Tokyo Auto Salon in Singapore

For the FIRST time in history Tokyo Auto Salon is coming to Singapore, showcasing the finest Japan-tuned Supercars and kawaii race queens from Japan!
Singapore, 28 Jan 2013 : For the 1st time in its illustrious 30-year history, Tokyo Auto Salon will be coming to the shores of Singapore. With the full support of the Tokyo Auto Salon Association (TASA) of Japan, Singapore’s leading media company MediaCorp and Muse Group will jointly unveil “Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013” at the Sands Expo® and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands® from 12 - 14 Apr, 2013.
More than 20 of the finest and most unique cars from Tokyo Auto Salon 2013 will grace the event, together with Japanese race queens, J-Pop idols and other entertainers to provide visitors the unique and unforgettable Tokyo Auto Salon experience
Key Highlights
• Exotic Supercars
• Iconic Japanese/European Tuner Cars
• Specially Tuned Up Show Cars
• TASSG Autostyling Showdown Competition
• Hot Import Race Queens from Japan
• Miss TASSG Race Queen Pageant 2013
• Japanese Anime Cosplay Showcase
• Daily Stage Activities
Public can also look forward to participating in lucky draws that will be held between 1 February to 1 March on the Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore Facebook Fan Page. Simply “like” the page, register on the Lucky Draw tab, and stand to walk away with exciting prizes such as a set of Westlake SV 308 17” tyres and S$500 worth of Takashimaya vouchers. “Invite” or “share” with friends on Facebook to increase one’s chances of winning.
About Tokyo Auto Salon
Launched in 1983 by the editor-in-chief of the iconic custom car magazine Option, Tokyo Auto Salon has today grown to become the largest automotive after-market parts and accessories exhibition in the world. Every year, more than 250,000 automotive fans from all corners of the globe converge at Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan over a 3-day period.

Event Details
Event : Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013
Date : 12 Apr (Fri) – 14 Apr (Sun)
Time : 10:00am – 10:00pm Daily
Venue : Sands Expo® and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands® (HALL A TO C, LEVEL 1)
Admission Fees :
1-DAY PASS – Adult: S$25.00 / Children (under 12 years old) S$10.00
3-DAY PASS – S$70.00
Website : www.tokyoautosalon.com.sg
Visit also www.facebook.com/TokyoautosalonSG for the latest updates on Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013.

The fake awakening of the elite

We read and heard it in the media, everywhere, that the wide income gap is bad, productivity is low and how to deal with these problems. The Americans are worried so it is time we are worried too. Is the conscience pricking or is it just another gapping for another PR exercise, that the elite is concerned with the well being of the lower income group, the poor and the disadvantaged? How real is this expression of shock and awe, that something is seriously wrong and needs to be talked about but not necessarily to do anything about it?

It was not too long ago that the wide income gap was preached as a natural occurrence, that it was a sign of progress. Who, in a position to write his own pay check, in a position to take as much as he wants, would want to cry over having too much to take? This trait of human nature is definitely natural. Greed is in all of us and the only way to control this greed is for a third party to do the checks and balance. No one, not even God, can check himself and his wanton lust and greed. God can be crazy when unrestrained, so what is there to blame the mortals or immortals for their excesses and self serving actions?

The Americans started it all. We resisted in the beginning, that you cannot anyhow pay people enormous amount of money. Thrift is important and morally correct in public service. The civil servants were well paid but not obscenely well paid like what it is today. Don’t mention the politicians. The Americans started to pay themselves crazy not to the civil servants but to the private sectors. Every turkey in a position of authority would want to be paid a life time’s income in a month or a year. And we have learnt to be like the Americans. We are crazily paying the top management a life time’s income in a year or less. Would the recipient be complaining? Would the recipient say, hey, you are paying me too much for so little that I have done!

All sorts of rubbish reasoning were published in the media as god’s wisdom, to pay the employees their life time income in the shortest period possible. Actually this is a good thing if it is carried down all the way to the workers. But it cannot be done. The money is finite. If someone is taking the bulk of it, the rest will have less.

In any organisation, public or private, the revenue generated is limited and has to be spread around. The issue is the distribution. There is the return on capital to the owners or shareholders, the cost of production, the wages, at the top, middle and at the bottom. If one part takes the lion’s share, the rest will have to take less. If the CEO and his immediate kakis take a big chunk of the revenue, the dividends will have to go, the wages of the lower management and the workers will have to go. CBF is to tell the workers to take less while the top takes more. And those taking more will tell the CBFs that it is only normal because they are more deserving.

When wealth is concentrated in a few, they have a lot more to spend and that drives up the prices of everything. Housing and luxuries will be cheap to those with deep pockets but extremely expensive to those who have little or nothing. The high rentals, the high prices of housing and cars do not happen in a vacuum. They are conscious policies of those who have a lot and think that it is ok for them to price out the losers. The losers do not deserve anything better. If they cannot afford a $100k COE, that is their business. If they cannot afford to pay for taxis, just too bad. This is a meritocratic world and the meritorious deserve their comfortable lifestyle while the rest are inconsequential. They should be grateful to have a job and a roof over their heads.

Do not be misled by the conscience pricking uttering of the elite. It is just for show. They believe that they should take as much as they can while the sun shines even when they could have taken enough to last a life time or several life times in a year.

There is a subtle difference between the rich employees and the entrepreneurs or those managing their own businesses. The latter two invested their talents and resources and could lose everything, return on capital risk. As for the employees, public or private, the only thing they can ever lose is the job even if they burn down the company or organisation. The capital they are risking and bringing in big revenue is other people’s capital, OPC. And they could move on to rob another company by demanding to be paid another life time in salary in a year.

Is there a problem? If one is an elite and being paid that kind of indecent money, there is surely no problem. In fact it is the right thing to do. The system is good, the system is well. Do not destroy the system. So what is going to happen? Nothing, everything will be as per normal and the system will tick away until the sun comes down, if it ever comes down.

Another botch deal, another US$600m down

‘The govt of Singapore, well, they lost the most….over $600 million. It just went poof…. Tisman Speyer and BlackRock lost a lot of people a couple of billion dollars, walked away from it unscathed and went into the next deal without anyone calling them out on their colossal mistake….’ NPR.org

The deal was to buy a middle class housing estate, The Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village in NY Manhattan, switch the land control tenants with new tenants paying market rentals. Pretty neat, pretty profits and pretty good deal. The deal was stopped by the courts and money of the investors went poof.

There must be many such good deals that are going around for clever investors to pick up, just like the rotten banks during the 2008 financial crisis. Many were great deals with great promises of big profits and were picked up quickly only to turn out as lemons. No free lunch. Too good to be true.

Thought such good deals will catch the laypeople on the streets, like the gold investment schemes where the returns are more or less guaranteed and in double digits. I am also looking for such good deals to invest my $2.

Did Singapore lose $600m? I don’t think so. Every botch deal a few hundred millions, how much can we afford to botch and botch? But then $600m is really peanuts compared to the tens of billions lost during the financial crisis. Ten of such bad deals only cost $6b and it will take 100 deals to hit $60b.

Obama's Asia Pivot

The article below is written by Stephen Lendman. Mr. Stephen Lendman is a well known versatile writer on international affairs and the citizens of the world can read more of his postings at his blog  : Steven Lendman Blog.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Obama's Asia Pivot by Stephen Lendman In late 2011, Obama prioritized reasserting America's Pacific presence. His Asia pivot was announced.  It involves advancing America's military footprint. Doing so aggressively is planned. China's growing economic might and military strength are targeted. So is checking Russia at the same time. Containment is policy. Cold war politics is back. Unchallenged global dominanceis prioritized. Anything goes intends to maintain it.  War in a part of the world hostile to invaders is possible. Vietnam echoes remainaudible. So are Afghanistan ones today. China's a far more formidable adversary. So is Russia.  It's hard imagining any country challenging them militarily. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. America hasn't won a war since WW II. Lessons weren't learned. Permanent war remains policy. War profiteers demand it. In January 2012, Obama expanded the Bush doctrine. Dick Cheney explained it. In June 2003, he said: "If there is anyone in the world today who doubts the seriousness of the Bush Doctrine, I would urge that person to consider the fate of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq." Bush put it his way, saying "You're either with us or against us." Neutrality's not an option. Neither are equity, justice, rule of law principles, democratic values and peace. Supporters thought Obama was different. He exceeds the worst of Bush. He does so at home and abroad. He hardened homeland tyranny. He asserts America's right to replace independent governments with client ones.  Doing so prioritizes global aggression. It violates international law. Washington operates with impunity. Its interests matter most. Obama's biting off a mouthful targeting China and Russia. He rules out no options. Bush addressed "wars of the 21st century."  Obama continues them. Tactics include creating instability, chaos and violence. North Africa, the Middle East, and Eurasia are targeted. It's done to justify America's intervention and presence. Obama prioritizes global belligerence. He's cold-blooded about America's interests. He's mindless of whatever it takes to achieve them. Realpolitik continues Washington's odious tradition.  Waging wars on humanity reflect it. Doing so spurns rule of law principles. Democratic values don't matter. They never did and don't now.  Obama's pivot escalated regional tensions. Challenging China and Russia pose enormous challenges. Asia's on the boil. Japan's a virtual US colony. It serves US imperial interests. Washington treats Asian areas like its own. It has no right to do so. Administrations and Congress believe America has sovereign rights over East Asian waters and territory. It wants to dominate and exploit them. Strengthening America's regional presence is part of its new imperial strategy. It's going head-to-head with China and Russia. It aims to undermine and isolate Beijing and Moscow regionally. It's a recipe for heightened tensions and eventual confrontation. Washington has been rebalancing East Asia for years. Strategy calls for strengthening military, economic, and political ties with Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. It involves undermining Chinese and Russian influence, isolating them from neighbors, and asserting Washington's dominance over territories and waters not its own.  Echoes of WW I and II remain audible. Never again is possible. Flashpoints have a way of igniting them. Small disputes lead to greater ones.  Obama's Asia pivot encourages them. Military alliances, strategic partnerships, and expanding bases make them more likely. Cold War politics is back. Soviet Russia's dissolution reignited old rivalries. Scrambling for vital resources followed. Marginalizing Beijing's influence is prioritized. So is challenging Moscow the same way. Both countries are rising world powers. America's been declining for years. Its military might is used to offset it. Waging war on humanity is a losing game. Walden Bello calls Obama's Asia pivot "flawed." Critics denounce transgressing areas of traditional Chinese influence. Obama continues the worst of Bush administration policies. His pivot strategy is more than meets the eye.  It's "a faint," says Bellow, "a maneuver to cover up a strategic retreat from America's disastrous two-decades-long engagement in the Middle East and Southwest Asia." It's Washington attempt "to retreat to an area for imperial power projection that it sees as more manageable than a Middle East that is running out of control." It's hard understanding how. It won't work. Realpolitik won't let Washington disengage. It's "condemned to a condition of imperial overreach."  Increasing America's Pacific footprint triggers military competition with China. It prioritizes protecting its part of the world. It's doing so "as it races to become the world's biggest economy."  Its politics reflects centuries of contesting Western intervention. Don't underestimate its capacity to "promot(e) peace, harmony, and respect for sovereignty better than" America's hegemonic madness. Washington uses whatever it takes to advance its imperium. Its Asia pivot encircles China and Russia with bases.  With all related categories included, its defense spending exceeds all other nations combined. It wants dominance over both countries. It wants it regionally and globally.  It wants Beijing and Moscow marginalized and subservient. It wants control over vital world resources. It wants challengers eliminated.  China and Russia are formidable competitors. They're dominant enough to matter. America's grand geopolitical strategy prioritizes Eurasian dominance. China's America's chief economic rival. It's dependent on vital resources. Russia's military might matters. Both countries represent major Eurasian challengers. Washington tolerates no rivals. No-holds-barred tactics target them. Obama declared global cyberwar. China, Russia, Iran, and other independent states are targeted. Draconian cybersecurity legislation is prioritized.  CISPA is back. It's more about destroying personal freedom than online security. It gives government and corporate predators unlimited power. They'll take full advantage. They'll use it to access personal/privileged information online. They'll claim fake cybersecurity threats to do so.  Constitutional protections don't matter. Diktat power replaced them. Big Lies substitute for truth. War on terror is America's national pastime. China is public enemy number one. On February 19, a New York Times editorial headlined "China's Cybergames."  Times editors are paid to lie. They claim Washington "and security experts have long known that China is the main source of cyberattacks on the United States." A new Mandiant report says so. Claims without corroboration don't wash. Mandiant's a private security firm. Kevin Mandia heads it. He's a retired military cybercrime investigator. He specializes in computer forensics. His staff includes former intelligence officials and law enforcement agents. He targets China. He operates like a digital Blackwater. He's well paid to do so. "We're security guys," he says. "We're not diplomats." He claims Chinese hackers are linked to the People's Liberation Army (PLA). US government agencies, corporations and organizations are targeted from a Shanghai area office tower. It's PLA Unit 61398 headquarters, he says. China denounced his report. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "Hacking attacks are transnational and anonymous. Determining their origins are extremely difficult. We don’t know how the evidence in this so-called report can be tenable." Bet on it having no credibility whatever. Most countries spy on others. They do so for national security reasons. Government hacking is war by other means. Washington does it aggressively. Media scoundrels don't explain. Obama stopped short of accusing China. No one's fooled by who he has in mind. Congressional hardliners say the same thing.  Concerns are discussed privately. Patience is wearing thin, said Times editors. "China-emanated attacks have grown," they claim.  A more aggressive response is warranted, they say. "Publicizing China’s transgressions and blocking Internet access to hackers should be a warning to Beijing. Washington is right to defend its interests." Attorney General Holder weighed in. He warned of "a significant and steadily increasing threat to America’s economy and national security interests." He lied saying so. He's paid to lie. So is Obama and likeminded hardliners. Robert Hormats was Goldman Sachs International chairman. That alone makes him damaged goods. Goldman makes money by stealing it. Hormats was complicit in grand theft.  He's now Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. He said Washington "repeatedly raised  concerns about trade secret theft by any means at the highest levels with senior Chinese officials." Get China is official US policy. Marginalizing, weakening, and isolating it is prioritized. New threats follow earlier ones. Cyberwar opens a new front.  Capability to wage it adds to America's arsenal. Preemption is prioritized. Diktat authority bypasses Congress. Obama's word is policy.  He'll say what he wants without evidence. He's a serial liar so expect it. He's waging multiple direct and proxy wars.  Cyber ones are ongoing. They're aggressive, malicious and lawless. New ones are planned. China is prioritized. Obama's got other targets in mind. Cyber sabotage is policy. It's war by other means. Rogue states operate that way. America's by far the worst. US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) has full operational control. It's a cyber hit squad. It's part of the US Strategic Command.  It's based at Fort Meade, MD. General Keith Alexander serves as National Security Agency (NSA) director and US Cyber Command head. Obama's Presidential Policy Directive 20 set guidelines for confronting cyberspace threats. Last fall, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a "cyber Pearl Harbor." It could "cause physical destruction and loss of life," he said. It could "paralyze and shock the nation and create a new profound sense of vulnerability." US officials prioritize hyperbolic fearmongering. Americans are easy marks to deceive. They're dismissive and don't think. They let Washington get away with murder and much more.  Obama may have WW III in mind. He prioritizes waging war on humanity. He does so at home and abroad. He's the worst of rogue leaders.  He risks what no head of state should dare. Despots operate that way. Impeaching him is a national imperative. Doing it in time matters most. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.  His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour http://www.dailycensored.com/obamas-asia-pivot/ posted by Steve Lendman @ 12:02 AM

No need for Singaporeans in Singapore

‘Singaporeans biggest threat to Singapore's growth

Singapore's citizens are the biggest threat to national growth, said analysts at Goldman Sachs at an annual wealth conference yesterday, held in Marina Bay Sands.

Speaking at a panel discussion about emerging markets in Asia, the analysts agreed that the increasingly vocal citizenry in the once-orderly island has disrupted economic growth for 2013 and will continue to be a drag on the economy for years to come.

"Let's be honest here. Does Singapore need Singaporeans? No. The children are taken care off by foreign domestic helpers, the hawkers are Malaysian (PRC Chinese), the buildings are constructed by Bangladeshis. All Singaporeans are good for are populating the army, which has never gone to war!" said emerging markets specialist, Thomas Money.

Money pointed out that Singapore's only comparative advantages against its competitors were location, and immigrants. He proposed slowly phasing out Singaporeans so they would be unable to interfere with pro-growth government policies.

"I love the country, but I really can't stand the people and their disgraceful sense of entitlement. The weather's great, the gastronomy scene is livening up in Marina Bay Sands, and the women are gorgeous. But the xenophobia on the island is extremely troubling. Without foreigners like myself who bring in capital without paying taxes, Singapore would not be where it is today. And no Singaporean ever thanks us for gracing their backwater island with our presence and cash." "If things don't improve, I might just pack up and leave."

Other analysts on the panel also noted that as Singapore grew at an astronomical pace under a soft-authoritarian regime, the only way to preserve the country's economy, is to regress democratically.

"I'm quite ashamed of Singaporeans too," said commodities specialist Chao Hee Lang who is a local and a weekend volunteer at a migrant workers NGO.

"All this xenophobia and hatred... No wonder Lee Kuan Yew once said that only educated people should be able to vote. People like myself, who can see that freedom is not always a good thing."

"God bless the foreign workers. Without them working at ridiculously low wages, we would never get anything done. And yet, no one is grateful to them for doing us a favour!"

The panel discussion was chaired by Acting Ministry for Economic Affairs, Mr Jin Jue Lui who reassured the audience that the government was already working on a plan to reduce the proportion of native citizens in the population to about 50% by 2030.’

http://newnation.sg/2013/03/singaporeans-biggest-threat-to-singapores-growth/



When I first read the article I was naturally annoyed. How dare these people talked about Singaporeans in these ways and that Singaporeans are really not needed in this country. Oops, I mean city or is it hotel? On reflection, I think they made perfect sense. From the cleaners in the foodcourts to the top leaders, none of them are needed, really.

As for the cleaners, they are old, slow and not cheap. They can be easily replaced by the CBF foreign workers. The construction workers are all foreign workers, and so are the retail and sales staff, and the nurses. The doctors too are increasingly being recruited from overseas.

In the PME categories, banking and finance are now nearly all filled by foreigners from the West and India, or at least in top and middle management. And don’t have to say about the IT industry as probably 90% are from India. Their dominance in this industry has made Java and C programming language obsolete. The new language used is Tamil.

For the top political leaders, why is there a need for them and to pay them such a huge salary to prevent them from corruption. Remove this profession and there will be great savings. No need to pay for the fear of corruption. And no need to pay for life long pension in the millions to keep them from being corrupt while in retirement.

What is left that the Singaporeans are deserving to be here? Producing babies. But they failed miserably in this. They can’t produce and for those who can, they are demanding a ransom from the Govt. What for paying them so much when the ICA could bring in plane loads of whatever colour and creed, whatever age group, and all hungry, willing to work and exceptionally talented. Isn’t it so much cheaper, efficient and effective to just import the heads for the needed workers to service the economy?

I think the only thing that is of value in the Singaporeans is the properties they owned, private and public flats. Why not encouraged them to sell at a good price to foreigners and move them to JB, Batam or Lijiang or perhaps some paradise in India?. As for the private property owners, they could sell their properties in the tens or hundreds of millions and could even buy Buckingham Palace in the cheap. Then all these people can have their Tea Parties to make merry in Hyde Park or any parks in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA or anywhere. No need to kpkb in Hong Lim Park.

Seriously, Singaporeans are no longer needed in Singapore. As for the NSmen, what is there to defend when Singaporeans are not needed and the country populated by foreigners and their companies and businesses. Talking about this, in the 60s and 70s when there was no jobs, we invited the MNCs here to create jobs for jobless Singaporeans. Today, Singaporeans not only did not want to work, they are also expensive. It is more economical and productive to import factories and companies here, lock, stock and barrel, with their foreign employees. Cheap and good and fit the CBF model. They can hire 100% foreign staff, not an issue.

So, did I make my point clear, that there is really no need for Singaporeans anymore?

The oppression of a civilization

The world was turned into an ocean of colonies of subject people during the few centuries of ‘friendly’ European conquest. The Africans were turned into slaves, the natives of both Americas massacred. The ancient civilization of China was crippled and dismantled into pieces. After the Western powers brought down the decadent Qing Dynasty with the might of modern firearms, the Chinese civilization was turned into a pariah race of nothingness by the invaders in their country. The foreigners did not bring anything good but oppression, bullying and raiding China’s wealth and dignity by all kinds of deceptive means, and by the barrel of the gun. The Japanese joined in and even thought of conquering and ruling the whole of China as their colony.

There was a moment of salvation when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour and declared war on the Western power. China and its peasant soldiers were needed to open another front to sap the fighting power and resources of the Japanese. A large part of the Japanese Imperial Army was held down in China by the peasant soldiers. History would not be the same if the Japanese could run through China without resistance and conquer the whole of Asia.

After the war there was a brief moment of equality for China as a key member of the Allied Forces that fought against the Japanese. Chiang Kai Shek was seated with the Allied leaders like Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt in Potsdam and Cairo to divide the world among the victorious Allied Powers. China was lucky to have its lost territories back. Chiang was more like a flower vase, inconsequential, and would not be deserving of any war loot. His presence among the leaders of the big powers was a consolation that gave China a little recognition as a big nation.

This little moment of dignity did not last long when Mao Zedong defeated Chiang and China adopted communism as a state ideology. This turn of event led to a renewed and concerted Western effort to brand and condemn the Chinese civilization as peasants, rogues, dumb, uncivilized, aggressive and the pariahs of the human race, a good for nothing race that was lack of talent, unproductive and unimaginative, and unfit to join the advanced nations of the West. This was the hopeless China painted by the West. They kept repeating the misinformation daily in all western media, like they are doing to North Korea today that the whole world simply believed so. Chinese are useless, Chinese are lame, Chinese are bad.

Cold Wars, containment policies, encirclement, depriving China of its rightful seat in the UN, blocking China from joining international organizations like the WTO and the Groupings of rich nations, were history now. In the last 40 odd years, China came storming back on its own despite all the sanctions and barriers and threats against its rise as a nation and the Chinese people as a civilization, old, ancient, but not useless and remote of talents.

Throughout the two hundred years of Western oppression and suppression, the Chinese civilization was not allowed to surface, no opportunity to break out and be the equals of other nations. The Chinese civilization was down and out, the Chinese in despair. Many Chinese had doubts in themselves, and were ashamed to be Chinese. The Westerners reinforced this belief by sneering at them, contributing negative literature furiously to debase the Chinese, discriminated against them in practically every human endeavour and industry. In the USA there were racist laws forbidding the Chinese from higher skill jobs. The image and perception of useless and untalented Chinese became a self fulfilling prophecy. The Chinese civilization was a joke, a condemned race that was lacking in industry and innovation.

On its own, slowly and steadily the Chinese rebuilt their nation and their civilization, with little foreign talents and assistance, China has over taken Japan and is closing in on the US as the number Two world power, economically and militarily. They have proven that they could match the West in every field of industry. The oppression and suppression of a civilization have failed, and a revitalized China has assumed its rightful place as a proud nation among nations. The Chinese civilization is no longer to be spitted at, to be kicked around by the Western powers or by teeny weeny little Asian states. It is now a force to be reckoned with and to be respected on its own merits.

The tag of being the Sick Man of Asia, a semi colony of the West, a broken country with nothing, no inventions, no modern industries, no talents except poverty and all the trappings of a poor and backward third world country vanished over a few decades. There is renewed pride as a people, a nation and a civilization in the new China. A phoenix has risen from the ashes. There is no turning back. The Chinese have found their way back and will leap frog over the West in science and technology and in all things, while the West are still trying to restrain their advances by hook and by crook.

Today, the overseas Chinese are also starting to rediscover themselves, their pride and dignity as a respectable people. They too find some renewed confidence that they are not rubbish and useless as the West wanted to hole them in, to be bullied by even little third world people, to be told to go home in western countries. They too share the pride of an ancient civilization seeking a second chance in renaissance, to achieve in whatever they seek to do, to be a respectable people and civilization on par with the best in the world. They no longer lower their heads in shame as they go about their lives. They are standing tall, heads and shoulders to the Western civilization with the knowledge that they are just as good if not better. The Chinese civilization is reviving and will no longer be oppressed and suppressed again.

Tessa Wong defends her position in facebook

Tessa Wong, the ST journalist that wrote an article on xenophobia last Saturday came under attack by many netizens. In her facebook posting she tried to explain that her position was quite balance. In the Saturday article she called on the Singaporeans not to discriminate against foreigners, not to be xenophobes.

I still think that her article was very one sided, that the xenophobes were only Singaporeans. I hope she would balance out her position by doing some investigative journalism and fish out those companies and CEO/HR that discriminated and victimised Singaporeans for jobs. Companies and such individuals that hired their own kind at the expense of Singaporean PMEs are xenophobes and must be exposed.

If Tessa Wong could put up a piece to show such discriminations against Singaporeans, she could turn the table and be seen not only as fair and balance but also a Singaporean speaking for Singaporeans and fair play. If she fails to do so, then it is likely that the netizens will go after her more furiously.

We cannot chastise Singaporeans for just airing their unhappiness and protect the foreigners for having committed the such crimes. In fact the Singaporeans were just reacting to the discrimination and victimisation practised by the foreigners. The Singaporeans are the victims and wanting to fight back. The foreigners are ganging up in a concerted effort to ease out the Singaporeans from good jobs here, in Singapore you know.

I hope Tessa reads this and do the due diligence as a professional Singaporean journalist that believes in fairness and transparency. Get the culprits into the open. MOM should have details of the transgression they committee against Singaporeans. Interview Tafep or Tan Chuan Jin, they know.

Hsien Loong and Obama 4 eye meeting. Ampat mata.

What I have written is strictly fictional. It is called humour, ok? It is like turning on the tap for pork soup. Now that you are in the right frame of mind, let me let my imagination runs a little wild, and here it is. In the Oval….

Hsien Loong: ‘Hi BO, I see you got a little problem.’

BarackObama: Sheepishly, not trying to keep his act tough image in his private office, ‘Bad news travels far and wide yah!’

Hsien Loong: ‘No worry. I brought my cheque book along. How much do you need?’

BarackObama: Face lighted up. ‘That’s cool baby. We are so bloke that we can’t even sail a decent size boat to the South China Sea. But we were lucky, as that Captain sailed it into the reef. Embarrassing, so embarrassing!’

Hsien Loong: ‘Heh heh, you should let our boys sail it. We know the ground.’

BarackObama: ‘Yah, you can laugh. The Chinese are laughing too. Damn Marines could not even keep its boat afloat. I think it is safer to sail into Singapore, deep water port, no coral reef to make the Marines looked like Georgie boy.’

Hsien Loong: ‘Again no worry. We will take good care of your boys. We will tow the boat into harbor to make it doubly safe. Our shipyard will fix it like new.’

BarackObama: ‘Thanks a lot. We really appreciate the special relationship we have with Singapore. Now cut it short, how much have you got?’

Hsien Loong put on the biggest smile he could. ‘How much do you need? Fed can print, we can print too.’

BarackObama: ‘As much as you put into Citibank and all the other banks combined. We need to save this F35 project from sinking.’

Hsien Loong: ‘That bad huh?’

BarackObama: ‘The Fed is not going print more money, Congress is not going to approve for more, our bank accounts are empty, the Chinese, the Japanese and the Arabs are not going to buy more T bonds, and we promised the Americans the best aircraft money can buy and a very affordable price tag. Now we don’t have money left to get it off the ground.’

Hsien Loong: ‘What are friends for? Just tell me how much and you can have it.’

BarackObama: ‘You really fixed my problems.’

Hsien Loong: ‘Just a minute. I have a little problem to fix too. After the buying the rotten banks I am now told to be extra careful by Tony. He is the guardian of our reserves and very experience now. He did not want me to put the money down for rotten aircraft like the rotten banks. No haste. The advice of Jim Rogers is invaluable. You know, Tony is the President, and very wise now.’

BarackObama: ‘Oh, tell Tony all is well. No worry, trust US. We have no control over the banks. But for the aircraft, if they don’t fly, we will make sure they fly, 5 years or 10 years later, they will fly. I give you my words.’

Hsien Loong: ‘That’s very assuring. How about two for the price of one?’ And can I pay you in T bonds?

From tolerance to intolerance

This is a personal journey of an average Singaporean, like all Singaporeans. The changing mindset of a very tolerant Singaporean towards foreigners is very likely to be shared by all other average Singaporeans. Actually the word tolerance towards foreigners was never an issue, never appear in the Singaporean vocab. Most Singaporeans are or were very hospitable and warm to foreigners in this island. Most foreigners in the past left with a very pleasant experience of a very friendly people during their sojourns here. It is very unusual for a visitor or those who have worked or studied here to have had bad memories of a unfriendly people and ugly experiences because they were foreigners.

Things are changing so rapidly that the tolerance for foreigners is becoming intolerance. Some have broken out into out right anger. It used to be a little inconvenience taking public transport that was often a bit squeezy, and finding a seat a little lucky. The experience of taking public transport today is to have strangers, clearly foreigners, stuck to your sides, front and back, rubbing or knocking at you, breathing down your neck or yakking away at the top of their voices. Their unfamiliar and often unpleasant BO, with their arms stretched across your face cannot be fun but must be most unpleasant and irritating.

Fighting for a seat with the foreigners becomes a game of being ungraceful or disgraceful. What really troubles the Singaporeans must be the huge presence of foreigners and the deprivation of a better life for the citizens. When many Singaporeans are out of jobs, in between jobs, under employed, unemployed, while foreigners are fully employed, many taking up cushy and high paying jobs, things will turn a bit ugly. No one is complaining so much about foreign workers who are needed and tolerated here as transient workers.

And when foreigners flooded the housing markets and driving up housing prices, pushing them beyond the reach of citizens, and also the favourite item of car ownership becoming an impossible dream to many, tolerance will become intolerance.

Tensions will build up over time and over many unhappy incidents. The last straw, when Singaporeans become a minority, when they are victimized, discriminated by foreigners, you expect Singaporeans to continue to be meek and selfless and continue to put their arms up wide to embrace the foreigners? The elite in their little palaces can talk cock about sharing with the foreigners when they could hide in the comfy enclaves and move around in private cars.

The danger is that the rot will get worst and will affect the children of Singaporeans in more adverse ways in the future. This little piece of rock is home to the Singaporeans, the only thing they have. This little rock cannot be traded away for fiat money. The developers with their money motive will be happily bid for land at higher and higher prices to feed the foreign frenzy, with money from all over the world. The Singaporeans cannot afford to compete with the rest of the world on an ‘equal’ basis as many are much richer and able to buy up everything and replace the Singaporeans in everything, everywhere.

This tolerance and intolerance issue cannot be spoken in void. There are lives involved. There is country and citizens involved. It is not a simple economic number game. There are also many intangibles of being a people, a country and a nation. Yes, I am getting more intolerant to foreigners when they crossed my path, cut into my way and deprive me of things that I used to have as a citizen in my country.

Having one or two foreigners can be fun, a novelty. When the citizens become the one or two, and the foreigners swarming all over us, it is no fun anymore. It is intolerance, and this intolerance will grow in intensity and will be felt by more and more Singaporeans. It is a road that spells trouble.

Is Hsien Loong really trembling?

'Pentagon chief reassures a worried Lee Hsien Loong about US military commitment towards Asia-Pacific against growing Chinese threat

Turkish Weekly, 2 Apr 2013

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday reassured Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the U.S. commitment to rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region.

Hagel "made clear the United States and the Department of Defense remain committed to the rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region and that in the future there will be even more opportunities for closer collaboration between the United States and Singapore," the statement said....'

The above is culled from an article in TRE. Pentagon chief assured a worried Lee Hsien Loong of US military commitment? Is this what Hsien Loong is in Washington all about, that he is worried that the Americans will abandon the Asia Pacific region because of a Chinese threat? How did the Americans got to know that Hsien Loong was worried of the Chinese threat? Did Hsien Loong or someone from Singapore whisper to the Americans about this? Or is it a red herring that the Americans are sowing to create a divide between China and Singapore?

With this disclosure, that China is what Singapore is afraid of, and Hsien Loong so worried to make a 4 day official trip to Washington, would China keep quiet about it? Would China stop inviting Hsien Loong or LKY to Beijing, or would some top level visits be cancelled?

Now, would the MFA come up with another clarification that the Americans were putting words in Hsien Loong’s mouth, that there is no such thing, that there is nothing to fear about China? We are friends of China, we welcome all the big powers into the region peacefully and we are not American lackeys trying to contain China’s influence in the region. We are not part of the American scheme of things to balance China’s position in the region. Singapore needs not worry until China puts a claim on Pedra Branca. And if the Americans did not correct this misinformation, would Singapore continue to buy the F35s?

Is there any truth in the reported statement, or someone misquoted Chuck Hagel. Maybe it is true and that is why Singapore is going to buy the F35s to defend against a Chinese air attack, or to fight on the side of the Americans against the Chinese.

Seriously, I think it would be better to report this comment as an April Fool joke. It is reported three days late.

F35 - another American snake oil product

Look at the big picture of American defence system and picture who would attack the US home land and in what form the attacks would come, one would easily come to the conclusion that the F35 is a piece of gimmick that is unnecessary and wasteful, and sadly would have to be paid by the American tax payers only to benefit the arms manufacturers. The arms merchants would keep telling the American public of the need to keep buying the most expensive toys for their own good.

Who or which country in the world, in his right mind, would launch a military attack against the mighty Americans other than the militants in Japan during the Second World War? The hype and fear mongering of a North Korean or Iranian attack were simply foolish and meant for the silly American peasants and the peasants of the world to believe in. Simply put, what would the Americans do if it suffers a nuclear attack by missiles from another country? That country would be wiped out to Stone Age. That is the fate awaiting anyone or country that dares to do it. The banging of war drums and cymbals in North Korea is just that. Period. But the silly Koreans have been led to the slaughter house by the Americans pushing them on.

Coming back to the air defense system and strategies of the Americans. The F35s are only useful as an interceptor against an air incursion of fighter bombers, but their primarily role is more as a stealth attack bomber. For the defensive role it is absolutely redundant as no country within the range of the US mainland would be able to do that with what they have at the moment. The Russians and the Chinese could not ‘and would not’ launch an air strike of fighter bombers for many decades to come and neither would they want to go back to the stone age.

The F35s are only good as offensive weapons to be stationed in Europe or lift off from aircraft carriers. If the damn Americans did not have these weapons, they have a weapon less to conduct wars of aggression against other countries. Even without the F35s, the Americans have so many superior alternatives, the F22s and B2s, and even the antique B52s would deliver a deadly blow to any country, to conduct wars. F35s are extravagant toys to make the American public pay for them. Now the bill is so huge that the Americans are getting their allies and proxies to help to foot the bill.

Any real attacks against the American continent will be Armageddon, ICBMs from Russia and China. Such attacks will render the F35s completely useless. The best part, Russia and China will not do such a crazy thing to engage in an ‘end of the world’ war game. Neither would the Americans attack the Russians and Chinese with a similar attack. Such a war is inconceiveable by any of the three super powers.

So what is the purpose of F35s? It is simply created to generate income for the weapons industry. The Americans really have no use or need for such an aircraft, only to bully the lesser equipped countries like Iraq and Iran. Who is going to attack the USA by air power other than 911 version which will render the F35s useless, sitting on the tarmac?

6.9m squeeze - Is this for real?

Is this a hoax? Think it was posted yesterday, 1 April. What the poster is saying is that 6.9m is real. What it is also saying is that the squeeze is real. What it is also saying is that they did not know how to prevent the squeeze. What it is also saying is that the super talents got no answers. What it is also saying is that maybe the lay people may have the answer. What it is also saying is that you are paying millions to super talents who's forte is to ask the people for answers.

I am waiting for someone to come out and say this is an April Fool joke.

Meritocracy in practice in the red dot

I will stretch this statement to include graciousness and discipline in practice. Was at the train station this morning and found long queues, neat and tidy rows of people queuing up for the trains. So I joined the queue with about 20 people ahead. Just as I was thinking how nice, disciplined and orderly, a bunch of foreign workers surged forward and planted themselves on both sides of the barrier door. The Singaporeans remained in the queue and many missed the train as those crowding the doors were able to push themselves in first.

Singaporeans are not only courteous, polite and well mannered. Unfortunately this gracious streak, nurtured over the years, made them easy victims to the coarse and callous foreigners who would yell and scold them for the slightest thing, even when asking the foreigners to join the queue.

And while the Singaporeans would avoid littering, keep the streets clean, the foreigners would leave their litters and sputum everywhere, even raining them down from the flats.

And in employment and job placements, Singaporeans will write in their resumes exactly what they are, what they have and their job experience. They could not lie as one phone call would expose them of any misinformation. The foreigners could dress up their resumes like that of George Bush or Obama and got the job. No one really knows or can verify their resumes, or it is too troublesome to make that phone call to nowhere.

This is how meritocracy is being practiced in Singapore. The Singaporeans ended with the wrong end of the stick for being too nice, too orderly and too straight and honest. They did not know that they have cheated by the foreigners who demanded that Singaporeans practise meritocracy and play fair.

How stupid can Singaporeans be? Or how meritocratic can Singaporeans be?

May Day Protest Rally – Why?

Many of you have attended the first protest rally in February. And a sequel is being arranged for May Day. What curious me, and perhaps Gilbert, would be the motivation of the people who made it a point to be there. Many were there for different reasons. They all went home feeling recharged with an old emotion of a past when they were Singaporeans. It seemed that that was a long forgotten feeling that was lost and found again in Hong Lim on Feb 16. Many cried, as simple as that. Many were emotional. This is what being a people united is all about. Something connected them, something clicked.

The people in the Govt may also want to know what was that strange emotion felt by everyone present in Hong Lim. There was something out there that bonded the people. Gilbert too would want to know. It will make his second effort more meaningful.

Many of you reading this were there at Hong Lim. It would be good to share with us here why you were there, why you went. And it would also be good to tell us why you would want to go again, to bring more people along to share that special moment of being Singaporeans. And there will be many of you who would want to be there this time round. Why?

Where should this movement go from here? What is it that you want or what is it that you want Gilbert and his team to do? There is still some time to talk about this and help Gilbert to work out something, like the speakers and the speeches that you want to see and hear.

Please use this platform to share your thoughts. Just a reminder, the 6.9m is the goal if the circular that is going around asking the people to suggest ways to make 6.9m less of a squeeze in the island is real. Everyone knows that the big squeeze is on the way, not just physical squeeze but squeeze in everything, from housing, infrastructure, schools, facilities, jobs etc etc. Everything must be downsize to feel comfortable. Is this what the people want? No need to ask the Govt.

Weekly pageviews of mysingaporenews

United States 14161


Singapore 14069

United Kingdom 1905

France 1784

Germany 1523

Australia 779

Turkey 778

Poland 489

Malaysia 419

Russia 222



Weekly page views of mysingaporenews. The US has overtaken Singapore with the most viewerships of mysingaporenews blog. It has 14,161 weekly pageviews against Singapore’s 14069. Third is the UK and followed closely by France and Germany. Quite an achievement for a small little blog of Singaporean bloggers.

Well done guys. You are international.

Redbean

Programming how Asians think

The West, with its monopoly of English language media and the English literate feeding on it, has been very successful in programming how Asians think. MacDonald, of junk food status, is a fad in many Asian countries, simply by repeatedly telling the Asians how cool it is to eat at MacDonald. But this is merely commercial advertisement.

More serious and deadly, and insulting, is the programming of Asians to hate another country, particularly Iran and North Korea as part of the Axis of Evil. China used to be the number One target, including Myanmar. Today it is all Iran and North Korea.

The daily provocations by the Americans and South Koreans against the North Koreans are turned around to condemn the North Koreans as the provocative one. Major war games simulating a landing and invasion of North Korea on the borders of that country, flying stealth bombers that are nuclear capable, and now stealth fighters in the Korean peninsula were claimed to be normal acts and non aggressive. From the North Korean’s point of view, these are intense and aggravated acts of provocation and acts of hostility.

Then there is this constant barrage of western articles repeating western dismissive fantasies against the North Koreans being written and published almost daily to paint the North Koreans as mad, insane and unpredictable and war like people. Another article appeared in the ST today that said nothing new or good about the North Koreans but with the purpose of reinforcing the message that the West have been painting about North Korea for the innocent and unthinking Asians to read and to sink into their subconscious mind. North Korea is bad, North Koreans are mad…. The repetition of such a one sided distorted message, over time, will programme the Asians to utter without thinking, to regurgitate what the West want them to think and say about North Korea. And many Asian media are accomplices to this act, blindly aiding the West to make fellow Asians think stupid, Asians to hate Asians because the West wants them to do so.

How then could so many Asians hating the North Koreans without knowing who they are and have had nothing to do with them?

Xenophobia a badge of honour?

When one scans the social media today, there is an unmistaken trend developing, a trend that no one could foresee will ever happen in this migrant society, open and international. We are a very open society and people, very cosmopolitan and liberal, some even called themselves international citizens. How could there be a rise of xenophobia or racism? Some angry Singaporeans are claiming that it is a right to be xenophobic, to be racist in a way, against the intrusion of so many foreigners in their midst. On the other hand, the Govt is planning to have more foreigners to reduce the citizen core to 40% in order to strengthen the core. Believe it? I cannot understand the logic when the people are showing their objection openly. So I must be daft.

Singaporeans are familiar with the annotation of CMIO or Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others as the official racial groups of the island. Everyone is one of these four different racial groupings. How then can Singaporeans be racist when they have embraced different races as one of them and living in harmony for years, the envy of many countries? Racial conflicts or riots are things of the past.

Is it racism or xenophobia, is it nationalism or patriotism, or is it simply about the rights and privileges of being citizens, being owners of this island? The rising anger and trend got to do with a little of each and a combination of all. What is the root cause of this ugly development? Many books can be written by the sociologists or political scientists but I will try to put them simply in one sentence and leaving all the big theoretical jargons to the academics. The problem of xenophobia is due to the Govt’s thoughtless policy of flooding the island with foreigners to compete with the citizens for good jobs, housing, cars, schools, facilities, space and a seat in the train.

There are just too many foreigners around and competing with the citizens in many unfair ways with citizens being displaced from top and middle management jobs, being priced out of good housing, being deprived of car ownership, compromising the good life they used to have. The latest revelation that foreigners are ganging up to discriminate and victimise citizens in employment and work place is just about the last thing that the citizens can stomach. There is anger and more anger against foreigners. And the foreigners did not help but add to the burning fire with callous behaviour and talking down on the locals.

In the face of such gross infringement of foreigners everywhere, with the local citizens calling themselves true blue and bred Singaporeans feeling the pressure, the Govt’s White Paper of increasing the population further by bringing in more foreigners was just the breaking point. The rage is unrestrained among the more vocal citizens. The Govt is seen as uncaring and aloof, totally disconnected from the feelings of the common Singaporeans. It is like two persons in the same bed but having different dreams, going separate ways.

How is the Govt going to contain this anger of the people? Or is the Govt going to do something positive to appease the unhappiness of the people? If the Govt fails to rein in the growing anti foreigner tension, the social fabric is up for a bitter test in tolerance. The main media, like the Govt, is telling the angry citizens to be more tolerant of foreigners. Would the affected Singaporeans listen and be swayed? T shirts are being printed to ‘down with the 6.9m population’ and a May Day protest is on the way. Would Singaporeans end up wearing the racist badge as an honour to defend their basic interests as citizens of this island? A point to note is that much of the anger is actually directed at the Govt for its pro foreigner policies and not directly at foreigners per se.

Spend more to win election

On 28 Mar, the ST ran an article ‘Lee Li Lian is by election’s top spender’. It was reported that she spent $65,227 against Koh Poh Koon’s $62,991. The details of what is included in these numbers and what are not would be another area of contention. And she held three rallies instead of the latter’s two. No wonder she won the by election. She must have worked harder and willing to spend more money, altogether $2,236 more than Koh. And her votes won were 16,045 while Koh got 12,875.

Just analysing the statistics will simply say that spending more and working harder is the formula for success. Can we expect all the political parties to be spending more and working harder in the next GE? I think many parties would have problem achieving both as they may be able to work harder, but many would not have the money to do so. Fortunately Li Lian was able to come up with more money on the table. This is quite strange as the PAP was never short of money. Or is it that they thought spending nearly $63k would be hard to beat as the WP, being a workers’ party, would not be able to match the rich elitist party with many millionaires and multi millionaires in their ranks.

This must be WP’s secret weapon, got plenty of money to campaign for election, and must be a big surprise to the PAP. Maybe it was because it was only a by election and its resources were focused on one event. If the WP would to contest in a GE then they may not have enough money to spread around. Fielding so many candidates and running so many rallies would be very very costly. No wonder in GE the PAP always sure win.

If the PAP thinks that the WP only got enough money for a by election by putting all in, then it should not present much problem with $63k per candidate in the GE. With 87 seats, this will cost the PAP at least $5.5m on the average to fight the next GE. If the WP were to contest half the seats, it will be 43 x $65k or $2.8m. Can the WP afford this kind of money?

What if both want to up the stake by adding another $10k or so per candidate, it will be very much more to put on the table. The rest of the smaller parties would have to think twice whether to follow or to fold their cards. Very likely they would only be able to do well by concentrating their limited resources to a few candidates. Winning an election definitely cost money and the stake is getting higher and higher. Do not rule out higher deposits for the candidates.

The higher cost of fielding a candidate is expected as the rewards are also quite handsome. For $63k to $65k, the return at $16k per month for 5 years is $960k, quite close to a million. And then there is the big bonus of becoming an office holder, with a top prize of several millions annually. Spending $60+k is really cheap when compare to the returns. Not a bad investment looking at the odds and the monetary winnings.

We are hitting 5.5m soon

'Theweek.com, 30 Mar 2013
Singapore
Population: 5,460,302
GDP: $326.7 billion
Tax incentives: Tax rates that max out at 20 percent and no capital gains taxes, according to Reuters.
Foreign cash: Reuters reported that estimates put "the amount of German money moving to Singapore in the double-digit billions," forcing the German government to step in and negotiate more transparent banking standards....'

These are the introductory paragraphs of an article from Theweek.com dated 30 Mar 2013. Does anyone notice the population of Singapore is now 5.460,302 and not 5.3m? Our population has gone up by another 160,000 from the often cited 5.3m.

I believe Theweek must have quoted from a reliable source.  It takes less than 40,000 and we will be 5.5m. The rate of growth is frightening despite our below replacement rate of fertility rate. What is happening? Would the population be 5.5m by May Day?

Paintings of Gods

This is a series of mysterious paintings from my rar art collection. Every one of these paintings is created by Mother Nature. I have enough of such paintings in many different series that can fill up an art gallery in every major city.

The Big Thing in Sin City

In this small little island of millionaires, everything is big. Even a small little nimrod will think very big and imagining that it is the most desirable big thing and women will beg to have it in their mouths. I think we are going to be the biggest customers of the US in the purchase of the most sophisticated aircraft of the future. It is flying but will only be ready in the future as it is not flying right yet. The thing big about this aircraft is the price tag.

I just read an advert that someone paid $147k for a Porsche 911. The Sinkies are so rich that they would not want to buy anything on the cheap. They would pay for a piece of worthless paper called COE for $100k to give them the privilege to plonk down another half a million for the same car. Why would they do that, I dunno. It must be a dignity thing. Things must have a big price tag to be good. Oh, they just raise the tuition fees for universities and polytechnics to make them better. The more expensive the better the quality.

Yes, the Big Thing in Sin City is the price tag. Everything has to be priced big to be good and saleable. A public housing flat with a 99 year lease, very likely less than 90 or 80 years left, was selling like hot cakes at $1m or more. And the millionaire Sinkies, I supposed, would congratulate themselves for such a good buy. The guy who bought the Porsche would probably get 2 or 3 landed freehold properties for the same price of one public housing flat. Across the Causeway one could buy several landed properties too, for that price tag.

And many will save a life time for that final visit to the hospital to empty their life savings. It must be a final charitable act, to donate everything to the hospitals and to tip the staff for the good service, or is it the hospital price tag?

And the citizens are so generous that they are happily paying their political leaders millions to keep them from corruption. Of course the leaders are the most dignified and talented people on earth, or at least in the island. Their forte is to learn from other countries, what other people are doing before applying what they learnt to the island. And if they failed to learn anything, they will pay for expert consultants to do the job. Or they may even ask the people, the ordinary men in the street for answers. The price tag for the ministers is not only big, but very big. Obama would have faint if the Americans decide to pay him half the amount being paid to his counterpart here.

Paying big, buying big, getting big pay are the norms here. The thought of how much to pay for the things we paid here can drive many people elsewhere crazy. Imagine how many life times will one need to earn a $100k in many countries. Here it is only good enough to buy a certificate only to be entitled to buy a car with a bigger price tag.

That is how big our money has become.

When meritocracy is stupidity

The problem of highly qualified Singaporeans unable to find employment is not only serious but politically unacceptable to a Govt that has responsibility to its people first and foremost. Silly politicians that keep harping blindly on meritocracy need to be voted out from Parliament. Meritocracy and the practice of meritocracy as a country are very different and complex from practising meritocracy in a well of frogs. In the well, the frogs are safe from intruders and have only among themselves to see who is more meritocratic. In the land of the blind the one eye frog shines.

Singapore only has a population of 3.3m, citizens and PRs. An open door policy to invite foreigners here to work, with only meritocracy as the criteria, is simply insane, stupidity at its peak. There are 6 or 7 billion people out there and if being more talented, or merits, is justification to work here, to replace another Singaporean, the whole 3.3m people should be replaced, from the President and PM and to the low down beggars on the street. Sure you can find millions of people out there that are more meritocratic than a Singaporean or the PM.

Just because the frogs in the well are protected from competition, they can throw the meritocracy card at everyone, not good enough get out, there is always a better foreigner to replace another Singaporean. Why don’t the frogs allow fair competition and let the more meritocratic foreigners to replace them? Never, they know too well that there will be many many out there that will be better than them, every one of them.

In practice, many jobs can be done by a Singaporean. The education and skill level of many Singaporeans are more than adequate to do the job. You don’t need someone with 3 degrees or a master’s to be a middle executive doing administrative work. You don’t need to drive a sports car to get from point A to B when any good decent car will do. It is a fallacy to pick the best when the best is ten times over qualified for the job that a Singaporean is qualified to do? Does this sound complicated?

Who are we kidding, that Singaporeans are not good enough to fill all the middle management positions with the qualifications they got from our world class education system and universities? Who are we kidding when many are employed instead of Singaporeans for all the wrong reasons except being meritocratic?

The nonsense that is happening in the employment scene must be made right and it is the duty and responsibility of the Govt to put it right. It is the Gov’t’s thoughtless policy of opening the door widely to foreigners with little due consideration to the employment needs of the citizens that is the problem. Meritocracy without due recognition to country and citizenship is simply crazy, madness, and idiocy. The whole population should be moved out and replaced by more meritocratic people from all over the world. Yah?

Advertisements are news too

For Singaporeans who have been away for too long, migrated or simply working overseas, the reading of advertisements in the blog is also keeping in touch with home. The types of advertisements, the jobs available, the qualifications needed, the salary offered, the type of companies placing the adverts, tell a lot about the happenings in the country.

This is also applicable to foreigners who want to have a feel of the social and economic developments taking place in the country. The advertisements tell a lot of what is happening here, particularly the job opportunities and income level of the people, the quality of life and the vibrancy of the economy.

There are more things to see and understand from just flipping through the advertisements other than jobs or entertainments or food etc etc. You will be surprised how much information can be deduced from just reading the advertisements. So when there are no fresh postings, take a peep into the adverts.

Chinua Achebe - A tribute to a Nigerian nationalist and hero

‘He also addressed corruption head on, teaching younger Nigerians not to be hungry to the point of selling our birth rights. His soul and conscience were non negotiable. He turned down Nigeria’s national honours twice because he was one who believed an elder should not eat his meal atop a heap of malodorous rubbish.

He was a gentle rebel who refused to shake the necrotic outstretched hands of corrupt leaders.  He was an old breed, a wise man from a different generation who could not stand the wanton looting of Nigeria’s public coffers.

Achebe would have loved to spend his twilight years among his own people instead of in America.  With the bastardisation of a nation he was once proud of by kleptocratic military and civilian rulers, the old man had no country to return to alive.’  

The above quote is by a Victor Ehikhamenor in his article on his Nigerian hero and nationalist, Chinua Achebe. The article is reproduced from the New York Times in the ST today.  Reading the article allows me to reflect on the situation in Singapore and I conclude how lucky Singaporeans are for not having the kind of leaders the Nigerians were blessed with. Our leaders don’t eat their meals atop a heap of malodorous rubbish for sure. And Singaporeans are definitely not selling their birth rights away as they are not that hungry. And our nation was not bastardised by kleptocratic military and civilian rulers and looting the public coffers.

Thank God we are Singaporeans and we need not have to run away to live out the twilight years in America. Singaporeans better be grateful.

Why are Sinkies so sick and shameless?

I read this comment from a Sinkie in TRE about racism. The way he put it was really so disappointing. He was unhappy about racism against Asians, but unconsciously he was practising racism against Asians without knowing it. Too many kantans and hamburgers I supposed, or too much deference to the Westerners that subconsciously he felt and acted inferior to them. This is what he wrote,

‘Honestly, how are we the natives expected to react? Smile and behave happily and accept things as they are.

I was in Perth on holiday and my wife was stunned when a white lady ticked her off at a supermarket queue for no reason. She just doesn’t like us I supposed and was mumbling some rascist remarks starring hard at us. I can assure you she is not mad. In Paris in a lift, I witnessed a well dressed white lady yelling at a meek Asian woman asking her to pack off and go back to where she comes from. I can assure you she doesn’t look mad either. What do you make out of these situations?

I guess it is the sense, the feeling of being displaced and having your place taken over that led people to behave this way.’

You notice that he addressed those racist pigs as ladies and their Asian victim as woman. What was so ladylike about those racist bitches to be called ladies? And what was so unlady like for the Asian woman not to be called a lady but just a woman? Too use to call them sir and ma’am and ladies and gentlemen, and too use to be called just man and woman?

This kind of inferior mentality has been subplanted in the mediocre Asian mind that it has become habitual, second nature. Yes Sir, Yes ma’am, but turn around and shout at the Asian women like inferior stocks. If Asians are not going to respect themselves but the West, they deserve to be treated like shit. And if Sinkies could not stand up to foreigners and allow foreigners to ill treat them or discriminate against them in their own country, they deserve it, every little bit of it.

The Europeans are xenophobic for ages. They conquered, robbed and killed the coloured races all over the world and are still stinkingly racists like the examples given. Of course they claimed that the racist bitches are a minority, and they are exceptions. Xenophobia is not a Singaporean thing. And I find it ludicrous for a Tessa Wong to write in the ST today calling for restraints against Singaporeans becoming xenophobic. And Singapore for Singaporeans slogan is xenophobic? Who taught her that?

Xenophobia is practised by foreigners in the work place in Singapore against Singaporeans. Does she know this? If not, go ask Tan Chuan Jin or read the parliamentary reports. The most important issue today is to get rid of xenophobia against Singaporeans in Singapore. The Govt has a duty and responsibility to Singaporeans to stamp this outrageous behaviour out immediately and ‘burn a few on the stakes’. I put this phrase in inverted commas so that no donkeys will take it literally and think it is a call to burn people. It is just an figurative expression ok?

If the govt fails in doing so, and xenophobia continues against Singaporeans and silly Sinkies still think it is the fault of Singaporeans, the anti foreigners cry will get stronger and may get nasty. It is time to nip the problem in the bud by kicking a few foreign butts to mean business. Singapore is for Singaporeans first. There is nothing xenophobic or shameful to say this. There is nothing to be apologetic about it. Or shall we call female Sinkies ‘woman’ and foreign women ‘ladies’ to be respectful and less xenophobic?

US flying B2s over Korea

Those of you who know what B2s are capable of doing will behave exactly as the North Koreans. These are stealth bombers with the capabilities of sneaking through radar surveillance and defence system, and to drop nuclear bombs on the enemy, in this case, North Korea. By flying over South Korea, a change of heading will see them over North Korean in minutes and there is not way to defend before they drop their nuclear bombs. The Americans denied that they were nuclear armed. Who in his right mind will believe the Americans? As for the North Koreans, a mistake is all it takes to see their country going up in smokes.

The flying of B2 over the Korean peninsula is not only provocative but a hostile act. The North Koreans should declare a no fly zone and any B2 crossing that line, which can be 200 km inside South Korea is an act of war and will be shot down. That is a reasonable thing to do in the defense of their country.

The Cuban crisis was caused by the Soviet Union trying to station some nuclear tipped missiles in Cuba which put the missiles within range of the US mainland. The US took that as an act of war, cordoned off the access by sea and air of Russian ships and aircraft into Cuba and demanded the removal of the missiles or war.

When asked if the flying of the B2s over the Korean peninsula was a provocative act, the US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel acted so innocent and replied that it was a normal thing that countries did to defend their homeland. No, no, they did nothing unusual. He did not see it as provocative. And as usual, the western jokers were claiming that the North Koreans were fetish with their power and wanted to hold the world hostage. They are totally blind to the provocations by the Americans and the South Koreans, and condemning the North Koreans as irrational people when the warmongers were the Americans.

The fact and truth, the North and South Koreans may not be on too friendly terms, but they were trying to cooperate and live as good neighbours. It was the continuous provocative acts of the US in connivance with the South Koreans to conduct war games simulating an invasion of North Korea at the Korean borders that raised tension. And now the US provocatively and threateningly flew the nuclear capable B2 in the peninsula and claimed that it was an innocent act.

Even an Australian professor could not resist commenting that such an act was definitely provocative. How about the Russians and the Chinese flying their nuclear capable bombers along the western coasts of the American homeland and see how the Americans would squeal their heads off that such an act is hostile? It is a case of the Americans can go provoking everyone and is ok but others cannot do so, it’s not okay.

The Americans are trying their best to raise tension in Asia and in the Korean peninsula in particular, to keep the two Koreans at war to be used as justification for the stationing of American troops in the Korean peninsula and also in Japan. The real losers are the stupid Koreans, being manipulated by the Americans and Japanese to be at each other’s throat, and the hordes of unthinking Asians accusing the North Koreans of being provocative and the bad guy. The real winners are the Americans and the Japanese. The real losers, other than the two Koreans, are the rest of Asia.

Kim Jung Un has signed an order authorising the firing of missiles on American targets in Korea, Japan, Guam and even the American mainland. And the Americans are worried of a misjudgement and the missiles unleashed. If it does happen, the Americans and the South Koreans have only themselves to blame. They have been the provocateurs of rising tension in the Korean Peninsula. They created it and asked for it.