Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Four More Years

Obama's re-election for a second term is sweet.

Recall that at a local conference in early February 2008, it was Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, no less, who labelled Obama as a “flash in the pan”. He continued to exhibit public disdain and lack of enthusiasm for the Democratic candidate, right until the moment when the financial crisis hit corporate America in September 2008. The daughter-in-law had invested heavily in Bank Of America shares.

In stark contrast, Lee spoke effusively about John McCain in laudatory terms, lavishing public praise on the senator’s record and experience in government, all but endorsing him as Singapore’s choice for President of the United States. Even the Straits Times got in on the act, hosting a joint commentary authored by John  McCain and fellow senator Joe Lieberman on the subject  of the US’ commitment to Asia on the opening day of the 2008 Shangri-La dialogue, an annual gathering of defence ministers held in Singapore.

Today, even as the score card showed the electoral votes for the Democrats clear the 270 halfway mark, the ChannelNewsAsia team was still rooting for Obama's opponent. And, while Obama was delivering his powerful thank you speech, the CNA newsfeed scrolled that the US dollar tumbled against the Euro at the news of the historic re-election.

All probably because one man claimed, and probably still claims to his dying day, Singapore is not ready for an Indian prime minister.

You bet Obama scares him. Especially when the man said what makes USA great is that the country welcomes dissenting views and voices. This is a guy who says it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what you look like, or where you loved. It doesn't matter if you are black or white, or hispanic or asian, or native american, or young or old, rich or poor, able or disabled, gay or straight..... we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions. But of course, Obama doesn't have to contend with a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system that was implemented because of one man's belief that votes are cast along racial lines.

23 comments:

  1. LOL. Good one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did President Obama ever care?
    Does the Old Man of Sin determine
    anything in the US?

    What did President Obama do when he
    visited Sin other than enjoy the hospitality?

    Anyway, this tiny dot just do not matter to
    US except to make use of it whenever it
    wants to. Singapore at its' best is only a
    pawn to the US, nothing more.

    patriot

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think it is a racial thing, based on his dablings in eugenics, where he tried to fit race vs intelligence into a Bell curve distribution. Here is what he said:

    "The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to do with culture. The whites score on average 100. Asians score more ... the Bell curve authors put it at least 10 points higher. These are realities that, if you do not accept, will lead to frustration because you will be spending money on wrong assumptions and the results cannot follow." - Lee Kuan Yew, The Man & His Ideas, 1997

    Well, the US election results certainly disproved him. So much for his forecasting, for which he is paid by our tax money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eugenics is an excuse for their having superior genes that entitles them to be at the top of the heap in our meritocratic society. Look at ESM Goh who do not have the Ho-Lee genes; he was PM but where are his siblings, wife and children?

      Delete
  4. LKY is not a great man. He created cosmetics to conceal the ugly side of PAP. Once they run out of cosmetics, they used all available controlled media to throw smoke and hide their true color. Singapore need a clean leader that can stand up to open debate instead of shying behind their controlled medias with pre-scripted irrelevant questions that has no value to citizens grievances.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right! A great man will never force his people to accept a good-for-nothing son as leader.

      Delete
  5. he was wrong four years ago and he still is eight years later. the world has changed, we're all moving forward, not going backward.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Obama wins in 2009.
    Confirm our old man is out of touch. Can't forecast anymore.
    Obama wins again in 2012.
    Double confirm our old man is out of touch. Forecasting ability is maybe gone forever?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Obama also mentioned it doesn't matter if you didn't vote for us.

    Now compare this with the old man' threat to We voters that we will have to repent if we voted for the opposition, doesn't this demonstrate that the old man needs to learn quite a few things from Obama ... Like respect and graciousness.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Obama says thank you to the people who voted for him.
    Our old man tells us we are daft for voting for him.
    GE 2016.
    Still want to be called daft?

    ReplyDelete
  9. And to think it was Obama that declared a "Pivot to Asia" and his administration that increased the ships based at Singapore's Changi Naval Base.

    This is how our govt repays him?

    ReplyDelete
  10. [STForum] US Electoral College ensures inclusive democracy

    "MR CHO Yan Fatt argued that there cannot be true democracy with the US Electoral College system ("No true democracy with US Electoral College system"; Forum Online, Tuesday)."

    http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/us-electoral-college-ensures-inclusive-democracy-20121108

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only when the mass media is government managed then there can be true democracy.

      Delete
    2. In a true democracy, Obama cannot win. The Election Commission won't issue him a certificate.

      Delete
    3. In a true democracy, a candidate can win a presidential election with only 1/3 of the popular vote.

      Delete
  11. It is no surprise that old man prefers a Republican President................republican are pro business pro rich does this not sound familiar.............

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very well said. The elites here wholesale copied Reaganism and Thatcherism when its suits them, like corporate tax cuts for corporates, GST hikes for all. Privatize public utilities (but only to your cronies). And a humongous housing bubble to benefit their GDP bonus, but foreigners cannot touch the elites' landed property. Having said that, don't dream, Obama is just another stooge for the bankers, the left supports printing more money and spend till eternity, the right support print more money but put it in my pockets.

      Delete
    2. Bottomline:
      Who would be better for Singaporeans?
      Obama, LHL or LKY?

      Delete
  12. Obama said politics is about the well being of American citizens. Name me a country where politics is about the well being of politicians and their cronies. Who would you rather vote for, a flash in the pan, or a fool in pink?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A father won't label his son "fool in pink". The later doesn't exist, so you can only vote for the former.

      Delete
  13. no question who grand old man would have voted for?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Woah! I'm really digging the template/theme of this website. It's simple, yet effective.

    A lot of times it's tough to get that "perfect balance" between superb usability and appearance. I must say you've done a superb job with this.
    In addition, the blog loads very fast for me on Internet explorer.
    Excellent Blog!

    Feel free to visit my web blog :: anarchism
    Feel free to surf my web page :: embroider

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello there. I noticed your website title, "Blogger: Singapore Notes" doesn't really reflect the content of your web site. When creating your website title, do you believe it's best to
    write it for Search engine marketing or for your audience?
    This is one thing I've been battling with because I want great rankings but at the same time I want the best quality for my website visitors.

    my web page :: http://magicmonkeys.net/wcms/elgg/pg/blog/ErikaBald/read/125824/greatest-web-planning-organization-prepare-your-own-web-design-depending-on-your-small-business-requires
    My web blog fawn

    ReplyDelete