DOES THE BUKIT BATOK BY-ELECTION REALLY MATTER?
Why the PAP will keep winning and the opposition keep losing

Even if Bukit Batok falls to SDP on the 7th of May, there will still be no change in the political landscape. I can bet you that PAP will again win by a landslide in the next general election and power will remain overwhelmingly with the PAP.

This is NOT because Singapore is too small for more than one political party. It is NOT because the late Mr Lee Kuan was such a massive  juggernaut of a personality that he would forever cast a shadow on local politics. It is NOT because the PAP has done such a great job that Singaporeans could find no reason to change their ruler. It is also NOT because the opposition forces are small, weak and divided.

I have a simple answer to explain  the inexorable dominance of the PAP over the last 51 years. I call it my Business Theory of Singapore Politics.

BUSINESS THEORY OF SINGAPORE POLITICS

My contention is that winning at elections to gain political power is the same as marketing a product successfully to make a sale. So, PAP and Opposition politics are like competitor products in a specific market; and voters are like fickle customers looking out to satisfy their needs and wants.

Whether knowingly or not, PAP has mastered the art of political marketing. In short, they know how their customers (voters) think and what they want, they know the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors (opposition politicians), they understand the market (how politics work), they have a unique selling proposition (their winning formula), they create publicity effectively (control of the mass media), they are consistent (they never change), they are focused (not distracted by truth or morals) and they build credibility (great track record of winning elections and achieving prosperity). Their political product was developed based on known demand.  So, is it any surprise that they are so successful? No. They know right where the demand is and they go after it.

On the other hand, the opposition does not have a coherent marketing strategy. They developed what they suspect is a good political product. They hope that people will one day discover how good their product is. So, while waiting for demand to increase, they spend most of their time engineering it. They keep telling customers (voters) how bad the competitor's product is, but forget to make efforts to understand their customers' (voters') needs and their dislike for change. So, the opposition has it upside down.

There is another factor at play. PAP has an inherent advantage in having an existing monopoly of the market and is the authority controlling the rules of market transactions (redrawing of constituencies, declaring changes in SMC or GRC status, timing election date, etc). The high barriers of entry into the political game consisting of high costs, the need for manpower resources and grassroots support add another layer of advantage to the PAP political machine.

The essential difference between them is that PAP came up with its product after understanding the needs and nature of the voters; whereas the Opposition has a product for which it tries to create demand. Opposition politics is a product in search of a market, so they put themselves out there and then pray that they win. If they don't win, they just complain about their difficulties, tries to talk about ethics and morality and play the victim.

That's why it is no surprise that PAP won 70% of the votes in the 2015 General Elections while opposition supporters call the 70% idiots and continue to be puzzled by the results. As long as the Opposition are still scratching their heads, they will get nowhere.

DONALD TRUMP
From Pro-choice To Pro-Life

There they go again! Everybody just becomes hysterical and goes nuts whenever Trump says something. Earlier, he had made clear that his position on abortion had gone from pro-choice to pro-life. So, consistent with that, in a TV interview, he opined that abortion ought to be illegal. If abortion is really made illegal, those who break such a law should logically face “some sort of punishment”, or else, what is a law for?  

In such a scenario, whether the doctor or patient should face the punishment is a debatable point, but such a debate will only take place when, if ever, this becomes law. So, there is absolutely nothing wrong with what Trump said. People are only jumping up and down and tearing their hair out because they have a different take on the issue. Trump is perfectly entitled to have his own opinion about it.

REMEMBERING LEE KUAN YEW 2
Daniel Contra Harry

Mr Lee Kuan Yew was one of the greatest political leaders in Asia, if not in the world. But, he was still human. Though I agree with him 95% of the time, a respectful remembrance of the great man is not complete without stating the 5% that I disagree. I'm sure Mr Lee himself  would have appreciated and approved it. So, here goes ...

1. On interfering in Singaporeans’ private lives:

“I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn’t be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn’t be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters – who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.” (The Straits Times, 20 April 1987)

My opinion is that it remains unproven whether such intrusions into the private lives of citizens were necessary to attain economic progress. In fact, a people who had their volition and autonomy habitually taken away would not be able to learn to think for themselves and would remain dependent and infantile. That would surely be detrimental to the development of our labor resources and ultimately, our long-term economic prospects.

2. On eugenics: 

“There are many sons of doctors who have married doctors. Those who married spouses who are not as bright are tearing their hair out because their children can’t make it. I have lived long enough to see all this play out.” “So when the graduate man does not want to marry a graduate woman, I tell him he’s a fool, stupid. You marry a non-graduate, you’re going to have problems, some children bright, some not bright. You’ll be tearing your hair out. you can’t miss. It’s like two dice. One is Jack, Queen, King, Ace, other also Jack, Queen, King, Ace. You throw a Jack, Queen, King, Ace against dice two, three, four, five, six, what do you get? You can’t get high pairs, let alone a full flush.” (Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going)

I think latest research has shown that inheritance of characteristics is much more complicated than that, especially for something as fluid, as unpredictable, as multi-faceted and as undefinable as intelligence. Also, we do not marry someone for the sole purpose of producing intelligent children alone; we marry our spouse because we love him/her.

3. On love: 

"I don’t believe in love at first sight. I think it’s a grave mistake. You’re attracted by physical characteristics and you will regret it." (Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going)

I think love at first sight is possible because you can make an unconscious yet great judgement in a split second. Research from psychological and behavioral economics as detailed by Malcolm Gladwell in his book "Blink" tells us that the adaptive unconscious in our mental processes can work rapidly and automatically from relatively little information. For those of us fortunate enough to experience it, we know that this is true. Love at first sight is not about beauty, but a eureka moment that is both authentic and enduring.

4. On the art of governance: 

“[i]f I were in authority in Singapore indefinitely, without having to ask those who are governed whether they like what is being done, then I have not the slightest doubt that I could govern much more effectively in their own interests.” (May, 1962, at the Royal Society of International Affairs, London, Lee Kuan Yew in his own words, 1959-1970)

I think it is unwise to rely on the judgement of one man, even if that man is yourself; or rather, especially if that man is yourself. Feedback from the subjects of such judgement is vital if we are to escape the errors brought about by personal prejudice.

5. On political opposition: 

“If we had considered them serious political figures, we would not have kept them politically alive for so long. We could have bankrupt them earlier.”  (Straits Times, Sept 14 2003)

To put your opponents at a disadvantage, even if it is in our power to do so, would make our victory hollow and invalid. I think the best way to defeat them is to utterly out-think, out-speak and out-do them in so convincing a fashion that they are left with no choice but to remain silent or to resort to irrationality. When our opponents become silent or irrational, we will win elections easily.

REMEMBERING MR LEE KUAN YEW
1923 -2015

I admire Mr Lee for 5 great qualities:

1. His honesty:

 “I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.”

2. His courage:

“I have been accused of many things in my life, but not even my worst enemy has ever accused me of being afraid to speak my mind.”

3. His wisdom:

“I was never a prisoner of any theory. What guided me were reason and reality. The acid test I applied to every theory or scheme was: Would it work? The acid test is in performance, not promises. It is not from weakness that one commands respect. As long as the leaders take care of their people, they will obey the leaders.”

4. His self-confidence:

“I have never been overconcerned or obsessed with opinion polls or popularity polls. I think a leader who is, is a weak leader. If you are concerned with whether your rating will go up or down, then you are not a leader. You are just catching the wind … you will go where the wind is blowing. And that’s not what I am in this for.”

5. His political astuteness:

"One man one vote is a most difficult form of government ... Results can be erratic."

DONALD TRUMP PARANOIA

Let's stop this manufactured paranoia about Donald Trump. Let's see clearly that this is the work of left-wing fascists; and the special interests and other lobby groups who fear that they have no hold over a future President Trump. Trump is a perfectly decent candidate.

                                          

DONALD TRUMP
His persecution has started

Threatening letter sent to Donald Trump's son, Eric
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/threatening-letter-sent-to-donald-trump-son-eric-trump/

The persecution of Donald Trump has already started. Coupled with the hacking of Trump's accounts by Anonymous and the dirty work currently being done by the GOP establishment, such criminal activities are an affront to the democratic principles upon which the American dream is built. Whatever one thinks of Mr Trump, the will of the voters must be respected and allowed to prevail.

HILLARY CLINTON
Can she be the President?

Is she a pathological liar?

                

Is she ignorant? Is she competent? Does she have good judgement and leadership?

   

                     
Let these questions be answered.

DONALD TRUMP
The confident, passionate and authentic patriot

It is a great mystery why there are so many naysayers and so much negative press surrounding Mr Donald Trump. If you watch this 1988 video below when Trump was interviewed by Oprah on The Oprah Winfrey Show, you will realize that despite a gulf of 28 years, what he was saying then are exactly the same things that he is saying now. About the US being ripped off by other countries economically and the need for better leadership, he has been consistent and authentic.

http://youtu.be/SEPs17_AkTI

The interesting thing about this old video is that the young Trump was unbelievable suave, articulate and handsome, though his mannerisms and phrasing have not changed.

When asked whether he would run for president in 1988, he said that he probably would not because he didn't have the inclination; but if he would, he would probably win! He kept emphasizing that he was tired of seeing his country being ruined and shared that he might run if the ruin continued.

So, here he is today as he had promised, soon to be confirmed as the Republican Party nominee. Mr Trump, I endorse you totally. Please make America great again, not just for Americans but for the rest of the world, to see your nation as the beacon of an ideal society based on science, democracy and capitalism.

IS DONALD TRUMP THE BADDEST MAN ON EARTH?
Quite The Contrary ...

By now, with the millions and millions of dollars' worth of negative ads against billionaire presidential candidate Donald Trump over the last few weeks, you could be forgiven if you start to think that this vulgar, ignorant, inexperienced, phony and dangerous fascist and religious bigot should never be allowed to run for the US presidency. Often called a sexist, a racist and a bully, the attacks on his intellect and his character seem unabated while the votes he earned kept on rising. To me, it seems such a mystery why so many people in his own party and in the media seem to hate him so much that they all forgot to be fair. Highly illustrative of such mocking ridicule is John Oliver's diatribe against Trump last week:

Oliver tried to pour cold water on Trump's supposed 4 qualities that attracted voters. Ok, let me truly address those 4 qualities:

(1) "We like him. He tells it like it is. He says what he means. I ..., I honestly believe he is telling the truth!"

Oliver misinterpreted this as a claim that Trump is 100% an honest guy and swiftly showed that Trump was often factually wrong and accused him of lying.

Well, Trump has his faults, but what people actually appreciate about him is not for being 100% honest, but for having the courage and forthrightness to tell people the ugly truth about the failures of his country and his fearless recommendations of politically-incorrect remedies.

(2) "He is funding his own campaign, nobody owns him!"

Oliver dwelled only on how little of his own money Trump actually spends on his campaign. He also highlighted that he actually receives donations from individual supporters.

Yet, Trump had repeatedly stressed that the unique thing about himself is that he does not owe any favour to any lobby or special interest group because he receives no money from them; and therefore would be free to act for the benefit of his country in whatever way he sees fit.

(3) "Trump is aggressive; and he is strong; and he is bold!"

Oliver humorously pointed out that Trump is actually a wimp because he has a laughably thin skin and often failed to carry out his threats to sue others.

Yet, what people see is that he can be quite unconventional and unpredictable in his thinking and opinions. He also seems unafraid to voice unpopular, outlandish and politically-incorrect statements against overwhelming odds. He doesn't hesitate to contradict himself and shows a willingness to sometimes change his mind and be flexible. That seems to attract voters who are fed up with the old inertia of true politicians.

(4) "I think Trump is an incredible businessman! If he runs the country like he runs his organization, we would be in good shape!"

Oliver talked about Trump's past business failures and financial difficulties; questioned the actual magnitude of his wealth and attributed his success to the head-start Trump got when he inherited millions from his father.

On the other hand, many people admired Trump for his optimistic self-confidence, his ability to think and dream big for his country, his resilience in recovering from every setback and most of all, his authenticity in passionately believing in what he is saying, pursuing power not for himself, but for unwisely setting aside his comfortable life to take on the thankless job of trying to make America great again.

Conclusion

If we see Trump through the lens of conventional politics, he seems like an ignorant and reckless opportunist who does not play by the normal rules of the game. But, if we believe he is the vanguard of a new movement of non-politics as a form of political innovation, then we may begin to understand this whole Donald Trump phenomenon. Apparently disgusted by the lack of success of conventional politics and politicians, Trump is now attempting to conduct politics as a form of business, borrowing heavily from his own business principles and expertise. He is now ready to be the President of the United States. The big question is whether the people are ready for him.

Meanwhile, we hear the chants: "USA! USA!"

ONLY IF ...

If your mind is trapped in a box,
It'll be as fixed as the equinox.
Only if you step out of your cage,
Can it go beyond the next stage.

If there's restraint in your ankles, 
It is just by imaginary shackles.
Only if you could recognize this,
Can you know what freedom is.

If you long to spread your wings,
Be open to all wonderful things.
Only if you could lift your eyes,
Can you be a ruler in the skies.

If you aim beyond simple reason,
Victory will come every season.
Only if you could take the heat.
Can you never bow to defeat.