Video: Why US Airpower will save Taiwan:
Singapore 2B
The Singapore to be. Singapore version 2B, not the 1A or A1 version.
Friday 26 April 2024
Wargaming China's Invasion of Taiwan
Wednesday 17 April 2024
What is the Belt and Road Initiative REALLY about?
Megaprojects explains the Belt and Road Initiative:
This is a rather comprehensive video explaining China's Belt and Road Initiative.
The BRI is the initiative of Xi Jinping, announced in 2013. Prior to that, China's guiding principle was from Deng Xiaoping: "Hide your Strength and Bide your time."
Apparently, when Xi took over, he decided that the time to hide your strength and bide your time was over; that China's time to shine has arrived; that China was ready to take to the stage as a world leader, and to displace the current world leader.
Monday 8 April 2024
A Superficial Summary (and commentary) of Countries Military Ranking
Monday 25 March 2024
Multi-Role Combat Vessel - Cos "Mothership" has already been taken
This is a natural evolution for the RSN as more unmanned assets are incorporated into the RSN.
Saturday 23 March 2024
"We are NOT Happy!"
Singapore falls 5 spots to 30th in world happiness ranking but still tops Asia for 2nd straight year
Singapore has been ranked Asia's happiest country for the second year in a row, according to the 2024 World Happiness Report. The country ranked the 30th happiest out of 143 places surveyed, but that's five positions lower than from a year ago. The countries were rated according to six factors: GDP per capita, social support networks, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, charity donations, and perceptions of corruption. Finland topped the global list for the seventh straight year, followed closely by Denmark and Iceland.
Monday 18 March 2024
Location. Location. Location
One of the conventional wisdom for Singapore's early success was its location.
"Situated at the crossroads" and "gateway to the orient" (so... Singapore is not "orient"?) Singapore's location is key (according to many analyses) to her success.
I would argue that it may be a necessary but insufficient condition.
After all, Penang and Malacca have historically been trading centres as well.
To the south, Bintan and Batam are islands as well placed as Singapore.
Raffles chose Singapore in part to challenge the Dutch who were in (what is today) Indonesia.
Tuesday 5 March 2024
Did Singapore get Taylor Swift on a Exclusivity contract?
PM Lee answers how SG got Taylor Swift to Singapore. Notice he says "negotiated an arrangement" (0:07) for Swift to perform in Singapore. "And to make Singapore her only stop" (0:10). At about 0:40 PM Lee says "we can't say, 'you will come here only on condition that you will go other places'". Note how uneasy he seems.
So, did Singapore make Swift sign an exclusive arrangement?