Biden giving peanuts to Asean for development and security

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden will open a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders with a promise to spend US$150 million on their infrastructure, security, pandemic preparedness and other efforts aimed at countering the influence of rival China.  CNA

Wow, US$150m, to buy what? Can't even buy two good class bungalows in Singapore or one F35. This is really an insult to the Asean leaders. Having to travel all the way across the Pacific Ocean for a few dollars. They might as well tell Biden to keep it. He is throwing billions to Ukraine but throwing a little titbits for Asean, and blowing his horn that the US has not forgotten Asean and is coming back. Any single Asean country could easily afford to throw him US$150m for his war in Ukraine if he asks.

What does the Americans expect Asean to do with the peanuts? Why don't the Americans offer to build their version of BRI, more ports, more high speed rails, more roads, supply chain linkages? Don't the Americans have anything good to offer other than fabricated lies and threats? At the very least they should throw a couple of billions to Asean like they are throwing to Ukraine for wasting their precious to go to the US to listen to crap talks. After all the Americans only need to switch on the printing machine and effortlessly the money would come pouring out like water.

Oh, Biden could hang a badge on each of the Asean leader and called it the Badge of Friendship or Order of the American Empire. Cheap and good and would make the Asean leaders very happy, and could show it off, 'See, from the Emperor!'  But please, don't threaten them with sanctions or their lives with be with us or against us. It would frighten the Asean leaders and some might wet their pants.

Bongbong Marcos Jr to succeed Duterte

MANILA: Ferdinand Marcos Jr clinched a stunning runaway victory in the Philippines' presidential election on Monday (May 9) in the first win by a majority since a 1986 revolution that toppled his late father's two-decade dictatorship.

An unofficial tally showed Marcos, popularly known as "Bongbong", had surpassed the 27.5 million votes needed for a majority, setting the stage for a once unthinkable return to rule of the Marcos family, 36 years after its humiliating retreat into exile during a "people power" uprising.....

His six-year presidency is expected to provide continuity from outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose ruthless, strongman approach proved popular and helped him to consolidate power rapidly.

Analysts expect Marcos to focus on completing Duterte's multi-billion-dollar infrastructure upgrade and to seek close ties with China, but some say existing problems of corruption and nepotism in the Philippines could worsen.

A major boon for Marcos was him securing the president's daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, as his running mate, tapping her father's vast support and helping Marcos to make inroads in new voter territory. The unofficial count showed Duterte-Carpio had won the vice presidency with more than triple the votes of her nearest opponent.  CNA

Bongbong Marcos is the new President of the Philippines. The Americans must be very disappointed. The anti American govt of Duterte was thought to be shortlived, a wild card that could not last pass Duterte. The Americans were hoping that with the end of Duterte's term, everything would be back to normal and they could treat the Philippines as their colony again to do their biddings, even to start a war with China, turning the Philippines into another tragedy like Ukraine. The Americans must have all their evil schemes hatched and ready for execution once Duterte is out of the way.

Who could have imagined that there could be another President that would share the thinking and policies of Duterte in a country that has so many pro American elements, especially in the military and foreign ministry? Who could imagine that the ordinary Filipinos would not care a hoot about their former colonial masters and would want the same kind of policies to continue without becoming another stooge of the Americans? All the pro American candidates were swept away into the deep blue sea, amazing.

Bongbong's victory came with a Vice President in Sara Duterte, the daughter of America's nemesis, outgoing President Duterte. The Filipinos can look forward for more continuity in its national policies in favour of growth, economic development and infrastructure building instead of instability, tension, war and corruption. Duterte served with honour, well loved and respected and supported by the Filipinos, and left behind a legacy of an honest and pro Filipino govt, peace and stability and pro development. For sure Clark and Subic bases would not be occupied by the Americans again.

Duterte has survived his full terms of 6 years without being assassinated. There were threats and attempts on his life. Would the same threats be there against Bongbong? Would the Americans lose their patience now that they have to wait another 6 years for a pro American President? The 6 years of Duterte must have been very frustrating to the Americans and those Filipinos that would like to be a stooge of the Americans. Another 6 years of the same could be just too long to wait when the Americans already have so many grave plans and roles worked out in pursuit of American dominance and hegemony in South East Asia. There are already attempts to smear Bongbong by dragging out the past of his father's rule to undermine him.

Bongbong is not going to be another Benigno Aquino III, to be puppet on a string of the Americans. There is a streak of toughness and independence in the blood of Bongbong, the same DNA as his father. Bongbong Marcos is not going to be a stooge of the Americans for sure. If all goes on well, the Filipino economy would be up and roaring with more investments and infrastructure projects in the pipeline for the good of the Philippines.

This is a sign that the American Empire is destined to lose its position of influence in the region. The Philippines is as good as in their pocket but somehow keeps slipping away. So close yet so far. The fear of a pro American stooge as President to remove all the good works of Duterte has been put to rest, a big relief for the Filipinos. Bongbong would be looking after the interest of the Philippines and the Filipinos, not the interest of the Americans.

Ukraine - How sinister is the fortress under the Azovstal steel plant?

 As the siege of the Mariupol steel plant continues, everyone is guessing what is really inside that hole that has become the obsession of not only Putin but all the top political leaders of the American Administration and the Presidents and PMs of NATO. Yes indeed, something is really big inside there, and really sinister. The importance of this hell hole can only be measured by circumstantial evidence happening around it.

Apparently no one knows anything about it, no one but a very few very special and very influential people could get winds of what is happening down under that steel plant. Over the last few days we have seen many movements of very important people either wanting to see Putin, meeting him personally or wanting to talk to him over the phone...all connected to the fortress under the Mariupol steel plant.

After Macron's visit, apparently 50 senior French soldiers are inside the fortress, came Antonio Guterres and then Pope Francis. The latter two are head of two of the most important organisations in the world. Someone very important must have called on them to make a trip to Moscow to talk to Mr Putin, nicely, and gently, to beg for his mercy.

And who the hell is this Zelensky? Why would Pelosi, Austin and Blinken found it necessary to make a trip to Ukraine, a war zone, risking their lives, as the planes or the trains they were travelling could be knocked out by cruise missiles? And the Canadian PM Trudeau also had to make the trip to see Zelensky. Not forgetting that Mrs Biden was also there.

So many of these top personalities are shuttling around Moscow and Kiev, for what? Something very troubling must be happening for this hive of activities.

Donald Trump was the first, the earliest to hint of the sinister plot in Ukraine. But Trump could not let it out as this was privy information by virtue of his position as the then President of the USA. He just could not say it out loud. But he made many efforts to drag out the big rats inside the underground fortress without anyone knowing what it was all about. Many would innocently thought it could be some commercial set up or corruption involving Biden's son in Ukraine. No one could imagine how sinister this plot is turning out to be.

What is in the underground fortress was top secret and very evil. It was guarded by the most deadly force in a newly revived and trained neo Nazi regiment, financed and armed by the Americans, Canadians and NATO.  Who were the greatest enemies of the Nazis? The Jews and the Russians of course. Many Jews and Russians died in the hands of the Nazis during Hitler's time. The Russians took revenge to defeat them in WW2.  The Jews/Israelis spent the last 70 to 80 years hunting down the Nazis all over the world. The strange thing is that the Israelis now are making peace with the neo Nazis and supporting them in the sinister plot being hatched in the underground fortress. Yes, the Jews have buried the hatchet for something that is far too big, something unimaginable, for them to put aside the pain and humiliation of the holocaust, to be on the side of the neo Nazis in Mariupol.

What can be so powerful and important to have the Americans and NATO to assemble so many top generals to hide in the Mariupol underground fortress? Whatever they are brewing, some even suggested that Obama could be trapped there as well, must wake up everyone from their stupor. If Obama is there, an ex President of the USA, my God, they can't be smoking pot or marihuana and making merry in the company of Biden junior and 3 and 4 star generals, thousands of miles from the American homeland...and protected and guarded by a neo Nazi Regiment. Get the picture? The Canadians, the French, the Brits etc etc are all inside the hole.

No matter how well kept is this top secret stuff, if Trump knew about it, there could be other interested parties that would also have winds of it. Well, if trump knew, his good friend Putin must also be in the picture. How could such a sinister plot be hidden from Putin, the former KGB chief? And if Putin is to know about, he could not be sitting idly by and not doing anything.

A highly disguised and guarded underground fortress on the border of Russia, with colourful occupants from America, Canada, and the big states of Europe, the top brass of NATO, all with plenty of stars on their shoulders, simply means something very big is happening there or something very deadly is stockpiled and kept there. These people are not boy scouts. Their profession is war and to kill their enemies. They don't travelled half way around the world to huddle in a hell hole to party, to smoke pot or marihuana and get high. Maybe they are getting high from what they are planning to do, something unspeakable, unmentionable, and something very exciting to them that motivated them to be there, to be a part of this evil scheme of things, the mother of all sinister plots.

Well, all parties must come to an end. And the ending is near. While everyone may venture to guess what this is all about, the truth may be out sooner than you think. Unless they manage to blow up all the evidence with them buried together, the truth may scare the wits out of any decent and ordinary man and woman alive. Be prepared to hear the monstrous and obscene truth. Yes, you can't handle the truth...when it is exposed!

When the white savages get together, prepare for hell.

Covid19 - Singapore is so efficient and so transparent versus Shanghai

Six weeks and counting: A Singaporean in Shanghai navigates a COVID-19 lockdown amid opaque rules and new-found neighbourliness  - Linette Lim

SHANGHAI: As one of China's richest and most developed cities, Shanghai has always been a magnet for migrants - both internal and international. I had been drawn to it because it was the global face of a newly confident country, finding its feet after decades of internal strife, foreign subjugation, and failed experiments with collectivisation.

Coming from a city-state of 6 million, it felt like a privilege to be a small part of the megacity of 25 million, pushing things along. Like anywhere else, problems - such as vast inequalities and unequal development - exist, but overall, living standards are high and improving, and people are optimistic about their future.

Then, the seemingly endless lockdown began, shifting sentiment.

I am currently into my sixth week of lockdown in Shanghai. A sustained spike in cases triggered an indefinite extension of the lockdown, in line with China's zero-COVID policy. Since then, daily cases rose from around 6,300 (including both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases) in early April, to nearly 28,000 around mid-April, and tapered down to around 4,000 in early May.

The above is written by a CNA reporter/journalist, Linette Lim, stationed in Shanghai and sharing her experience of the Shanghai locked down. Her impression would make every Singaporean feel so proud and lucky that they are Singaporeans, and living under a very efficient govt that managed the Covid19 pandemic so well, so transparent and so well appreciated by the Singaporeans. For 2/3 months Shanghai was like panic station with the infection cases surging to a high of 28,000. Fortunately or unfortunately, the number has come down to around 4,000, quite the same as Singapore's.  If only Shanghai has sought the assistance of our MMTF, they would not have such a big problem and would have been as good as Singapore and can open up to the rest of the world.

And Shanghai also have problems of vast inequalities and unequal development...unlike Singapore. Read already also feel shiok.  Shanghai really got a lot to learn from our millionaire experts in Singapore. First they must pay their leaders in the millions to get millionaire quality performance and results.  Good results don't come cheap. You pay peanuts you get monkeys. On this note, I think we can excuse them for their mediocre performance. After all their leaders are all mediocre, earning less than $500,000 pa, maybe less than $100,000 even. So no fight in terms of talents and quality. If they cannot pay them like our millionaires, they can hire a few of our foreign talents working here, slightly cheaper but very talented. Third world super talents are all here as they would not be able to find jobs in their home countries or in the West.

Singaporeans must be thankful and grateful to the efficient and transparent govt that we have, with so many super talents working for the people.  See, Covid problem like no more already. Shanghai is still struggling and dunno when they can open up and join the lepers of the world. 

Reading the CNA article is so comforting for Singaporeans. Singapore is such a wonderful place to be in and Singaporeans are in good hands, the envy of the world. Singapore is again opening its legs wide wide for the third world to be here.

While Singaporeans continue to wear their blinkers, they believe that Singapore is a paradise on earth. and Singaporeans are the most advanced creatures on earth. Some are still trying to teach the Chinese how to progress, how to compete in the international market, even how not to offend the Americans. They did not know that China is operating a space station and sending robots to explore Mars.

Singapore is spending its limited resources studying climate change in the Arctic. Oh, Singapore is also exploring space. Singapore's space programme is cheaper than India. India also has to develop rockets to get to space. Singapore only needs hot air, by hot air balloons.

Some Singaporeans even sneered at the quality of Chinese trains. Still very proud of our mass rapid transport that travelled at a speed of 25 kph to 30 kph and has to slow down when raining, for safety reasons. They did not know the Chinese trains are travelling around the world at speeds of 300 kph, 400 kph or more than 500kph. 

With the blinkers on, everything is so fine and so good in Singapore. They don't even know that the talents in Singapore are mostly imported and Singaporeans are turning to be taxi drivers and food delivery boys, or security guards. Now with the opening up and removing of Covid measures, wonder what would the Singaporean security guards be turning to if they are not needed.

But many retirees are still living very well by cashing out from their homes, downgrade and get cash to live well, very well. Where got problem? COEs are shooting sky high, restaurants are full, Singaporeans are eager to travel again. Singaporeans are rich, very rich. There is no poor Singaporeans in Singapore. Maybe you can find a few poor Singaporeans in the neighbouring islands.

Ukraine - The military genius in Putin

Since the American engineered coup in 2014 that brought Zelensky to power, the American and NATO have been quietly setting up the command centre for NATO operation against the Russians under the Azovstal steel plant. 3 major goals were achieved in the last 8 years, a command centre, a major biochem weapon station and a regiment of neo Nazi soldiers. All these were done stealthily, top secret military stuff. And they executed these so successfully under the nose of the Russians...without the Russians knowing?

With so many top generals and scientists shuffling in and out of the secretive underground fortress, with so many soldiers, and with so many logistics, biochemical weapons in the facility, it was a very well kept secret!

Putin was not appointed to head the KGB as a political appointee. He earned his spurs as an intelligent secret service officers. To be appointed as head of KGB, unlike the head of CIA, the latter a political appointment, meaning any idiot or clown could also be offered the job, it meant that Putin was the best of the best in KGB/Russia. Can't imagine how sleepy Joe is going to test his wits against the best of the KGB.

Putin and the Russians did not know of the death machine under the Azovstal steel plant? His original plan was to take Kiev? All his tanks and heavy military vehicles were lined up on the roads to Kiev, clearly visible by satellite images. No need guessing. The Americans and Ukrainians knew exactly what Putin was going to do. He is going to attack Kiev. The people in the Azovtal stronghold too thought they were very safe, very secure, unknown and undetected by the Russians. And their daily activities continued unchanged. 

Everything was normal in Mariupol. In fact, the Americans and NATO must have felt very safe and no one left the fortress. If only they knew what Putin was up to. If only they knew that they have been exposed, all the big fish would have fled. Was it American and NATO arrogance, or was it Putin's brilliance, the attack on Kiev was expected but fizzled out quickly.  By then, the Russian troops have all encircled the Azovstal fortress. Too late to run. No one is going to escape the dragnet of Putin.

Did any of the very clever American analysts and intelligence officers saw this coming? How could they missed the signs, the decoy, the diversionary strategy of Putin, look West and strike East? Putin's deception was as perfect as you can get from the point of military strategy. Of course the arrogance and stupidity of the Americans and NATO helped, making it so easy for Putin to round them up in one move. Now, as the Chinese strategists like to call it, Putin is hauling in the net, with all the big fish and crocodiles inside.

Putin is as good a military genius as he is expected. And he did not fail his believers with this war of deception in Ukraine. Now the Americans is pulling every string they could find to get in touch with Putin to release the big fish and crocodiles in the Azovstal fortress. The UN Sec Gen Antonio Guterres, and the Pope Francis had to make personal trips to Moscow to see Putin. 

After all the hard work plotting to capture the Azovstal fortress, including the big fish and crocodiles and all the biochemical weapons inside, it would not be so easy to appease and persuade Putin to give up his prized catches so easily. Now the Americans and NATO are at the mercy of Putin.

Do not be surprised if the desperate Americans and NATO would do a last ditch assault in Mariupol to free their valued generals and scientists. When Lt Trevor Cadieu is only in charge of a biochem weapon unit, one can easily imagine how many more generals would out rank him in the fortress. Then there would be the commanding officer of this top secret facility and his deputies. The Brits French, Germans and many other NATO top brass are likely to be in the same hole under the steel plant.

These are early Christmas presents for Putin, though they came with a lot of planning and effort. For the slightest indication that the fortress' existence had been exposed, or Putin's game plan was to capture the fortress and all the top brass and biochemical weapons in them, all the top brass would have scooted long before the war started, and all the biochemical weapons would have be transferred elsewhere. Now they would be top exhibits in Putin's case against the Americans and NATO, to be shown to the whole wide world.

Never had the Americans and NATO been in such a dire strait, with their balls being squeezed by Putin and they could not do anything about it short of an outright military confrontation, an assault on the Azovstal steel plant with the full force of American and NATO forces.

No amount of propaganda can distract the success of Putin in his set up to capture the Azovstal fortress lock, stock and barrel. These would now become very expensive chips in the pocket of Putin, and the Americans and NATO would have to pay a very heavy price for their return. 

How many generals or military strategists today could claim such a success against the American Empire and NATO? And to think of it, the Americans and NATO still did not have any clue what was Putin up to. Still guessing and spreading nonsense about the intent of Putin, and still claiming fake victories against Putin everyday.

PS. When the war started, Putin called it a 'Special Military Operation'. Actually this was the giveaway, a telling sign that it was something special, now that we know what he is going after in Mariupol.