Don’t fake the news

Ever since Donald Trump became US president, it’s been my habit to do constant Google checks for any wayward sparks the gentleman may care to generate in the waking hours of his day. And he has been most obliging. Just hours ago, The Guardian online reported that Trump had tweeted “misleading photos” to suggest that his proposed 2,000-mile “wall” with Mexico was underway. How? Well, the guy simply tweeted images of work being done on a 2-mile stretch of barrier last month BEFORE Congress refused to fully fund the wall’s construction. In fact, Congress had since agreed to allot only US$1.6 billion for a project estimated to cost over $20 billion. In short, Trump was using images of work done on a 2-mile stretch to create the illusion of work done on a 2,000-mile stretch. (“Great briefing this afternoon on the start of our Southern Border WALL!” gushed the man)

In a week where fake news was very much in the news, Trump’s action showed that it is not just the media or ordinary netizens who are capable of faking the news. If it suits their purpose, governments and leaders are equally adept at online fabrications. Academic Dr Norman Vasu said at the public hearings of the Select Committee on deliberate online falsehoods that there are six categories of online falsehoods based on the degree of threat they pose, with disinformation aimed at undermining society topping the list. Under this categorisation, Trump’s misleading photos on the Great Wall of Mexico would probably rank somewhere near the bottom. But a fake is a fake, so shouldn’t Americans ask the president to take down the phony photos? Or must it really be sufficiently serious?  If so, who decides how serious? If it’s the government, then who will order a take-down if the government is behind the fake news (as in Trump’s case)?  

Fake news is a by-product of Internet technology. In the pre-Internet age, we only have to contend with rumours, spread by word of mouth, not click of mouse. Hence the attendant issues we now face have no precedent or proven solutions. But one thing remains the same. As in the past, the role of the government is a bone of contention. Activists claim we don’t need new laws as there are enough existing ones to deal with online falsehoods.  What is needed is greater public access to information and improved media literacy. Not so, says the government as it pointed to a poll last year indicating that over 90% of Singaporeans supported stronger laws to remove or correct fake news. Whatever it may be, there’s no faking that we are all in new territory and it’ll take us a while to get it right.

Xi and Kim show hands to Trump and the Americans

It is official, Kim Jong Un visited Beijing and had a photograph taken with Xi Jinping and their respective first ladies. All the foolish talks about China and North Korea breaking up and relations at a low would now sound so hollow. Trump and his scheming idiots thought they got China by the balls to do their biddings, above all, to betray and abandon North Korea. They were congratulating themselves that they were so successful in creating a rift between the two neighbours with historical ties in fighting the Americans, and probably sniggering at how easy to drive them apart. Many stupid western analysts still cling to this farce and trying to explain that Kim is making a last minute effort to gain China’s support when the support was and is there all the time, and that the superficial rift was just that, to play along with the Americans.
 
This visit by Kim, his first visit overseas and to meet a leader of another nation, speaks clearly where his confidence lies and who he regards as his most reliable and important friend. Since the Korean War against the USA, China had withdrawn every single soldier fighting in that war from Korean soil. On the other hand the Americans refused to leave and had made South Korea a semi colony with the Americans commanding the South Korean soldiers.
 
On the other hand North Korea is a full fledged independent state in charge of its own destiny and sovereignty. China did not behave like the devious and treacherous Americans, to sit tight and refuse to leave. China could easily use the same excuse, American troops are still in South Korea, as justification to remain in North Korea. But the Chinese honoured their obligations and respect the independence of the North Koreans, and completely withdrew from North Korea.
 
For a while, the ugly and treacherous Americans have the world believing in their sneaky tricks of driving a wedge between China and its closest ally, North Korea. China even went along to agree to the American led sanctions against the North Koreans. Many fools really believed that China has become the enemy of North Korea and the North Koreans are depending on the Russians to protect and defend them. Should this be the case, Kim would be in Moscow to visit Putin.
 
The truth is out. The devious Americans really believed that China is weak and could be pushed around, conduct provocations in the South China Sea islands and waging a trade war with China thinking that China has no card to play. China has now thrown an ace at the Americans with this Kim visit. China would do more if the Americans did not desist from their provocation and aggression. Next China could withdraw support for the American sanctions against the North Koreans, and more to come.
 
As the Americans foolishly step up the pressure on China, China will respond accordingly and with more vigour and force. Let there be no mistake that China would not walk away when its core interests are challenged. China would not abandon its close allies and let them be bullied by the Americans. China cannot afford to do so or it would lose credibility in the eyes of big and small nations of the world that China is a reliable and dependable friend in times of need.
 
The game has just begun. China has stood up to the Americans for the world to see. Anyone still believes that China could be pushed around by the Americans and betray its friends? Anyone still believe that there was a big rift between China and North Korea and this visit was a desperate move by Kim to mend fences with China, or China and North Korea telling the bullies that they have been duped all this while? Are the Chinese and North Koreans so naïve to believe that the Americans could drive them apart by provocative acts, threats and sanctions?

Shanmugam the real PM?

In an article in thestatestimesreview titled ‘Singapore’s real PM is K Shanmugam, not Lee Hsien Loong’, Alex Tan has an interesting read on the political development in Singapore. Of course this is just his opinion. I would take a different view on this, but here are some paragraphs from the article.
 
‘Like the Chinese dynasty history where rouge Prime Ministers controlled their puppet emperors, Singapore’s Law Minister K Shanmugam has a similar rein over the weak Prime Minister. It certainly doesn’t help with Lee Hsien Loong being ...fickle-minded, but a blanket silence on the furious debates raging in the recent headlines only goes to show the extent of his impotence….
Spend money? Lee Hsien Loong and Ho Ching is there. Raise taxes? Heng Swee Keat will take care of it. Day-to-day government affairs? Leave it to the Law Minister.
This begs the question: Who is then the real Prime Minister?....
Welding two heavyweight ministerial profiles, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam wrote his own green paper, sat in his own Select Committee and now he is going to enact new his own censorship laws. He went to Parliament calling Sylvia Lim “dishonest” and slithered away when facts proved him wrong. The same snake of a minister wrote new laws allowing policemen to lethally shoot protesters, strip search women, and give himself extra-judiciary powers to ban media and communication.
K Shanmugam is no longer only a Law Minister, his new lawless powers made him the new dictator of Singapore – surpassing the PM and his two deputy PMs. Lee Hsien Loong is only as relevant as Halimah Yacob, his premiership is just ceremonial while the one in full power is the Law Minister.
Lee Hsien Loong may be stepping down, but everyone is asking the wrong question who is the actual one in power. The likely PM successor, Minister Chan Chun Sing, will be just another puppet to K Shanmugam.’

My point that differs from Alex Tan is that what Hsien Loong is doing is about delegation of duties. With all the ministers being paid millions, how can they not be expected to assume full duties and responsibilities in their ministries? And these are not your normal average people, they are super super talents and not allowing them to do their jobs would be a disservice and injustice to their super super talents.
Hsien Loong is doing the right thing by making them work and not sitting on their butts. Shanmugam is seen as doing a lot of work simply because he has two ministries under him. So he has to work harder and the unquestionable talent to go with it.
 
Of course there would be people who would question the danger of too much power given to one man, in Shanmugam, and the risk that he could usurp his power to be the real or de facto PM. The possibility is there, but Hsien Loong is in full control and would not allow it to happen. The two DPMs knew, and the 4th generation leaders also knew that Hsien Loong is the one calling the shot.
 
Shanmugam would not be the next PM even if Alex Tan thinks he is wielding too much power as a minister versus his other colleagues, even the DPMs. It looks that way but this is only an impression. What is the real politikings behind the scene only Hsien Loong knows. He is the PM and he is in charge.
 
OK both views are just opinions. Please don’t label them as fake news. Everyone is entitled to his view and opinion. You guys reading can have yours as well, and very different from the two of us.
 
I am not sure what those fake news control freaks would be thinking. They all look so innocent and holy. You know a devil when you see one.

China needs to change its appeasement policy towards the USA

China has been operating under the policy of appeasement in the face of American and western provocation and aggression since the opening of its economy. Under Deng Xiaoping’s era, he advocated that China should avoid trouble, even ‘eat bitter pill’, stay out of trouble and dispute to concentrate on economic growth and development. This policy of non involvement and avoiding confrontation and conflict with the USA is still in place and is proving to be outdated and detrimental to the continue growth and rise of China as a sovereign state.
 
China must learn its bitter lesson of the past, when it was weak and invited hostile western countries and Japan to invade and to colonise China with wars and intimidation. The western countries, led by the USA, are still viewing China’s non interference and non aggression and non retaliation policies as a sign of weakness and are pressuring and challenging China in all areas, including trade wars, the Taiwan independence and the South China Sea. Even little countries would happily align with the Americans to take pot shots at China whenever a contentious issue is presented, thinking and believing that a weak China would not react or hit back. It is very safe to slam China in support of the Americans. A weak China as perceived by the hostile and unfriendly countries would invite provocations, challenges and intimidation just like the weak China of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
 
Can China afford to continue with its policies of appeasement and walking away from provocations and confrontations? Is it good for China to appear weak and hapless in the face of American and western pressure and aggressive challenges?
 
China today is no longer hapless and weak like the past Qing Dynasty. China is now the second most powerful country in the world and would be wise to make the world understand and acknowledge this fact to keep provocations and unfriendly acts at bay. Appearing weak and appeasing the aggressors are exactly the reasons that brought about the continuous provocative challenges to China in the South China Sea, the inciting of Taiwan’s independence and the looming trade war.
 
China must take a stand, change its non aggressive and appeasement policy to suit its stature as a big power if it wants to deter adventurism and hostile intention. Unfriendly and hostile countries with ill intent and agenda must know that China is not a weak state but would hit back with as much force and power as it deems fit to aggressive intents and acts from unfriendly countries, particularly the little pretentious powers. China must mean business if it is to have a respectable standing in the international community, to be respected as a big power and not to be trifled with.
 
The day has come for China to stand up as a big power and not to be pushed around, to be challenged and not to push back the aggressive and hostile forces. A policy of weakness, of inaction and appeasement would do more harm to China than one of strength. The whole world is also looking for a China that can stand up to the aggression of the USA and western powers, to protect the small countries from being threatened by these powers. Small countries need another super power to balance the equation in international relations for peace and stability.
 
China has a big and critical role to balance the military and belligerent might of the USA and its equally bellicose western allies. Not facing up to these hostile countries is being irresponsible as the hapless little countries would have no one to turn, no one to defend their rights and independence except to submit to the threats of USA and western powers.
 
The world needs a new balance of power for peace and stability and to protect and defend the interest of the smaller and weaker states. The USA, the world’s most belligerent evil Empire, has been conducting wars every day for the last 7 decades, wars of aggression, invasion, covert wars, cyber wars, media wars and now trade wars. The Americans are not afraid of wars. They lived by wars and love wars. To stop them from their warmongering, the only way is to hit back with more wars. That is the only language they understand.

Trump – You are fired

Trump is reprising his role in the Apprentice with a new vigour and vitality. This time he is real. He is proving to be the no nonsense boss. Anyone that falls below his expectation will be fired. Trump as a leader of a nation has no excuse or tolerance for sub par performance or non performance. Anyone in his cabinet must perform or be sacked.
 
In a way Trump is showing the world of incompetent leaders what leadership is all about. It is all about putting good men and women in position of power, authority and responsibility. He cannot accept mediocrity. This speaks very well of Trump and leaders of nation state have a lot to learn from him. Leaders that tolerate incompetence and nincompoohs or surrounded themselves with clowns are doing a disservice to their countries and people.
 
Trump may be harsh but very decisive. He is still in the process of finding good men and women to make America great again. He would find them sooner or later and America would be great again. Never in the history of the USA and the democratic world where so many pretentious men and women, cronies, were put into positions of power and responsibility but doing nothing useful or failing in their jobs.
 
Trump is changing everything to do the right thing. Do your job and do it right or be fired. There is no excuse for incompetence. Many in the establishment have been dead wood for too long and pretending to be working and pretending to be doing a good job. No one can bluff Trump. He kicked asses.
 
Trump is proving himself to be one of the rare leaders that popped up in time of great crisis. There is a crisis of leadership in the USA and the democratic world. Great leaders, real leaders, are needed to lead, not to mislead.