F35s - Influencing policy makers and the masses

F-35: How the fifth-generation fighter jet might take RSAF to the next level

Channel News Asia ran a 3 part series article on how good the F35 is and how relevant it is to the air defence of Singapore or should it be the air offensive capability of Singapore with these aircraft. Lockheed Martin, the aircraft manufacturer must have paid quite a bit for this propaganda, oops advertisement to influence not only the decision makers into paying for this ultra expensive toy, but also trying to change the perception of the man in the street that they should not grumble should the govt plough a few billions into this wonderful war machine. I read the piece and am convinced that this is a really good piece of war machine, maciam a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. Actually it is more, like a F1 formual racing car. 

Imagine the people driving their Ferraris and Lamborghinis on our roads and how stylo milo they looked, just crusing along at 110 kph without breaking the road speed limit. That is about what these super cars could do on our roads. And the competitors for attention or to out race them were practically zero.

The big question is who are we going to use these machine against? China, completely useless. They have radars that could render the stealth feature ineffective. And it would be silly for any Singaporeans to think of fighting China with these aircraft, totally out of line, out of the leaque, no contest. Perhaps the closest to fighting China would be to be dragged in by the Americans as their point man, as part of the American war plan for world supremacy. This is definitely not something we want to be in, not something we want to pay for.

These war machine would be too good for our immediate neighbours. They too would not be our competitors even if they acquired them with American consent or acquiring the best Russian war machine. Buying these war machine is only the first step. You would also need clever pilots to fly them, not like the Ab Bengs in their soup up machine tearing down the road. These are highly sophisticated war machine to be used for war, not just swooping around in the sky. Not many would be able to use them as what they were made to do. Definitely not the pilots of our neighbouring countries. This is no bragging. 

Then there is the bigger headache of maintaining them in flying and fighting condition. Our neighbours track record of their Russian and American possession has proven that afterF15s and F16s would be more than adequate to do the job needed, at a fraction of the cost.

Talking about cost, many would be better informed of the complexity of these machine, the use of satellite technology and GPS system to support them, ground control computer and radar system. It is not so simp0le as just buying the aircraft. Then there is also the weapons and avionics cost etc etc. The total cost would be enormous and something we could not afford and do not need to pay for. 

Very likely these aircraft would not have to fight an air war and lost in battle. Many of them would be lost why flying in peace time due to engine or pilot errors. At the tune of $200m each, this is no small sum to fall out of the sky. 

They are good to have, nice to have, like the Lamborghinis and Ferraris. But for practical reasons, the F15s and F16s would be able to perform just as well given the theatre and competitors. Can we afford to pay for such beautiful state of the art war machine or toys with public money?

Below are some extracts of the Lockheed Martin sales pitch in Channel News Asia. Very attractive and mesmerising. Spending OPM is so easy, for such machine, called game changer. Sure, why not. Who would end up paying for the super expensive toys? The enemies would not be able to take them down. But normal wear and tear, poor maintenance and mistakes would.

By Aqil Haziq Mahmud @AqilHaziqCNA

20 Oct 2018 

FORT WORTH, Texas: At the end of a highly sensitive assembly line, in the nave of an enormous aviation paint shop, lay a hulking lump of metal grey aluminium and titanium.
It was a war machine that showed some qualities of an expensive sports car, with sleek lines, perfect symmetry and a matte finish. But looks didn't mask the fact that this fighter jet is designed to be ultra deadly.
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is so advanced, it can “talk” to other aircraft, see the enemy earlier and avoid being seen better than ever before. It can hunt discreetly in packs or be the all-seeing eye in the sky.
This fifth-generation fighter, according to defence experts, is also one of Singapore’s top choices to replace its ageing F-16s.

GE 2020 - Election of Estate Managers

The AHTC trial clearly demonstrate how important is the role of Estate Managers to the MPs than attending Parliament to debate about govt policies and matters of the state and interests of the people. Maybe the often absence of MPs when Parliament was in session is enough clues and hints to say that they must be very busy running their town councils and taking care of the estates instead of wasting time in Parliament.

MPs would not be sued for not attending Parliament. The most got scolding from the Speakers or be barred from attending a few sessions of Parliament. If they failed in their duties as Estate Managers, then it would be a very different story, can be bankrupted.

The term MP, meaning Members of Parliament may need to be changed and they should be given a new job description with estate management as their primary duty and attending Parliament as members of Parliament a secondary duty. It is a misnomer to call an elected representative a Member of Parliament, MP, if his main duties are estate management, making sure the dustbins are cleared, the roads are clean, people pay their dues for cleaning the estate. How about calling them Estate Managers? Or if it is important to retain the word MP, just add a E behind, eg MPE, Manager of Public Estate?

Whether the name be changed, the opposition party hopefuls would now be very clear as to what their primary jobs would be when elected, yes, concentrate full time to be an Estate Manager.

Now is this not queer? Do the people need to go to the vote to elect Estate Managers? Must MPEs attend courses in estate management to prepare themselves for the job? If they don't have such experience and did not know how to set up a team quickly to manage an estate, they will be in big big trouble. No one would want to be in the shoe of the WP MPs.

Looks like the General Election for political office needs a new definition and the people going to stand for election should be a different kind of people with different skill sets. Civil servants and ex civil servants would be most qualified for this job.

What do you think?

Ripping the dictator apart

Below are extracts of a speech by Obama on the dictator as reported in Yahoo news. He did not name the dictator of cause, but a dictator is a dictator. You can tell them from a mile away. The lies that the dictator had spreaded, the fear the dictator had cast on the population or want the population to fear him, how the dictator filled his cabinet with the 'swamp' thing instead of draining the swamp, are all there for everyone to see. Just read and enjoy the hypocrisies and lies of the dictator.

"What we have not seen before in our public life is politicians just blatantly, repeatedly, baldly, shamelessly, lying. Just making stuff up," Obama said. "Calling up, down. Calling black, white.... 

Obama used the subject of Hillary Clinton's private email server to accuse Republicans of trying to "scare the heck out of people before every election" and also to mock Trump about the Chinese spying on his cellphone. (The Chinese recommended Trump to use Huawei and it would be safe from phone tapping.)

"In the last election, it was Hillary's emails. 'This is terrible' ... 'This is a national security crisis.' They didn't care about emails and you know how you know? (Fake news!)Because if they did, they'd be up in arms right now that the Chinese are listening to the president's iPhone that he leaves in his golf cart."....

"Now the latest, they're trying to convince everybody to be afraid of a bunch of impoverished, malnourished refugees a thousand miles away," he said. "That's the thing that is the most important thing in this election," he said. "Not health care, not whether or not folks are able to retire, doing something about higher wages, rebuilding our roads and bridges and putting people back to work."

"Suddenly," he continued, changing his voice to a high-pitch to strike a mocking tone, "it's these group of folks. We don't even know where they are. They're right down there."

Referring to Trump's promise to "drain the swamp," Obama said that instead "they have gone to Washington and just plundered away."

"In Washington they have racked up enough indictments to field a football team," he said. "Nobody in my administration got indicted."....

"I'm hopeful Michigan," he said. "I'm hopeful that despite all the noise, despite all the lies, we're going to come through all that. We're going to remember who we are, who we're called to be. I'm hopeful because out of this political darkness, I'm seeing a great awakening."

PS. Such a beautiful and meaningful speech on what the dictator should be doing and not lying.

Workers Party MPs’ appeal for fund – A mini referendum

‘Low Thia Khiang, Sylvia Lim and Pritam Singh revealed in their blog, entitled In Good Faith, that they have raised SGD $477,653, as of 10pm yesterday evening – just over 24 hours since the trio appealed to the public for help to fight the multi-million dollar lawsuits they are facing in court
On Wednesday, the opposition party leaders revealed in their blog that they have “depleted our personal resources,” having already paid $600,000 from their own pockets to their legal team as the trial progresses.’ Posted in theindependent

The 3 senior WP MPs are facing charges in court for dunno what and facing bankruptcy to the tune of $30m. The legal fees so far came to $600,000, paid out of their pockets and from friends, not from party fund. Defending one's honour in court is no cheap stuff and one who cannot pay would likely have to accept defeat and a guilty condemnation even before going to court, or unable to proceed for short of fund.
 
The WP MPs have made a public appeal and the money came fast and furious, nearing half a million within 24 hours. The latest count after two days is more than $900,000 from more than 5,200 donors and counting. What does this mean?
 
The charges, based on the amount they were accused of mishandling or mismanagement or dishonesty is a staggering $30m. For those who willingly donated to the appeal is as good as saying that they believe that they were doing it in good faith, the WP's defence in court, or else they would not be forking out the money if otherwise. For those who could not afford to support the 3 MPs financially, they have good words to share and to keep their spirits high.
 
From the political perspective, this is like a mini referendum for the people of Hougang and Aljunied to cast their vote of confidence for their MPs. Two days have passed and more than 5000 have voted with their pockets. The two constituencies have more than 100,000 voters. If the 51% that voted for the WP were to contribute $10 each, 3 plates of char kway teow, that would bring in another $510,000 to the fund. But it is not so much the money that counts. It is the people showing their faith and confidence in their MPs, an affirmation of their trust and support for them.
 
How much would the WP be able to raise and how many people would donate is still too early to tell. The picture would be clearer in a week or two.

PS. Please do not make comments about the proceedings in court. 

Those who wish to contribute to the WP MPs to aid with legal costs, may do so using the following channels:

PayNow to +65 9852 5901 (Sylvia Lim’s public line)
Internet fund transfer to UOB account no. 396 309 388 6
Cheque made payable to any one of the three WP MPs: Lim Swee Lian Sylvia, Low Thia Khiang, or Pritam Singh
Alternatively, contributors may reach them through post at “My Mail Box 882560 Singapore 919191,” or arrange to meet them in person by contacting them at ingoodfaithsg@gmail.com.

The third round of CECA improvement talks went by in darkness

There were some reports in the media of the third round of talks to improve the terms of the CECA for greater cooperation and ‘mutual benefits’ or win win for both India and Singapore. How did it go and what were the great changes made to benefit Singaporeans were still not spoken or reveal in the media. Hope this is not going to be another state secret that Singaporeans need not know, it is good for Singaporeans and that’s matter.
 
What were the pretentious thinkers or pseudo thinkers thinking and decided to do in such a massive agreement between a giant and a dwarf, a third world country and a first world country, a country with 1.3b people and a rock with 5m people? The inequalities and incompatibilities between the two countries are so enormous and stark that anything thought equal and fair, equitable, would not be fair.
 
It is so easy to say we open up to India and Indians coming here and India likewise opens up for Singapore and Singaporeans to go to India look superficiality so equal and fair. Is it? Can Singapore afford to open up to allow 1,300,000,000 Indians to come here so that 5,000,000 Singaporeans can go to India? Can the pretentious unthinking thinkers say an open door policy between the two incompatible countries is fair and equitable?
 
How many Singaporeans would want to go to India to be paid in rupees compare to how many Indians would like to come to Singapore to be paid in Sing dollars? How many Singaporeans would like to live happily thereafter in India after having lived in HDB flats with basic necessities like clean water and flushed toilets within the flat as against shitting in the bushes or on the road sides and with no potable waters?
How many companies from India would be coming here and how many Singapore companies would be going to India? Is 1:1 fair, 1:100 fair, 1:1,000 or 1:1m fair and acceptable?
 
What about the hundreds of thousands of Indian universities and colleges and their millions of graduates coming here versus the less than 50 universities and colleges, actually less than 20 and their graduates flooding the job markets of both countries? Fair, good, insane or madness?
 
A 1 percent Indian labour/worker/professionals landing in Singapore is 13m versus a 1 percent Singaporeans or 35,000 Singaporeans, if the Singaporeans really think they could earn a decent living and given decent jobs that made the move palatable or good, make any sense?
 
Can Singapore absorb the 13m Indians coming into the island without upsetting the social fabric and sensitive racial balance in the island? Would Singapore become another third world country instead if this is to happen? What about the quality of our life, our public services, professional services, our infrastructure, our lifestyle, would they be better or worse?
 
How good is the CECA for Singapore? It is definitely good to India without question. Would the upgraded CECA lift Singapore to the next level of economic development and improve the quality of life of Singaporeans or sink Singapore into a third world sink hole?
 
What were agreed in the third CECA that benefit or hurt Singaporean’s interest? Do Singaporeans have a right to know?
 
For sure, the visible impact of this silly and indiscriminate open door policy are as follows: Our employment/job market is now controlled and manipulated by foreigners to the detriment of Singaporean job seekers. The IT industry is dominated and controlled by foreigners. The banking and finance industry likewise is controlled and dominated by foreigners. To a great extent the academia and research agencies and mouth pieces of many such agencies are dominated by foreigners.
 
Where have all the Singaporeans gone? What have happened to them?