?

PMET’s plight – Would anyone listen, would anyone bother, would anyone care?

Gilbert’s Transitioning.org is the equivalent of SOS for desperate PMETs out of job and crying for help. It speaks a lot when the PMETs go to Transitioning.org instead of the MOM and NTUC. When they talked to Gilbert, it is the last ditch when all hopes have failed. It is crisis time. Here are some extracts of a post on the subject of our PMETs losing out to foreigners and in despair when they have families to feed and children to care for.
 
Would anyone care, bother, or willing to listen to their plight? Or would they come out with some stupid motherhood statements and move on? It is understandable that people who are earning millions and have no financial worries could understand or appreciate what it is like without an income and a family to feed. They will just say some cock like they understand and they could emphatise with the victims of unemployment and move on to enjoy their Swiss standard of living.
 
The plight of the PMETs is genuine and very serious and must be the top priority of the govt. What, cannot understand what the angst is all about? Or would the govt find it more important to provide more good jobs to foreigners? It is so exasperating and painful to see the govt trying so hard to help foreign countries, to provide jobs to foreigners like it is the govt’s responsibility but leaving the citizen PMETs in the lurch.
 
Read this conversation with an unemployed IT professional called Patrick.
 
‘Transitioning: What do you think the government can do to alleviate the current employment situation?
 
Patrick: Immediate (should start by July):
 
1. Stop issuing all Employment Passes (EP) for PMET jobs immediately.
2. Enforce a rule that makes it necessary for employers to look at the unemployed Singaporeans first.
3. Start a database of all unemployed PMET’s in Singapore that the employers can tap on for immediate hire.
4. For those employers who are looking for a specific skill, WDA can provide free/subsidised training for the candidates who come close to the requirement but missing one or two skills. Employer could also provide OJT for such candidates.
5. Provide clear & transparent statistics on unemployed PMETs to the general public. The statistics could include things like Age, Gender, Race, Qualification, Duration of Unemployment (1-3months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months >1 year, >2 years). I believe right now if you are unemployed more than 6 months you are considered “retired”. Currently the statistics says that Singapore unemployment rate is 1.9%. I don’t think this takes into consideration people who are jobless for more than 6 months. I feel that the unemployment rate might be much higher. Let’s be transparent about how many are really unemployed.
 
Long term (should start by Jan 2016):
 
What should happen is that employers should have to demonstrate that there is a shortage of the specific skills/PMET in Singapore and so needs to hire from overseas. The EP should only be given after a 3-6 months of exhaustive search locally. Exhaustive mean that they should keep all records of those people they interviewed and have a clearly detailed report on why that person was not suitable.
 
Their search should not be limited to job agents and job websites, but they should also work with WDA, MOM etc to find suitable locals. Companies can only apply for EP if such a skill is not found locally (SG/PR). MOM needs to review the report made by the employer and cross check with the candidates, WDA and job agents to ensure the authenticity of the report. During the review if a suitable local candidate is found then the employer will not get an EP approval.
 
We should also have an absolute limit to the number of EP’s per year, just like the US does with its H1B. So for example if Singapore adds 50K PMET jobs annually, then only about 10-15K EP’s will be set aside for that year. Once the EP’s finish, no more EP for that year. Try next year!....
 
Transitioning: Many people have blamed foreigners for competing on jobs with us, what is your view on this?
 
Patrick: When I was employed, we used to often invite friends and family over to our home for dinner. These days we have completely stopped as we are trying to cut down on our costs. To me, its the same at the national level. When you have unemployed people in your own home, you should not be inviting others to come in. It’s like you have hungry mouths to feed in your home and you invite outsiders for dinner.
 
I don’t blame the foreigners, they are coming in because we let them in/invite them. It’s a policy and implementation issue…. Every evening I go to bed angry and frustrated that nothing happened. But I wake up again next morning and I try something a little different.’

 
This is not an isolated case. Many cases were not reported. Many blamed themselves. Many refused to talk. Many just make do with whatever they could get by, or simply retired. And we have hundreds of thousands of foreign PMETs and many fakes here. Just removing the fakes would create more than enough jobs for our citizens. Do our PMETs have to suffer while the foreigners are having good jobs and feeding their families in our very own country with the good jobs we gave to them? Does our govt owe these foreigners a good job, a good life and no responsibility to our citizens?
 
Those assholes that think our citizens are not talented enough, not skilled enough, lazy, demanding, I say stuff it in your mouth. PMETs like Patrick are very good talents, very experienced and very motivated and pragmatic. Not someone with entitlement mentality like the assholes liked to blame them. They are victims of a silly and irresponsible policy.
 
What is the govt thinking? Would the govt want to seriously do something to take care of our PMETs or busy providing jobs for foreigners and building cities for foreigners?
If you are a Singaporean PMET, you turn will come next, and very soon. Don’t ever believe that you are safe, that it would not happen to you. You will be screwed, your family and children will be screwed.

China needs to play a bigger and more responsible role

I am picking up the cue from Straycat on the historical rights or wrongs of the past. The Americans and western media have a very good memory of China’s past. Every little indiscretion or mistakes would be lifted out from the pages of history to remind the world of a negative China. China is always wrong and never right, never good, never responsible. The western countries, particularly the Americans, their histories were always about rights and goodness. They never commit crimes like China. They were peace loving countries unlike China. They were never aggressors, never invade or conquer other countries, never claim no man’s islands as theirs. They were angels, godly people.
 
China is dangerous. Look at how China bullied the small countries in the South China Sea and claiming islands belonging to no one, but some South East Asian countries are also trying to claim? Look at how the Philippines are telling the Chinese that they would fly their aircraft over Chinese islands defying China and this bully could not do anything about it? Who did you say is the bully?
 
The Americans and the West have a global responsibility to stand up for the victims of China’s aggression and expansionism and bullying. Which country has China invaded, are there any Chinese troops in foreign soil? The Americans and the West have appointed themselves as the global policemen and the power to fight for justice and for the victims of aggression. Who are the aggressors?
 
According to the Americans China is not playing any responsible role in the world. It must play a bigger role. There is a role that is cut out for China, to defend the weak and victims of Imperialism, Colonialism, of aggression and invasion. The victims of such nations need a great power to fight for their rights and justice, to take back their countries lost to the invaders. For a start, China should speak to the natives of conquered land, the Red Indians, the natives of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many Pacific Islands and those in the Indian Ocean, to reclaim their rights to their homeland, ownership of their ancestral land.
 
China must speak to the natives, champion their rights in the UN and take the invaders and occupiers of their land to the International Court, to reclaim what they had lost to the invaders and conquerors. These injustices cannot be simply forgotten, not to talk about again. It is history, and history is right. Fait accompli! It has been done. Cannot bring back the past. Who is bringing back the past?
 
Fortunately there are still a few Red Indians, natives and aborigines that survived the genocides and could lay claims to their father land. These survivors of genocides have rights too. Don’t they? Where is the conscience of the Europeans that robbed their land, their inheritance, and murdered their forefathers?
 
Should China play a more responsible role to fight and defend the rights of these dispossessed people? The victims of aggression and conquest need a spokeman and a champion to stand up for their cause.

Law to protect Lee Kuan Yew

‘The government announced that it would come out with a law to protect the name and image of Singapore’s former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, whom many around the world have regarded as a controversial leader. The official reason given by the ruling party was to ensure no commercial misuse and exploitation of his name and image. Lawrence Wong, the minister in charge of proposing the law, reminded Singaporeans, “I should make it very clear that the intent is not to restrict people from coming up with their own creative ways to PAY THEIR TRIBUTE TO MR LEE.”’
 
A blogger, Celia Lim, wrote the above in her article, ‘Law to protect or glorify a dead man?’ appearing the TRE. For a controversial leader, it is expected to hear all kinds of views and intent about the name Lee Kuan Yew, to be used with propriety or to be abused with liberty. I think a better way would be to copyright the name and his image internationally. The Tourist Board would have a new brand name and many souvenirs for sale to the tourists. LKY key chains, pens, beer mugs, umbrellas, this one very meaningful, to be protected by a LKY umbrella, little figurines. I think some creative people may have already jumped into the bandwagon. Yes, LKY T-shirts with his face on the front and back ala Che Guevara or Castro. Singapore Mint can also join the act with special editions of coins to commemorate him. The possibilities are unlimited.
 
But be careful and be sensitive with some items like footballs, punching bags, pillows or bolsters, bears, wheelbarrows, towels, and many other things that may not be suitable. The govt can come out with a list of the forbidden goods to keep things in control. They may want to introduce ratings of souvenirs and toys so that certain categories are only available to the public and children. The business people may get too creative. While on this, must ban portraits or toys of Margaret Thatcher as well.
 
Maybe the govt should set up a committee to do an in depth analysis on what are the things that can or cannot be done and must be banned. Yaacob would be the best man for this job. He is an expert in what is good or bad for the people to see and read. Off hand it is very difficult for a few individuals to think through thoroughly on all the funny things that could happen. Some of the funny people and their funny thoughts like urinating, throwing eggs, burning, tarring, graffiti, etc etc, so erecting statues and public portraits must be avoided unless well protected by fences and security cameras. There are people wanting to build shrines for worshipping. Can or not? It would need many super talents and creative people to fish out all the probabilities. A committee may not be good enough.
 
With the GE coming, the Party could follow the Taiwanese to use LKY as a Party mascot and designed things around it. Ah Bian had his cute soft dolls, caps and kopi cups. These would be hot selling items, including posters that people can buy as pin ups for the bedroom walls or the living rooms.
 
The royalties from these products could make the children and grand children very rich, like a pop star for many many years. LKY the Legend!.
 
PS. Unfortunately I cannot chop chop these ideas. Or else will be rich in no time. Want to take home a Lee Kuan Yew? Or you can buy a Lee Kuan Yew off the shelf for inspiration. No knuckle dusters please.