China’s appeasement policy towards the US is an invitation to war

The Chinese have been appeasing the Americans while the latter continue to rake up tension by more provocative actions and words. Coming from across the Pacific Ocean to the heart of Chinese territories in the South China Sea, the Americans are flying their military aircraft and naval ships close to Chinese islands. These provocations have been swallowed by the Chinese without retaliation. By so doing, the Chinese are only encouraging the Americans to be more adventurous, taking the meek response from the Chinese as signs of weakness.
 
Even at the Shangri La Dialogue, the Americans were so arrogant as to tell the Chinese to stop reclamation work in Chinese islands immediately. What would the Americans say or do if the Chinese were to tell them to stop reclamation work in American controlled Pacific islands? China’s response to such aggressive talks was expected, conciliatory and polite, not wanting to confront or challenge the Americans directly. This is another sign of weakness in the face of rude provocations by the Americans, and this is bad for peace when dealing with the world’s hegemon, the Number One bully.
 
China has not learnt its lessons from the 19th and early 20th Centuries when weaknesses would invite aggression and invasion by the foreign powers. The Japanese even told the Chinese right in the face then that it was the Chinese fault for being weak that led to the Japanese invasion of China. And if China is going to continue to show its weak front, history is going to repeat itself. The Americans and the Japanese would be more tempted to mount an attack against China with the slightest excuse they could fabricate.
 
When dealing with bullies and aggressive countries, China must be strong enough to meet might with might. The Americans and Japanese would only back off if China shows the resolve and confidence to take them head on. Just like the U 2 incursions into China in the past, the Americans only stopped their intrusion when China was able to knock them off from the sky.
 
But events have since taken a turn for the worst with the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade and the B52 nuclear bombers flying straight into China but not taken down. Both were acts of war and the latter with the threats of dropping nuclear bombs in China cannot be accepted or tolerated. Both showed signs of weakness on the part of China and raised the level of it being attacked and harassed over and over again.
 
The time has come for China to knock down a few of the Poseidons if it wants to keep the bullies from more provocative acts in the South China Sea. There is no other way, and being meek, appeasement, would only lead to a war that China wants to avoid. If the Americans and the Japanese are intent to start a war against China, China must not run away. China has to make a stand now, that it would take them on in the next provocative move.
 
China needs a Code of Conduct for the Americans and the Japanese, that if they do such and such an act, the Chinese response would be such and such. It must be made very clear to these provocateurs that it is up to it to take them on and would not run away the next time, if it wants to avoid a war with them.

What kind of Singaporean core do you want?

Do you want a Singaporean core at the bottom worker’s level, a core in middle management, or a core at top management? Or do you just want a Singaporean core at the political leadership level?
 
There can be many permutations to this choice really. How about a Singaporean core at the political leadership level and a core at the worker’s level and the rest to be filled by any ‘chapalan’ foreigners? Or do you want a Singaporean core at the political leader’s level plus top management and the rest leave it to the foreigners? Just add to the variations and see which is best for the interests of the Singaporeans, or for the interests of the elite, or for the interests of the foreigners.
 
I hope Swee Say is not talking about a Singaporean core at the worker’s level plus a core at the political leadership and the middle and top management levels can be offered to the foreigners on a silver platter. Let’s wait to hear from him or any other minister or the PM himself on what should be the best combination for a Singaporean core.
 
And there could also be variation at different levels like at the worker’s level the Singaporean core should be the supervisory ranks while the worker bees and ants be left to the foreigners or is it the other way round.
 
What would be a bad combination against the interests of Singaporeans? It is easy to talk about core but it can be a rotten core or a smelly core that may not be good to Singaporeans. Don’t simply think talking about a core must be good to Singaporeans. Look at the real core in practice and see what it really meant.
 
I am not encouraged by a Singaporean core at the worker’s level. What do you think? I think if this materialized then it would be a sad day for Singaporeans.

China – Send in the clown

Pinoy President Aquino is in Japan to pay homage to the Japanese Imperial Army that invaded his country and massacred thousands of his Pinoys and looted its treasures in WW2. He may even visit the Yasukuni Shrine to pay respect to the murderers and looters of his country. And to prove how useful he is, he even branded China as the Nazi of Asia but admitted that his knowledge of history is primitive. He did not know that the Japanese was part of the German Nazi Axis that had carved out the world for the Japanese Emperor and Hitler and with the Philippines to be under the rule of the Japanese Empire. Call him silly?
 
China should make this clown a joke of his country. China could do a couple of things to wipe his silly smile off his stupid face. An easy thing will be to stop the import of bananas, the only thing that this country is good at producing. The second thing is to tell Hong Kong to throw out the army of Pinoy maids, the second most famous product of the Philippines. That would surely make the clown jumps around in his little circus.
 
Oh, he may send his biggest antique warship to fight with the Chinese Coast Guards. Hope the Captain of the biggest Pinoy warship would not quote lack of fuel and supplies and flee one more time when the Coast Guards point their water hoses and threaten to flood its deck and sink it. If it sinks in the Chinese island, they would not have any ship big enough or the capability to drag it back to the American Subic Base. It would rust there under the hot sun like the other rusty scrap that was once a naval ship rotting in another Chinese island.,
 
This time he may called for help from the Japanese Imperial Army after being such a good boy in Tokyo. And the Japanese Imperial Army would love to return the Philippines again after they left in WW2.

The unpredictable weather in Singapore Malaysia relations

The two states enjoyed about the finest relations since 1965 when Singapore went on an independent path as a new nation. Relations under Mahathir was hot and cold but never reach the climax like the last couple of years when Hsien Loong and Najib were like abang adek as they waltzed under the spot light beaming happily like a marriage made in heaven.
 
Everyone was hoping that this marriage would last a bit longer or as long as possible and more deals could be signed in a win win arrangement. The thorny and near impossible agreement on the Malayan Railway land and line came to an amicable solution that surprised everyone but to the annoyance of Mahathir. Maybe this is unforgiveable in a way.
 
The 1MDB is everything that was needed to launch a coup against Najib and everything appears on tender hook. Najib is fighting for his life to stay on as the PM with open revolt among the top UMNO leadership. And this has forced Najib to call an ultimatum, to be with him or against him, the latter to resign from his cabinet immediate.
 
The wily Malaysian politicians did not disappoint and back off from the affront by Najib. No one throw in his letter. The most vocal of his critics must have been taken aback. Show hand time, but no one dares to. Hishammuddin, his cousin, was quoted to demand three conditions to support him. He has since came out to deny the statement and said there was no rift in the UMNO leadership. His strongest critics kept quiet. The consequence of such an act could mean a political eclipse as to be outside of the ruling party would not guarantee a return to the govt. It could mean time in the wilderness, and sleeping with Mahathir in his dying days. They are too clever and too crafty to sign their death warrants when things are still so uncertain.
 
Najib has won be calling the bluff for the moment. Crossing the line means no return. It is better to be safe than to be sorry. But this is not the end and Najib’s victory may be shortlived. A lot of under table dealings are going on and the schemers are working doubly hard to convince the challengers to Najib’s leadership to take a stand, to force an issue, to win more converts to the side of the coup leaders.
 
There is danger and Najib could wake up tomorrow with the whole cabinet turning against him and that would put an end to the warm relationship with Singapore. And many mega projects would be at stake. Some would be shelved or renegotiated with the new power brokers. Some of the dead projects in the junk yard would be revived. The crooked bridge would be top on the list if Mahathir’s camp won. And cold wind will start to blow from the North.
 
How much time is left before things take a turn for the worse? My recent trip across the Causeway saw a huge reclamation project on the eastern side of the connect right next to the Causeway. The Malaysians have filled it up practically up to the middle of the Causeway and it would only need the Singapore side to do likewise to bring the two land mass together as one. And if this is extended to both sides of the Causeway, both states would be joined together like inseparable twins and there will be no longer any need for the crooked bridge to come alive again.
 
Would there be enough time to strengthen the relations between the two sides with a joint land mass through reclamation before the weather turns foul and having to say good bye to Najib and to face the bitter cold North wind again?

Lese majeste in Sin City

Lawrence Wong is sounding out a proposal to pass an equivalent of the lese majeste law in the republic and this has raised some eyebrows. Lese majeste is only applicable in a kingdom where there is a living king and it is just rude and disloyal to talk bad about a monarch. There will be no such law in Sin City for sure. This is a republic and there is no king to be loyal and be obedient to. But there is likely to be something similar in form to protect the name of the founding father, to prevent it from being abused, misused, or from profiteering like turning it into a brand for commercial merchandise. It used to be just an imagination but it is becoming true when many loyal believers would buy anything with a name on it, called branded product. Now brands YSL, FCUK etc will have a challenger in LKY.
 
Is this a bad thing for business or for people in love with the founding father? Or should a royalty be paid for the use of the name or for loving the founding father? I thought it would be such a great honour to have the name boldly and openly in display on goods and products or on the chest of everyone? Can it be about royalties that such a law is needed?
 
On the other extreme, the name could be used in very bad form for very unpleasant reasons by very horrible people. This should be protected, the question is how? Some may wonder why there is a need to protect the name of a founding father that is well loved by the people. All founding fathers are well respected and loved by the people. The thought of messing around with the name of a founding father is never heard of.
 
This must be another Uniquely Singapore thing, that the name of a founding father needs protection. Does it make any sense? Is this another case of putting up a target to be knocked down or shot at and needing protection so that it would not be knocked down or shot at? Singaporeans have this bad habit of craving for anything that the govt banned, like books, comics and movies and also chewing gum. Banning the use of LKY will only up the interest of the mob mentality.
 
The thought of the need of such a law says that something is not right about the whole thing. Or this could be another one of those Singaporean traits, kiasu. Better be safe than be sorry. What else need to be protected? I can understand if Hsien Loong needs more body guards after the disclosure of himself being a target to terrorists. Who else needs protection?