Paul Chong                                              Tuesday, 10 October 2017
A Chinese by Descent
An Australian by Consent

 

Dr Napoleon Hill in his book “Think & Grow Rich” has this to say: “Whatever the mind of man can conceive & believe, it can achieve”. Ideas essentially begin in our mind, and conception must follow by belief before materialism. It’s popularly thought that idea arises in a reflexive, spontaneous manner, even without thinking or serious reflection. A new or original idea can often lead to innovation. All inventions started off as ideas – ideas are the mothers of inventions.
Idea is simply defined as a mental impression, a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.

Here below is a little poem I wrote onTuesday, 3 July 1990 on “Ideas”:

Ideas are the greatest commodities in the world
When they come you are never told
Don’t be surprised by their appearance
Jotting them down will be a rich experience.

Their appearance don’t come by rhyme
Thoughts & ideas emerging all the time
Taking a shower or asleep ‘neath a sheet
Reading a book or watching your footy team beat.

Ideas are opportunities knocking on the door
Be aware and you’ll never her poor
Ideas gained and ideas tilled
Committing them to action means you’ll be fulfilled.

Ideas are rich and poor
Depending on how you stir
Begin now with your pen
Carrying them through will make you grand.

Ideas are not easily accepted by one and all. Ideas can be both stimulating and frustrating. It’s gratifying to say that only smart people possess ideas. You’ll find that the “idea man” is the key personnel or asset in any organisation.

 

Paul Chong                                      Sunday, 8 October 2017

A Chinese by Descent
An Australian by Consent

 

 

Ambiguously, do we eat to live or live to eat? One thing is certain, we are what we eat. It follows that we should watch our diet, if we want to stay healthy & living long.

In this modern era, everybody is health conscious & is prepared to spend more in buying organic foods, to avoid harmful pesticides & artificial fertilisers. This is but one perspective . . . there are other considerations.

Besides watching what we eat, we must safeguard against the temptation of overeating. The Japanese have an ancient proverb “hara hachi bunme” which says it best: “Stop eating when you are 80% full.” It is recommended to eat in moderation & spread our meals into regular smaller portions.

All overeating build up our visceral fats causing all sorts of ailment. A healthy person should have a rating of 1 -12. Anything above spells risk.

The Japanese, about the most healthy people in the world, eat in moderation avoiding consuming huge quantities of sugar, fat & trans-fat. Nor are they constantly gulping down quart sized cups of sugary soda. They also tend to eat less red meat, more fresh vegetables and fewer processed foods. They also drink a lot of green tea which has substantial health benefits.

One prominent aspect is that they consume a lot of fish. According to new research, a lifetime of eating tuna, sardines, salmon and other fish appears to protect Japanese men against clogged arteries, despite other cardiovascular risk factors. Diet rich in fish and pickled vegetables, may be responsible for Japan’s incredible longevity. Fish is rich in
Omega-3 Fatty Acids. More raw fish is being consumed by the Japanese than any other nationalities.

Japanese people enjoy one of the longest average life spans in the world — 86 years for women and 79 for men versus 80 and 75 respective years for Americans — with far lower rates of obesity and chronic diseases like osteoporosis, heart disease and some types of cancer.

Physical exercise is important.. More Japanese do walking and bicycling; even stair climbing at train stations than western slugs who sit behind their dashboard, then sit at a desk all day, then sit on the sofa in front of the idiot box. Around 70% of Japan is mountainous and even cities have some hills, and that means more legwork for many of them. Many use public transportation on a daily basis, and that means more moderate exercise.

When watching television, most people generally like to munch tit-bits like popcorn & chips, which unknowingly go towards our horizontal expansion.

Lifestyle & habits of eating are difficult to change. We need to look at this positively & emulate the Japanese if we wish to stay healthy & enjoy longevity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Chong

Saturday, 7 October, 2017

 

If greed is your creed, you’d soon lose sight of what you really need. Adam & Eve come to mind in the manifestation of need & greed. They were both happy living in the earthly paradise of the Garden of Eden with God’s provisions of all that they needed. However, Eve wanted more & was attempted to eat the forbidden fruit, leading her to persuade Adam committing the same sin of disobedience. They were then driven out of the Garden of Eden to suffer & struggle fending for themselves. I used to postulate with such question as “If Eve had no greed, then what . . .?”

“Need” is basic & fundamental to human existence . . . food, shelter & safety. With “want” there can be no end. This is where you are set upon by “want” on the “greedy” road to uncontrollable limits.

“Want” always start off small . . . a bigger house, a better car, simple family picnic to exotic holiday cruise. The yardstick for happiness & contentment is unknown. What makes a person to lead a happy contented life? This can vary from one individual to another.

Often wealth is mistaken to mean contentment & happiness. But to what extent or limit. In sales, we like to say “Sky’s the Limit”! Yes, we have gone to the moon & soon the outer space . . . beyond which is unknown.
The religious would say, “What does benefit a man if he gains the whole world & suffers the loss of his own soul?” Perhaps I have been too well indoctrinated in the Catholic institution to forget such teaching . . . but i reckon you’d agree with me. In striving for the altitude, fraud befriends, attitude changes, pride & arrogance rule, love is forsaken, health is neglected. You’ve no doubt heard of such expressions as “Pride comes before a fall” . . . “Money can’t buy you love or happiness”. Ultimately, would wealth buy you health. You’d spend 40 years of your economic life in the pursuit of wealth, but you can’t spend your wealth to buy back health. That often is the ironic twist of fate.

The American like to say that only two things in life are certain – income tax & death. Sometimes, the saddest thing is untimely demise. We have no control whatsoever over the question of life & death. Excuse me if I begin to sound morbid; but truth is truth & there can be no gainsaying. This is after all a “crying” life, from the cradle to the grave.

In the BIG PICTURE, do not in haste rub yourself out of it through ill health. Rather set your heart free of GREED. Let BENEVOLENCE reign instead.

The world would be a better place to live if GREED arises not. Many a great war had been fought or would be fought essentially out of greed for power.

Further thoughts upon closing: “The greatest folly is to think that one is blessed with ample financial resources. Money is the root of all evils. Fraud is undoubtedly the daughter of greed”. The list goes on & on.

Paul Chong                                                                     Tuesday, 3 October 2017

Around the last quarter of 2017, China’s official media agency Xinhua debuted #XIPLOMACY on Twitter. It’s difficult to fastrack the use of this terminology of diplomacy globally, particularly with the West. Nonetheless, seeing how Xi Jinping, the President of China, conducts himself in contrast to the ways of the West, this terminalogy “Xiplomacy” may surely come to be accepted & used.

Inspiration is a funny spark of activity. I was in bed when suddenly I woke up at 2.00 am with the urge to write. So next I found myself sitting in front of my 27 inch iMac with a  pleasant stream of classical Chinese music in the background.
It’s strange because for months, I get this mental block without a thing to write. And I could be just sitting & gazing blankly at my computer screen.

I am no politician nor am I a diplomat. I say or write what I mean & mean what I say or write. This is otherwise with the men who purported rule the country or the world . . . a class of people with the most plausible rhetoric. Can we really trust a politician or a diplomat? I think not. Pardon me for saying that the American team of politicians & diplomats are more than actors who strut the world stage with great impression. Naturally good at public speaking, they can thrill & spill capturing the audience. Audience can be lured into oblivion.

Diplomacy is defined as the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country’s representatives abroad . . . the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and tactful way. All hidden agenda are camouflaged. You’d say playing the diplomatic game.

Democracy means a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. With due respect & without prejudice, I would say it’s “Demo Crazy” to be plaque upon by a ruling class of minority rather than the majority. The elected few are often selected & chosen by the all-powerful unknown elite who actually are the rulers behind the scene. In US this fact is slowly & surely becoming more evident.

The two really go hand in hand, like a pair of twins & both are spelt with the capital “D”. It’s like the pot calling the kettle black, an expression in the old days when cooking was only by means of burning wood or charcoal. Though with the use of modern gas or electricity no blackness can be seen these days! What’s unseen, unknown or hidden is more dangerous. It’s better meeting with a known foe than an unknown enemy.

Honesty is the best policy, but this ingredient is seldom to be found in the pool of diplomats or democratic politicians.

I rest my case. Let the judge & jury perform their duties & responsibilities. Caution though . . . they can be bribed. Corruption is so rampant. It’s a disease or more of a deadly cancer that eats into every fibre of the body, heart, mind & soul.

“Xiplomacy” may yet rule the day.

 

Paul Chong                                 Saturday, 30 September 2017

Greening the desert ensures combating & sustaining the environment from land degradation, climate change, livelihood, productive agricultural activities, provides employment, pollution of sand storms as affecting Beijing plus a host of others. Land is a valuable asset. Xi Jinping, the Chinese President is advocating the planting of trees as a “Green Wall” against desertification.

China hungers for land to meet the needs of its 1.3 billion population. The west of China is comprised of mountains and deserts as well as plateaus that do not provide much arable land for agriculture. Deserts dominate the landscape, while in the central and east areas, the land slopes into broad plains and deltas. China is very much a land of great physical diversity.
The eastern plains and southern coasts of the country consists of fertile lowlands and foothills, and is the location of most of China’s agricultural output and human population.
Thus when China undertakes a project, it always do it in a mega way.

Elsewhere in the world similar projects of land reclamation from the deserts are also taking place as in Israel, Egypt & the Middle East. The technology is somewhat different from that of China.

China has a breakthrough technology in creating a paste that can convert sand into soil. The paste is made up of materials found naturally in plants. Sand when mixed with this paste can retain water, nutrients & air. It would take 6 months only to transform 200 hectares of desert to arable agricultural land with a cost ranging from 4500 to 6500 USD per hectare.

This breakthrough offers an effective solution to deforestation and is credited to the researchers at Chongqing Jiaotong University.

Combating desertification in China is best illustrated in the video as below:

Chinese Miracle

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION AS LISTED BELOW:

https://youtu.be/sK8JNXHcBMA
Agroecology in China: 300% Increase on 8.6 Million Acres – Loess Plateau

https://youtu.be/cazVrq9v1mE
New technology in China turns desert into land rich with crops

https://youtu.be/-xoMB5BmSTw
Xinjiang reclaims lands swallowed by Gobi Desert
https://youtu.be/N8_Hnmty4vY

Paul Chong                                                      Thursday, 28 September 2017

The power and politics of gold, that precious metal with more allure and fascination than any other is well documented.
Gold has mesmerized men for thousands of years.

When we talk of gold, we mean pure gold & it is 999.9 – 24K Gold Bullion. Its value is permanent, unchanged right from historical times. Wars, largely financed by gold, have been fought, won & lost over this beautiful & scarce metal. Men would risk their lives, lie, steal & cheat over it.

In the world of high finance & recent years, economic uncertainty is giving gold a new lustre. Whether it’s a few gold coins or gold bars stored in one of the many vaults around the world, many investors are taking a shine to gold. But there’s not a lot of it. It is said that, even melted down, there would not be enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool.

People generally ask:
How much gold would fill a swimming pool?
How much gold has been mined in the world?
How much is all of the gold in the world worth?
How much gold is supposed to be in Fort Knox?
Gold has all the mysteries about it & nobody can really quite know.
.
It’s claimed that much of the gold held by the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve and Fort Knox is gone — that for every 100 ounces of gold traded, there exists only one ounce of real, physical gold. So, where is the gold — and who really owns it?

According to Wikileaks it’s revealed that China has been converting US debts to buying gold. It seems they’ve also managed to find a way to undermine the US dollar as a the world’s reserve currency at the same time. Japan, Switzerland & the Saudis are doing likewise. Russia is cooperating with China all the way trading its oil with China in Yuan which is made convertible to gold thereby dispensing with the US reserve currency.

 

According to Wikipedia:
The Nixon shock was a series of economic measures undertaken by United States President Richard Nixon in 1971, the most significant of which was the unilateral cancellation of the direct international convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. (This happened essentially as a result of Fort Know running out of gold).

While Nixon’s actions did not formally abolish the existing Bretton Woods system of international financial exchange, the suspension of one of its key components effectively rendered the Bretton Woods system inoperative. By 1973, the Bretton Woods system was replaced de facto by a regime based on freely floating fiat currencies that remains in place to the present day”.

The fiat (paper dollar) system allows the Reserve Bank to print money as & when needed. For the last 40 plus years, US seemed to have it easy, but it marked the beginning of the worst 40 years in American economic history. Unemployment, slow economic growth, recessions & neglect in the rebuilding of infrastructure . . . all contributing towards US decline. The American mind-set is to spend as though there’s no tomorrow or easy come easy go.

With President Donald Trump trying .to make US great again does seem a downhill battle. Manufacturers have mostly gone off-shore in search of lower labour costs. Countries, one after another, are deserting the “petrodollar” (oil can now be traded other than the US dollars). US national debt is almost $20 trillion ,perhaps even higher when taking into account other factors.The largest holdersof US debts are China, Japan, Belgium, the Caribbean banking centres, and oil exporters. It’s mentioned that these problems could be tamed and mollified with a true gold standard

Both China & Russia, in preparation of the world in chaos, are buying up gold (Refer: https://youtu.be/MQCDL588MOE). See also “Why is China selling US Treasuries at an Alarming Rate” at https://youtu.be/avi4ll2YvBI.

Something big is brewing. The Rothschild family, only trillionaire in the world, believed to be pulling out of US, is followed by Soros who is buying up massive amounts of bullion.gold.

Gold price stands today at $1,300 per oz. The man in the street is advised to invest in gold or at least in silver which is more affordable at $20, as a safeguard to his personal fortune in the event of financial collapse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Chong Tuesday, 26 September 2017

British journalist and scholar Martin Jacques wrote about “When China Rules the World”, it appeared to conjure speculative fear globally. It’s said that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. We should rightly fear not the enemy you know but rather the enemy you don’t. In fact, right from Napoleonic times there already existed a ruling class of elite financiers – the world’s secret enemies, working most powerfully behind the scene, permanently there.

Money is the root of all evils. More correctly to be said is “They who control the money rule the world”. It’s true when they have the absolute authority to print money at will . . . with the monopoly on creating money but no accountability backed up by a government with enforcement. Such is the state of affairs globally with the operation of central banks which are in the realm of these elite financiers . . . the Rothschild, Rockefeller & the Morgans. They are the lot who control the Federal Reserve, supposedly to be under government control.

Reserve Bank Act was created in 1910 at Jekyll Island, GA when the Rothschild, Rockefeller & the Morgans & other bankers secretly gathered.

“Give me control over a nation’s currency and I care not who makes its laws.” – Baron Mayor Amscher Rothschild.

In respect of the Reserve Bank Australia (RBA), claimed to be owned by the “Commonwealth” under the Queen, its status is likewise the same. When Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 she became Head of the Commonwealth.”

However, according to Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777 – 1836)
“I care not what (QEII) puppet is placed on the throne of England to rule the (Commonwealth) Empire. The man who controls Britain’s money supply controls the British Empire & I control the British money supply.”

The irony of money is if people go about printing money it’s a crime called counterfeiting. But when the Reserve Bank undertakes to do it, it’s said to be increasing the money supply.

Inconceivably, these elite financiers are just feeding on the people. In 2008 financial crash, instead of bailing out the people, the owners consolidated their position & enriched themselves. The people who most deservedly needed governmental rescue are left to their misery . . . and paying the debts.

Jacob Rothschild maintains that: “My family is worth 500 trillion dollars. We own nearly every central bank in the world. We financed both sides of every war since Napoleon. We own your news, the media, your oil and your government.”

With such wealth & power, you wonder what is their end game.

According to Henry Ford (1922), he said “It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking system and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.”

It’s interesting to note that Iceland is doing good now having opted out of central banking system after the financial crash. Russia according to reliable report, has recently only opted out. Greece however is still in the doldrums.

 

According to the Complete List of Banks as owned by the Rothschild, who own a long list of banks all over the world, shows clearly that RBA is under them as with the Reserve Bank of US & others, and surprising even the People’s Bank of China (Established in 1948).

The shocking fact is the “Commonwealth” Royals are subservient “puppets” to shadow banking financiers . . . as are the US Government Administration!

“The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough money to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money, & all the great fortune like mine will disappear & they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier & better world to live in. But if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers & pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money.” – Sir John Stamp, Former Director of The Bank of England.

“The real rulers in Washington are invisible & exercise power from behind the scenes.”
– Felix Frankfurter
Us Supreme Court Justice

Paul Chong                                                                       Thursday, 21 September 2017

I was reading an article of mine published (1990) in a little book entitled “How To Have Motivation Unlimited”. To my delight I found it to be profoundly prophetic in respect of Australia, long dubbed as The Lucky Country, falling from its sky high status.

Quoting from the article: “In a recent survey conducted by the travel & business newsletter International Living, Australia rates number one when considering climate & recreation, literary & personal freedom. It ranks fifth place to live after the US, Switzerland, Canada & Sweden in that order. For climate & recreation, Australia rates a perfect 10. In terms of political & civil freedom, Australia is one of the 18 countries to score perfect.
Economically however, out of the 167 nations surveyed, Australia is not so healthy & finishes down the list at number 32. This economic rating does not stand to reason.

Australia was the richest country in the world 1885 and 1900, but after more than 50 years it was overtaken & replaced by the US & Canada. Since then we have continued our economic downturn. It is likely that neighbouring Asian countries like Singapore will overtake us in the foreseeable future. As it is, we are third behind Brunei & Japan in terms of per capita wealth, and that is after being the rich man of Asia for so ver long. Such economic ills have prompted Paul Keating, the Federal Treasurer to come out with the term “Banana Republic”.

Today, we are truly the poor cousin of our neighbouring Asian countries. We who are richly endowed with great natural resources can be so impoverished is beyond belief. Australia is the world’s leading producer of rutile, zircon, bauxite, iron ore and ilmenite, the second largest producer of alumina, gold, lithium, manganese ore, lead and zinc, the third largest producer of uranium, and the fourth largest of silver, nickel and black coal. Australia has about 0.3 per cent of the world oil reserves. Most of Australia’s known remaining oil resources are condensate and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) associated with giant offshore gas fields in the Browse, Carnarvon and Bonaparte basin.

The ceiling of national debt has been raised with each successive government, whether Labour or Liberal. So far, honest John Howard, a former Australian politician who was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. John Howard is the second longest serving prime minister of Australia after Robert Menzies & the only PM I know who left office with a national surplus.

Our national debt stands at AUD 6,443,127,254,721 (as on 20 September 2017 Australian Debt Clock). It is steadily & incessantly clicking away by the smallest of time, each successive government has been shooting up its debt ceiling. This sounds more like US.

Without an objective central planning, each government lacks cohesive & continuous policy to grow & progress with its economy. Besides in-fighting & back-stabbing over leadership lead not to any political fruitfulness.

As an avid observer & by no means a politician, I have not seen any infrastructure construction since The Snowy Mountains Scheme (1972) .The Hydro-Electric Scheme is by far the largest engineering project ever undertaken in Australia. We have seen how China miraculously grow in the last few decades through its prerequisite building of infrastructure. Having said that, it is also essential to review, renew & rebuild old ones. Otherwise, like US, the nation is falling to rot & inadequacy.

It is recommended that Australia take stock, chart its course & change its direction & linkage. The west & Great Britain are waning & falling behind the western sunset. Get on the speedy wagon of the high-speed rail of China & seize on the golden opportunities afforded by the Belt & Road Initiative.

To be great again with a forward & upward change of attitude
to ensure Australia’s altitude!

 

 

The Belt and Road Initiative
一 带 一 路
( . . . in respect of Singapore-China relationship)

Paul Chong                                                         Wednesday, 20 September 2017

Singapore-China ties have kept up with the times, though they have some differences in recent times. With vision & foresight, Singapore has long established economic ties with China.
The southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing is Singapore’s third government-to-government project with China, This is a $158 b investment project.Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) being the first economic interest followed by Tianjin as Singapore’s Eco-City project.

On Tuesday 19 September 2017, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang welcomed Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, as the two leaders seek to raise more bilateral ties to a new high. Singapore is now ready to jump on to the high-speed rail & seeking the many opportunities available with the Belt & Road Initiative, the Project of the Century.

Premier Li, who invited his counterpart to the three-day visit, emphasized that the two countries are good neighbors and the importance of developing China-Singapore relations.

Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong & Chinese President Xi Jinping

The two leaders decided to maintain the good momentum of the high-level exchanges between the two countries, and further cooperate at all levels on the Belt and Road Initiative.

More than 60 countries have now signed on to participate in the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). It’s only the question of time when more will come on.

China, in reviving its ancient glory & supremacy, and having now surpassed US as the leading global economy, is reaching out to the world for mutual benefits in economic development.

US is also awakening to the sheer magnitude of development beyond man’s wildest dream. With the imminent visit of President Trump to China, we shall await the outcome. India & Japan might have their own reservations, but Australia should join in & participate fully in the Belt & Road Initiative.