Are the South Koreans mad?

I watched the news and the South Koreans are adamant about continuing with the live firing drill in Yeonpyeong. Not only that, they are sending balloons with anti Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea. Why are they so keen to go to war with the North Koreans? Are they insane, or are they being forced to act like mad people, insisting on provoking the North Koreans? Do they know that today’s warfare is not the same as WW2? Warfare today no longer moves soldiers, sending divisions to fight one another. Warfare today is about pushing buttons and sending monstrous bombs that would destroy infrastructure like sand castles and killing people in the hundreds of thousands. Do they think they can survive a war, or do they think they are going to a tea party with no casualties? Fighting North Korea is not like the US fighting Iraq. If war breaks out between the two Koreas, count on it that the Americans and Japanese will come join in. And they better count on it that the Chinese and Russians too will join in. The people of South Korea shall rise up and remove their govt before being led to their death in a war that they don’t need. This is an American and Japanese war against the Korean people. And the soldiers killing each other, and the people killed in this war, will be mainly Koreans. Unbelievable, why are the Koreans so dense? Any Koreans reading this article care to comment.

How to fix up a political opponent?

Very simple, throw all kinds of drum up charges against him. If nothing meaning can be used, sex crime is the best. If sodomy is not common to the target, simply rape will do. The world is now witnessing the best show on earth in the WikiLeaks saga. Julian Assange is the target of American character assassination. The sophistication and sophistry in trying to gun him down are first class, standard operating procedure out of the textbook. Luckily Assange is an Australian, a member of the tribe. So the disparaging attack is not homogenous. Some of the tribe members are revolting. Australia is also attempting a weak defence or it would not go down well with its people and the friends of Assange. The western media are split and not sure which direction to take. This is not common enemey like the case of Liu Xiaobo. In the latter, the wolf pack simply closed ranks to train their cross hair at China. Assange is a bit complicated. Here there is a case of a state abusing its authority, violation of human rights, rights of an individual, freedom of the press, justice and fair play, compromising the judicial system, fabricating evidence, all rolled into one. And there is also the lynching of one’s own kind. A bit messy definitely. The world should sit back and watch this spectacle unfold. (Please be reminded of the silence as a clever little country and its leaders are now in deep shit trying to extricate itself out of the shit hole, all by itself. No one cares or is willing to give this little country a helping hand. Don’t belong to the same tribe, I think.)

The Robbers are coming

The Europeans are getting wiser to the game of the robbers. They are going to stop them from robbing the banks and the people of their hard earned money. Stringent laws are going to be put in place to prevent the robbers from robbing the banks to pay themselves crazy. And only the govt can do it. They are going to curb on the huge bonuses which the robbers have got so used to. No multi million dollar bonuses can ever be enough. And they will scheme and worm their ways to getting more. Only the US is still allowing the robbers to operate quite freely. And they can only do so with their accomplices in the govt. The robbers are threatening to flee to more hospitable and unthinking Asian countries like Singapore and Hong Kong. Singapore is likely to be the first to open its doors widely to welcome them. The stupidity of Singapore is infamous in the financial world in terms of overpaying all kinds of craps and robbers with huge sums of money. Gullible is a disease here. This is accentuated by the mantra that foreign talents are best or betterer, and are worth every cent of their weight in gold. Who knows, the recruiting party could already be in Europe now and talking to the robbers and offering them generous terms, and agreeing to terms dictated by the robbers. What is wrong with that? They are paying good money for good talents. Even if they are robbers, if they know how to rob well, the owners will get a bigger cut of the loot. What if the robbers rob the people or citizens instead? The ignorant masses must not be duped continuously as if paying huge sums of money to robbers is harmless. Eventually everything comes to them. Someone has to pay big for the robbers to receive big. And that someone has no name except that he or she will likely be known as the people or the masses. The prices of everything will go up, the cost of living will go up. Everything is interconnected and forms part of the system which the robbers thrive in. Roll out the red carpet quick, the robbers are coming.

A friend he is not

China called him an old friend, an affectionate term for a good friend one has known for many years. He learnt and spoke Chinese and was every inch a gentleman, from the exterior. To win the trust of the Chinese he even called himself a Chinese name. And he became a Prime Minister. His unfaithfulness or dishonourable conduct was revealed when he spoke to the Americans. Without WikiLeaks, his bad mouthing of his friend will not be known. And his friend will still hold him dearly as a good friend. Now his true self is known and he can’t hide anymore. He had told the Americans to wage war against China if China did not bow to American pressure and did not tow the line. This must be quite shocking to the Chinese. They must have felt betrayed. Would they still regard him as a friend? The initial for his Chinese name is LKW. That’s Kevin Rudd. WilkiLeaks is making many people redfaced. Can Australia be a part of Asia? Who is recommending Australia to be part of Asean?

The Proof that the spammers are more than just spammers

Last few weeks redbeanforum was attacked by a flood of supposedly innocent advertisements for bags, shoes and electronic goods. Each spammer could hit a few hundred posts at one go, on every new threads in the page. A lot of effort to just do that. My response is to barred everyone from posting except the moderators. But I leave a hole for the supposedly keen advertisers to keep on posting in a section specially for them to post their adverstisements. Guess what? They gave up posting. All I had was one miserable advertisement posted there. What happens? Don't they no longer want to post their advertisements? The ill intent of the spammers is loud and clear. They are not just spammers or advertisers. They have a different and sinister motive. The only way, and best way, is simply to lock them out completely. The next thing they can hope to do is to kill my forum completely. Any genuine forumers can private message me to post in redbeanforum. I will allow them access by designating them as moderators for the time being. Oh they are still attacking mysingaporenews with a lot of porn postings. I hope Blogger will do something to their firewalls.

For those who have, more shall be given to them

Christians must be quietly smiling at this quote. This has been spoken by God a few thousand years back and they know. The truth of the statement is there for all to see. The rich shall get richer is the natural law of God. With their wealth, the rich could only multiply them at much faster rate than those who are struggling to earn their money through muscles. How easy it is to buy a property at $1m and loo behold, two years down the road it becomes $1.5m, reaping a profit of $500k. This amount may take a worker a life time to earn but would be spent everyday leaving him with nothing to spare. Many folks are earning tens or hundreds of thousands without have to exercise the muscles of their limbs. See how comfortable they are to write that cheque for the $60k COE or the $500k down payment for the landed property! On the other hand the losers are complaining about kopi going to cost 20c more per cuppa! For those who have, more shall be given goes further than this. Some of those who have tens of millions, hundreds of millions, will still be given millions without having to work, in the form of pensions or gratuities, when they don’t need a single cent more to live in the lap of luxury. There are many such lucky people around whose lives are so blessed. But God is cheeky and cynical too. He also said, ‘The meek shall inherit the earth.’ Of course he is joking. How could that be when those who have shall have more and those who don’t have shall have less? The message to the meek is simply, fat hope. The meek shall always live on hope while they live a wasted life of not enough. That is the painful truth of life. No escape.

Thomas Friedman singing praises for the American Empire

He lamented what a world would be if America could not project power the way it has in an article in the ST today. He said ‘your’ kids won’t grow up in a different America but will grow up in a different world. Die, American kids are going to get walloped if America could not wallop the rest of the world. He is worried that American kids would not be able to push everyone around. He fears a China and the likes of Julian Assange, who could carry as much weight as America. He fears a multi polar world that would not benefit the American kids that much but also the kids of other countries, notably other powers like China, India, Brazil, Russia and the Europeans. And that is simply bad. He was disgusted that China could exercise so much power to keep countries from attending the circus in Norway when Liu Xiaobo was the celebrated clown for the day, and in the company of greater clowns. And China could do it without the use of the aircraft carriers and fighter bombers, but just simple economic power. And he called this an act of perversity, that China is equated as a failed state abusing its new found power, irresponsible is the word. What about America forcing its allies to go to war in Iraq and other theatres of war, in a Coalition of the Unwiling? The American allies have no choice but being muscled in to kill people, invade countries, execute regime change, and be accomplices to the infamous Guantanamo Camp where freedom and human rights were never heard of. And these were the acts of the Evil Empire which he approved of. America is exceedingly responsible as a super power in doing all these things. Make a comparison between China exercising its economic power in not attending a circus and America exercising its military power in commiting acts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Which is more IRRESPONSIBLE, and more oppressive, abominable? How long and how much more must Asians be preached with such sermons from the West, particularly from the Americans, whose only concern is for their own good. What is good to the Americans, and cruel to others, is still good. What is not good to the Americans, no matter how civil, is not good. Should the world continue to live with such condescending American logic?

A return to govt service

The privatisation of hospitals, public transportation and housing is starting to show how serious this mistake is. Essential services cannot be left to the free market to determine how much the consumers should pay. The market forces, if only it is real, is only concerned with profits, and profits and nothing else. The only principle that governs private business is how much the consumer is willing to pay or how much the seller of services and products can squeeze out from the consumers. As long as there are consumers able to pay, it is affordable, at least to those who can afford to pay. A $100k COE is affordable to the one who can afford it. A $1m 3 rm flat is affordable if there are people who are willing to pay for it. Resources, limited resources, are allocated according to what the market dictates, as being the most efficient and effective. Really? However, for sure, resources will not be allocated to those who need it most if they cannot afford to pay. And the haughty and cocky explanation is that one has to pay for it at market determined price.. If one cannot afford it, go for substitutions, downgrade, or tighten the belt. At the bottom of it all, if one cannot afford to pay, one does not deserve anything, even goods at inflated prices.. To overcome such inequalities, to the rich and powerful these are not inequalities, there are govts, not necessarily socialists, who would want to intervene to better allocate the resources to the needy. I would like to make a call for essential services to be returned to the govt, place under the charge of the public sector. My reservation is that govt services are run by incompetents and any services they provide will be inefficient and ineffective. If this assumption that public servants are all incompetents and useless, which was the justification for privatisation, then it is like the frying pan and the deep blue sea. This is a strange phenomenon as our govt services are staffed by the best talents in the island. As economic system approaches the end of the capitalist road, the communists will say, I told you so. The capitalist road will lead to its own destruction and a revolution of the under class is the natural anti thesis.

Singapore in a state of siege or self denial?

Through WikiLeaks we must have offended many countries in Asean and Asia. From India and Myanmar through Thailand and Japan, from China and North Korea in the north and down south to Malaysia and Taiwan in the East, they cannot be too pleased with what we said about them. George Yeo said that these were just cocktail gossips, not worth bothering about, should not be troubled by them. Our relations with the countries affected would not be affected. That is our version of how WikiLeaks affect us and our friends. What are our blastered friends thinking now? Would they regard the WikiLeaks in the way we do and dismiss them as nothing serious, or nothing that they will lose any sleep for? If they do, then it is just like a tropical thunderstorm that would not last more than an hour. The weather will be fine again. What if the affected countries are seething in rage? Would they, could they or should they? Would there be any consequences? So far only Malaysia has openly displayed their displeasure and, thankfully, no stone throwing across from the causeway. Our improving relations have bore fruits. The silence from the other capitals is quite uncharacteristic of what could be expected. Is the reticence real or several protest notes are already on the tables of George Yeo and Hsien Loong? It has been rumoured that LKY is going to make a comment on the WikiLeaks’ exposure on Singapore. Is this an indication that we are already in a state of siege and a response or an apology is in the cards? Singapore has been hit in the most unexpected manner at a most inappropriate time. All systems were go for the coming general election. A slate of wonderful things are lined up with nice happenings that would make the govt look good are waiting to be rolled out. Now out of the blue, the govt is in a damage control mode. The WikiLeaks is more than just an embarrassment and irritation. It has given the election campaign cart a big jolt when things were just getting comfortable. Maybe I am drawing too much inference from nothing. Maybe there is really nothing to it and things are as normal as before. I can be dense at times.

A few pictures of ION in Orchard Rd

It is never too late when JUSTICE begs to be heard!

Europe urged to recognise slavery as crime Tue, May 04, 2010 AFP PARIS - Historians and anti-racism campaigners are to urge the countries that oversaw and profited from the Atlantic slave trade to recognise it as a crime against humanity, opening the way for reparations. Next week, activists are to send a letter to the leaders of Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain asking them to recognise the trade as an historic injustice a century and a half after it ended. They have already convinced France to do so. Click here to find out more!Click here to find out more! The European Memorial Foundation for the Slave Trade will launch the appeal at the French Senate on May 10, backed by the French historian Louis Sala-Molins and John Franklin from the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. "There are several reasons for this, including its symbolic value, to restore the memory of this crime against humanity," Karfa Diallo, chairman of the foundation, told AFP. "There's also a question, shall we say, of justice," he said....

Good grades equal to nerds

Reading the article by Sandra Davie in the ST today, I can’t help but come to the conclusion that students who did well in tests and examinations, with good grades, are all nerds and lack creativity. Also they often do not do well in life. This is the biggest problem in Singapore’s education system. Though we bragged about how world class it is, how other countries are copying our teaching material, and how our students are able to score straight As everywhere, even winning international competitions, in Science, Maths, General Knowledge and also in Law, don’t expect much from them when they grow up. All these will come to nothing as they enter the adult world. Many are destined to fail or become underachievers in real life. Then where can we find all the creative and innovative people in Singapore? One sure place not to find them is the elite schools. Try the kitchens, the football fields, the night clubs, the world of the celebrities, there must be many creative and successful people in these fields. We need more Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, failure academically but big success in life. Personally I doubt they will not be able to score straight As if they wanted to. This is the secret to creativity and success. We should throw out our top students half way through universities and give them a job in the industries. That is the sure way to trigger their creativity and later be successful innovators and inventors. There is no need for elite schools and top universities as their products will only be so so. Parents of children who did not do well in schools must be relieved that their children will be the ones with more creativity and be more successful in life later. This is about the only piece of good news from the article.

Talking about insensitivity

Bilahari Kausikan, the Permanent Secretary of MFA, is reported to be leading a delegation to KL to discuss the final phase of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station land swap deal. Bilahari’s name is also in the lips of many Malaysians for what was reported in American diplomatic sting operations and leaked by WikiLeaks. His views and comments on Malaysia and Malaysian leadership were anything but complimentary. And if there is anything that the Malaysians would want to do with him, it is best not mentioned. For Singapore to send Bilahari to KL for such an important meeting so soon after the WikiLeaks revelation can be seen as being confident that Malaysia and Malaysians will be able to put them aside and negotiate professionally and objectively. It also rule up the discomfort by individuals that often behave strangely because of their own personalities and the baggage they carried with them. These must be the assessment from the Singapore side. Let’s hope the assessment is right and the negotiation goes well under Bilahari’s leadership. His diplomatic skills will be put to a tough test. I am just wondering what he will say to the Malaysians to appease them and be on top of the problem. People have been complaining that Singapore and Singaporeans are arrogant and insensitive. I say no, Singapore and Singaporeans are not arrogant and insensitive. They are just very arrogant and very insensitive. But I think I may be wrong. I really hope so.

Bilahari leading high power delegation to KL

The Star, 14 December 2010 SINGAPORE’S most senior Foreign Ministry official Bilahari Kausikan is heading for Kuala Lumpur on Dec 22 as a leader of a delegation to discuss KTM Berhad’s land swap deal in Singapore agreed in May by the Prime Ministers of the two countries.... This is going to be an interesting meeting for Bilahari. The Malaysians may want to feast him with durians after what he had said about their leadership.

A good piece of advice from ST

The ST Editorial commented on China’s Nobel prize anger as overdone. It said no need to be like that lah. For a great nation that is confident of itself, it should just simply ignored the little country called Norway and its award of the prize to Liu Xiaobo. I also agree. Why get so work up by a silly bunch of people in the Nobel Peace Prize Committee? The same piece of advice is relevant to the WikiLeaks fiasco. All the great nations that are confident of themselves should simply ignore all the leaks even if they embarrassed them. Treat them as some rubbish coming out from small people and ignore them. Then peace and calm shall return to the whole world. And the Americans will find that their effort in throwing a spanner into the world of diplomacy an effort in vain. Great and confident nations should be able to see through the evil scheme and remain calm, not to be provoked into making the situation any worst. Are there any great and confident nations out there that will take this advice seriously?

Good names for MRT stations

We have Phoenix, Petir and Pending in the Bukit Panjang LRT line. We are going to have Kadaloor, Coral Edge and Riviera in Sengkang. The ST asked whether these names ring a bell. I heard a thud. Maybe I shall offer a few nice sounding names that will ring a bell. Obama ok? Harry Potter should definitely ring a bell if Obama doesn’t. Mickey Mouse will be music to the children. Buckingham Palace, this should sound glorifying. Pavarotti is another excellent name for a train station. ‘You have arrived at Pavarotti Station.’ OK, OK, I got carried away a bit. Do we have a basis in selecting names for MRT stations? Old landmarks are acceptable. Honouring our historical personalities is also OK. But how to relate to Devan Nair Station in Sengkang? Did Devan lived there before, his birth place, or any institution or landmark that reminds people of him there? A better way out is to hold a naming contest. But don’t engage the professional agencies. They will charge a million bucks for a name. Get the people to suggest and the winners be awarded with a prizes. $1000 for each station name accepted. There will be many participants and the involvement of the people will make them feel proud and comfy with the names they have chosen. Let me guess what the people will choose. The kids will like Valkrie, Ironman or Spiderman. The youth would love to call the station Angelina Jolie or Christie Chung. Who are they anyway? The aunties would be crazy with names like Baey Yong Joon. But those aunties in the grassroot organizations would probably vote in favour of Lim Sway Say or Lim Boon Heng. The well heeled and well travelled may want things like Metzingen, Baden Baden, Marienplatz or something like that. Come to think of it, finding a good name for a station is not easy huh. Better leave it to the supertalents and live with Kadaloor, Coral Edge and Riviera. Never mind if they don’t ring a bell. One final attempt, Timbuktu!

American allies forced to show hands

What WikiLeaks said about Singaporean leaders? Hmmm, I declared that I am a Singaporean and I must always say good things about my country and our leaders. It is tough to say not so nice things about them. I can’t call them sneaky or that they have said stupid things. It is very difficult to say it in a diplomatic way that will come out as reasonable and acceptable to the readers after what the Americans have leaked on them. The hallmark of Singapore is all about standing on high moral grounds. Be responsible and respectable in what we say and do. WikiLeaks destroyed all that. Or the Americans destroyed all that. George Yeo was embarrassed and his peers in the other countries may not want to talk to him anymore. If they do, it will be about playing golf or food and wine. He has to, after seeing the horror of the information being pasted on the pages of our own media. There is no where to hide. It is everywhere in the internet for all to see. And more dirty laundry will be aired. Perhaps George Yeo may want to despatch a special envoy to all the countries we called friends and explain to them that the bad things we said about them in confidence must be respected. They are not supposed to know. Let’s put all this aside and move on. After all, if not taken out of context the vulgar comments meant well. Back at MFA he may want to issue a new directive, that we should not bad mouth any country or their leaders even when spoken in confidence. We must expect that they will be leaked to compromise our relations with our friends. And the red flag must be flown once we have to talk to the American diplomats. They are so dangerous that with them as friends we don’t need enemies anymore. And tell Tommy and Bilahari and whoever, no need to explain what they have said. It would only make things worst. Keeping quiet is the best thing to do now. Better, dig a hole in the ground and bury their heads in it. It is a very painful lesson to be learnt at this stage of their lives, to be betrayed by their trusted friends in America. Do we still have any friends left? Can leaders of other countries trust us anymore? What WikiLeaks have done is to stop the gossipings and bad mouthing behind the backs of other countries. And Singapore not only has a swelled head and ego to match in dispensing political wisdom, now has two swelled black eyes to complete the image.

The US attacks its allies

The US has launched the most massive and destructive attack on its allies through the WilkiLeaks. It has created an ill feeling throughout the whole diplomatic community. No one is spared. OK, not really. A few of the US core allies are practically free from any embarrassing leaks. Those that suffered the most from the leaks are peripheral allies or allies that attempt to balance their relationship between the US and China. Countries like Singapore, even Australia, will be fixed very nicely and will suffer an unkind fate for being an American ally. They will have a hard time trying to appease China and to mend their relationship. It will never be the same again. The party that benefited most from the fracas is the US of course. Countries that fell victims should return the American kindness by having their own version of WikiLeaks and see how red the faces of the Americans will be. For the time being the Americans must be having a good laugh at the silly political leaders that were foolish enough to have confidence in the Americans and that the Americans will not compromise them at any cost. They are now left to lick their own wounds. They are simply dispensable. Could the leak be prevented? Why were there no leaks from other countries? Were the security systems of other countries more superior than the Americans? It cannot be, the US is the most sophisticate military power and guarding their own electronic/cable communications with all kinds of complicated codes, cannot be easily penetrated. And their CIAs and all the intelligent agencies are world best. How could the leak have gone to far and so big? It will be ridiculous to think that the Chinese communication security system is far more superior to the Americans. Or for that matter, Singapore or any third world countries. Let’s have a few leaks on what the Americans say to their allies, to the Israelis, Japanese and South Koreans, or to Saudi Arabia, or to the European nations. The attack on its allies through WikiLeaks is a precedent that the Americans have set and they will have to pay for it. They cannot get away Scot free from this kind of black operations. For one, they have proven to be unreliable and dangerous as an ally. They cannot be trusted.

Red passport in danger

Philippine airport police nabs Singaporean national for carrying shabu Inquirer.net, 10 Dec 2010 MANILA, Philippines--A Singaporean national was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 Thursday for allegedly sneaking illegal drugs into the country, police said on Friday. Soa K.H., 36, had just arrived from Thailand via the Thai Airways Flight TG-620 when airport authorities arrested him before 2 p.m., according to a report from the police's National Operations Center. Singaporean arrested at NAIA for shabu possession - GMANews.TV Posted by admin at Friday, December 10, 2010 0 comments Singaporean nabbed in Johor for drug trafficking Malaysia Star, 10 Dec 2010 JOHOR BARU: Police have busted a drug trafficking syndicate with the arrest of three people including a Singaporean and seizure of more than RM271,000 worth of syabu and Eramin 5 pills. Johor Police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said police officers from the State Narcotics Department raided a house in Taman Setia Tropika following a tip-off at 3.30am on Dec 6 .... Above are Singaporeans making headlines for the wrong stuff. The squeaky clean Singaporean image is taking a bashing around the world. My red passport was a cherished and respectable document that could whisk me through many international airports with accorded respect from the immigration authorities. The citizens of less dignified countries looked in awe at the power of our red passport. At the rate Singaporeans are hitting the headlines for drug traffickings and other crimes, it would not be long when holders of our red passports would have to join the long queue to be thoroughly search, like high suspects for crimes. We are progressing in the wrong fields.

The paranoid obsession of North Korea

North Korea and the Kim family have become our public enemy number one if we go by the amount of hate reports on them as an indicator. We have almost daily angry reports of how bad the country has been managed by a family of irrational, naïve and incompetent family who are still living in the forgotten era of the past. They are expected to throw tantrums, wanting to show their manhood, provocative of their neighbours to prove their worthiness and never grow up. The picture painted of the North Koreans is just the reversed of the fairy tale existence of handsome princes and princesses of the European genre, prince charmings, no matter how dull they were and princesses that really look no better than our Ah Lians and with a brain to match. There is a stable of local and foreign talents masquerading as serious analysts and reporters pushing out vile and childish stories about North Korea and shafting them down the throat of the innocent and ignorant public. As days go by, one wonders whether it is the North Koreans that are immature and obnoxious or it is the reporters/analysts that churned out garbage at their expense. The other interesting question is why the obsession and hatred of the North Koreans that have really nothing to do with us nor affect our existence in anyway. The Korean waves that our youth and aunties are embracing originate from the South. Maybe there is nothing harmless to write about locally and hacking at a distant isolated country is the second best thing to do. Or is there a dark agenda to the whole episode? It resembles a kind of political evangelism.

Modern day pirates, slave traders and drug peddlers

They used to make it big time catching slaves and trading them for profit. The same group was also active in piracy along the coast of Africa, but not of the Somali kind. They were Europeans. Some went further to China to push drugs, selling opium to the stupid Chinamen. And many built huge mansions in England, Europe and America from their lucrative businesses. Brown University was named after a slave trader. Jardines, Mathesons, Brooklyns, Rockefellers, Rothschild and what else, were all infamous and even became conglomerates. They were the heroes of the crowns and were knighted as members of their empires. There were no moral issues, no righteousness, no fair play, no wrong, all for good and clean profits. And they became respectable gentlemen and nobilities. And they got to be addressed as Sir. The modern pirates, drug peddlers and slave traders are also in respectable industries and professions. The finance industry is infested with these great gentlemen and talents. They pushed toxic notes, toxic bonds and improvised all kinds of rules and regulations and gaming of all kinds, to fleece the unwary and the weary, the innocent and ignorant and the not so well connected. And the modern day robbers, pirates and drug peddlers would also be knighted, respectable, and would build mansions all over the world, hop and sail in their private jets and yachts. And there is also no need to be woolly about morality, about fair play and about righteousness. These are only the concerns for the losers to cry over with, after they were fleeced.

China should raise the Korean tension issue in the UN

While the belligerent parties are bent on provoking the North Koreans with more war games in the Yellow Sea and the borders of North Korea, and calling the North Koreans provocative, China should not keep quiet and let the unjust blame game to go on. China must name the gangsters as they are and bring the matter to the UN to let the world community knows who are the real provocateurs. China cannot afford to be on the defensive and allow the US to put the blame on her when the US is the real culprit in the whole crisis. The american deception and ill intent to raise tension in the Korean Peninsula must be revealed for all to see. One simple resolution that the UN can adopt is to stop all parties from conducting war games in the Yellow Sea and 200km from the Korean borders. This alone should be good enough to lower the tension in the peninsula. If not, the belligerent countries will continue to carry their big guns to threaten North Korea. In addition, China shall call for a thorough investigation on the blowing up of Choenan and find who is the real murderer of the South Korean seamen. This incident must not be forgotten and laid to rest without giving justice to the dead men and their families. It must be pursued rigorously. Otherwise more innocent people would be killed with more of such incidents to raise tension and war between the two Koreans will be repeated. The two Koreans too must support such an investigation, and avoid conducting war games to provoke one another.

Another isolated youth slashing incident

A 23 year old was slashed in Yishun for asking a group of teenagers for his lost mobile phone. The youngest of the slashers was only 13. They attacked the 23 year old with parangs and leaving him bleeding with many cuts. He was lucky to be alive. This must be another isolated incident involving wayward youths. I don’t think they are gang members, just nice little neighbourhood kids on an outing together. The only difference today is that kids don’t only carry mobile phones only. They also tucked a parang in their waist pouch. And they are willing to wield the parangs and chop anyone when confronted. This is how far our society has progressed. We have upgraded our communications skill, from talking to arguing to quarrelling and now to slashing. And the fashion gadgets the kids are attaching to their bodies include tattoos and parangs, not 3 inch jack knives or pen knives. Any slashing incident is just a once in 50 year affair. And our nice neighbourhood kids will not be involved in any gangland warfare. Maybe a little staring incident now and then. Nothing to worry about. Singapore is still a very safe city.

In praise of Greed

68 medical specialists left the public sector to go into private practice. And the lure is a ten fold increase in income. Current income of public sector specialists ranges from $12k to $60k pm or $160k to three quarter of a million as compare to a million to 5 million in the private sector. And with COE hitting the $100k mark soon, these poor doctors would not be able to buy a decent car to drive. Nothing is wrong with the specialists wanting to earn a few millions a year. What is fearful is that the next round of salary increment in the public sector for medical specialists would push medical fees out into deep space. But that is the price to pay for a booming economy when there is so much money to be made and with a price tag of a few millions for anything as only small change. The way it is going, all the specialists should soon end up in the private sector, and more private hospitals can be built to reap more profits from this life and death business. The public sector can never hope to compete with the private sector on money alone. If they do, it will create a continuous domino theory with every other professional expecting to earn more than the doctors, starting with the politicians. We now have a great trend going in the property sectors when everything is for sale for more profits. And the foreigners are not short of cash with liquidity flooding the world’s financial system. The Chinese, the Indians, the Europeans and Americans are all pouring their petty cash here to sweep up every available property left. The recent announcement of Caldecott Hill being available for good residential properties could see more being built and sold off. And the GDP numbers are going to look very good indeed. Everything is for sale, for profit and for money. For those who fall into the CBF category of workers, tighten your seat belt and trouser’s belt. The ride is going to be exhilarating. We are in the best of time of our economic boom. The big cars are selling fast even with $60k for a piece of COE. The good times are here.

Responsibilities of Stock Exchanges

Goh Eng Yeow wrote an article in the ST on 6 Dec expressing concern on the role of high speed trading and the interests of small traders. High speed trading as an instrument used by big funds to take advantage of sophisticated computer technology is giving the funds an unfair advantage against the small traders. With the aid of high speed computers, the fund is able to tap into the system to know the queues of buy and sell and more, and could then come to a quick decision to buy and sell to its favour. When funds are trading in a big way, high volume and high speed, against the small investors or the rest of the investors, the losers are obvious. What then is the position of the stock exchanges on this new development? There are some fundamental responsibilities and roles which the stock exchanges are governed by its own regulations to uphold and to protect investors. Among these are: 1. Provide a level playing field. With the participation of high speed trading, is the playing field level? Is there an unfair advantage in favour of high speed traders? 2. Churning is against the regulations of stock exchanges. 3. Buying and selling without change of ownership is a violation of stock exchange regulations. 4. Buying and selling and creating a false market through such actions is also a violation of stock exchange regulations. 5. Is the trading of big funds transparent to the small investors when transparency is a hallmark of a proper stock exchange? How could stock exchanges protect the interests of investors and maintain the integrity of the system without compromising on its own regulatory role with the introduction of high speed trading? Is there a problem here?

Julian Assange for Nobel Peace Prize

No other man deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more than Julian Assange. He took on the world’s most belligerent country in modern history, to stop it from waging more wars around the world. He tries to stop the Evil Empire from pulling wools over the eyes of Americans and peoples of the world on its war crimes. He stood up for investigative reporting, press freedom and freedom of expression. For these noble objectives he is now hounded down and arrested on drum up charges like rape. He is now the number one enemy of the Evil Empire, and he fought alone with a handful of loyal and dedicated staff. While he is being ostracized and criminalized, the biggest criminal against humanity is awarded the Nobel Peace Price for trying to start more wars while continuing to commit more troops to on going wars. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee is rightly called a Committee of Clowns for awarding the respectable Peace Prize to an undeserving candidate while the most deserving is left in the lurch.

The pathetic Asians

After a few centuries of colonization and manipulations by the West, I thought Asians would have wise up and stop fighting and killing each other. I thought Chinese would not fight Chinese, Koreans would not fight Koreans, Vietnamese would not fight Vietnamese, and in general, Asians would not fight Asians. The sad fact is that Asians would keep being led by the nose by the west, even a woman like Hilary is smart enough to make the Asians hate each other and want to gorge each other’s eyes out. When would Asians stand up and reflect on themselves and think for themselves? When would Asians think of their own interests and stop being manipulated by the West to kill each other? The Americans is starting wars all over Asia but not Europe or North America. Maybe the Asians are truly of lower intellect and can be easily hook winked by the West. Just look the rubbish articles coming out of the West and printed in Asian media like gospel truths. And Asians are supposed to lap it up happily without question. Mahbubani and other Asian thinkers have a lot of work to do to kick the Asian arses and wake them up. Asians can think? Ha! Until today, Asians are dependent on one source of news and logic which they believe are reliable, truthful and accurate, from the West. Bloody silly Asians. They deserve to be colonized once again and to be subjects of western empires. Reading todays’ ST, a new thinker has emerged in the name of Peh Shing Huei. He chastised China for running out of ideas and being a ‘one trick pony’ in the seemingly unsolvable North Korean dilemma. He, like all westerners, took the stance that it was all North Korea’s fault and North Korea is run by an irrational mad man and his son and causing all the problems even China cannot handle. He quoted some Taiwanese as an authority to back up his view. China will do better if the talent of Peh can be harnessed and the North Korean issue will be solved immediately. Peh must have many tricks up his sleeves. Hu JinTao and his comrades are just untalented Chinese leaders that may need a little help from Peh Shing Huei. For the time being, the North Koreans are good enough to be called names like ‘son of a bitch’ by all the western sympathizers and talented reporters. I must change my earlier pronouncement that Asians cannot think. Asians can really think and write articles of great wisdom in the media.

Another motorist complaining of being robbed

A letter to the ST forum complained that the motor insurance is just like day light robbery. No accident, premium still goes up. Got accident, premium goes up higher. So what the hell is happening? What are motorists paying? Protection money? The insurance premium is more than the road tax the motorists are paying. Weren’t some jokers said they were working on this to help the motorists? Who is making all the motor insurance money by the way? The insurance companies claimed that they are losing hundreds of millions. But they would not give up the business. There is a big rat somewhere.

The Americans and South Koreans hell bent on war

They continue to provoke the North Koreans by conducting more war games. And they are complaining that the North Koreans are provocative. And they want China to rein in the North Koreans! The countries that are provocative and need reining in are the Americans and the South Koreans. If they stop their provocation and stop their war games at the border with North Korea, there will be no tension. Here we have the devil calling everyone devil. The best part is that they are going to blame China for the next Korean War. They are not meeting in Washington planning when to start the war. Since the South Koreans are bent on killing the North Koreans, and themselves being killed, and the US and Japan most willing to join in the killing, China should just fold its arms and watch. Let them go merrily to kill each other. China should just say, go ahead, it’s my pleasure. In the meantime China should just tell the world what the Americans are up to.

COV slipping down, is it good?

Why are people making comments like as if it is a good thing that COV is coming down? If it is good to keep it down, it should not have gone up so high in the first place. Oh, market forces, can’t be helped. But the govt is helping to push it down with all the curbs and cooling measures, which means it can be helped. A young couple was happy that they could afford a resale flat at $350k with a $15k COV. Happy like shit, as if striking lottery. Their combined income is $3,500 pm. Even with a $50k grant, it is still more than $300k for that unit. With the mortgages and interest, it is probably something like $600k by the time the loan is fully repaid. How many months or years of income is that? Nearly 20 years. It means that this couple would have to work for 20 years for free just to pay for that flat. Don’t they need money to survive, to bring up children? Never mind, these are the losers in our society. Think about the good stuff. Many residents are owning properties worth millions and feeling so rich. And their properties are going to go up in value with more investors flooding here. Singapore is now the top city for property investment. To maintain this shining title, our property prices must go up. And for COV to come down, that is bad. It is working the other way. Maybe it is temporary as election is around the corner. Singaporeans will have more to cheer after the election when their property prices shoot to the sky once more. And the young couple mentioned above can pat their own back to congratulate themselves for making a wise decision. Their $350k flat may then be worth $500k and they will be sitting on a fat profit, and feeling very rich.

Difficult to plan housing needs on a macro basis

This is what Lim Hwee Hua said at the Kampong Chai Chee dialogue. How many people agree with this statement? The residents were angry at the high prices of public flats which they knew were driven by exceptionally high demand and low supply. Any man in the street will be able to tell why when the distortion of demand and supply is so huge. No need super talent feats. Only those who chose not to see will say they don’t know. I don’t believe that someone is sleeping on the job. Neither do I believe that there is no data to show the macro pattern of population growth. The population growth is not 100k or 200k, it is once in 50 years type of increase! What is the real reason for the fiasco? Like they said, the truth will never surface aka Mas Selamat’s escape. Another comment from Lim Hwee Hua is that first time flat buyers are finding it difficult to buy flats because COV is too high. Is that so? What about the prices of new flats and resale flats? If it is just COV, then prices of new flats and resale flats are affordable. Sure affordable as many are snapped up on launches, except that the buyers will hang millstones on their necks and pray that they will be able to repay the loans over the next 30 years. When there is no other choices, the buyers will just have to take whatever that is available at the price of the sellers.

Korean War – An American Conspiracy Revealed

The Americans are adamant that the Korean War must be reignited. They needed the war to generate more revenue for the American weapons industry and, politically and strategically, to entrench their position in the Korean Peninsula. Minus the tension, the two Koreans will be talking and getting closer, possibly reuniting which will force out American bases in Korea. So the game plan is to get the two fighting at all cost. The start was nuclear weapons in the North. This would put a lot of pressure on the North and western opinion against them. The most deadly attempt is likely to be the Choenan which killed many South Korean soldiers. It was a good reason for the South to attack the North. But the amateurish prank soon was uncovered and the South could not use it as a reason to fight the North. It should be a reason for the South to declare war with whoever that killed their soldiers. Who is this party? The Americans are not going to give up easily just because Choenan did not go as planned. More provocations needed, more war games to provoke the North. This came when the North retaliated by bombing Yeonpyeong. Now there is good reason for the South to get work up. The number of death in this instance is much lesser than Choenan. But there is clear proof this time that the North fired the artillery. No media in the world has raised the issue of American/South Korean provocations by conducting regular war games at the border with the North Koreans. This is not to be spoken. Now the next step is to push the South Koreans into war. This will be followed by roping in more Asian countries into the conspiracy. Japan, Nato, Australia and NZ forces are guaranteed to be a part of this new war. The trick is to get the Asian countries into it. Remember the Asian Tour by Obama? The picture is getting clearer. The Americans wanted the Indians and the Indonesians to come on board in this new coalition against North Korea and its allies. The Indonesians will not be drawn in. India is still a high possibility. When the new Korean War breaks out, there will still be two dependable Asean countries to step forward to join the Americans to kill the Koreans, both North and South. No prizes for guessing. The real loser in a renewed Korean War will be the people and nation of Korea. They will become history. Any survivors will likely become subjects of their new colonial masters.

What did WikiLeaks revealed?

Many believe the WiliLeak information are all truth. Some are but many are not. Some are just versions of what the US diplomats penned to feed Washington. And who knows, some are just misinformation or versions that they wanted the world to know. There are plenty of American propaganda and slanted information for the world to lap up. What is unpleasant is that the Americans failed miserably to protect the interests and reputations of national leaders who were prepared to talk to them in confidence, thinking that what they said will be kept in secret. In such a climate of trust, many world leaders were caught with their pants down, bad mouthing other leaders and countries. This is no good. It destroys the credibility of the leaders in the report. No amount of damage control can undo this ruinous act of indiscretion. One wonders why the US could not stop the leak or to block the information from being spread across the internet. Don’t they have the capability to do so? Definitely. Why didn’t they do it or is it that the leaks were more beneficial to the US than if they were kept secret? And hurting a few statesmen is also good for the US. Embarrass them to bring them down, flat on their faces? Some statesmen are now red in their faces for speaking truthfully to the Americans. They must be having sleepless nights knowing the Americans have made a mockery of their reputation and integrity.

Ye are all devils, says the devil

The astonishing result of the FIFA voting is a sign of a change of winds. Russia and Qatar were voted to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively. When the results were announced, it was horrors in everyone’s face except for the winning nations. The prologue to the voting was best exemplified by the devils calling everyone devils, and the corrupts calling everyone corrupt. And the aftermath, the vitrolics were even more venomous. We were cheated, the whole voting was manipulated, bribery, cheats, etc etc. And ‘Russia, a mafia state rotten to the core with corruption; Qatar a mediaeval kingdom with no freedom of speech; Both are swimming in oil money.’ So said the righteous and wronged gentlemen. Vladimir Putin absented himself from the election parade and circus so as not to put pressure on the voting council. Others don’t. They were there in full force to influence the voting with their titles, pedigrees, and comics. The outcome turned to be in favour of those who did not do anything to try to influence the decision. But they were attacked with cheap diatribes from the well heeled but bad losers.

When gods, satans, saints and devils party together

Is this scenario possible in a world where religious purity and pedigree are reaching a stage of mutual exclusivity? Many religions still preach that theirs is the only true religion and the rest are worshipping devils or satans. Would such believers, so faithful in their beliefs, unyielding and incorrigible to the heel, go partying with those whom they believe are devils or devil worshippers? Would they be willing to hug and kiss the devil when they are expected to rid the devil? If they do, would they be compromising on their true beliefs? Or would they just be hypocritical, putting on an act that they would denounce should others do it? Or would they quickly return to their holy residents and start a frantic cleansing to be rid of the devils and the devilish stench? Yak, holding hands with the devils! Dettol will not do, only holy water can cleanse away the marks of satan. Where on earth can we see the devils, saints, satans and gods partying happily together? In realtiy, the world is just that. There must be night and day. There must be good and evil. And there must be gods, saints, satans and devils. They are all part and parcel of a big family, co existing and inseparable. Without one, they will be no the other. Actually they all have one thing in common. They were all man once.

Lai, Lai, Lai or come, come, come

Singapore is not a welfare state but the govt will keep boosting social safety net to help the poor in our community. Hsien Loong acknowledged that ‘society is feeling the strain of globalization, ageing and troubled families…but our social safety net is working well…’ What the people need is not a welfare state and neither more assistance from the govt. What the people need is self reliance, lower cost of living, jobs and good income. Good income means enough to buy a decent place to live in and decent quality of life. If the govt can provide these basic needs without straining the resources of the people, without creating more strains and hardship, that is all the people are asking for. And the people will be most happy to tell the govt to keep their welfare handouts. If the cost of living is high and people feel stressed and pressurized, it is a failure of the system. The more help the govt needs to provide, the bigger is the failure on the govt’s part. The high property prices and medical fees and cost of basic needs are harmful to the people. No need to say, come, come, come, we will help you.

Lee Myung Bak will be purged

All the signals are there that President Lee Myung Bak will be purged and be replaced by a military man. Lee is seen as a weakling by the US and Japan and must be removed if they want a war between the two Koreas. Retired Gen Kim Kwan Jin has been brought into the cabinet as the Defence Minister. His rethorics are pleasing to the ears of its colonial masters. The North Koreans do not have the ability to fight the South Koreans, according to this Southern Kim. If South Korea fires at the North, it will not lead to an all out war. So it is safe to attack the North. This is the thinking of a clueless soldier. He thinks he can fight a war and sure to win, and he can contain the war to his likings. He claimed superiority of air power with 490 combat aircraft and has threatened air strikes against the North. Typical brave man but short of grey matters. The Americans and Japanese are preparing all their logistics and drills to join in the killings of the North Koreans. The largest war game is now being held nearby and combat ready. Soon American and Japanese soldiers will be running the streets of Korea and killing Koreans again. I think the Koreans deserve to fight and be devastated by another war and be ruled again, completely by the Americans and the Japanese. China and Russia should stay out of the conflict and let the two Koreans go and kill themselves since they are so willing to do so. And history will repeat itself again with Korea becoming a protectorate of the peace loving Americans and Japanese. Go Korea, go. Remove Lee Myung Bak and put in a strong military man as the President and resume the Korean War. The whole world will be cheering. Your staunch allies, the US and Japan will be 100% behind you. They are more eager than you to start a war. Don't worry, the North Koreans cannot fight a war. Forget about the earlier Korean War when the South Korean soldiers were nearly chased by the North Koreans into the sea. The South Koreans are truly great soldiers. Just believe that and go for it. Strike the North with all you have.

What a WikiLeak from the US Embassy in Japan may look like.

Tokyo Embassy, USA, to the Hilary Clinton, Secretary of State. Top Secret. Subject: Korean War Sequeal The South Koreans are not biting. After blowing up the Choenan and getting our own team to fix the blame on the North Koreans they are still not declaring war with the North. In fact they are getting suspicious of the cause of the Incident. And when North Korea asked to see the evidence, they got cold feet and conducted their own investigations which revealed a lot of holes in the fabricated truths we put up as findings of an international investigation team. The South Korean public also does not believe it anymore. The situation is getting dicey. Now the good part. The artillery firing in Yeonpyeong was so close to the North and it forced them to respond furiously with artillery fire. Several soldiers and civilians in the island became war collateral. And we thought the South will now have to retaliate. The bad part is that the South Koreans still refuse to act. They are only prepared to raise the tones of their verbal protests. Even with our nudging they would not fire back at the North. The Ambassador is fuming mad at the inactions of the meek South Korean President. He appears so weak and reluctant to do anything, pleading for time to cool off. Our close ally in this game, Japan, is losing its patience. They wanted action, war, between the two Koreans. They have promised to commit weapons, men and finances, without reservations, to the conflict. And they are not asking much in return for their contributions. They only want to have a free hand in the reconstruction of the whole of Korea after the war. They want to bring in their manufacturing plants, build the infrastructure, and concessions on territorial rights from the 38th parallel to the Yalu River. Below the 38th parallel they will leave everything to us. Our Japanese ally is asking for immediate action. If Choenan does not work, if the artillery drills and war games do not work, what else shall we do to get the South Koreans fired up to want to go to war with the North? We need clear and specific instructions from Washington to proceed further on this operation urgently. Further delay will result in the tension dying down quickly, and all our effort will go to waste. Our Ambassador is suggesting to remove Lee Myung Bak with a hawkish new President. We need a military man to take charge and to declare war on the North Koreans. Embassy Tokyo.

A rude shock to American military superiority

US was surprised and shocked to see a Chinese submarine apeeared suddenly from nowhere in the midst of US / Japan naval drill in the East China Sea. The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed.At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world's only military superpower offers an invisible shield to detect and deter any intruders.That is the theory. Or, rather, was the theory. Uninvited guest: A Chinese Song Class submarine, like the one that sufaced by the U.S.S. Kitty HawkAmerican military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board.By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to have sailed within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the carrier. According to senior Nato officials the incident caused consternation in the U.S. Navy.The Americans had no idea China's fast-growing submarine fleet had reached such a level of sophistication, or that it posed such a threat.One Nato figure said the effect was "as big a shock as the Russians launching Sputnik" - a reference to the Soviet Union's first orbiting satellite in 1957 which marked the start of the space age. The incident, which took place in the ocean between southern Japan and Taiwan, is a major embarrassment for the Pentagon. Battle stations: The Kitty Hawk carries 4,500 personnelThe lone Chinese vessel slipped past at least a dozen other American warships which were supposed to protect the carrier from hostile aircraft or submarines.And the rest of the costly defensive screen, which usually includes at least two U.S. submarines, was also apparently unable to detect it.According to the Nato source, the encounter has forced a serious re-think of American and Nato naval strategy as commanders reconsider the level of threat from potentially hostile Chinese submarines. It also led to tense diplomatic exchanges, with shaken American diplomats demanding to know why the submarine was "shadowing" the U.S. fleet while Beijing pleaded ignorance and dismissed the affair as coincidence. Analysts believe Beijing was sending a message to America and the West demonstrating its rapidly-growing military capability to threaten foreign powers which try to interfere in its backyard. The People's Liberation Army Navy's submarine fleet includes at least two nuclear-missile launching vessels. Its 13 Song Class submarines are extremely quiet and difficult to detect when running on electric motors. Commodore Stephen Saunders, editor of Jane's Fighting Ships, and a former Royal Navy anti-submarine specialist, said the U.S. had paid relatively little attention to this form of warfare since the end of the Cold War. He said: "It was certainly a wake-up call for the Americans. "It would tie in with what we see the Chinese trying to do, which appears to be to deter the Americans from interfering or operating in their backyard, particularly in relation to Taiwan." In January China carried a successful missile test, shooting down a satellite in orbit for the first time. The above was posted by Southglory in redbeanforum. What else does Admiral Michael Mullen wants to know from the Chinese? In this case, the Chinese is telling the American to buzz off or else...they have the capability to down the carrier if they wanted to. The Chinese could keep quiet about this technology and capability and let the Americans continue to have war games in their coastal waters or operate happily thinking that they can do it with impunity. This is a piece of friendly advice from the Chinese. Don't play in out backyard and think you can walk in and out anytime you like. The Chinese can close the door on the Americans.

Foreign talents in loan shark activities

Cheaper, better, faster and no strings attached. Foreign workers are now recruited to be runners for loan sharks. They are cheaper, hungrier, and nothing to lose. The last part spells big trouble. The more nothing to lose foreigners on the loose, the more dicey things will become. They will do anything. For the moment these foreign runners are still at the level of spray painting doors, locking doors and throwing shoes and slippers over the balcony. When else will they do when they graduated and move to a higher level of operation and higher risk? The police are confident that they can manage this problem. Why manage the runners when the loan sharks are the real source of the problem and weeding them out is like uprooting the grass? How many loan sharks have been caught? So far it seems that only the runners are caught. This problem does not seem to go away.

Joker of the Year - Admiral Michael Mullen

Below is a quote that warrants the award of Joker of the Year. ‘Raising a military to provide for the country’s own security, It’s own needs, that’s fine. That’s what we do. But some of the specific capabilities are very clearly focused and pointed at the USA. They are anti access capabilities. Talk to me about why you are developing these capabilities, other than thinking that we are the enemy…Those are the kinds of discussions I can’t have right now because I’m not sitting down with them. Admiral Michael Mullen. And this Joker even called on the Chinese to rein in Pyongyang. China should simply ignore him or tell him to get his 7th Fleet out of its economic zones before talking to him. China should also ask him to rein in the South Koreans from conducting provocative military exercises simulating attacks and landings on North Korean soils, and that including reining in the American forces too, from being the major partner of such exercises in the Yellow Sea. What an arrogant prick.

Celebrating Singaporeans - Professor Kishore Mahbubani

Foreign Policy Magazine Honors Professor Kishore Mahbubani as One of the World's Top 100 Global Thinkers SINGAPORE, Nov. 29, 2010 /Standard Newswire/ -- The National University of Singapore (NUS) is pleased to announce that Professor Kishore Mahbubani, a distinguished diplomat and Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) at NUS, has been selected by Foreign Policy magazine as one of its "Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2010", alongside prominent thinkers who shaped the world in 2010. Other prominent international global thinkers who were honored this year include Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Co-Chair Bill Gates, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Robert Zoellick, World Bank President Robert Zoellick, US President Barack Obama and Chinese central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan. This is the second annual list of top global thinkers who shaped the world, and half of this year's top 100 Global Thinkers hail from outside the United States. Prof Mahbubani is honored by the magazine "for being the voice of a new Asian century." .... He is in good company except for Barack Obama. He is lucky that George Bush Jr is not in the list.

Time for China to conduct naval wargames with North Korea

The US-South Korean war game in the Yellow Sea ended yesterday and immediately South Korea announced that more war games will follow. It is time that China and North Korea also conduct naval war games in the same spot and see what the US and the South Koreans will say about it. If the US and South Koreans can do it, there is no reason why China and North Korea cannot do the same.

Ng Eng Hen and Mah Bow Tan not voted into the PAP CEC?

It has been reported that Ng Eng Hen and Mah Bow Tan were both not elected into the new PAP CEC. What are the implications of their absence as both are heavy weights. Both have chalked up great works especially in the use of CPF money. Eng Hen came out with the compulsory CPF Life scheme which helps the CPF account holders to buy compulsory insurance for their retirement. Mah Bow Tan helped HDB flat owners to buy more expensive HDB flats at market price with subsidies. Both are great schemes and have been very well received. The success of the above two schemes cannot be the reason for their non election into the CEC. What else could be the cause or causes? There should be no problems with their leadership, as both are giants in their own rights. Eng Hen is perhaps the most macho and charismatic of the current PAP leaders. Mah Bow Tan even has his own column in the media to explain how great the HDB and housing prices were, and his familiar face is a already a household name. The only gut feel I have is that both may want to quit politics. Who knows, both may not run in the next GE. It will be a big loss of two super talents. But their talents will definitely be put to good use outside the govt. They will have ample opportunities to apply their great policies and formula in the private sector. They could take the same route as Chee Onn or Boon Yang and live happily ever after.

redbeanforum under spamming attacks!

redbeanforum is under heavy spamming attacks these few days. Today is the most serious with a few hundred posts splashed across every topic in the forum. What it shows is that the forum is getting its message across and some parties are getting very irritated and are going all out to make postings here tiresome. I will tell the saboteurs that it is in vain. The forum will go on posting what it knows best. We know who the saboteurs are. Anyway, thanks for the interest and confirmation that it is hurting at the right place. PS, the innocent of the spamming is as innocent as WikiLeaks. Redbean

The Americans have done it again!

The attempt to throw the world into disarray continues. Regime change, attacking countries on human rights, sanctions, exporting toxic financial products and causing a world wide financial crisis, and now WikiLeaks. The latest weapons has caused great concern, disharmony and acrimony among nations and their leaders. The information was targetted mostly at enemies or nations unfriendly to the US with a little dosage of gossips on US allies to give it a little semblance of credibility. But once the information is carefully studied and assessed, it is quite obvious where it is heading and the objectives it is trying to achieve. Well done amateurs! The world is not so dumb anymore.

Shhssssh…let’s tell our enemies – WikiLeaks

What shall the world make out of the WikiLeaks? So far information that was ‘leaked’ is very damaging only to Asian, African and Arab countries. Their inter state relations are going to plunge into the abyss if the leaks were real. The first casualty will be the Saudi King. He is finished with the Iraqis but safe as Saddam is already dead. But the Iranians will put out a contract on him if they took the leak seriously. North Korea will lose confidence in China as its unquestionable supporter. China will be seen by North Korea and its allies as unreliable. A huge wedge has been driven into their relationship. Singapore too will be hit by the ire of the North Koreans as well, but nothing serious as Singapore has little to do with that country. The bottom line is that many Asian, African and Arab nations will be going after each other’s jugular and their relations in a mess. What is glaringly absent in the leaks are the secrets of Israel or the US that could damage their relations with their allies. Do they have any secrets about what the US and the Israelis were saying about the Arab world? The only thing damaging and affecting the US is that it will be called an inept and a bungler at most. There is also another big hole in what the US and Japan will be saying about the stupid Koreans trying to kill each other and the role of the US and Japan in the rising tension. Oh, the White House said that the real secrets are safe. So why are these secrets circulating are only going to create turmoil among Asian, Arab and African nations, and nothing damaging to America and its allies? Strange right? The leaks seem to have a pattern, to create as much damage as possible in the camps of the US enemies. Quite brilliant actually. But Julian Assange and his men seem so genuine in their actions to expose the hypocrisy of the Evil Empire. So are they just another group of under cover moles of the US? Could be. Or they could be really on a cause. Then the US intelligence knowing what they were doing, deliberately let them fish out all the leaks that they have planted, and making the whole issue like real. Sure some of information are real. But how many are fakes? How genuine are the WikiLeaks and the secrets they have in hand, and releak to the world, is best judged by the end results. What were achieved by the leaks? Who stand to gain and who stand to lose from the so called official secret leaks? At the moment it looks like a con job. And Julian Assange and his men could just be made used by the mastermind who coordinated the whole leak, what to leak and who to suffer from the consequences. So, what else is new? It smells of another black ops.

A very desirable outcome from high property prices

High property prices make many Singaporeans happy, especially the older folks. Yes they are rich and have valuable assets to flaunt and children got to be nicer to them, and maybe one day they can get to inherit the small fortune. But this is not all, because housing is so expensive, children will now have to consider seriously the option of staying with parents. It is not cheap to live separately as some may not be able to afford it. Inadvertently, the high housing price is bringing the family closer together, with two or three generations living under one roof, one big happy family. And grandparents can help to look after grandchildren, saving on maids. Children can go to work feeling safe that their children are in good hands, no abuses or being thrown out of the flats by deranged maids. A lot of quality time with children and parents. Our traditional values of family, three generations under one roof, are back as living institutions. We won’t go the decadent ways of the West. The little catch is that new flats are getting smaller, especially the 3 and 4 rm flats. It may be a little squeeze, but a lot of savings from having to cough out another $300k or $400k to live separately from the parents. This is something that Singaporeans will get use to very quickly, spending quality time at home.

Another clean sweep for PAP

The next GE is looking like another walkover. The economy has hit an all time high which means everyone is going to get a big big angpow soon. Full employment, property prices making all the property owners smiling everyday. And another slate of the best talents have been chosen and ready to hit the election road. No more problems. Mas Selamat safely back in the cell. Loan sharks and little gangsters on the run. The Chinese used to say, 'tian xia tai ping' or all peace under heaven. The two IRs are bringing in more tourists here while world best investments are also flowing in, including a lot of hot money. It is a shame if Singaporeans miss this great opportunity to make a bundle for themselves. It is truly a golden year.

Contradictions of South Korean military supremacy

The South Koreans think they could thrash the North Koreans when there is a military conflict. They keep saying that they will respond with punitive measures. And because of their superior armed forces, they took liberty to conduct war games, simulating an attack on North Korea in the islands closest to the North. The Yeonpyeong is only 7 miles or 12 km from the North Korean coast. Why is there a need to bring in the Americans and the Japanese if the South Koreans think that they are the superior force? They could do it single handedly and wipe the North Koreans clean, and even reunite the two parts of Korea. The North Koreans will love them and their riches, and a better life. Since they are so superior, and so gutsy in wanting a war with the North, conducting war games so close to the North’s border, they should just do it. There is no point in conducting provocative war games to draw military fires from the North, and do nothing. The sabre rattling only means something if they dare to follow it through. Go, South Koreans, no need to wait for Uncle Sam or Uncle Nihon to back up. The North Koreans are hungry and poor soldiers, easy meat, a piece of cake. Why wait? If the South Koreans and Americans are sincere in not wanting a war, not wanting to provoke a war, they should refrain from conducting war games at North Korea’s front yard. But the western world refuses to see these acts of provocation and proclaims that the South Koreans and the Americans are all angels and walking with a halo on their heads. To maintain peace and peaceful coexistence, all the countries, including North Korea, shall not conduct any military exercises 200 km from their land and sea borders. Would the South Koreans do that, would the Americans do that? The useless UN should make a stand on this and tell all the countries to abide by such a position. Then we can see clearly who is or are the real provocateurs. In the meantime Japan is an eager friend to want to help the South Koreans kill the North Koreans. Seiji Maehara has called for a meeting with the South Korean President on how to deal with the North Koreans together. Lee Myung Bak is gearing up to be a Korean murderer.