Indranee had said that the fourth generation PM candidates are too busy
focusing on other things like jobs and social issues and not fixated on
being the next PM. This speaks very well of these PMs to be, that they
only care about the people rather than their promotion to be the next
PM. I like it. You can smell the sense of selflessness and righteousness
in them.
From a personal perspective that these are unselfish men that did not
care too much about being the next PM and rather work for the good of
the people is admirable and laudable. This is probably the first time
that a country has so many such noble men waiting on the side line to be
the PM but not really interested to be, or not concerned if they become
or not become the next PM. Even the most eligible candidate, Tharman,
has openly expressed that he is not interested in the job.
From another angle, this is bad, that no one thinks of running this
country. How come nobody is interested in the top job and paying
millions? If no one is interested, would the reluctant candidate be
pulling his weight when thrust into the job? Or would he use this as an
excuse eventually if he did not perform, that he was not really
interested in the job, so don’t blame him? Or would the job eventually
go to someone who volunteers to be the PM, like this a social service
work, doing charitable work?
Whether these crown princes like it or not, this is not a wishy washy
job for someone to volunteer or for someone that is not interested to
take up. It is the most important job in the country and the well being
of the people depends on it. This job is no pray pray thing. Whoever
wants the job better be serious about it. There is nothing more
important than wanting to do this job well as the viability and well
being of the country and people depend on it. You don’t want a misfit to
be the PM and eventually runs it to the ground or hands it on a silver
platter to another country or to foreigners, simply because he is not
interested, never mind if Singaporeans would be the losers in the end.
The PAP was very serious about who would fit into the shoe of the PM in
the last two changes. They did not want to risk putting a dud as a PM. Chok Tong had 5 years of apprenticeship to see if
he was fit for the job. Perhaps 5 years were too short and Hsien Loong
had 14 years to measure up to it. Now we have less than 5 years before
Hsien Loong retires. Would there be enough time to train the next
apprentice? Trump, who do you think?
By the ‘callafarre’ look of things, this apprenticeship thing is really
not important. Or at least this is the impression given, no hurry, never
mind, they have more important things to do than to go under training
for the job. If this job is not important, what else is? Or is it that
the apprenticeship scheme is really unnecessary and thus whether they
have 5 years or 14 years OJT, it does not matter?
How can it be? Even being an MP needs to be OJT to run a town council
first to prove one is capable to being an MP. The PM job is definitely
more important and complex than running a town council. If an MP needs
to prove his worth in running a town council, a potential PM must prove
his worth while an apprentice before being pronounced fit to be PM.
Maybe, maybe all the trainings are applicable only to opposition
politicians. The crown princes are no ordinary politicians. They are
super talents and born to be leaders, to be PMs. So got OJT or no OJT
would not make any difference. They will be fit to be PM regardless,
when the time comes.
So there is absolutely no need to rush to put them under the
apprenticeship scheme. They are born natural leaders, born to be PMs. No
one needs to worry why no crown prince is being appointed and to go
under the wing of the PM, to be tested and to prove himself. Did I get
the spelling right on crown prince?
1/08/2018
What is the intention of China
In every conversation, forum or western think tank talks, this question would pop up. What is the intention of China's growing economic and military power? What a stupid question to ask. The Americans and the West are getting stupid but they should not think the Chinese are stupid. What kind of answer are they expecting from the Chinese? What would they think they would do or intend to do if they were in the position of China?
The only sensible western academic that has some sense of propriety and reasoning is Hugh White. His answer was simple commonsensical. When one is rich and powerful, one would just be rich and powerful just like the Americans. Are these westerners and Americans still believe that China would live in a world created and dominated by the West for the last two hundred years and continue to be subject to the rules of the West and the existing balance of power?
For more than two hundred years since the invading hordes of European colonialists went about conquering and colonising the rest of the world, the balance of power is such that they should be holding all the powers in the world and the rest of the world must be subject to their power. They would want to possess all the weapons of mass destruction and no one else should have them, and if anyone else has them, the West or the Americans must have 99 pieces while the other one can only have one. And every piece of the American or western weapon is to be bigger than the one possess by the other one. This is the balance of power for the last two hundred years. The Israel is trying to impose this formula on the Arab/Muslim countries as well.
Any country that want to have more than one weapon, even two or three, is immediately branded and demonises as aggressive, unconstructive and destructive, and not playing by the international rule they created. The Americans can have all the military bases around China, fly and sail their military craft on the coast of China, and this is the norm. The American Carrier Battle Group can sail freely in the seven seas to challenge and threaten any country, including China. China cannot fly or sail its military craft out of China or the seas around China. China cannot have military bases outside China. Doing so would be an aggressive and provocative act. China having anti carrier missiles to deny American CBGs from threatening China is accused of being an aggressive act. The Americans sailing CBGs to the Taiwan Straits to intimidate China is not aggressive? The bombing of Chinese Embassy in Belgrade is not aggressive? The rapes of Iraq and Libya and Syria are not aggressive?
The Americans can build military fortresses in the Indian and Pacific Ocean filled with nuclear weapons and WMD and not aggressive. The Americans proliferating nuclear weapons all over Europe and Asia not aggressive? China cannot have a few aircraft or naval ships in its islands in the South China Sea. This is provocative, expansionist, aggressive act that upsets the balance of power?
What is China's intent in doing all these? Do the Americans and the West believe that China, with all its economic clout and military might, would continue to be holed within its land and sea boundaries and allow the Americans to have free play around its borders, flaunting their military prowess and might?
Do the Americans and the West really believe the Chinese are so daft that after being invaded, their country looted and plundered during a time of weakness, would accept the same status quo imposed on them by the colonial and imperial powers of the West then and today?
China may not want to be like the colonial West or Imperial Americans, to want to control and dominate the world militarily. The least China would want to do is to look at the Americans straight in the eyes and to tell the Americans to back off and not to cross the path of China in its economic development and growth and in building its military power to defend itself. The least that China would want to do is to stop the Americans from telling and coercing them in whatever they are doing. China would want to be an equal member in the community of nations and would not allow the Americans or the West to dictate what China can or cannot do.
The balance of power would be 50:50 and no longer 90:10 in favour of the Americans and the West. If the Americans can have 11 CBGs, can have 1000 military bases all over the world, China would also want to have the same if their economic and military strength allowed them to do so, not that they would go that way. China did not have the ambition to be an Empire and need all the military bases and CBGs to protect the Empire, to bully the world and to rule the world. China just want to be a rich and powerful nation, to chart its own destiny for the prosperity of its people and perhaps also for the prosperity of the rest of the world, without being a military Empire.
Did I answer the stupid question being asked by the West and the Americans? Or are they hoping that the bankrupt West would continue to dictate the terms of international relations in their favour when China is strong enough to say No to them, that China must continue to be push around by the West, by the Americans?
The only sensible western academic that has some sense of propriety and reasoning is Hugh White. His answer was simple commonsensical. When one is rich and powerful, one would just be rich and powerful just like the Americans. Are these westerners and Americans still believe that China would live in a world created and dominated by the West for the last two hundred years and continue to be subject to the rules of the West and the existing balance of power?
For more than two hundred years since the invading hordes of European colonialists went about conquering and colonising the rest of the world, the balance of power is such that they should be holding all the powers in the world and the rest of the world must be subject to their power. They would want to possess all the weapons of mass destruction and no one else should have them, and if anyone else has them, the West or the Americans must have 99 pieces while the other one can only have one. And every piece of the American or western weapon is to be bigger than the one possess by the other one. This is the balance of power for the last two hundred years. The Israel is trying to impose this formula on the Arab/Muslim countries as well.
Any country that want to have more than one weapon, even two or three, is immediately branded and demonises as aggressive, unconstructive and destructive, and not playing by the international rule they created. The Americans can have all the military bases around China, fly and sail their military craft on the coast of China, and this is the norm. The American Carrier Battle Group can sail freely in the seven seas to challenge and threaten any country, including China. China cannot fly or sail its military craft out of China or the seas around China. China cannot have military bases outside China. Doing so would be an aggressive and provocative act. China having anti carrier missiles to deny American CBGs from threatening China is accused of being an aggressive act. The Americans sailing CBGs to the Taiwan Straits to intimidate China is not aggressive? The bombing of Chinese Embassy in Belgrade is not aggressive? The rapes of Iraq and Libya and Syria are not aggressive?
The Americans can build military fortresses in the Indian and Pacific Ocean filled with nuclear weapons and WMD and not aggressive. The Americans proliferating nuclear weapons all over Europe and Asia not aggressive? China cannot have a few aircraft or naval ships in its islands in the South China Sea. This is provocative, expansionist, aggressive act that upsets the balance of power?
What is China's intent in doing all these? Do the Americans and the West believe that China, with all its economic clout and military might, would continue to be holed within its land and sea boundaries and allow the Americans to have free play around its borders, flaunting their military prowess and might?
Do the Americans and the West really believe the Chinese are so daft that after being invaded, their country looted and plundered during a time of weakness, would accept the same status quo imposed on them by the colonial and imperial powers of the West then and today?
China may not want to be like the colonial West or Imperial Americans, to want to control and dominate the world militarily. The least China would want to do is to look at the Americans straight in the eyes and to tell the Americans to back off and not to cross the path of China in its economic development and growth and in building its military power to defend itself. The least that China would want to do is to stop the Americans from telling and coercing them in whatever they are doing. China would want to be an equal member in the community of nations and would not allow the Americans or the West to dictate what China can or cannot do.
The balance of power would be 50:50 and no longer 90:10 in favour of the Americans and the West. If the Americans can have 11 CBGs, can have 1000 military bases all over the world, China would also want to have the same if their economic and military strength allowed them to do so, not that they would go that way. China did not have the ambition to be an Empire and need all the military bases and CBGs to protect the Empire, to bully the world and to rule the world. China just want to be a rich and powerful nation, to chart its own destiny for the prosperity of its people and perhaps also for the prosperity of the rest of the world, without being a military Empire.
Did I answer the stupid question being asked by the West and the Americans? Or are they hoping that the bankrupt West would continue to dictate the terms of international relations in their favour when China is strong enough to say No to them, that China must continue to be push around by the West, by the Americans?
1/07/2018
HDB/CPF transaction – Dead man is alive
I am wondering if this is a good analogy of the transaction involving
the purchase of a HDB flat using CPF money. Many would believe that once
the purchase is fully paid up, by cash or CPF money, the deal is done,
the end of the story. In reality the purchase of a HDB flat using CPF
money, even when fully paid, is like a man suffering from cancer. The
‘dead’ man may not be walking around, but inside him the cancerous cells
are fully alive and kicking, non stop. Even if the man drops dead, the
cancerous cells continues to multiply until the body is burnt or rotted
away.
Many would thought they would have peace of mind once they have fully paid for the property even with CPF money. If it is cash, the transaction is done and everything ends. Once CPF money is involved, the whole deal is alive and kicking, because someone said the CPF money is not yours. There are two parts to this deal that will continue to be alive like the living dead. One part is the financial obligation owed to the HDB that could be changed over time. The second part is the interest owing to the CPF money which is rightly your money, but to some not your money.
In the case of the HDB part, when you sell the property, the HDB has the right to impose a levy on your capital gain. Who owns the property? And when you resell the HDB flat, you would have to pay up, to the HDB, a percentage of the sale price as levy. It is your property, you pay property taxes, but HDB is sitting there waiting to rob you of your capital gain as if it is a passive owner of your HDB flat. Clever or sneaky, up to you to call it. In the case of a really private property, you sell and get back whatever is the transacted price.
The CPF part is that though the money is yours, though the purchase is fully completed, the CPF is still counting the interest on the CPF money you used for the property. There is no such thing as a done deal. The CPF interest is forever kept alive, like cancerous cells. Some were so intrigue by this ridiculous thing of paying interest on using your savings to buy properties. When you sell the property, the interest would be computed, back dated to the day you buy the property with the CPF money. Clever or sneaky, say what you like.
It is as good as dead man alive. When one takes a bank loan to pay for a property, this transaction is fully closed. The part that is alive is the repayment of the loan taken from the bank. When using your CPF, you will still be owing interest to your own money you withdraw from the CPF. You borrow from yourself to pay for a property and you owe interest to your own money. If you die without selling the property, I dunno whether the CPF would insist on your beneficially to pay for the interest when they sell your property. Presumably they would not as you will be dead and gone.
Many would thought they would have peace of mind once they have fully paid for the property even with CPF money. If it is cash, the transaction is done and everything ends. Once CPF money is involved, the whole deal is alive and kicking, because someone said the CPF money is not yours. There are two parts to this deal that will continue to be alive like the living dead. One part is the financial obligation owed to the HDB that could be changed over time. The second part is the interest owing to the CPF money which is rightly your money, but to some not your money.
In the case of the HDB part, when you sell the property, the HDB has the right to impose a levy on your capital gain. Who owns the property? And when you resell the HDB flat, you would have to pay up, to the HDB, a percentage of the sale price as levy. It is your property, you pay property taxes, but HDB is sitting there waiting to rob you of your capital gain as if it is a passive owner of your HDB flat. Clever or sneaky, up to you to call it. In the case of a really private property, you sell and get back whatever is the transacted price.
The CPF part is that though the money is yours, though the purchase is fully completed, the CPF is still counting the interest on the CPF money you used for the property. There is no such thing as a done deal. The CPF interest is forever kept alive, like cancerous cells. Some were so intrigue by this ridiculous thing of paying interest on using your savings to buy properties. When you sell the property, the interest would be computed, back dated to the day you buy the property with the CPF money. Clever or sneaky, say what you like.
It is as good as dead man alive. When one takes a bank loan to pay for a property, this transaction is fully closed. The part that is alive is the repayment of the loan taken from the bank. When using your CPF, you will still be owing interest to your own money you withdraw from the CPF. You borrow from yourself to pay for a property and you owe interest to your own money. If you die without selling the property, I dunno whether the CPF would insist on your beneficially to pay for the interest when they sell your property. Presumably they would not as you will be dead and gone.
1/06/2018
Japan faces greatest danger since WW2?
This is what the lying Japanese PM is saying, that Japan is facing the
greatest danger since WW2. From who, from North Korea? When have the
North Koreans attacked or threatened to attack Japan? What did the North
Koreans do that is posing the greatest threat to Japan? Building and
testing their own weapons to protect themselves from the Americans
threat of an invasion is a threat to Japan?
Which country had invaded North Korea? Which country had colonized North Korea? Which country had turned Korean women into comfort women to satisfy the sexual lust of the Japanese soldiers? The country that invaded, colonized and ruled North Korea is crying out loud that North Korea is a threat. And it is using this very excuse to remilitarize Japan, the most cruel invader of Asia and South East Asia, today pretending to be angels and a nation of peace, a nation threatened, exactly like the Americans across the Pacific Ocean.
A peaceful nation does not need to armed itself like Japan today and wanting to have bigger armed forces when it is already the second biggest armed forces in Asia. The Japanese armed forces and military capability dwarfed what the North Koreans have. A peaceful nation does not need to rewrite its pacifist constitution so that it can go to war. The pacifist constitution is already good enough for Japan to go to war when attack. Who is going to attack Japan? It was the Japanese that were attacking everyone else in Asia, wanting to conquer Asia and the world.
The slimy Japanese is following the example of the evil empire, just find some excuses, or provoke another country and then demonise that country as the provocateur or aggressor, then invade. They still believe they could run wild in Korea, butchered the Koreans, turned them into slaves, their women into sex slaves.
The Americans have divulged their private discussion with the Japanese and revealed that the Japanese have plans to invade North Korea. So by keep harping on a foreign threat, Japan would have good reasons to attack and invade North Korea again. It would be nice to see how many Japanese big cities, including Tokyo, be flattened by the North Koreans just like how the Americans flattened them. It would be nice to see a few nuclear bombs in Japan, bigger and more powerful than the two dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This is how mad the Japanese especially the likes of Abe are. The victim countries of WW2 have changed and are as strong if not stronger than the Japanese would want to believe. And the concentration of population in Japanese cities would mean the destruction would be of unacceptable proportion.
This is how devious the Japanese are, still thinking of going to war. A leopard would not change its spot. The ugly and hostile and aggressive Japanese are up to their nonsense again, to think of invading Korea and to colonise Korea, to have more Korean comfort women, to kick the Koreans around. It is a pity that the South Koreans have forgotten the Japanese colonisation and humiliation and would be on the side of the Japanese to kill their own brothers and sisters in the North.
Which country had invaded North Korea? Which country had colonized North Korea? Which country had turned Korean women into comfort women to satisfy the sexual lust of the Japanese soldiers? The country that invaded, colonized and ruled North Korea is crying out loud that North Korea is a threat. And it is using this very excuse to remilitarize Japan, the most cruel invader of Asia and South East Asia, today pretending to be angels and a nation of peace, a nation threatened, exactly like the Americans across the Pacific Ocean.
A peaceful nation does not need to armed itself like Japan today and wanting to have bigger armed forces when it is already the second biggest armed forces in Asia. The Japanese armed forces and military capability dwarfed what the North Koreans have. A peaceful nation does not need to rewrite its pacifist constitution so that it can go to war. The pacifist constitution is already good enough for Japan to go to war when attack. Who is going to attack Japan? It was the Japanese that were attacking everyone else in Asia, wanting to conquer Asia and the world.
The slimy Japanese is following the example of the evil empire, just find some excuses, or provoke another country and then demonise that country as the provocateur or aggressor, then invade. They still believe they could run wild in Korea, butchered the Koreans, turned them into slaves, their women into sex slaves.
The Americans have divulged their private discussion with the Japanese and revealed that the Japanese have plans to invade North Korea. So by keep harping on a foreign threat, Japan would have good reasons to attack and invade North Korea again. It would be nice to see how many Japanese big cities, including Tokyo, be flattened by the North Koreans just like how the Americans flattened them. It would be nice to see a few nuclear bombs in Japan, bigger and more powerful than the two dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This is how mad the Japanese especially the likes of Abe are. The victim countries of WW2 have changed and are as strong if not stronger than the Japanese would want to believe. And the concentration of population in Japanese cities would mean the destruction would be of unacceptable proportion.
This is how devious the Japanese are, still thinking of going to war. A leopard would not change its spot. The ugly and hostile and aggressive Japanese are up to their nonsense again, to think of invading Korea and to colonise Korea, to have more Korean comfort women, to kick the Koreans around. It is a pity that the South Koreans have forgotten the Japanese colonisation and humiliation and would be on the side of the Japanese to kill their own brothers and sisters in the North.
1/05/2018
Daft complaining about not getting CPF savings back
There is another article posted in the TRE by a JW complaining that the
ever caring and kind hearted people in charge of the CPF are rationing
her withdrawal of her savings till the age of 95. And for so stretching
the time span, she is getting $16 a day for the next 30 years.
Here are some of her comments.
‘First excuse: “Increasing life expectancy ”. This is just a rubbish excuse not to return our sweat and blood savings and pretend to act as good guy to look after us till age of 95 (Of course there are people who can live up to this age but is rare). Even our SM don’t even live up to age of 95 despite of having the best medical team to attend to him. For me, an ordinary working class auntie, I might not even last for another 15 years with this kind of pathetic payout. Ridiculously, without knowing me or my medical condition, they can speculate I can last for another 30 years to receive the payouts. HaHa!
Second excuse: “Extra Interest”- another rubbish excuse. I have indicated many times that I am not interested in their extra interest. I might not be alive any more to enjoy. I am not begging for any handouts but only getting back my rightful savings which I had worked so hard for the past forty years. Initially we were being told that these savings will be released to us when we reached 55 years of age….
CPF Board has been very inconsiderate and very cruel in giving this kind of treatment to senior citizen. I am not sure whether I am the only unlucky one or there are other brothers and sisters in the same situation. We are the ones who had struggled very hard to build up today’s nation. Instead of showing appreciation, we are being treated like old dirt with such low respect. Where is justice?
I have copied my mails to the Labour Minister who oversee the CPF Board. As expected, the betterer guy is acting blind and deaf to my concerns. Lastly, I have to thank my MP’s effort who has helped me along.’
JW
She is asking for respect and justice! Did she really believe that she will get justice and respect at the way they held on to her savings and finding all kinds of reasons to delay returning to her? Did she not condone this act by voting for the people who made these rulings to be the govt? She should be very grateful and thankful that she had made the right choice. And yes, she is very grateful that her MP is trying to help and very helpful. See how daft it is? Who does she think the MP is working for and when come to the issue of the CPF, what is the stand of the MP, what did the MP voted for?
These daft deserved the govt they voted for. And they will keep voting for the same govt over and over again to show their appreciation. Maybe this is their way of showing how happy they are with the govt for caring for them and planning their retirement with their life savings. Why are they complaining when they voted for all these policies that are for their own good?
PS. Just accept the fact that CPF is not their money and everything will fall in place, and all will be fine.
Here are some of her comments.
‘First excuse: “Increasing life expectancy ”. This is just a rubbish excuse not to return our sweat and blood savings and pretend to act as good guy to look after us till age of 95 (Of course there are people who can live up to this age but is rare). Even our SM don’t even live up to age of 95 despite of having the best medical team to attend to him. For me, an ordinary working class auntie, I might not even last for another 15 years with this kind of pathetic payout. Ridiculously, without knowing me or my medical condition, they can speculate I can last for another 30 years to receive the payouts. HaHa!
Second excuse: “Extra Interest”- another rubbish excuse. I have indicated many times that I am not interested in their extra interest. I might not be alive any more to enjoy. I am not begging for any handouts but only getting back my rightful savings which I had worked so hard for the past forty years. Initially we were being told that these savings will be released to us when we reached 55 years of age….
CPF Board has been very inconsiderate and very cruel in giving this kind of treatment to senior citizen. I am not sure whether I am the only unlucky one or there are other brothers and sisters in the same situation. We are the ones who had struggled very hard to build up today’s nation. Instead of showing appreciation, we are being treated like old dirt with such low respect. Where is justice?
I have copied my mails to the Labour Minister who oversee the CPF Board. As expected, the betterer guy is acting blind and deaf to my concerns. Lastly, I have to thank my MP’s effort who has helped me along.’
JW
She is asking for respect and justice! Did she really believe that she will get justice and respect at the way they held on to her savings and finding all kinds of reasons to delay returning to her? Did she not condone this act by voting for the people who made these rulings to be the govt? She should be very grateful and thankful that she had made the right choice. And yes, she is very grateful that her MP is trying to help and very helpful. See how daft it is? Who does she think the MP is working for and when come to the issue of the CPF, what is the stand of the MP, what did the MP voted for?
These daft deserved the govt they voted for. And they will keep voting for the same govt over and over again to show their appreciation. Maybe this is their way of showing how happy they are with the govt for caring for them and planning their retirement with their life savings. Why are they complaining when they voted for all these policies that are for their own good?
PS. Just accept the fact that CPF is not their money and everything will fall in place, and all will be fine.
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