Random thoughts for Cooling Off Day 2020

So it occurred to me that 29 years ago, Low Thia Khiang told the Hougang voters: "WA SI TEOCHEW NANG!" (I am a Teochew!) at one (or more) of his rallies.

And he snatched Hougang from the PAP.

Twenty-nine years later, the Workers Party couldn't even send a rep to the Chinese debate.

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Is the coronavirus airborne?

You might have seen this news article:

239 experts with 1 big claim: The coronavirus is airborne

In an open letter to the WHO, 239 scientists in 32 countries have outlined the evidence showing that smaller particles can infect people with Covid-19 and are calling for the agency to revise its recommendations.

06 July, 2020 

NEW YORK — The coronavirus is finding new victims worldwide, in bars and restaurants, offices, markets and casinos, giving rise to frightening clusters of infection that increasingly confirm what many scientists have been saying for months: The virus lingers in the air indoors, infecting those nearby.
If airborne transmission is a significant factor in the pandemic, especially in crowded spaces with poor ventilation, the consequences for containment will be significant. Masks may be needed indoors, even in socially distant settings. Health care workers may need N95 masks that filter out even the smallest respiratory droplets as they care for coronavirus patients.

Underdogs

Let's get real.

The PAP will win the election. The question is, how will the opposition do?

And by "opposition" we realistically mean, Workers Party. All the other political parties are jokes at worst, and delusions at best.

Maybe Progress Singapore Party and Tan Cheng Bock can pull off a surprise. But even that may be a miracle. I'll explain later.

If you subscribe to the "pendulum" theory of political fortunes, that voters vote one way, then swing over to the other side, in 2011, the PAP got 60% of the vote. Then in 2015, it got 70% of the votes. In this blog, I predicted in 2015 that the PAP vote share for the next election (GE 2020) would fall.  based simply on this "pedulum" theory.

My first conspiracy theory about GE 2020

So I woke up to this story:

GE2020: PM Lee accepts PAP candidate Ivan Lim’s withdrawal; says ‘thorough investigation’ not possible given nature of GE campaign

“I recognise that the controversy over my candidacy has eclipsed the core issues of what this election should be about — Singapore’s future and the difficult steps we have to take to recover from Covid-19,” Mr Lim wrote.
“The controversy has also caused intense pain and stress for my family. I cannot put my family through this,” he added. “I thank the party for giving me this opportunity to serve.”

In accepting Mr Lim’s withdrawal, Mr Lee [PM] said that the controversy over his candidature was unfortunate.
“Ideally, there would have been a fair and deliberate consideration of these allegations. Unfortunately, the nature of the campaign is such that we do not have time for a thorough investigation,” Mr Lee said in his reply to Mr Lim.
“The allegations spread like wildfire online, eclipsing the serious life and death issues we must grapple with,” Mr Lee, who is also the prime minister, added.

Everything I need to know for the GE 2020

So there was this Simplified List of Political Parties in Singapore to bring Singaporeans up to date on the fauna of Singapore's political landscape. 

Which tried to be as apolitical as possible. 

And not to rock the boat.

This is my list. Based on their list. With what I think is the various parties' "claim to fame", and my take on the parties.

Three Gorges Dam - disaster awaiting?

The Three Gorges Dam is an engineering and construction marvel. Or at least a technological challenge. And a socially disruptive endeavour. With environmental and ecological impacts that were... ignored?

My personal superficial view of this feat of engineering and construction was that it is what a big country does. It is what a rising power chooses to do to showcase its capacity and ability.

It is what it is.



Then the last few days, my Youtube feed was getting quite a few videos about unceasing storms in China, leading to flooding, and the danger of the Three Gorges Dam giving way.

A GE in the time of a pandemic

Is it a good idea to have a General Elections in the midst of a pandemic?

Well, if you ask the opposition, like Tan Cheng Bock, the answer is no.

In fact, any experienced (and/or smart) politician can tell you that having an election during a crisis, like a new pandemic, will result in a "flight to safety" (or a flight to quality).

Basically, if your job is on the line, if your income is not secure, if your business is shaky because of the economic disruption caused by the pandemic, you want a government with a proven track record to steer the country.

A crisis is not the time to "experiment" with untested politicians who have little to no experience leading a country let alone leading a country during a crisis.

Unless the incumbent government has done a terrible job, and you might want to try something new.