Dear GOPs, especially the Tea Party group. When you have caught religion, you must lose your common sense. You will try to bend the world to your view. Failing which, naturally so, you will figure a way to see the world through the lens of your religion of the political economy. You will look cravenly stupid but yet that cannot redeem you because you will keep the company of like minded idiots to feel secure. As someone outside the USA, I only hope that enough Americans will soon realize this and oppose you.
The world is bewildered, even frustrated with America. I have come to realize that this is just America. She is so unlike the rest of us and we often make the mistake of imposing our worldview on her and imagine her to be if we had her resources and position. Closer to home Lee Kuan Yew was especially prone of telling them what to do. We fail to recognize it is better that our wishes about her not come true because we are failing to see the monster that it would become. She is a perplexing mix and strengths and weaknesses, assets and liabilities; the messy checks and balances of power; our faith that they will rise to the occasion if presented with a Sputnik Moment, that they are accepted as the world's leader, even if grudgingly.
I wouldn't fear America because I know if we are smart, we can find a mutually profitable way to co-exist independently. On the other hand, the Chinese are to be feared. You will need Zhuge Liang's wits around them. That's impossible for Singapore. We are just hoping that they will remember us as best friends to their rise to world power. As per Chinese culture, we hope they would be friendly to our limited interests. This was Lee Kuan Yew's diplomatic masterstroke, but it isn't enough. Every year, we have to continue to be relevant to China. They will be watching our attempt to create a First World Parliament with much interest. If we are lucky to have another LKY, I am afraid we have to bury the old one first. That's life. And of course he wouldn't be Lee Hsien Loong or his two deputies.
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