TR EMERITUS

Politics is treacherous and betrayal is pretty much the norm. In SG politics, opposition faces a humongous monster PAP and most opposition members have little idea how to beat this monster. Instead, they may find poking at other opposition an easier task than facing off the main opponent PAP. Covert Betrayal is actually the norm and sometimes I really wonder if it's really worthwhile to be empathetic, sympathetic towards those opposition members when they are in trouble. Many of these people are ungrateful ingrates to turn their knives at you from your back, thinking that their thin mask could cover their disgraceful faces from others. Most of the time I won't expose such blatant betrayal at all and prefer to let these people continue to have that false sense of security. I just want to see how far they can go. I just need to focus on my own direction and political work while ignoring all these distractions due to envy of the unbalanced minds. The path towards Full Democracy is a very tedious and tough road filled with obstacles. Many people will fall out of the fight along the way or even turn their guns against you. These people are not made to complete the journey with glory and I should not expect them to do so.   Goh Meng Seng      Read More →

Will Trump do a Neo in Matrix, rising from the ashes and rule US again? We can’t discount that possibility. We underestimated him in the last election, and he Trojan-horse’d into the highest office of the land. From there, it was four years of history making, and it’s not the positive kind. He cut ties and budgets. He snubbed world leaders. He hot-tubbed with dictators. He hired and fired. He divided the White House and the nation. He was impeached twice. And in the final salvo, he led an uprising at Capitol Hill. He is sui generis, a class of his own, simply unparalleled. Trump is a formidable forerunner for the 2024 US election. His Republican nominees like Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley don’t have his magnetic charisma seen by many as almost messianic. In modern lingo, they don’t have political rizz like him. Biden is 81 years of age. He is seen as way over the Capitol Hill. His age is the nation’s main worry. At 81, he is already the oldest Oval Office occupant in history. At times, during public appearances, he seemed like a grandpa struggling to remember his lines, while improvising incoherently, with gait and behaviour that boggle minds. This coming US election, it is the heart and soul battle for democracy between two aged folks in government. And each of them has their own agenda, or as Trump puts it, scores to settle. Biden knew his age is catching up. He said that if Trump wasn’t running, he would have skipped the race altogether. How true is that? Well, we just have to take it as worded. “Look, he is running, and I have to run,” Biden said. “I don’t think anyone doubts our democracy is at risk again.” Putting on that superhero’s garb makes him look like a very jaded Santa Claus bearing mislabeled gifts. Liz Cheney, a Republican and vocal critic of Trump, shared the same vibe that Trump’s ascension will result in a dictatorship, and that is a “very real threat”. And in comes Trump. He was asked about it at a recent interview. He assured the audience and the world he is no threat. He will not be a dictator. Surprised? But, Trump being Trump, he said, “No. No, other than day one.” He said that on day one, like ground zero, he will “use his presidential powers to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.” But I guess this is not all he will do. You don’t need to second guess this man. He is quite predictable. He is a man of his time, and flows with whatever that enables him to achieve his goals. He has a continental appetite for power, fame and empire. But for now, and the near future, the most urgent ambition has to be self-preservation. Trump faces countless of criminal charges, more than 100 in different states. His greatest challenge is the indictment over his efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss, or well, leading an insurrection. So, if elected, by his nature, and a leopard doesn’t change its spots, Trump is going to make sure nothing sticks, and those that stick will be frozen for good in cold storage. His win will naturally be a fight for immunity and impunity. He can practically do what he wants, without restraint, and it would be a good juicy second bite of the cherry power. He will wield great power to exonerate himself, and that’s the golden ticket of a democracy that has gone into the dark woods. You can expect that for most part of his term, he will be busy saving himself. And this is the archetype of what one would call “the coiffured black swan”. It will truly be unprecedented, and god only knows what he will do just to keep power close and enemies, perceived or real, far, far away. Alas, most times, a bloodied nose, something so obvious to others, is the last thing we notice about ourselves. Imagine a nation of bloodied noses until the winning vote is cast and the fate of a nation is sealed. Don’t say we have not been forewarned. More than two thousand years ago, Plato had seen it and written about it. The main issue is about the freedom to choose, and the right to vote. We presume that is a good thing, and in a way, it is, because it is democratic, that is, equality for all and sundry, rich or poor. But Plato saw how democratic right en masse can go very wrong, because the vote cast are more emotional than rational. And any Trump, Dick and Harry can manipulate it like putty in his hands for the win. Democracy doesn’t read fine prints. It goes where it is the loudest and brightest. Winning the vote doesn’t guarantee a win for character, or nation as a whole. But one-man-one-vote is the only way a system can be seen as legitimate. Sadly, for such dire times, legitimacy is a mirage, or a retributive vent for the leader and his followers, with serious consequences, even irrevocable ones. So, God help America. This time, really help.   Micheal Han * The writer blogs at Facebook.      Read More →

The recent overnight bombardment in the Gaza Strip has heightened concerns about the Israeli military's alleged targeting of civilians in their homes while they sleep or gather with family. Al-Maghazi, a densely populated refugee camp in central Gaza, experienced targeted strikes resulting in 23 reported deaths and numerous injuries. Rescue efforts face challenges due to limited equipment, forcing people to use their hands to clear rubble. Nuseirat, another densely populated refugee camp, also witnessed attacks, raising fears of a broader assault on such areas. Israel has been targeting refugee camps, hospitals and almost everything in Gaza under the guise of "self-defense", aided and abetted by the warmongering US. About 18,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been massacred by Israel, with almost every nation in the world accusing Israel of genocide.      Read More →