Britain committed an abominable sin

The whole of the western world, particularly the American allies, are fuming mad at Britain as if this ex world Empire has committed an unforgiveable sin. They are furious, how could Britain go it alone, broke ranks to party with their ‘enemy’ that they pretended to be friendly with?

What did the Brits do that invited the curse from every corner of the American alliance?  The British broke ranks when they took the lead to join the AIIB, A Chinese initiative to help the developing world in infrastructure development. This Chinese initiative was bad, anything the Chinese did must be bad. The American and western allies have always stayed together to divide the world among themselves, to stay together to whack and bully the rest of the world, one country at a time. They succeeded for several centuries by breaking up the countries of the world into individual targets to be ruled by the West.

Now, after joining the AIIB that led to the breaking of the dam for all the European countries to follow suit, Britain again has done the unspeakable, opening the door, roll out the read carpet, to invite Xi Jinping to Buckingham Palace and all the sacred places in Britain. How could Britain do these things? These places are only meant for the allies, not for the rest of the African and Asian countries, and definitely not for Communist China. They forgot that the wealth of Britain and many European countries, including Japan and the USA, were robbed from China and other colonized countries of the world.

Britain, the ever brilliant strategists, they did not rule the world for being daft, has seen the opportunities opening up for them in a China that is growing richer economically and a strategic alliance is the best thing for Britain. Britain will be the leader of Europe again, to take the lead, as the leader into a new world of cooperation with China. By courting China, Britain is positioning itself to benefit from trade and investments with China, undercutting the rest of Europe as the biggest beneficiary for being the first mover.

According to a senior western intelligence officer, too ashamed and afraid to be identified in case he needs to make a living in Beijing or Shanghai, as reported in the Financial Times, ‘The most charitable spin we can put on the current China policy of the British government is to say it is a pure mercantilist, unprincipled, self serving decision aimed at attracting short term investment. The big question is whether it works.’

What is so principled about western domination of world trade at the expense of Asia and African countries? What is so unprincipled to trade with China, to court China on mutually beneficial terms? Is he letting the cat out of the bag? What had the western allies been doing under cloak and dagger to control the world trade and to isolate and contain China?

Britain would have nothing to do with the old western dominance theory and policy. The world has changed and the Brits have seen it and are taking the bull by the horns to move ahead and leaving the scheming European and American allies sulking and sucking their thumbs. They can cry foul, but what is best for Britain, a former world empire, would be best left to the Brits. They needed China to grow, and so is the rest of the world. The European and western allies can cling on to their past glory and old method of divide and rule, and try to contain China, which is no longer containable. Not only China is rising, the rest of the world, Asia, Africa and Latin America are also rising.

Good luck to the ageing American Empire and their allies. The world is not going to wait for them and to be controlled by them anymore. They can frown and cry in disapproval, Queen Elizabeth is going to host Xi Jinping and his wife in Buckingham Palace as planned. British interest comes first.

Welcome to Britain and a decade of golden years in Sino British ties. It’s elementary, Watson. This is British diplomacy at its best.

Transparency and integrity of the govt and public officers

'The Minister for Health was first informed about the matter on Sept 18. He directed that it be made public, and that a full public explanation be given. Ms Chang makes much of the minister being ”officially” informed on Sept 18, implying that he knew unofficially before that.’

Lim Bee Khim (Ms), Press Secretary to the Minister for Health

The above is quoted from an article posted in TRE by Lim Bee Khim of MOH. This was a reply in response to all the doubts, queries and insinuations that the Minister of Health, Gan Kim Yong knew about the hepatitis outbreak in May but did not make it public to alarm the people and might even affect the GE. The negative rumours are understandable given the serious nature of the outbreak and the concerns on the outcome of the general election. The public are questioning the integrity of the political leaders who have been the most vocal about transparency, integrity and timeliness of reporting such a matter. In fact the same concerns were the key issues in the AHPETC disclosure. And the WP was accused of not being transparent, not reporting the shortcomings timely and all the same things the public are accusing the govt now. When a govt knew how to call on the WP to answer to such charges, it is clear that the govt knew such things are wrong and definitely would not stoop so low to commit the same.

Now, to imply that the govt also committed the same sin of not disclosure of such sensitive matter, not being transparent or intentional hiding the information from the people would justify a robust reply from the govt. How can the public accuse the govt for such wrongdoings? Read the above comment of Lim Bee Khim, the minister when informed ‘officially’ quickly asked for it to be made public and called for an explanation. This kind of swift action and accountability is the standard of this govt. They deserved the 70% support from the people.

We have leaders with high integrity and unquestionable honesty in the govt. To cast doubt on their integrity and honesty is unacceptable. The public officers in the MOH too are men and women of the highest caliber and integrity. They would not hide such information from Gan Kim Yong. And if Gan Kim Yong knew about it, he would not hide it from the people as well.

There is no question of their integrity and honesty. The people must trust the public officers and the minister for doing their job professionally and not to serve political expediency. If they were found out to be otherwise, it would drag down the reputation of the whole govt together with them. See, after 6 months of investigation they could not find out anything and are reporting the matter to the police for more investigation. They are also getting international experts to look into the matter. They want to know the truth, even if it is 6 months late.

Anyone wanting to cast doubts on the public officers and the minister must have facts to prove them. And in this case the MOH has given a clear explanation beyond any reasonable doubt with all the time lines of the events happening, and has nothing to hide.

How can there still be doubts of their honesty and integrity? Case close, unless they can put up proof to show otherwise.

PS. OK IBs, your turn to add more to my comments. I don’t think Gan Kim Yong dare to cover up this incident if he knew about it officially or unofficially before the GE. If kena found out he will be finished.

Freedom of Navigation, a cunning American move

In the name of Freedom of Navigation, FON, just like in the name of human rights, the Americans are accusing the world, particularly China and the Soviet bloc, of violations but the truth is that the Americans are the worst violators of human rights and FON. They killed the natives in North America and seized their land under the Doctrine of Discovery, where the inhabitants are presumed to be sub humans and have no rights to their land. So it is only fair and just and god given to take over the lands of natives, killed them in the name of God or civilized them in the name of European civilization.

And being the Number One super power and self appointed world cop, they asserted the right to intercept ships of other nations, boarded them, searched them and arrested the crews and detained the ships in open seas. This is what the Americans called Freedom of Navigation but under the control and supervision of the American navy. They have violated the rights of many countries in international waters. Now they are using the same trick to call China building lighthouses on their islands a cunning trick. Did China seize the islands from the natives? Did China kill the natives in the islands to take over their land? And has China imposed any restriction on FON in the South China Sea?

Reuter reported a ‘Trevor Hollingsbee, a retired naval intelligence analyst with Britain’s Defence Ministry, said building lighthouses on the reclaimed reefs was a “rather cunning” move by China.’ Was the selling of opium in China a cunning British move to poison the Chinese and to start a war with China? Were the signing of protection treaties with African countries, India and Malaya to colonise them also cunning moves of the colonialists?

What is more important and serious is the American’s cunning trick of using FON to control the whole of South China Sea. The Americans again have appointed themselves as the gangsters that owned the South China Sea in the name of FON and would sail and fly their weapons of war all over the South China Sea as if they owned them. And there is also the small town self proclaimed sheriff in Australia claiming a right to carry its little water pistol to strut around under the watchful eyes of the big gangster.

And the silly Asean countries could not see the implications that the Americans and Australians are saying they owned the South China Sea.  But what can you expect from dull minds not knowing that they have lost the whole of South China Sea to a cheap American cunning move? While they tried to compete with China to claim little uninhabited islands, they did not know that the whole area is now controlled by the Americans?

The burden of Mao’s Thoughts versus Lee’s Hard Truths

China’s leaders of today lived through an era imbued with Mao’s Thoughts. The overly powerful leader in Mao turned him into a godlike figure where his words were as good as gospel truths. The lives of the Chinese population centred around reading, reciting and living the thoughts of Mao Zedong, for good or for bad.

Mao was the ideolog and his thoughts were in many cases idealistic ideologies. China was thrown into turmoil when the young followed the thoughts of Mao blindly and religiously. Many suffered, many lives were lost, arts and cultures were burnt and destroyed.

Then came Deng Xiaoping who brought some realism and pragmatism into the lives of the Chinese, moderating the extremes of Mao’s Thoughts and made them more relevant to the new realities of a new world. In the tussle between ideologies and pragmatism, China found a middle path to modernization. The thoughts of Mao are still there, vivid in the minds of the present day leaders, but in most cases, for recitation and to respect the great leader. In practice, Mao’s Thoughts were furthest in the minds of the new leaders in China.

A leader that has acquired a stature that is undisputed and held in awe could do good and also harm to the people and country. Blindly following old thoughts that have gone irrelevant is a recipe for disaster.

Singapore has a similar all powerful and influential leader in LKY, a deity like figure that still lives in the lives of many Singaporeans. LKY is still very influential in the lives of Singaporeans in the leaders and the common folks. The hard truths of LKY still linger in the thinking of many who had worked with him. His words are gospel truths to many and acted as guiding principles in what they are doing. Like Mao’s Thoughts, some of the hard truths, principles and policies have been overtaken by time and no longer relevant, obsolete. Sticking to them unthinkingly would do more harm than good to the people and country.

Unfortunately there are still many parrots parroting some hard truths as if they are the perpetual truths to be passed down to the future generations in the same manner when they have been overtaken by events. Though many of LKY’s hard truths would transcend time and have far longer usefulness and implications, there are surely some that must be discarded into the bins, or be modified to the new realities. It needs thinking and reassessment to use and apply the hard truths and wise quotes of LKY to be effective and useful. Blind parroting is a sign of trouble, of lazy and unthinking minds at work, of cheapo with no confidence and ideas of their own. The safest thing is to parrot the oracle.

The quoting of LKY’s hard truths and assumptions of things and policies will still be heard for a long time to come. Some quoting them knowingly, some unconsciously as the thoughts have been ingrained into their psychic for good or bad. Some will still apply them blindly without knowing that time has changed, things have changed, to the detriment of the people and country.

This is the curse of having leaders that have too overpowering influence on their believers and being too godlike, or elevated to the level of powerful and beloved deities. Would Singapore suffer the same curse and fate of gods and deities? Or would there be another equally powerful, respected and wise leader to emerge to moderate the hard truths and wise quotes of LKY, to make them relevant to the changes in time?

There are just too many parrots all over the place. You can hear them when they open their beaks to expose their bird brains.

Khaw Boon Wan got another job waiting for him

Khaw Boon Wan must thank his colleagues for providing all the opportunities to make him look so good, by digging holes for him to fill and to be carried around like the hero that is there at the right time to save a bad situation. The housing problems in Singapore were so classic that it must be the best case study of how a govt can turn a good situation into the biggest flop in public housing. And it did not need a genius to turn it around. Surprisingly no other ministers was confident or smart enough to see the opportunity to turn it around, and for this credit must go to Boon Wan to seize the moment, to make it right.

Now with the Transport Ministry facing a crisis with all the super talented ministers failing one after another, it would be foolhardy for any minister to volunteer for this job.  Boon Wan ended with this unenviable task to right a very difficult task. This one I must admit would test his mettle in working out a sustainable long term solution.

Should Boon Wan come up on top in the Transport Ministry, he has another job waiting for him urgently. He would be badly needed in the Health Ministry this time to stop the rot. An outbreak of hepatitis C and causing so many death is just unbelievable and unacceptable in Singapore. This kind of thing is quite normal in 3^rd World countries when basic hygiene, equipment, facilities and well trained medical staff are lacking. How could it happen in our everything world class, everything so expensive hospital? Are we that much different from the 3^rd World village medical standard?

And as expected, we have no talents to deal with such a bad situation and the MOH is calling for foreign experts to find out why and to provide the solutions. I would like to suggest the academia and professional bodies to decorate our local talents with more beautiful titles, strings of them, to add glory and colour to their credentials so that they will be invited to sit on such expert boards to solve our problems. They may also be invited to solve problems of other countries as experts. Give them more and better titles as specialists, experts, emeritus or whatsoever, to walk around and be noticed.

Boon Wan better get his job in the Transport Ministry done quickly as he is badly needed, urgently needed in the Health Ministry. This is a job waiting for him, the master problem solver, the minister with all the answers when other ministers are found wanting.

Education – Reading the news on the coming changes in education with trepidation

Two new ministers, freshly baked from the election have taken over the MOE and hard at work at changing and redefining education that will alter the fate of our young. These are very bright men and their intelligence cannot be underestimated, and the public must presume that they know what they are talking about and what they are going to do to our young. They must have come with the skill sets, the necessary qualifications and experience in education to do what they are going to do. The education of our young is no masak masak and can make or break their lives and the future of Singapore.

We have had several great ministers in the MOE with great slogans like holistic education, teach less learn more and all kinds of jest or jazz in the past and our education system is now world class or world best, if the rankings are to be believed. The only few success factors today are more qualified taxi drivers and security guards and ‘no talent or skill sets’ in important professions and industries. The damage, they did not call it damage, is that we will need another generation to produce the needed talents for our industry.  We are so short of IT, finance, banking and medical professionals despite the claims of doing a great job in education that our standards in these professions and fields are now compromised by half bakes from the 3^rd World filling the ranks.

With the new ministers and the new changes, would we continue to under produced or produced the wrong kinds not needed by the industries and economy? Or would it be another few generations and with more professions and industries being hollowed out?

Our holistic education, or hollow education, is turning out jacks of all trades and masters of none, and incompatible to the needs of the industry.  There are many good reasons for good quality education. But yes, education should not be just for the pursuit of a piece of paper that cannot be eaten. It must be a piece of paper that can be eaten or give the product from the system a good life, good jobs and professions, and be the best they can be.  I only think like that in my dreams.

The luxury of a holistic education is only good for those who do not need to work, no need to get a job, and education is for education’s sake. Many people still need to put food on the table and education is the means to that, to move up the social ladder, to uplift their stations in life. Isn’t that so, education the greatest leveler? Have no doubts about that, not everyone is a son or daughter of a millionaire or have parents who are millionaire ministers and want an education for the sake of getting an education and no need to get a job.

How much can we teach, what to teach, to get a good job and how much to enjoy education, to develop a better individual, a holistic person, a renaissance man or woman, needs to be carefully calibrated. We have failed in many areas in our education policy to the extent that we have no talents or not enough talents in many critical fields when good young men and women were wasted to spend time and money reading things they did not like or wanted to do. And while they are wasting their lives away in regrets, many half baked foreigners and foreigners with fake degrees and qualifications are brought in to replace them. The wasted generations due to clever or silly tweaking of our education system and policies are a sorry sight and state of affair.

It is very brave to jump into the deep end and start to think like a wise man or genius, a ‘knows all’ and trying to mend or bend the education system into another mould. It is better to think carefully, deeply, sleep on it or dream on it for a while, take your time before messing around with our education policies and the future of our young. Know where we are before thinking of going any where.

Should our young be excited by the impending great changes in our education policies and system or should they be shivering in fear of being experimental guinea pigs again?

How low can the Washington Post go?

Britain was attacked by the Washington Post for ‘kowtowing’ to China. Below is a report in the Global Time showing the low thinking of their China bureau chief.

‘The Washington Post on Wednesday ran a commentary by its China bureau chief Simon Denyer, which accused Britain, as its headline suggested, of "bending over backward to prove its friendship to China." 

What sour grapes!

The article criticized the British government as having been "working overtime to ingratiate itself with Beijing" and for "complete kowtowing to the Chinese dictatorship." The article also mocked British Chancellor George Osborne for envisioning a "golden relationship" between China and the UK.

The British newspaper The Times also ran an article blasting China's "despotism," and demanded that the British government should raise the human rights issue when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Britain next week. 

Apparently the concept of a "golden era" between the two countries has made some people uncomfortable. The former imperial power is placing much of its future on China. This has hurt the twisted dignity of those who still consider the West the center of the world….’

Can anyone believe that this is the kind of thinking in the Washington Post, making spiteful and callous remarks like spoilt adolescents? My God, Washington Post, aren’t you supposed to be some high brow newspaper? Or is the Washington Post now another trashy tabloids indulging in sleazy gossips?

This is the new normal, the new quality of America’s standard bearer, supposedly a top and reputable media. What a shame!