The USA failed in Iraq?

Many political analysts are putting the blame on the Americans for failing to create an Iraq run under democratic principles. They said all the institutions of democracy collapse within two years after the Americans pulled out similar to Vietnam. And what was left behind is a more chaotic, divisive Iraq that is on the verge of a full scale civil war.

I can appreciate the dumb western political analysts and self appointed saviours of Iraq and the middle eastern states for believing that the Americans murdered Saddam Hussein and brought down his dictatorship was for the purpose of democracy, freedom and human rights. It is really disappointing for middle eastern political analysts to think likewise.

Democracy, human rights and freedom were just the catchphrases used to dupe the Arabs and the world that the Americans were all well meaning. Whether Iraq becomes a democratic state is a non issue. If Saddam was pro Americans like the Shah of Iran, he would still be in his palace and killing his opponents and with the full support of the Americans. The dreadful state of affair and the killings and crippling of a few hundred thousand Iraqis by the American invasion must be a sad result of freedom and human rights for the Iraqis. The country has been torn apart.

These daft analysts are condemning the Americans for a failure. The Americans are quietly congratulating themselves and popping champagne in celebration for turning Iraq into a war torn state that would be in a mess for decades to come. The Americans have succeeded in what they set out to do to the Iraqis in particular and the Arab states in general. They must not be allowed to live in peace, to be rich and powerful. The Middle East must be in a constant state of flux and disorder.

The situation in Iraq is exactly what the Americans set out to do, chaos and in a state of war and confusion. Having achieved their objective, the Americans have moved out their forces to create the same scenario in Asia, to create tension, incite wars and turn the states in Asia into another Iraq and a bickering Middle East.

The silly Asians are no smarter than the Arabs and are yelling for war like heroes, warriors and soldiers. Aquino just officially backed the remilitarisation of Japan led by Abe despite the vivid memories of Japanese massacring hundreds of thousands of Pinoys in WW2. They could not see the consequences of war to their countries and people and the region. They love every minute of the Americans’ presence in the region and are so grateful to have this evil Empire supporting them in a new war they hope to start fighting.

They have forgotten about what happened to Iraq and the Middle East. Asia has enjoyed nearly 40 years of peace in the absence of the Americans. They have recently moved back in and tension is rising with war imminent in East and Southeast Asia. How many silly Asian leaders are willing to be led into another war by the Americans and the Japanese?

Kopi Level - Yellow

This is a gem by Douglas Chua

Douglas wrote a piece that appeared in the ST last Saturday. His article’s title is ‘Political commentators, get real’. He stated 3 points on the issue of claims that the govt is losing the public trust. Here they are and I quote:

‘First, there is no need to be apologetic because there is no such thing as a 100 per cent mandate in a democracy.

Second, there is no urgent need to appease and regain the trust of the minority that is dead set against the Govt.

Third, it is absurd to surmise that vandalism in Toa Payoh and the Prime Minister’s move to seek redress from a blogger indicate an erosion of the people’s trust in the Govt.’

From his frequent posts, Douglas is also a political commentator and is entitled to his views and so do others. What Douglas surmised is that there is no erosion of trust against the Govt and only a minority is dead set against the Govt. I am not sure how he knew that those against the Govt are a minority and I too am not sure if it is a minority or a growing majority. Only on the day of reckoning would the truth be out.

In the last GE, the PAP/Govt won with an overall majority vote of 60%. Since that fateful day, a Presidential Election and two by elections were held. Did they indicate a shift in the popular vote for the Govt? Or these were exceptions, not the same. One is a PE and the other two were by elections so they don’t count.

Since then, more issues and grievances have appeared with the people marching to the otherwise quiet as a cemetery Hong Lim Speakers Corner to protest against the Govt. These kinds of thing have never happened before. But of course they were a vocal minority just like the people shafting money in Roy Ngerng’s hands were a minority. There is nothing to worry about. The Govt still has 60% of the votes and would still be voted to power in the next GE. All is fine. Just ignore the noise and the vocal minority.

I also believe that the Govt and all its supporters feel the same way. They have the support of the majority and they can afford to ignore the ‘minority’. I am so agreeable with Douglas Chua on his assessment of the political landscape. There is a little thing missing in my belief, my conviction. Somehow I got this niggering feeling that things have changed since the last GE. But it is good for the morale to believe otherwise and don’t be disappointed when the belief turns out to be just a belief.

Kopi Level - Yellow

MH370 – Suckers are born every minute

‘Australian authority to announce new search area for MH370
(Xinhua) Updated: 2014-06-23 09:50

CANBERRA - The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed with Xinhua on Sunday that the agency is working on analyzing existing data and information to refine a new search area for the missing Malaysian Airline flight MH370.
Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan said the new search area will be announced by ATSB on Wednesday.
Dolan told local media earlier that the new search area would be hundreds of km south of where the first phase of underwater search had covered….’
 
When is Australia an authority on where the MH370 was supposed to crash? After 3 months of wild goose chase, is China still willing to be led by the nose by the Australians to search in God knows where in the hope of finding MH370?
 
What expertise or information that the Australians had or in possession to be in an authoritative position to tell China and the rest of the interested parties where to find MH370? If there is anyone that really has some clues on the missing aircraft, it must be the Malaysians. Even Immarsat’s satellite pings were more like fabrications. If China is so desperate to look for the aircraft, it is better that they rely on their own resources and intelligence network whose information would likely to be more reliable than all the western countries can provide.
 
China should stop being a sucker or a gullible and willing victim of misinformation. The western countries are likely to lead them by the nose on another wild goose chase.

Kopi Level - Yellpw

Irene Yap – An honest revelation of human ugliness

Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about physical features. I am talking about ugliness within as opposed to inner beauty. The cries of Irene Yap in a public forum must have touched many hearts. Many could feel her anguish and cry with her. How could a society allow a 76 year old lady to go begging the govt for the return of her life time savings? And how could people think that her plea was annoying, and even suggesting that she was mad?
 
Where is the human milk of kindness? Oh, there is a kindness movement promoted by the govt and the grassroot leaders are supposed to spread this kindness message among the people. In the case of Irene Yap in the public forum, I must say that kindness and empathy for the unfortunate were totally absent. It looked more like a farce for people to get agitated by an old lady begging, not for charity, but for the return of her own money. Can people be so vile and contemptuous?
 
Irene Yap’s case has been turned into a tragi- comedy. The tragic part is obvious. And it gets worse when people could not empathise with her plight. How can anyone be annoyed with an old lady pleading for her money? And how could anyone think the whole episode was a comedy? If you look at the candid video clip, you cannot fail to notice a woman in red, literally ‘chio kah peng’. In hokien this can be translated into ‘laughing until falling off the chair’. Yes, a woman, supposedly a grassroot leader I think, was having a good laugh while Irene Yap was nearly in tears.
 
This woman in red laughed until her whole body fell forward with her head nearly hitting the ground. It was a boisterous and spontaneous uncontrolled laughter. What could have caused her to be so hilarious? The pathetic plea of an old lady they thought was mad and talking nonsense? Or was it something that her neighbour, another grassroot leader sitting beside her, said about Irene Yap?
 
Where is the empathy? The display of intolerance and impatience to the old lady was shameful. Really. Unfortunately, Irene Yap is now a celebrity for the wrong reason. Perhaps Roy Ngerng and Han Hui Hui could invite her to Hong Lim on 12 July to make her plea once again in public. The crowd in Hong Lim would definitely share her grief and feel sorry for her. There will also be another kind of crowd that may go there for a good laugh, like the woman in red. ‘Chio kah peng!’. Now where are William Wan and his movement of kind people? No kind people? No one think it right to admonish the two women like they scolded Sinkies for being xenophobic or rude to foreigners.

Kopi Level - Green

Mayors and more mayors

We have how many mayors in this little piece of rock? 5, 6? Do we need so many mayors? We don’t have any mayors before. What can the mayors do that the MPs cannot do? More important is who is paying their salaries?
 
We are having a bloated political machine, with so many ministers, second ministers, senior ministers of states, ministers of states, parliamentary secretaries, chairman of this and that committee etc etc. Why do we need to have such a big govt and paying so much for it? Can we have a smaller govt and do away with all the excessive political appointments?
 
Mind you, it is money from the people, paid by the people. I hope this kind of practices will be stopped and not copied by future govts in power. It is so easy to create more and more appointments and pay and pay since it is OPM. The money must come from somewhere. It does not come from their pockets but the people’s pockets.
 
Political parties must not be given a blank cheque to pay and pay with the people ended up paying for it. The people are not daft and know what is happening. It is ok to create more and more appointments and pay and pay if it is your grandfather’s company and paid by your grandfather..

Kopi Level - Green