Trump's fantasy 'Golden Dome'

Trump announced plans for the "Golden Dome" system a week ago, saying it would eventually cost around US$175 billion and would be operational by the end of his term in 2029.

Experts say the scheme faces huge technical and political challenges, and could cost far more than he has estimated to achieve its goals....it would cost Canada US$61 billion to be part of the system, said Trump, who has repeatedly called for the US' northern neighbor to become the 51st state.  CNA

Everything to Trump is about making money. The F35 scam had drawn in many suckers into the scheme and made to pay and pay with the Americans cleverly throwing in problems after problems and needing more and more fundings. The sucker countries in the scheme must have dug a big hole in their pockets to pay the American manufacturers to patch up holes after holes of a trouble ridden aircraft.

Trump and his trillionaire gang came out with another trillion dollar scheme on a fictional AI infrastructure that needs hundreds of billions to help American students write essays. Unfortunately, China immediately threw in the DeepSeek to pull the rug under their feet. This trillion dollar scheme is now a non starter, but not before squeezing a few hundred billions from the Arabs, promising to sell this fiction to the rich Arabs.  No one in his right mind would want to spend hundreds of billions to be able to write good essays using AI, when they could do the same with a fraction of the cost.

Trump's latest scam, a Golden Dome, to cover the American continent. This is supposed to be impenetrable, better than the overhyped Israeli Iron Dome, because this one is made in gold, not iron. So it is going to cost dearly. The Americans would be buying all the golds in the market for this dome, and America would look like a super gigantic Muslim mosque with a golden dome over it.

For starter, Trump is throwing a number like US$175 billion, so much cheaper than the fictional AI infrastructure. So cheap cannot be good for sure. Must be full of holes. No amount of bragging can such a dome be built and be bullet proof. And even if Congress is crazy enough to approve it, like the Mexican Wall, the final cost would be at least 10 times or a 100 times more. Very likely it would be stillbirth, like the Mexican Wall.  Who is likely to profit from spending such a big sum of money? Trump is now more greedy than the MIC, after learning their recipe to rob from the American taxpayers that would ultimately be paying for it.

A French cap would likely do a better job than a Golden Dome for safety. Trump thinks the French in Canada would be salivating for his Golden Dome, forgetting that they have French caps in their drawers and willing to cough out US$61 billion to protect them from no one.

Russia has to remain the whipping boy to allow the existence of NATO

I was always wondering why Russia's attempt to join NATO did not succeed and I think I found out now the reason why, after watching some videos of Sebastian Sas on Youtube. There were other reasons propagated by many people and MSM all over the internet, some saying Russia did not apply to join after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and some claiming it was not politically convenient for NATO to include Russia.

In all honesty, what is going to happen if Russia were to be allowed to join NATO? NATO countries would not have any more reason to cry wolf against any Russian threat. They need Russia to continue to play the wolf by not allowing it to join NATO. Russia has to remain the whipping boy to allow the existence of NATO. Otherwise, what is NATO's existence for and why Europe needs protection from who else other than Russia? Would the dissolution of NATO then become obvious? It could not be allowed to happen.

Putin now knows it that NATO's posturing about calling for peace negotiations with Ukraine is just a masquerade to prolong the war in Ukraine for NATO to remain relevant and for the USA to remain in Europe. Peace in Ukraine realistically will be just as elusive as finding the Loch Nest Monster or Big Foot. But the show must go on and people like Emanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz (the new Chancellor of Germany), Kier Stamer and Ursula von der Leyen are just playing the same role as Boris Johnson the provocateur extra-ordinaire. Why would Putin want to play into the hands of these people, when the idea of peace is just not in their interest.


Anonymous

China knows the USA is out to destroy China

As if the USA is giving free subsidized education to foreigners, especially the Chinese students. The USA has been gaining huge monetary benefits from foreign students studying in the country. USA Universities depend on full tuition fees to survive. That is the direct benefit. The indirect benefits come from housing rentals, student spending on needs, transport, travelling and vacation holidays. All these supporting activities generate jobs that runs into hundreds of thousands. They are jobs needed for those unable to make ends meet by just holding one job.

I think complete de-coupling is no longer just a possibility, but a certainty for China with the USA. China must forget about dealing the status quo with the USA henceforth and concentrate on migrating its priority towards the Global South, where its future lies. No two ways about that. The USA cannot tolerate a multipolar world and wants to remain the sole superpower. China is the USA's peer competitor in every field. One mountain cannot contain two tigers, and fighting is inevitable.

It is perhaps a good sign that Trump is destroying the USA internally and externally as well, while China is expanding its influence globally. Who will rise and who will fall is still not certain.


Anonymous

India's desperate diplomatic blitz to demand the world calling India the victor in the India Pakistan War

I came across a tsunami of videos on Youtube claiming India shot down a few Pakistani jets, destroying Pakistani infrastructures, all culled from satellite images to support their claims. The same way Trump used a picture of a White farmer killed in Congo and claiming it happened in South Africa, trying to trap Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House. The whole world saw the attempted scam and that put Trump in a fix.

India is now on a desperate diplomatic blitz trying to sell its version of the outcome of the air war with Pakistan and yet at the same time asking the global community why no country seems to be supporting them in the air war against Pakistan. Why, I wonder? Neighbors are deserting India, distancing themselves after the bullying by India. How could they be supporting India after being bullied by it? Russia does not want to say much, being a close ally of China. India, after kissing the arse of its master, found itself facing humiliation by Trump claiming credit playing his fictitious part in the truce using the trade carrot, acting fast in accepting the fact that India's fighter jets have been shot down by Pakistan and Trump's warning to Apple not to invest further in India. The Indians are livid, after realizing they have been sidelined and humiliated in front of the whole world. Hence a diplomatic blitz is necessary.


Anonymous

Possible to have coups in Singapore?

 After 60 years of continuous PAP rule, the thought of a coup in Singapore is furthest from the minds of Singaporeans. Thinking of a coup in Singapore is a non starter, never a second needs to be wasted on such an idea. The transition of political power has gone through 4 PMs without a hitch, something of an envy to countries in Asean.

The closest moment to a coup in Singapore, if it could be called a coup, was the attempt to oust Lim Chee Onn as the Trade Union Chief, an appointee of then PM Lee Kuan Yew. Most Singaporeans would have no recollection of what happened then. The young would not have a clue. Only the seniors may still have a fleeting memory of events that happened, actually over a week, that shocked the Singapore political system. 

If I could recollect, it was front page news. Singaporeans woke up staring at the Straits Times, Lim Chee Onn, the Trade Union Chief, was corrupt. Chee Onn was not only a Trade Union Chief, but also carried a ministerial rank and was a key contender to be the next PM. The allegation of Chee Onn being involved in corruption was a challenge to the PAP, a challenge to the govt, and a challenge to LKY's leadership.

The smear on Chee Onn was carried over all the main media for a few days with clockwork precision. Chee Onn was as good as guilty without trial. No one spoke out on his behalf. He was all alone, voiceless and defenceless.  He was done.  LKY did not say a word. The political career of Chee Onn was as good as history, faced with a barrage of accusation in the media. The ousting of Chee Onn, a favourite of LKY and handpicked by him to head the Trade Union was a slap in LKY's face. It was audacious!

LKY then was still very much in control, young and full of fighting spirit. LKY was not a pushover. Bringing down Chee Onn could only be the beginning of something bigger. Strange things happened a few days later. The narrative of the main media changed, completely about turn. Chee Onn was innocent. Chee Onn was not corrupt. Chee Onn was a good man. Wow, what a dramatic change of tune. Who was calling the shot over the past few days against Chee Onn, and who was in defence of Chee Onn that shut down all the accusations? 

LKY was briefed and presented with all the facts on what Chee Onn did in the transferring of funds within NTUC corporations and there was nothing personal, not a cent went into his pocket. It was restructuring of NTUC's finances. This disclosure fell like a bomb shell. All his critics went mum. Not another word was heard from them. Chee Onn was cleansed from all the accusations and returned to office untarnished as NTUC Chief and retained his minister post.  The perpetrators of this plot faded away in silence, into oblivion. It was a close call.

Though the system remained intact, untainted by the allegation, Chee Onn was hurt. He was angry by the charges made against him by dunno who. No one knew, not reported. He subsequently quit politics. It was good fortune then that LKY was strong enough to rectify the wrong thrown at Chee Onn, and the spark of a potential coup was killed before it turned into a wildfire and likely to bring down the system with it. The aftermath, no one dares to play with fire again, not when LKY was around. LKY was angry, and this was enough to stop any adventurer to be mischievous in his watch.

Lawrence Wong is still new and not tested.  Would any pretenders dare to test him? Good that he has Hsien Loong watching his back for now. Would there be an attempt to do a Chee Onn on him? The future is not for us to see. Politics is politics.