Tag: Politics

DOWNING STREET AFFAIR: Semantha Cameron & Boris Johnson

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Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British Conservative Party politician, who has served as Mayor of London since 2008. Initially coming to public attention as a journalist, he became editor of The Spectator in 1999, then later served as the Member of Parliament for Henley from the 2001 general election until 2008. Born in New York City, Johnson was educated at the European School of Brussels, Ashdown House School, Eton College, and Balliol College, Oxford, where he read Classics. – Wikipedia

Semantha Cameron Semantha Cameron is rumoured to have been unfaithful.

imagesPM David Cameron: What Am I To Do?

Boris Johnson is the man that is rocking the seat of 10 Downing Street &  Westminister. Prime Minister David Cameron was said to be “stunned” by the news, the importance of which he realised “immediately”.

No current cabinet member is believed to be involved, but it is said that the affair could be as publicly shocking as that between John Major and Edwina Currie which was kept secret for almost two decades.

grey01John & Edwina: Quiet Look of Love

Conservative England of today is different from its past. There was also a time when Dorothy Macmillan had an affair that lasted 30 years. Everyone knew but nobody talked.

The prime minister was Harold Macmillan; his wife was Lady Dorothy, rooted by birth in the English aristocracy, and her lover was Bob Boothby, later ennobled by Macmillan as Baron Boothby of Buchan and Rattray Head.The affair ended only with Dorothy’s death in 1966.

In meetings the Prime Minister Cameron and his aides discussed the potential implications of the affair becoming public, and the damage it could do to major political plans, the Mail reported.

Boris Johnson will retire into a blissful “bucolic existence” within five years, as he has no desire to serve another term as Mayor or try to be Prime Minister.

The London Mayor insisted he would no longer be in a powerful role by 2018 after fresh speculation that he “desperately” wants David Cameron’s job.

The basics of the story are this, as the Mail recently reported:

David Cameron has held crisis talks at Downing Street after being told of allegations of a sensational love affair which has potentially significant political implications for him.

The Prime Minister and his aides also discussed the possible fallout should details of the affair become public – and how such disclosure could ‘blow out of the water’ any major political set pieces planned by No 10.

AS REPORTED: two people not married to each other did the bump and grind and no one is allowed to say who they are.

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Let’s Live in Peace & Harmony

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My Final Message – Chin Peng

Chin Peng

Published by Media Masters, Singapore, 2003. 527 page

(The Unsung Hero To Return?)

[UPDATE:  BANGKOK (AFP) – Malaysia’s renowned former communist fighter Chin Peng, who led a guerrilla campaign against British colonial rule, died in exile in Thailand on Monday, 16 September 2013 according to his military liaison. The 89-year-old, who left Malaysia around five decades ago, had been hospitalised in Bangkok for several years.

“He died this morning of cancer,” said General Pisarn Wattanawongkiri, a former Thai military commander and point of contact between Chin Peng and the authorities.

Born Ong Boon Hua in Malaysia’s north, Chin Peng was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and won two medals for helping the British fight the Japanese in Malaya during World War II.]

****************************************************************************************************

Essentially, we all live in a cosmopolitan world comprising of every colour, race & creed – tall or short, big or small. Without exception, east to west, north to south, no country is mono-ethnic any more . . . what with international migration & mobility, influx of refugees brought on by wars, changing economic circumstances & opportunities, rapid transport & communication, most national populations are constantly in a state of flux & movement.

Under such circumstances, the difficulty of claiming where you belong stands supreme. However, if you owe allegiance & loyalty to where you are then the right of living in the country of your adoption should raise no question. Of course, for those living in the place of their birth, all legitimacy of being sons of the soil (termed “bumiputras” as in Malaysia) goes without any dispute or gainsaying.

Most of the original inhabitants of a place are often lost by way of domination & even marginalised by the superimposition of the higher culture. We see good examples in North & South America, Canada and Australia.

All human beings are the same the world over with the same hope, dreams & aspirations. All discriminations, oppression & domination should be ruled out. US, the greatest democratic nation in the world, so proclaimed & enshrined it in its constitution that “all men are equal”. Yet utterly unbelievable & shamefully, it is promoting domination rather than advocating peaceful co-operation & harmonious living.

With reference to Malaysia, whatever promotions the “Barisonputras” undertake like the recent Astro TV screening of “Unsung Heroes”, strong political overtone & hidden agenda are clearly & evidently attached. Why only involved the selected Indian community? Aren’t there no other unsung heroes from the other communities? Ironically, the 1Malaysia Policy is setting racial communities apart causing polarisation. Divide & rule is the name of the game.

I can think of many “unsung heroes” but suffice right now for me to mention just one man – Chin Peng, a true national patriot whose cause for national sovereignty & security caused him a lifetime of struggle & suffering. By any definition, he is an unsung hero, devoting his life to fighting against the Japanese invaders of Malaya (then known, now Malaysia) during WW2.

The British colonial masters were already driven out of the country by the Japanese leaving it defenceless.

For his part in the Japanese defeat, Chin Peng was awarded the OBE by the British Crown & two war medals in January 1947.

A nation like a tree got to have roots. The deeper the roots are the stronger the tree will be to weather the storm & withstand the test of time. Culturally, nationals must know their roots, with warts and all like China, before finding their wings to fly & soar. You can’t change history nor can you cover it up. Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat & other Malay folk heroes, whoever they were, their bodies may be dead & buried, but their spirits live on. Why would politicians take them off from the school history text books? What shame & hurt will the “Barisonputras” want to hide & erase history’s past? This is a serious indictment indeed!

Chin Peng now excile in Thailand

          Chin Peng (aka Ong Boon Hua) OBE. Born October 22, 1924. Age 89 Still living in exile in Thailand

Chin Peng (Chinese: 陳平, Mandarin Chén Píng), former OBE, born Ong Boon Hua (Chinese: 王文華, Pinyin Wáng Wén Huá) in 1924, was a long-time leader of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). A determined patriot fighter & anti-colonialist, he led the party’s guerrilla insurgency first against the Japanese in WW2 & in the Malayan Emergency, fighting against British and Commonwealth forces in an attempt to establish an independent Communist state.

After the MCP’s defeat and subsequent Malaysian independence in 1957, Chin waged a campaign against the new state of Malaysia in an attempt to replace its government with a Communist one from exile, until signing a peace accord with the Malaysian government in 1989. (Wikipedia).

Chin Peng's Ancestral Home in ChinaChin Peng’s Ancestral Home in Putian, Fuzhou Province, China (Courtesy of Francis)

Chin Peng was born (October 22, 1924) in Sitiawan, Perak (residents refer to it as City-A-One) , the same birth place as the ex-MCA president Dato Dr Ling Liong Sik. He’s a genuine son of the soil – Malaysia’s very own.

Following briefly is the chronological main events in his life:

January 1940: Accepted as probationary member of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM); put in charge of Communist members in Sitiawan.

July 4, 1940: Leaves home.

December 1941: Communists’ offer of help accepted; joins the fight against the Japanese.

January 10, 1942: The first batch of the Malayan Peoples Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA)

1942: Meets future wife, Khoon Wah.

1945: World War II ends.

January 1946: Awarded 2 war medals; boycotts tour of British bases; forced to sign letter of apology. Later, Chin Peng is elected secretary-general of MCP.

Chin Peng - to fight to the end

Tunku Abndul Rahman

December 28, 1955: Baling Talks held with David Marshall and Tunku Abdul Rahman, unsuccessful because of surrender terms. After the Baling Talks, Chin Peng retires to Thailand. Ah Hai replaces him as acting Secretary-General in Malaya.

1960: The Emergency is officially declared at an end. However, fighting still continues. Special Malaysian government troops going by the name “Senoi Praaq” prove to be a thorn in Chin Peng’s side.

December 2, 1989: A peace treaty is signed between the communists, Thailand and Malaysia. The long, hard war the British had preferred to term an Emergency was over.

#A point of interest here: Chin Peng’s story & his dealings with the British sound like opening the pages of the same as with Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden. Once the purpose is served, people can easily be dispensed with.

October 6–8, 2004: Chin Peng visits Singapore for 3 days to speak at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies (ISEAS).

2005: Chin Peng is pending to return to Malaysia. His hearing was scheduled for May 25, 2005, and the High Court postponed it to July 25, 2005. This application was subsequently rejected.

June 2008: Chin Peng’s lost his bid to return to Malaysia when the Court of Appeal demanded he showed identification papers to prove his Malayan citizenship. (Source: Wikipedia)

Modern KL

Pernas Twin Tower

Malaysia a modern democratic nation. Pernas Twin Towers in KL

Now what kind of law & justice is this rejecting Chin Peng from returning to his homeland Malaysia, a place where he fought to preserve? He is 89 now & in the twilight years of his life. He wants to return home rather than living in exile in Thailand. His return – one of the terms of 1989 peace agreement – is unfairly denied.

This is Malaysian justice rejecting its own son from returning home to roost. The worst scenario is that the “Barisonputras” would shamelessly accord citizenship freely to foreigners from Asia & the right to vote to ensure their permanent grip of political power.

Let’s live in peace & harmony

Let Chin Peng return home.

You be the judge & jury!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NydPyN-f6iw&feature=share&list=PL00907FBF6FB8CEF6

© Paul Chong

A Chinese by Descent

An Australian by Consent.

23 July 2013

United States of America: Possible Breaking Up?

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Photo of Igor Panarin
Image via Wikipedia

By P Chong                                   Wednesday, 17 August 2011

 As though things weren’t bad enough for the Americans, Russian Prof. Igor Panarin, 50 years old, a former KGB analyst, Dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry‘s academy for future diplomats, invited to Kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media as an expert on U.S.-Russia relations, predicted the breaking up of the United States of America in 2010.

 Greed & cut-throat politics have left the United States in political stalemate.

Bankruptcy covers the US political landscape.

Source: RCG illustration/Paula C. Rondeau

Generally, all politicians initially start off with similar idealistic goals like peace, prosperity, health & success for everyone. The problem is not with the question of policy but implementation and polarisation results.

Democracy is “Demo Crazy” as demonstrated crazily all over the world.

With crippling unemployment, home foreclosures, years of overspending, and the makings of a second Great Depression, American citizens have called on politicians to do just one thing – unite & work together.

However, over the decades, political rift between left & right has grown from the size of a sidewalk crack to opposite ledges of the Grand Canyon – with miles of desolate, rocky terrain between the two . . . making it increasingly difficult to work in unity. Something has to give. Either the nation discovers the way to true unity, or it will disintegrate or dismantle itself from within.

It’s not a question of being “too big to fall or fail” but more so of being “falling harder.” The larger and more complex a system, the more likely it is to break down. A simple pendulum with few moving parts could last many more years.

America now has a population of some 300 million people, 50 states, and more federal, state and local agencies than anyone can possibly list. It is hard to govern such a large, complex and populous system when anything goes seriously wrong.

A lot is going wrong right now.

The U.S. military agrees that the chance of a break down in the system is real:

  • the use of American troops to quell civil unrest is likely if worsening economic crisis persists

  • warning that the U.S. military must prepare for a “violent, strategic dislocation inside the United States” that could be provoked by “unforeseen economic collapse” or “loss of functioning political and legal order.”

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned of riots and unrest in global markets if the ongoing financial crisis is not addressed and lower-income households are beset with credit constraints and rising unemployment, the Phoenix Business Journal reported.

The Defence Department has made plans to deploy 20,000 troops nationwide by 2011 to help state and local officials respond to emergencies.

In other words, the government is predicting that systems will break down.

Here’s an amazing outlook, hilarious too!

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a convenient way of measuring and comparing the size of national economies. Annual GDP represents the market value of all goods and services produced within a country in a year. Put differently:GDP = consumption + investment + government spending + (exports – imports)

Frank Jacobs loves maps, but finds most atlases too predictable. He collects and comments on all kinds of intriguing maps—real, fictional, and what-if ones—and has been writing the Strange Maps blog since 2006, first on WordPress and now for Big Think. His map “US States Renamed For Countries With Similar GDPs” has been viewed more than 587,000 times. An anthology of maps from this blog was published by Penguin in 2009 and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Creator of this strange map: Frank Jacobs

Malaysia: “UMNO Might . . . Malay Slight”

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Hishammuddin's act of waving the keris (tradit...
Image via Wikipedia

By P Chong                                                                           Friday, 11 March 2011

It shall come to pass . . .

Given enough rope, self-destruction is our hope!

UMNO killing their own kind!

May 13, 1969 marked the darkest period in the history of Malaysia . . . a socio-political watershed that saw the rise of UMNO from its near defeat in the polls. Defeat was hard to take, and UMNO under the guise of Barisan Nasional, a weighted political alliance with MCA & MIC (the Chinese & Indian political components), began to wield its control, implementing a host of legislations to ensure their future domination. These legislated policies embrace virtually everything: education, economics & trade, religion, special Bumiputra rights & privileges . . . just about anything the UMNOputra could lay their hands on.

Needless to say, it’s outright thieving & robbery the way the policies were implemented. If acquisition were on meritocracy ground, then all would be fair & square. But to outstrip & deprive the other fellow citizens of their rights & possessions is contrary to all laws of humankind.

The Internal Security Act forbids you to crying out loud lest you face imprisonment without trial. MCA & MIC are both political stooges or more like puppets on the string. The takers have them all . . . wealth, power & might. The kris (the Malaysian dagger) has often been used to threaten & intimidate the deprived non-Bumiputra citizens even in Parliament.

Yes, the UMNOputra Malay political elites have been king since the sixties wielding its might. However, the majority of the indigenous Malays are being slighted. The beneficiaries are only the UMNOputra politicians & their cronies. What’s been created is a class of UMNOputra politicians rich beyond the reach of the traditional kampong folks, who are not any better.

The only tangible benefits enjoyed by the traditional Malay folks are the abundance of mosques for their daily prayers, help & financial assistance for Mecca pilgrimage, easy & lower entry access to higher tertiary learning, privileged allocations to home purchases & jobs in the government sectors etc. In short, it’s one of spoon-feeding & handouts all the way! These economic crutches turned out to be more harmful than good – for the Malays, easy going as they are in their nature, are being disadvantaged in the world of keen competitiveness.

Economic activities in Malaysia, by & large, are still in the hands of the Chinese, Indians & a smaller percentage of others. These people take their economic plight in their strides . . . assiduously powering on. Businesses, big or small, are all over in the land of opportunities with the people who won’t say “die”. But being able to survive does not justify for discrimination or deprivation. I say, hard work will not a person killed, but sheer laziness or idleness will. You can’t knock a good man down!

The grievances of the non-Bumiputra are many & varied. Suffice for me to mention in passing. Pride, dignity & the ability to stand tall are far more valuable in the world of survival and globalisation.

Who is culling the Malay race? Are you becoming more advanced & progressive? Or are you still seeking to be a kept citizen, humble & deluded by having the State to look after you?

To quote the words of Dean Alfange:

“I will never cower before any master, nor bend to any threat

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid,

to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefits of

my creations and to face the world boldly, and to say

‘This I have done.’ All this is what it means to be a Man.”

To grow to progress is to change: “UMNO Might . . . Malay Slight!”

Related Articles:

*   Happenings In Our Beloved Land, Malaysia

What You Don’t Know About George Soros

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By P Chong                                                                                        Sun. 17 Oct. 2010


 

According to Wikipedia, George Soros born August 12, 1930, as Schwartz György is a Hungarian-American currency speculator, stock investor, businessman, philanthropist, and liberal political activist. He became known as “the Man Who Broke the Bank of England” after he made a reported $1 billion during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crises.

Soros is chairman of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Institute and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations. He played a significant role in the peaceful transition from Communism to Capitalism in Hungary (1984–89), and provided Europe’s largest-ever higher education endowment to Central European University in Budapest. Later, his funding and organisation of Georgia‘s Rose Revolution was considered by Russian and Western observers to have been crucial to its success. In the United States, he is known for donating large sums of money in an effort to defeat President George W. Bush‘s bid for re-election in 2004. He helped found the Center for American Progress.

“George Soros has made his mark as an enormously successful speculator, wise enough to largely withdraw when still way ahead of the game. The bulk of his enormous winnings is now devoted to encouraging transitional and emerging nations to become ‘open societies,’ open not only in the sense of freedom of commerce but – more important – tolerant of new ideas and different modes of thinking and behaviour”.

GEORGE SOROS, railway porter-turned-billionaire financier, has been a prominent international supporter of democratic ideals and causes for more than 30 years. He has delivered a stark warning that the financial world is on the wrong track and that we may be hurtling towards an even bigger boom and bust than in the credit crisis. His good sides are well documented, but what about his seedy sides?

Here are some very little known facts about Soros:

  • He’s held as a philanthropist and a saviour of the world by his zombies. Maybe they too, like Obama maniacs, will break the evil spell they are under.
  • Calvina Fay of the Drug Free America Foundation declared billionaire George Soros to be an “extremely evil person” who wants to legalise dangerous mind-altering drugs. Fay said that Soros, an atheist who is a major funder of the Democratic Party and liberal-left causes, is “our common enemy” and that he is determined to subvert traditional values and undermine America’s families.
  • Soros seems like a nice old man. Soros has been called a hypocrite for wanting the rich to pay more to help the poor but he evades paying taxes. Watch here how angry he gets when the interviewer asks about his other businesses he avoids paying taxes on.
  • Leave him alone! He’s just an old man. Yeah, right. That’s what they said about Nazi Adolf Eichmann when Israel’s Mossad captured him. As you probably are not aware, Soros is a Jew but not a practising one. He is an atheist whose real name is Schwartz. Soros is an admitted Nazi collaborator who betrayed his own Jewish people to Adolph Eichmann himself. He just told them he was a Christian and helped the fascists also capture the Jew’s wealth.
  • Dr. James David Manning, PhD says George Soros was in control of Barack Hussein Obama.
  • Soros is just a crook. He is a felon. He was convicted in 2002 for insider trading in France.
  • He’s the modern day Robin Hood. He’s predicting the sinking ship of the Democrats come November & would leave it to keep himself afloat.

 

On YouTube you’ll find a whole series of video clips that would provide you with further negative information about this devious character of a man. You can best start off with “Prometheus: the Mysterious Mr. Soros”.

It is said that with the long arm of the law,

“You can run but you cannot hide”.

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Capitalism – The Sense of Morality

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Capitalism – The Sense of Morality

This poem of mine was initially written in the 80s

at the time when Australia was plagued with economic

recession, ‘Bottom of the Harbour Schemes’, political leadership struggle

between John Howard & Andrew Peacock . . . nothing like the scale & magnitude

of the present global economic crisis.

enjoy_capitalism

“Capitalism creates a rational frame of mind which, having destroyed the moral authority of so many other institutions, in the end turns against its own.” – Joseph A. Schumpeter

CAPITALISM is good: it generates a lot of food

Growth and progress begin to shoot.

Materialism and consumerism grow

Discontentment and greed get out of control.

Disillusionment and immorality are sins of the century

When aims and energy are directed essentially towards prosperity.

Ethics and morality are no longer strong

Thus the nature of things just go wrong.

The song of the century hits your mind:

“When you hang your soul on the line,

Is it worth the price you pay for the money you make?”

Certainly creates the disillusionment for the day.

Sins occur here and there and everywhere

All sense of value and morality fly through the air.

Delinquency and street kids multiply in folds

When every action and freedom can never be told.

There is decay in every facet of society.

Nothing good can be guaranteed.

Fast Buck rules in politics as in business.

Loyalty, morality, trust and faith are silenced by greediness.

We are drifting away from the proper way,

Indulging in escapism, sex, drugs and alcohol as we sway.

In our search for fulfilment

We are lost in our apparent contentment.

There’s a way and it’s God’s way:

Search your heart and soul and pray.

There can be no other way

Having Jesus in your heart will not make you sway.

Paul Chong

A Chinese by Descent

An Australian by Consent

Tiananmen Square: Protestors’ Debacle

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Tiananmen Square: Protestors’ Debacle

(By Paul Chong)

“Tiananmen” means “The Gate of Heavenly Peace”.

The catch-cry of “Harmonious Living” as advocated by President Hu Jintao

is a befitting slogan to live by in this world of war, gloom & depression,

greed, drugs & soaring crime. Living in peace & harmony, is not just for China

but globally, most importantly.

tiananmen_gate.jpg

The pages of history bespeak the truth of the power of ancient China, long before the rise of Western power as the Romans, Greeks, Spain, the Dutch, Portuguese, British or the Americans. Admittedly, China had long history of wars – but all within its own boundaries & territories. It never conceived the grandeur ambition of conquest of other nations. All it ever wanted & interested in was trade and recognition by way of “tributes” to the Chinese Emperors. While it never encroached upon the sovereignty of other nations, the same cannot be said with nations outside the Great Wall of China. The chapters on colonisation & imperialism should be henceforth closed.

When you look at the atrocities & miseries violated upon the men, women & children in the warring countries of Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan & others, you wonder what is the sense of all this! We are not savages still dwelling in caves, but certainly are reduced to the status as such without pity or compassion. Under the guise of outreach of democracy & blinding the people & other nations with visionary grandeur of aiding the countries trodden upon, US has rhetorically justified for its action. War solves nothing but creates “crying & suffering”.

The army of China is rightly & significantly known as Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) . . . it’s for the people . . . always helping peoples’ plight during floods,  earthquakes & other dangers. It’s unthinkable & insane to believe the PLA would inflict its people with pain & suffering. The same can be said in respect of the Chinese communist leaders. The tanks did roll out onto the Tiananmen Square but they were not shooting down the protestors. Shots were fired – only to scare & disperse the teeming crowd. With night fall civil commotion & riot got out of hand . . . places & properties were set on fire. Order  had to be maintained & tough decisions taken.

In retrospect, it would have been a great disaster for China had the authorities not taken a firm hand in dealing with the Tiananmen Square protests in June 1989. The wily political ploy of the West had seen to the disintegration of Yugoslavia & the Soviet Union, and no less the same could have happened to China then. To quote Prof. Kevin Deluca, an associate professor of communications at the University of Utah & author of “Image Politics”:

“Quite simply, no government, democratic or not, allows

such violence within its own borders. Providing peace &

stability, even by force if necessary, is what government do.”

090526140530_tiananmen_students_446.jpg Faces of Tiananmen Square Protestors

Western media focus essentially on sensationalism to boost their profitable bottom line & would to the extent of fixing & twisting the truth to achieve their objectives. Their embrace of Dalai Lama & bending the truth about the Tibetan riots in the lead up to Beijing Olympics totally distort all historical facts of the Dalai Lama & the true state of affairs of the then oppressed Tibetans. Truth always prevail. There’s no need for defence.

175px-Flag_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China.svg(The Flag of China – Tibet is represented by one of the Stars)

People generally like to present their lovely front yard, while their backyards are often neglected. Or they say people living in glass house shouldn’t throw stones. Western media are excellent in turning deaf ears & closing their eyes on problems within their own backyards – because bad publicity would jeopardize their apparent clean image. They need, in all fairness & justice, abandon their simplistic political stance, to present news in true perspective.

images

(Popular image as depicted in Western media)

The crackdown of the Tiananmen Square protests, contrary to western propaganda media, really was a step in the right direction. The lifting up of the Bamboo Curtain & the capitalism-cum-socialism system as propounded by Deng Xiaoping would have laid in waste over the muddy economic sea. PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING & INSIGHT INTO THE WHOLE DEBACLE. (ABOUT 3 HOURS & IN MANDARIN & SOME ENGLISH).

<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/uyauJ34d2K0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

Today, China has come of age, standing tall & strong on the international economic platform. With the present economic crisis, people globally are now opening their eyes & clamouring to deal with China. Geographically speaking, as the sun sets in the West, it will surely rise in the East.

By

Paul Chong

A Chinese by Descent

An Australian by Consent

Thursday 28 May 2009

6.00 am


The Japanese Dilemma

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SANY0496The Japanese Dilemma (By Paul Chong)

The second largest economy in the world is facing a mental crisis – the dilemma of change.

Beneath all that gloss & shine lies the problematic issue of change in order

to grow & progress. It is running out of options and solutions are difficult

in the face of aged old traditions & conservative social system.

The world market has long been dominated by such big names as Toyota, Honda, Sony, Seiko, Panasonic among others, proving its greater economic power over the US, if not militarily. Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State, made Tokyo her first destination of call in her inaugural Asian outreach, and to top it up, I believe the first foreign dignitary to be invited by Obama to the White House is none other than the Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso – reflecting Japan’s importance on the world stage.

However, they say that all that glitter is not gold. Japan is facing the economic headwind of the global crisis, with its economic system breakdown responsible for its post-war economic success. As international trade collapses, demand for Japanese goods diminishes.

Life in Japan, socially, economically & politically, is not a bed of roses any more. Since its war aggression & shameful exit from the world stage after its defeat in WW2, Japan has sort of retreated into its own protective sphere. Its emergence as an economic power came about as a great “imitator” of western produce. It draws its experiences from the western models which paid off in handsome dividends. Of course, it had massive outpouring of aid & help from US.

Basically, Japan has become a nation of bureaucrats. Its social fabric is so deeply entrenched with conservative traditions & archaic cultural values, making changes difficult. What’s needed is a mental revolution in keeping with changing times & circumstances.

Japan has long held the concept that its Emperor is direct descendant from Heaven & is the Son of Heaven to be revered. Armed with this self-esteem they set out to conquer Asia & the rest of the world in WW2, but sadly they were vanquished & made its shameful exit.

Japan suffered war humiliation. The first atomic bomb was dropped in Nagasaki & Hiroshima. After its shameful surrender, it retreated under the protective arm of bureaucracy of safety & predictability. Bureaucrats controlled every phase of their daily life. The Japanese became a nation of lifetime employment with a large middle class where people are similarly equal.

This however is quite contrary to the traditional Japanese life where social hierarchy long existed with class distinction and unequal distribution of wealth & privileges. This egalitarian society was a creation of the 1970s with its progressive taxation, redistribution of wealth, subsidies and the dampening of competition through regulation. Protection works well so long there’s no major upheaval in global situation. People can become lame ducks when they rely or become over dependent upon the bureaucrats.

Much of Japanese innovative ideas have been based upon outside models by perfecting on others’ creations. Since the middle of 19 century, Japan’s economic success could draw upon lots of outside models – from communist Russia’s ideas of planning to the US industrial development. This arena is now exhausted – but the Japanese are now totally unprepared for a “tsunami” of global doom & gloom.

Unlike the West, where success is achieved more on an individualistic basis & the dare to venture, in Japan success is totally on a collective basis, bureaucratic order & placement. People are beginning to feel insecure when employment is no longer a hallmark of guarantee. People are at a loss. The national health & pension plans are tattered, Depressed & suffering, Japanese are prone to suicide. Japan has the world’s highest rate of suicide & “Hikikomori” (acute social withdrawal) among the rich nations.

The most pressing social problem is that of a declining & ageing population. If the present trend were to continue, without the replacement intake of new migrants, the present 130 million is likely to go as low as 90 million in 50 years, more or less. Some 40% of the Japanese would be over 65.

It’s taboo to advocate or even talk about immigration. The Japanese have always considered themselves as a superior race & their Emperor as “Son of Heaven”. They would for all purposes & intent continue to keep their race “pure” & keep outsiders out. The modern concept of human resources is based on vitality & productivity. If the open door policy is unacceptable, perhaps Japan might think about doing it on a selective basis by welcoming only the “brainy” ones with incentives, as what Singapore has adopted.

Politically, Japan has seen a number of frequent changes in its leaders, which do not augur well for political stability. Prime Minister Taro Aso’s rating is low & for want of a better choice, the country seems to be devoid of good strong leadership.

I have often advocated the concept of “to grow, to progress is to change”. Obama used the keynote of “change” to propel himself from obscurity to the stage of respectability in the White House – by no means an easy task for the first Afro-American. Japan needs the same dose of medicine to change if it’s to maintain its leading economic position or to compete with its giant of a neighbour, China – now a true mighty dragon awakened from its peaceful slumber, & its rise as a regional superpower & world power!

Paul Chong

A Chinese by Descent

An Australian by Consent

Wednesday, 4 March 2009

Order Prevails Or Chaos Assails

On By Paul7 Comments

ATT5692491
C1718460Society must be willing to forgo some liberty for security
For order must prevail otherwise chaos assails.

I have always admired two great American heroes – Abraham Lincoln & Benjamin Franklin. Both had the ability to express themselves to effectively convey their messages in simple terms by what historian David McCullough would describe as “painting with words.”

In retrospect, I have heard many a good speaker in my times, whether they are political or religious. It is the simplicity of words that best convey the message, and messages are ever remembered if they are well “painted with words.” President John Kennedy is well remembered for “Ask not what the country can do for you but you for the country.”

Drawing from my own personal experience in my University days, two outstanding speakers are Lee Kuan Yew and Professor Wang Gungwu, then the Chair of History at the University of Malaya in 1960s. “Harry” Lee’s choice of words is simple as compared with the academically bombastic words of Professor Wang. Listening with ease rather than with full concentration beats the mood of communication anytime.

In a country as huge and diversified as China, it’s no easy task to run and maintain peace and harmony. It took great communication skills and personal human relationship on the part of Mao Zedong to marshal the full support of the whole nation. His little “Red Book” was likened to the Bible then.

Great leaders arise often in times of crisis. Heroes are but ordinary human beings who would undertake the extraordinary. They would have the guts and tenacity, faith and responsibility, to dare and to lead with the vision and mission to accomplish and maintain a strong nation. We are beginning to see the emergence of such heroes in the persons of President Hu Jintao and his Primier Wen Jiabao of China.

Resilient and self reliant as China is throughout the ages, even to the extent of isolation from the West, the Chinese have demonstrated time and again their survival feats against all odds without outside help or assistance. The great annual floods of the Huangho (Yellow River), famines, the Japanese War and atrocities are some such examples.

Now when it seems like smooth sailing with years of double-digit economic growth and the country in a quantum leap of development, China is being plagued with one disaster after another. First it was the devastation of the winter storm and havoc, and now another natural calamity has struck with the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan. In between, the West is stirring up more political trouble for China with the Tibetan issue and the Olympics.

Out of all these, the Chinese leaders have demonstrated their fortitude to brave the storms and perils. In times of crisis, the nationals have stood by solidly behind their leaders. Outstandingly, overseas Chinese have all shown and demonstrated their support. This is evidently a show of faith and courage.

Watching the continuous news broadcasts on CCTV, including the TV Channels of Sichuan and Shanxi, I am particularly impressed with the leadership of Premier Wen Jiabao. Who would have seen or heard or even thought of any country’s primier personally directing the rescue operation right on the scene? Wen Jiabao is right there on the spot with instruction and direction, sympathy and compassion, help and encouragement. He exhibits the sterner stuff that heroes are made of.

Sad and distressful as it is, picture in your mind of hundreds and thousands of soldiers deployed in the rescue operations, communities volunteering, leaders leading and encouraging. Added to paint a more touching aspect, you have thousands of people in lengthy queues digging into their pockets to make their financial contributions.

China always prove it’s unassailable. Whatever the Western powers preach about the merits of democracy, the Katrina catastrophe, however, paints a much different picture. Benjamin Franklin would say this: “He does not possess wealth; it possesses him.” People can be so materialistic and self-centered that community spirit becomes lacking.

They say power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Money and greed can be counted in like token. Likewise with liberty. Too much of anything leads to nowhere except chaos. Without order, chaos reigns.

Thus I say
Society must be willing to forgo some liberty for security
For order must prevail otherwise chaos assails.

Paul Chong ©
(16 May 2008  @ 5.07 AM)
A Chinese by Descent
An Australian by Consent.

Western Democratic Imperialism

On By Paul4 Comments

Double Rainbow
image00927Western Democratic Imperialism
There is an age-old saying in Chinese: ‘Xiushen qijia zhiguo pintianxia.’ Literally translated it means: ‘look after yourself; look after family, look after your country, all will be peaceful under heaven.’  The saying is a verified truism and is only threatened or disrupted by external interference or aggression. The ethical basis and moral framework of society rest on the importance of personal responsibility. Each individual must be accountable and responsible for his own action.

The word nation in the Chinese language means ‘guojia’ – national family. It is this complex of individual families that made up a nation. In the Western world the ethical basis for society is abandoned largely for that much-clamoured human right, believing too that all problems can be solved by a good government. This is never believed to be possible in the East.

Human right must not be upheld at the expense of orderly society. Where the diminution of personal responsibility and moral erosion are overlooked, chaos sets in. A materialistic civilization breeds ills over and above those of a philosophical civilization. The lights of guns, drugs, violent crimes, vagrancy, all sorts of unruly behaviour and hell surface in the best of times, what more in a disaster, like  the  catastrophic Katrina, and the worst may yet be.

There’s always enough for human needs, but not for human greed. Materialism and capitalism thus often lead to moral degradation. Under the guise of democracy, liberation & freedom, the Bush Administration managed to “cover up” its true motives through lies, deceit & its glorified humanitarian objectives in misleading the American public & the world to invade Iraq.

In trying to propagate the Western brand of democratic imperialism, Bush has overlooked his own backyard. Much is left to be said even of its historical past and present where human rights are questioned. Justice must not just be heard but seen to be in practice, otherwise it’s like blowing hot air in the desert. The US Government has suffered a total breakdown of its civil society in the wake of “only water” (Hurricane Katrina) in New Orleans.

Lessons from the past with the Korean & Vietnamese Wars have failed to sink in with the Bush Administration. Its invincibility cannot however match up with the hearts & mind of the people fighting for the cause of their motherland.

To indiscriminately foist the democratic system on societies where it’s not workable only brings on more problems. There are many forms of government in the world even today. It’s not just democracy as the be all and end of all. Historically, societies had adopted systems of government best suited to their needs and circumstances. What works for one country may not necessarily works for another. Nations need to respect each other’s sovereignty. To each his own. Respect begets respect. Honour begets honour. Even with democracy, variants exist. The American brand is not necessarily the best brand or best suited to the needs of any nation.

The Big Brother Syndrome must not be in play. Guarding sovereignty & peaceful coexistence is the day.

Paul Chong
(Tuesday, 20 September 2005)