Be wary of nincompoops and sycophants

I remember this story of a turkey that was fed with bull shit and flew to the top of the tree. At that height and visibility, it became an easy target for the farmer who promptly shot it down.  The moral of the story is that those that climbed too high by bull shitting would be exposed to danger and would fall as quickly as they got up there.

In corporations or in politics, there will be a lot of nincompoops or sycophants who are very slippery in flattery to fan the ego of their bosses to get themselves into the good books. The intention could be just that, but sometimes the intention could be more serious, drugging the bosses to commit hara kiri without knowing it. Some bosses are just like the turkey and would be happy being fed with shit to be unnecessarily exposed, standing high on the tree top naked.

In a way the same story can be used to understand what Lee Wei Ling was trying to say and do. She is apprehensive that too much publicity given to LKY, already respected by many by the turn out at his funeral, could turn negative and ultimately make a mockery of LKY when sarcasm and doubts started to build up among the skeptics. LKY departed with great honours and the feeling was good in the minds of many. This goodwill should be left to stay in the minds of the people for as long as it could hold. To exaggerate it could end up being overdosed and trigger a bout of rejection.

Hsien Loong must be wary of the nincompoops and sycophants trying to curry favours by feeding him with the wrong message, that the people wanted more celebration of LKY, wanted to build more and bigger monuments, wanted to build temples, to elevate LKY to a deity to be worshipped.  Singapore is a first world country, not like those in the 3^rd world when hero worship and megalomania are acceptable, when political leaders could assume a god like image for the people to bow and pray and worship. Trying such behavioural tactics on a first world educated and sophisticated people would likely lead to unexpected and negative reception. We have gone pass the 3^rd world mentality. Or haven’t we?

Hsien Loong should appreciate the contrarian view of his sister, and kick the butts of the nincompoops and sycophants telling him the wrong things. What was fed to him could be expected, as they were the messengers of good news, telling the master what he wanted to hear.  What was not fed to him could be something exactly opposite. How is Hsien Loong going to hear the bad stuff if he is surrounded by people telling him only the good stuff?

It is good that the big celebration was preempted before it gone too far. In this case, my view is that Wei Ling had a better feel of the ground. The ground swell, the spontaneous  groundup adoration seen during the funeral were not there this time. Hope no one is telling Hsien Loong that people are crying and fainting at the anniversary commemoration.  In the developed world there is such a thing called quiet dignity.

Beware of the hidden agenda of those ‘friends’ that are waiting for the Ides of March. Beware of nincompoops and sycophants.

The appeals of Chee Soon Juan and the SDP

There are still many comments from the unthinking that Chee Soon Juan is a rash and mad politician. This message has been repeated and rammed into the heads of many innocent readers for the last twenty years and many are unable to shake this piece of shit off their minds. This fortunately is only true when the unthinking masses are concerned. It is a different matter to those who think, who question how a man could be so wronged, so badly tarnished for a small and questionable act when many had got away with murders and still walking around like angels.

The introduction of the new SDP town council team designated to run the Bukit Batok Town Council is a good case to watch. The people name are professionals and respected individuals and with lawyer like Peter Low, formerly the Law Society President, in the list, speak very well of the SDP and Chee Soon Juan. The professionals are not easily dragged to believe the taints thrown all over Chee Soon Juan. They are rallying to his side, to join his party and his cause, a statement of trust and faith.

These professionals are not only showing way, they are telling the people that they believe Chee Soon Juan is a good man, a man worthy of their support. They want him to be in Parliament. They are saying, do not believe the craps thrown at Chee Soon Juan. They are telling the people, the masses, to think and to believe in Chee Soon Juan and the SDP.

It is an endorsement of the man and his works. Would the people of Bukit Batok listen to the good voices of these good men, to shrug off the craps that they were made to believe in, that Chee Soon Juan is an unworthy man? How many people out there among the politicians are more worthy than Chee Soon Juan?

The Bukit Batok by election is a test of the maturity of the people of Bukit Batok, to think for themselves on what is good for the constituency and for the country. Do not let other people think for you or make you think what they want you to think or how to think. Think for yourself for goodness’ sake, and decide what is best for yourself and for Bukit Batok and for Singapore.

Violating the sanctity and security of the heartland

The govt encourages the people to sub let their HDB flats to earn extra income. Many have taken advantage of this new avenue to ease their financial burden and obligation, and that is good. One or two rooms can be sublet out and the retirees can live on this new source of income to live through their retirement years.

When one gets into detail, this sub letting policy could become a bane to the average Singaporean families. Our rapid progress and changes in our lifestyle have altered the characteristics of our society. We have new small nuclear families. The three generation or two generation families are no longer the norm. Singaporean families are either very young, the newly wed, or small new nuclear families of one or two kids, and the solitary or two retiree families. The number of people occupying a flat is relatively small, mostly 2 to 4 persons per unit regardless of flat size.

How would the subletting policy affect the life of the average HDB dwellers? Subletting of one or two rooms would normally add a couple of people into an unit of flat, unlikely to be more than 4. A small presence of a few strangers living in a floor of HDB flats would be quite comfortable for everyone. The problem comes when 6 or 8 or more move into a flat. Some owners are subletting their whole flat to foreign tenants, and depending on flat size, it is quite normal now to have more than 6 tenants in a HDB rental flats. Quite often it could be more than 10 as the tenants find it economical to share the cost of rentals. The more the merrier.

The modest HDB flats are homes to the Singaporeans. They returned after a hectic day at work to seek comfort, security and solace within their four walls. The sense of home, security, familiarity, belonging and a safe sanctuary have been taken for granted as part and parcel of HDB dwellers’ life.

How would a floor of 6 or 8 units of flats, occupied by retirees or young families feel when 6 to 10 burly foreign men moved in? How would the parents feel when they are all out at work and leaving only a few retirees and young children at home, with 6 to 8 foreigners living next door when they have no clue of who they are and what are their characters?  And what if the foreigners would make the common corridor as an extension of their flats since there are so many of them, and the young and old, and the women folks would now have to walk pass these foreign men, under the stare of their wandering glare?

There are personal safety concerns for the retirees, the women and the young children. There are also security concerns of their homes when the adults are out at work, often leaving behind empty flats, and the foreigners would know who would be at home and who would not be at home. Very likely 99% of the foreigners are decent and honest people and there is nothing to worry about. The problem comes with the 1%.

Have the HDB and the govt, the police, think through this social, safety and security problems of the Singaporean HDB dwellers when a big number of foreigners moved in to live side by side with them? It is no joke for the feeble retirees, young children and women to be straddling pass big burly foreigners in the sanctuary of their HDB homes daily. It is no joke for the parents with young children alone at homes and knowing the presence of many foreigners next door when the parents are not at home.

This violation of the HDB sanctuary, the homes of the average Singaporeans by the presence of big numbers of foreign men, construction workers or manual workers, is unacceptable and unwelcome for the well being of the HDB dwellers. When they are small in numbers, things are manageable. When the number is big, especially a large number of men in a unit, and with the neighbouring units often empty or left with young children, young daughters and wives and retirees, it is not only undesirable, but poses serious safety and security risks.

The Govt and the HDB must review this policy of having too many foreigners, especially men, in a unit of HDB flats. The sanctuary of the HDB as homes for the average Singaporeans must be protected and not violated by this subletting policy. There must be more control and restrictions on the number of foreigners allowed to live in a flat in the midst of Singaporean families, in the heartland.

Singaporeans must feel safe and at ease with their homes, their dependents at home, when they are out at work, and also to feel safe at home, in peace and without having to worry about so many foreigners next door and what if they have bad intentions.

This is not a terrorist issue but a very basic right of the people, to live and feel free and safe in the heartland.

China’s inexplicable policies in the South China Sea

China’s claim in the South China Sea using the 9 dashed lines is a natural progression from its strengthening economic and military power. After being cut into pieces like a water melon, with its land and islands seized by foreign powers, China is reasserting itself to regain control of what it had lost during the years of foreign invasion of China.

China is reclaiming and rebuilding the islands in the South China Sea and turning them into habitable islands with facilities for commerce and human industry.  Its fishing boats and coast guards are in the waters in the South China Sea. And it is being accused of being an assertive and aggressive power when its fishing boats are being arrested and towed away by little countries making counter claims to the islands in the South China Sea. Who are the aggressive and assertive countries? Who are the countries that are arresting fishing boats from other countries and blowing them up?

What is inexplicable is that China, being a super power, could easily chase away all the small little patrol boats of the Asean countries that are threatening the Chinese fishing boats, arresting them if needed to, including arresting the patrol boats,  instead of allowing Chinese fishing boats to be detained and blown into piece  and Chinese fishermen arrested.

Does China believe in the 9 dashed lines and that its fishing boats are fishing in Chinese waters? If so, then China must enforce and protect their safety from foreign patrol boats. By not doing so, China is indirectly saying that the Chinese fishing boats are fishing in other country’s waters and therefore illegal and rightly detained by other countries. If they are in Chinese waters and they could be arrested and Chinese coast guards could not do anything about it, it is a sign of weakness, unable to protect its own fishing boats and fishermen.

China has two options, enforces its claim over the islands if it really believes they belong to China and protect its fishing boats and fishermen. If it does not believe so, or believes that the waters are disputed seas, then it should keep its fishing boats out of the disputed areas. This is only the right and respectable thing to do. Allowing its fishing boats to fish in disputed water is debatable. Unable to protect its fishing fleet makes China look hopeless and weak as a super power. In both instances China is looking very bad to the world.

What does China really believes? It is either right or wrong, the claimed South China Sea region is either Chinese territories or it is not.  If yes, make sure the competing claimants know and to protect their fishing boats. If not, do not cause trouble by allowing its fishing boats into the area and to be arrested and blown apart.

What are the Chinese leaders thinking? China must not be wishy washy and invite trouble and ill repute to itself without a clear position and a clear policy to deal with the other Asean states or to allow its fishing boats to be harassed and arrested like illegal fishing boats committing a crime in other country’s territorial waters. China must not only act tough but also be clear and must respect other country’s territorial waters if it wants others to respect its territorial waters.

Anyone, China or Asean states making claims in the South China Sea would have to safeguard their claims legally and by force if necessary. The Vietnamese, Indonesians, the Malaysians and the Philippines are doing so, sending out their naval vessels to enforce their claims. China too must do so if it is serious in its claims and arrest vessels in the disputed areas when others are also doing the same.  Failure to do so is not only a sign of weakness but weakening its claims by default, an act or acknowledgement that the disputed area does not belong to China.

Pope Francis’ weapons of love to fight terror

I am not sure how real is this call by Pope Francis in dealing with terror after the Brussels bombing.  First thing, what are the weapons of love in the Pope’s arsenal? Would he be sending his followers to go around with an olive branch to the terrorists and hug them and kiss them, and showering them with love?

The first problem I think his followers will face is to find the terrorists. Who are the terrorists that he can show love to? Not everyone is a terrorist. Would his followers be hugging everyone they met, everyone from the refugee camps or the ghettos in Brussels and all over Europe? Or will they flock to the Middle East in a crusade of love?  Would the Pope lead by example, when the faith is strong as a mustard seed? How to execute this plan of love?

Humans have had some success in offering love to wild beasts. But there is one condition, that is, the beasts must be caged first. And after they have responded positively to love, they must still be caged or put on a leash.

What is the moral of the story? Trust the beasts or trust God? Should the beasts be set free after receiving all the love? The Americans did the right thing in Guantanamo, lock them up first. But the Americans did wrong by not giving them love. If the Americans had learnt from the Pope by using the weapons of love, the result could be different. The Pope spoke too late.

Donald Trump will remind the Pope of the vicious snake story,  that the snake bit the old woman who carried it home to nurse. When asked angrily, why, by the old woman, the snake replied that she should know better. A snake is a snake, and will bite.

Amen.