Singapore is such a well run country

The Bill proposes a legislative framework for three measures; namely a disposable carrier bag charge at supermarkets, a beverage container return scheme, and a food waste reporting framework

SINGAPORE — Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment introduced the Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill for its first reading in parliament on Feb 6. The bill seeks to reduce packaging and food waste and aims to drive behavioural changes across Singapore to reduce waste and increase recycling. This includes introducing a compulsory charge of five cents for plastic bags at larger supermarkets.  www.theindependent.sg

Singapore is indeed a very well managed and well run country that the most important issue of the day is how to save plastic bags being used in supermarkets. And this is now being discussed in Parliament as a priority item, important enough for a slot in Parliament.  It is another way to say that Singapore is so blessed that there are no problems more serious than saving a few plastic bags.

During Chok Tong's time, traffic jam was a sign of prosperity, not a sign of insufficient road networks. Now the savings of plastic bags is a sign of no problems, only plastic bag problems. And all the solutions needed to save and reduce plastic waste have been thought off and exhausted. Now it is left with cutting use of plastic bags. Is the use of plastic bags in super market a luxury, unnecessary? How about replacing plastic bags with banana leaves as wrappers? Never mind if wastage of plastic bags did not amount to much savings compares to bringing in millions of people to consume and consume that would dwarf the savings of all the plastic bags used in the island. Nevermind if the cutting down of plastic bags would create more problems and may lead to more expensive means to replace the lack of plastic bags. 

When plastic bags is not available or at a cost, people would need to be carrying some forms of bags everywhere so that when they need to go to the supermarkets, they would have containers available and no need to go home to bring a container. And all would have to buy some containers to dump their waste in the bin chutes or rubbish bins.  Or would they simply throw or pour everything into the bin chutes or bins, without using a bag? Perhaps there would be a new product, selling plastic bags to hold swills and waste. 

What about hawkers selling takeaway food? Are they going to cut down on the use of plastic containers as well? Everyone needs to carry tiffins to buy takeaway food, like in the 50s and 60s? What about ordering takeaway food to be delivered by food delivery staff?

What do you think? Would bringing in 100 people less, save more from their consumptions of everything than the savings from plastic bags?

PS. Why didn't Parliament discuss about how many foreigners should be allowed into the country, how many can be given citizenship each year, or what is the percentage of foreigners versus citizens to maintain our core and to keep Singapore Singaporean?

American miscalculation in war against Russia and China

Since 2014, after Russia realised the intention of Nato to expand further into Ukraine, Putin and Xi had already started planning their moves in anticipation of what the USA intended to do. The USA had been hyping up their intention to deal with China first, starting with a trade war in 2018, instigating unrest in Hong Kong in 2019/2020, and trying to stir up support from the Muslim world against the Chinese by accusing the Chinese of genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang in 2021/2022. Both the latter two moves failed to take off, with the Xinjiang fabrication unproven.

The whole USA plan to take on China first failed, because Russia made its pre-empted move on Ukraine that prevented the USA from concentrating its attack on China. That the Liberation of Donetsk and Lugansk started right after the February 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, during which Putin visited Xi, undoubtedly to put their plan into action, was anticipated by the USA, but they could do nothing. All the calculated moves between Russia and China, the diversion of energy towards the East were all worked out well before the USA and the West used the energy sanctions on Russia.

The fact that the USA were dead intent on stopping the Nord Stream 2 from opening up or functioning, even well before its completion, was apparently clear as to what the USA intention was, and you cannot fool a man as astute as Putin. Russia did not panic, having already anticipated this move by the USA and the West by building pipelines to China for energy diversion and probably already have garnered support from India as an alternative energy market, and the Middle East members of OPEC+ and their backup on energy policies.

Moreover, that stipulation that European countries buying Russian energy must pay in Rubles was a masterstroke that the USA and the West did not see. It prevented the collapse of the Ruble into rubbles that Biden was gloating about. Anyway, Biden may not now even remember saying that, so no use reminding him.

It is a no brainer to even think that after taking down China, the USA will not pivot towards confronting Russia by expanding Nato into Ukraine. That had been the USA's intention all along since 2008. Putin and Xi are not as ignorant of the USA's evil motive all over the world.

As long as Russia and China keep up their alliance and solidify on it, any move by the USA against any one of them is not without consequences. Russia has the military prowess, and China the financial strength to weather any conflict that the USA intends to take against both of them together. Not that China is that far behind in military prowess and the USA knows that the window of opportunity to put China down is closing fast.

Anonymous 

China Myanmar Border Security

China is right to ensure Myanmar does not become a stooge of the USA or EU for the reason that Myanmar shares a common border of 2,129 km or 1,323 miles with China, which can be a national security risk to China if Myanmar comes under US or EU control. Using that stretch of border to instigate instability, or even host nuclear weapons, is not something that China will tolerate. The use of Japan by the USA is already a lesson the Chinese are not prepared to be repeated.

Myanmar is liken to Ukraine, sharing a 1,282 mile wide border with Russia and if Ukraine falls to USA control in total via Nato, that is a very serious security risk for Russia. USA via NATO will undoubtedly, in fact some already claimed they have already done so, be going to install nuclear missiles inside Ukraine to confront Russia. That is one of the main reasons Russia is fighting the war in Ukraine.

China wants Myanmar to act as a buffer against any USA or Western countries attempting to install a stooge in Myanmar that will do its bidding. Lest we forget, China entered the Korean War on the side of the North for the very same reason. The fall of North Korea puts China at great risk and China had to make sure that North Korea did not fall to the South.

The same could be said about China supporting North Vietnam during the war against the USA and its Allies. Although the border between North Vietnam and China is not that wide, the fall of North Vietnam to the South, which was under USA control, is detrimental to China's national security.

That said, China therefore cannot loosen its support for Russia in Europe, as a defeat of Russia is going to weaken China's position as well as the BRICS agenda, going up against the USA military and US$ Hegemony.

Anonymous 

Ukraine War is a prelude to the last Civilisation War

The whole world is watching the white men trying to conquer and rule the world. They had, but losing their grips now, and trying their best to want to continue to rule and dominate the world.

Can you imagine what would happen to the Latin American countries, the Middle Eastern countries, the African and Asian countries if there is no China or Russia, Iran and North Korea to stand up to the white men today? This time, if the white men succeed in destroying Russia and China, the white men would be squeezing the rest of the world and would not allow any coloured state to breathe or break free from their grips anymore. They will call the shots and the rest of the world would just have to do as told, no chance to be free and be themselves, to think they can be allowed to prosper on their own steam.

It would be a much more dreadful world than under Colonialism. The Ukraine War is the white men's last ditch to control the world again. They know it and are all in it together, no more neutrality. It is the white men's war against the coloured people. It is fortunate that they treat the Russians as coloured people and attack the Russians first. The Russians and Ukrainians are Slavic people and can fight and kill each other, the AngloSaxons would not care.

If they could pretend to be nice to the Russians and attack China first, it would be a different story. Russia may think it would be safe to stay out while the white men destroy China. But they would then go after the Russians once China is destroyed.

The evil scheme of the white men to control the coloured people is clear to all the coloured states. Russia and China cannot fall, or it would be the end of their freedom and good life. There would be no more resistance, no one to stop the white men from dominating and controlling the rest of the world. The Arab countries know this and have thrown in their bets with Russia and China. India is still dilly and dally, not fully decided, thinking they could be safe when the white men control the world again. Africa, Latin America, Asia, SE Asia could see where their future is heading but also still not fully committed...thinking it is ok to be neutral.

The Ukraine War is a prelude to WW3, the last Civilisation War between the white men and the coloured people. Wake up, people of the world. Your future is at stake and being decided in the Ukraine War. All the white men's countries are united in this War, while the rest of the world is still divided and unsure of what is happening.

PS. They went for the 6 Muslim states first. Now Russia, next China. Then the whole world would submit without a fight. All the oil and gas and natural resources, and everything, would belong to the white men, like the colonial days of the European Empires.  Are the countries of the rest of the world ready for it?

Asean to meddle with the internal affairs of Myanmar?

SINGAPORE: Hopes are high that Jakarta - which had steered the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expertly when it had last chaired the grouping - would pull its weight and rally its ASEAN colleagues to muster up a creditable response to the Myanmar crisis.

There are high expectations about how Indonesia would propose to implement the 2022 ASEAN Summit’s “Review and Decision” on the 2021 Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar. ...

The readout from the retreat did not divulge details on any of the above. Instead, the meeting’s key emphasis was on the need for a united approach to Myanmar - underscoring the divergent views among ASEAN member states on what constitutes constructive approaches to the crisis in Myanmar.  CNA

The above article in CNA is an overt sign that Asean is increasingly being nudged by the western narrative and intent to meddle and interfere with the internal affairs of a member state, Myanmar. Despite the clear cut policy statements in Asean's Constitution, many Asean leaders are gradually being influenced by the dominating and coercive behaviour of the Americans that it is their right to interfere with what is going on in Myanmar. The objectives and aspiration of the founding fathers of Asean is to remain neutral and free from big power influence and coercion, and to create a conducive environment in Southeast Asia for trade and cooperation among its members. It was never intended to be operated like a gangster organisation with the power to mess around with the internal affairs of its members.

This change of mindset, with several Asean leaders behaving like the Americans, like the knows all, smart Alec, and arrogant self righteousness, that they know better and are better qualified to impose their views on fellow member state, is gaining traction, albeit subtlely and some being dragged into such arrogant and abusive behaviour unconsciously. And many have forgotten that their own internal affairs and politics are far from reproach. Several Asean countries' internal politics are ripe for interference if this new mindset becomes a precedent for Asean, that it is the right of Asean members to dictate and mess around with the internal affairs of another member.

Does any Asean member state think that they would not fall into the same state of affair and let every Asean states to tell them what to do, how to govern their countries, with the nose in the air? What is wrong with Asean? Is Asean going to become another mini America, a sheriff in the making, to rule and control its members? If this is going to be the case, Myanmar may be the first to exit Asean and eventually more will exit Asean. 

Is Asean on the path of self destruction by misbehaving like the gangster Americans, thinking that they are smart and smug to tell each member what to do and how to govern their own countries?  Who is behind this transformation of Asean to become another mini mischievous god?

PS. In a way Asean is starting to behave like it is a righteous empire. Only difference is that it cannot bully non member countries but can bully its own member countries, especially those that are not favoured by the Americans. Is Asean unwittingly or willingly attacking its own member countries under the behest of the Americans, under the fake beliefs of defending democracy and human rights?