tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post3344186854258472154..comments2024-01-08T19:53:57.810+08:00Comments on Frankly Speaking: Time to end military training in Taiwan and ThailandJimmy Munhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-54678418187728432922014-07-05T13:34:39.827+08:002014-07-05T13:34:39.827+08:00Nice stuff dear. sitges apartments & holiday r...Nice stuff dear. <a href="http://www.searchsitges.co.uk/" rel="nofollow"><b>sitges apartments</b></a> & <a href="http://www.searchsitges.co.uk/holiday-rentals-sitges" rel="nofollow"><b>holiday rentals sitges</b></a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04748293294555322958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-88960998221006818012007-05-22T11:30:00.000+08:002007-05-22T11:30:00.000+08:00Ah bing ge,I never said Singapore had the intentio...Ah bing ge,<BR/><BR/>I never said Singapore had the intention of protecting Taiwan. However, Taiwan politicians had tried to spin Singaporean soldiers are in Taiwan as an ally against PRC. We are already wearing the same uniform as the Taiwanese soldiers. The numbers is not an issue. Just as countries like El Salvador or Mongolia have hardly any meaningful number of troops in Iraq, it is their symbolic presence that is more important.<BR/>You can see why China is so eager to get us out of Taiwan. <BR/><BR/>As for comparison with European countries, you pointed out what I am trying to convey: as a peaceful gesture, we should cut down the aggressiveness of our defence force. Let our reserves be reserves. A peaceful nation does not maintain a huge army regularly trained and mobilised to invade our neighbours.Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-84984040740162198602007-05-21T23:53:00.000+08:002007-05-21T23:53:00.000+08:00Well I understand your frustration. The ministers ...Well I understand your frustration. The ministers got richer as we look on helplessly, while 2 soldiers passed away in peacetime. Err...but that is a lot of factual mistakes. We don't place our troops in Taiwan to protect them (You think Pasir Laba very big ah?), and I don't know where the 3 months come from. (I'm sure they had cut NS period to as little as possible)Well, we need to understand a lot of European countries have short trainings, but these trainees turn into reserves instead of active personnel. A defence force is noble at its core anywhere in the world, even as its execution may not please everyone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-4572100980644049032007-05-18T12:36:00.000+08:002007-05-18T12:36:00.000+08:00"War is too serious a matter to be left to the gen..."War is too serious a matter to be left to the generals. " - Georges Clemenceau, French PM WW1<BR/><BR/>There is no question the Ferrari F360 is a better car than a Nissan Sunny. If the cost of the former is anywhere close to that of the latter, nobody will want a Sunny. However, on Singapore roads, the Ferrari is good for showing off, but would not get you anywhere a lot faster than a Nissan Sunny without breaking laws.<BR/><BR/>Our NS is no doubt the Ferrari of conscript armies. But is it at a cost we can comfortably afford? <BR/><BR/>How are we going to use this army? If the objective is a pre-emptive aggressive war, we almost certainly will not get any supporting UN resolution beforehand - in other words, an illegal war. Israel can break a thousand UN resolutions because of US backing, not just in words, but also in billions of dollars in aid. Outside Iraq, no country receives more US aid than Israel. We are not Israel. Singapore is not the birthplace of Jesus, and the Singapore lobbying group in US , if it even exists, is nowhere as powerful as the AIPAC.<BR/><BR/>In the aftermath of our invasion, we will look no better internationally than Iraq after they invaded Kuwait. Also like Iraq, we will look like we are trying to disrupt world oil supply by choking the Malacca Straits. Retribution will be fast and furious.<BR/><BR/>I believe the objective of the US military is that they can engage in WW2 style conflicts, engaging enemies in two fronts simultaneously. To that end, they will need x number of aircraft carriers and y number of soldiers.<BR/><BR/>What is the mandate the Singapore people gave to our military that demands our level of NS commitments? Do we want to give them the mandate to invade and occupy West Malaysia? Can we leave all the war planning to the generals, unquestionably?<BR/><BR/>The generals, by nature, will always want the biggest, best trained army they can get, just as a child will want all the sweets available to him.<BR/><BR/>It is the people's job to ensure MINDEF, and our cabinet jammed packed with generals, is not eating far too many candies and risking tooth decay.<BR/><BR/>"Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians." - Charles de GaulleJimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-50757885811291160882007-05-17T22:25:00.000+08:002007-05-17T22:25:00.000+08:00I know too little with regards to military matters...I know too little with regards to military matters to comment if a reduction in NS duration is workable, or if Singapore can follow the Swiss military force. Of course, I would wholeheartedly support any reduction in duration so long as MINDEF deemed it possible.<BR/><BR/>However, I still think overseas training has to remain. Let me just put it this way: it does provide a very different kind of training. Yes, even after two years of training, the soldiers may not be highly capable, but I think given any amount of time, what should be done is to maximise their abilities. It's still better to be a level 10 rookie than a level 6 rookie! And I think overseas training is a good way for some quick powerlevelling in a short time!<BR/><BR/>As for generals being too young, I do agree that is true, but I think it is a separate matter. Just because our generals are not good doesn't mean we can just easily mow down training time; what we should be correcting is the generals themselves. However, I might add that the reason for the fast promotions of officers is to prepare them for top civil service jobs (a.k.a. ministers), since the military is a traditional source where potential ministers are sought.Jackson Tanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02267650599398779304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-11652130173297731172007-05-17T17:45:00.000+08:002007-05-17T17:45:00.000+08:00anon,You can try "Defending the Lion City". Yes, '...anon,<BR/><BR/>You can try "Defending the Lion City". Yes, 'official' information can be hard to come by if you are not in the 'need to know' loop; it's also hard to know whether the info you receive is 'groupthink' because there is no real way of verifying them most of the time.<BR/><BR/>Jimmy,<BR/><BR/>To a certain extent I agree with your assessment. As far as I know the SAF has read the lessons the Americans are learning in Iraq, and some changes are being made.<BR/><BR/>I also agree with your 'Nazi gold' diplomacy as a means of deterrence.<BR/><BR/>I doubt I will see further reduction in my NS liability before I serve them all, but I hope your sons will not have to serve as many years as I (and no doubt you) did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-24022033698559514102007-05-17T13:20:00.000+08:002007-05-17T13:20:00.000+08:00Can someone point to a laymen like me to a detaile...Can someone point to a laymen like me to a detailed analysis of our <BR/>geopolitical situation, our defence strategy and training regime in contrast with a variety of countries, ranging from those in the most hostile of regions like the Middle East to the more peaceful ones like Europe?<BR/><BR/>You can take it that I've served NS (in a logistics unit however) and have played enough war games and simulations to be relatively saavy about military strategies and tactics.<BR/><BR/>I keep hearing about how precarious Singapore's position is but have never heard or read an exposition that enumerates the threats and efficient responses to them without resorting to handwaving, either because of groupthink or the perception that the information is too sensitive to share (rightly or wrongly).<BR/><BR/>Quite frankly, I think we are way too paranoid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-87813837777153459082007-05-17T11:56:00.000+08:002007-05-17T11:56:00.000+08:00Hi Christopher,thanks for your comment. I know I t...Hi Christopher,<BR/><BR/>thanks for your comment. I know I tend to drift in my comments, and this is something I need to work on.<BR/><BR/>300,000 troops. Minimal FIBUA training. Plenty of jungle training. Even someone as ignorant as me would know that our soldiers are not meant to fight in this island. This doctrine makes plenty of sense, in the past. Taking the fight to the enemy so we can suffer minimal infrastructure and civilian losses. Sounds a bit like the justification for the Iraq war, dont you think?<BR/><BR/>But like the Iraq war, can we trample into our neighbour's homeland, teach them a lesson, and then pat our backsides and leave?<BR/><BR/>Even for Israel, invading Lebanon created the monster that is Hezbollah, a demon they cannot exorcise even after retreating from Southern Lebanon. And unlike Israel, where MNCs will stick through rocket fire and suicide bombings, the MNCs we attract will jump ship at the first sign of geopolitical uncertainty.<BR/><BR/>In this age of globalisation, Singapore will collapse if Malaysian and/or Indonesian workers refuse to work for us. We have no military solution against Malaysia or Indonesia. Not to mention if we occupy our neighbours, would their Muslim brethren still send us their oil?<BR/><BR/>The only peace we can enjoy is to appeal to the self-interests of our neighbours. Some people speculated that Switzerland was spared from Nazi Germany precisely because they were safekeeping their ill-begotten gold.<BR/><BR/>Of course, threats can come from beyond our neighbours, and our military can be more useful fighting side by side with our neighbours, rather than against them, and our navy and airforce can better complement their ground forces in such scenarios. If we have to send our ground troops, we will coordinate better by sending a small number of professional soldiers, rather than a big unwieldy conscript army.<BR/><BR/>IMHO, our excessively large infantry is a relic of the cold war and it is about time we learn to relax a little, if not in numbers then in length of training, and free our male citizens to compete against the foreign talents, and free some military budget so we can pay our ministers more without raising GST. <BR/><BR/>Lastly, our excessively large infantry is destabilising to the region. <BR/><BR/>If Singapore is an individual, and this guy not only stores big guns in his home, he also rents flats identical to that of his neighbours to practice pre-emptive strikes, what would you call such a person? Psycho? How would you feel if you live next door to such a psycho?Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-32768988210937004862007-05-17T00:18:00.000+08:002007-05-17T00:18:00.000+08:00Jimmy,There are a lot of opinions you have that I ...Jimmy,<BR/><BR/>There are a lot of opinions you have that I think a few of us share. However, your reasons for these opinions are out of touch with reality.<BR/><BR/>First, overseas training. If you know exactly who Singapore thinks she is up against, you'll understand why we train in different terrain that always happens to have a simulated map the shape of an archipelago. If we ever had to fight a battle within Singapore I think the war is already lost.<BR/><BR/>Second, international relations. Despite our strained relations with our neighbours it's somewhat surprising that they still provide space for military training in return for some monetary compensation. However, to believe that the presence of our troops means that we will be involved in the host country's international affairs is quite misleading.<BR/><BR/>Third, NS duration. I am very happy that NS was reduced from 2.5 to 2 years, but like you I think it can be shortened further to 1.5 yrs. However, any reduction must take into account the full basic training cycle as well as unit training. Basic training takes anywhere between 3 months to 1 year depending on vocation, and unit training would probably take another few months. If NS was further reduced it would mean some elements have to be compressed or cut out. MINDEF is obviously not very interested in doing this.<BR/><BR/>You can name examples such as NDP and the months of sai kang that show how inefficient NS is, but if these inefficiencies are not cut out, it's difficult to reduce NS duration further. Singapore tends to be paranoid and believe that she needs an effective standing army that isn't focussed on defence but more offence.<BR/><BR/>Otherwise really, if it were just about defending this island then we should have built more mock-ups of Orchard Road or HDB housing estates and done many months of FIBUA training instead. Obviously, that is not what's on the minds of our generals.<BR/><BR/>Like everybody here though, I fail to see how this is relevant to the deaths of our troops abroad. You should just de-couple your gripes about NS with the training accidents and start another post altogether. You have so far not presented any credible argument why Singapore should abolish military training in overseas locations apart from picking bones with how inefficient NS is... But the inefficiency is nothing new. 50% of Singaporeans know that already!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10844926506370494490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-60837685949123301552007-05-16T17:15:00.000+08:002007-05-16T17:15:00.000+08:00So now it's about our young and inexperienced gene...So now it's about our young and inexperienced generals?<BR/><BR/>Come on now, Jimmy. You haven't even answered the questions raised on the relevance of the other issues you've raised, and now you're raising new ones?<BR/><BR/>If you are really so sure NS can be shortened or abolished and our defence can be dependent solely on our air force and navy, do share with your readers how you arrive at that conclusion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-80503997899398452272007-05-15T23:18:00.000+08:002007-05-15T23:18:00.000+08:00Hi Pandemonium,my vision for NS, is to model it af...Hi Pandemonium,<BR/><BR/>my vision for NS, is to model it after the Swiss system. Like Singapore, the Swiss system is one of a full time service complemented by years of reservist training. Israel and Taiwan, in contrast, has no reservist training that I am aware of. If the reservists are tapped, it will be for war.<BR/><BR/>Cutting back on overseas training will have an effect on both the footsoldiers and their commanders. But is it so bad that they will become totally incompetent? I think not. No matter how much we train, we are still rookies in the real battlefield. <BR/><BR/>OTOH, no matter how competent the footsoldier and their junior commanders are, we are limited by the abilities of our generals. I am not the first one who say that our generals seem too young and inexperienced. I am also not the first one to wonder if the scholarship selection system is a good idea for picking generals. Neither am I the first one to feel uncomfortable that our generals play musical chair a bit too often.Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-83527737908400498712007-05-15T21:30:00.000+08:002007-05-15T21:30:00.000+08:00Instead of admitting your ignorance, you seek to c...Instead of admitting your ignorance, you seek to confuse the issue with more irrelevant arguments.<BR/><BR/>"I'm surprised nobody commented two years of NS is too short. Defence is too important to fool around with. Let's extend NS to 5 years then."<BR/><BR/>Setting up a straw-man there. Just because some people disagree with your assessment of the optimal length of NS does not mean they want to extend NS.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, you yourself reveal that your call for a shorter NS is tied to your sons having to serve NS, and that you in fact wish for NS to be abolished altogether. So why don't you argue from those points instead of putting up a facade of wanting to just reduce the length of NS with all the other arguments?<BR/><BR/>"Did you know that Singapore has a slighter larger active troop size compared to Australia?"<BR/><BR/>Again you are being disingenuous. Australia's diplomatic situation and defence policy are different from that of ours. If you want to criticise our defence policy and diplomacy, do so in the context of our nation's situation.<BR/><BR/>"Did you know the Swiss reservists get to bring their assault rifles home?"<BR/><BR/>"We do not have anything near to that level of trust in Singapore, do we?"<BR/><BR/>So now it's about not being able to bring rifles home? Or are you sore that the government doesn't trust you? What does this have anything to do with the optimal length of NS? Please, Jimmy, try to focus on the issue at hand.<BR/><BR/>"But yet, the Swiss conscription period is only 6 months for the footsoldier."<BR/><BR/>And the IDF conscription is 3 years; but of course it would be unfair for me to use that as a benchmark since their security situation is different from that of the Swiss', which are in turn different from ours.<BR/><BR/>"But have you seen had a good look at how other countries do things?"<BR/><BR/>Every country plans its defence on whom it is likely to go to war with, and how it plans to win. Each country is different.<BR/><BR/>Instead of harping on the fact that other countries are different, which in itself tells us nothing about the thinking behind their defence planning, perhaps you can find out more about whom we think we are likely to go to war with, and how we plan to win if we ever go to war, and criticise from there.<BR/><BR/>What makes you think that one division is too many? What makes you think our airforce and navy are able to win the war on their own without ground troops?<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying that the Ministry of Defence is right on all its premises and predictions, but if you think you have good reasons to prove they are wrong, please let us have them instead of just making comparisons to other countries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-31370569226743423142007-05-15T21:20:00.000+08:002007-05-15T21:20:00.000+08:00Just a little comment on the Australian army numbe...Just a little comment on the Australian army numbers. If I were the Australian Defence Minister, I wouldn't be too concerned if the army size of Australia is smaller than that of Singapore, so long as the navy and perhaps air force is sufficiently powerful. Think about Australia's unique geographical situation.<BR/><BR/>In any case, I do support some changes in the way the army does things. For example, I think efficiency ought to be improved... maybe reducing the time spent lobo-ing in camp and stuff like that by arranging training in a better way (but I have no idea how that can be done). Also, I support Mr Wang's idea of insurance for all servicemen in combat vocations. There are many things to improve; but overseas training is not one of them (in my opinion). NS length may be one, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on it.Jackson Tanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02267650599398779304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-79718693557544716952007-05-15T20:58:00.000+08:002007-05-15T20:58:00.000+08:00I never said we do not need an army. In this age o...I never said we do not need an army. In this age of globalisation, it is important to reexamine what is the optimal investment of our money and manpower. One guard dog is good. Two guard dogs are better. Three thousand, better still, nevermind if you have no space for them. How many is too many? I'm surprised nobody commented two years of NS is too short. Defence is too important to fool around with. Let's extend NS to 5 years then.<BR/><BR/>Did you know that Singapore has a slighter larger active troop size compared to Australia? Approx 60k vs 54k? This is not counting our very active reserves.<BR/><BR/>Doesnt it beg the question: Is our army too big, or is the "sheriff" of South Pacific too complacent? Remember, Australia has boots on ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and probably Solomon Islands. <BR/><BR/>Did you know the Swiss reservists get to bring their assault rifles home? HOME. WITH. AMMO. The Swiss are expected to serve as militiamen until their 50s. The Swiss is ready to defend their homeland even if the command structure is destroyed. Try invading Switzerland, and you will find insurgency in every town, not unlike Iraq. That's what I call Total Defence. And strangely, they dont get much gun deaths, and certainly no Virginia Tech type massacre.<BR/><BR/>We do not have anything near to that level of trust in Singapore, do we? But yet, the Swiss conscription period is only 6 months for the footsoldier.<BR/><BR/>I know you guys are experts of SAF. But have you seen had a good look at how other countries do things?<BR/><BR/>I know it is painful, the thought that after 2 years or more of blood and sweat, there are people who thinks that you wasted your time for a wayang show. <BR/><BR/>"You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe."Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-21723980071924133272007-05-15T20:34:00.000+08:002007-05-15T20:34:00.000+08:00Hi Jimmy!You brought up two issues here. The first...Hi Jimmy!<BR/><BR/>You brought up two issues here. The first is a reduction of NS duration. To that, I cannot support or oppose your proposal, since I know too little of military training to even comment.<BR/><BR/>The second issue is, as your title states, to end overseas military training. Personally, I have been through a whole lot of local training and one overseas training in Brunei. While I totally loathe my time in Brunei because of the sheer toughness of the training there, I think it is rather beneficial from a training point of view. Firstly, the training area is HUGE and difficult (Mt Biang, anyone?). Secondly, local training areas are so "overused" that I can memorise all the important localities (I can still remember which hill is ".74" and ".76"!); and if you have a battalion, that's even more repetitive, because there are just these few places you can simulate a mission.<BR/><BR/>One reason you brought up for withdrawal from Taiwan and Thailand is the political situation in both countries. However, if we were to maintain overseas training, MINDEF would have to find another country, and it takes a pretty long time to set up a training area (keep in mind the infrastructure and personnel). What if the political situation changes again?Jackson Tanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02267650599398779304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-40848563673326831402007-05-15T19:41:00.000+08:002007-05-15T19:41:00.000+08:00A more gracious blogger would have admitted his ig...A more gracious blogger would have admitted his ignorance and apologised for using other people's misfortune to promote his cause... but at least now we see your real agenda.<BR/><BR/>"If a division cannot fit into Singapore, don't you think there is something wrong with the size of our army?"<BR/><BR/>If you think a division's role is just to form a line around the island, then you are wrong.<BR/><BR/>"It is nice to have big scary numbers in the armed forces, and may be good for intimidating our neighbours but if the fighting efficiency of SAF is ever tested, Singapore would already have lost."<BR/><BR/>I agree with this point, but the key here is a credible intimidation or deterrence. Unfortunately whether deterrence works or not is hard to prove: you can't say it works just because nobody has attacked us, and once somebody does it obviously no longer works.<BR/><BR/>A guard dog will not stop a determined burglar from breaking into your home, but it will at least make sure he weighs his options before he decides to do so.<BR/><BR/>"Our navy and air force does not depend on conscripts and is very adequate for power projection."<BR/><BR/>If war was all about projecting firepower, the US will not need their marines or army.<BR/><BR/>"No matter, if I do not see further plans for NS cutback, I will take my two sons and leave Singapore before they get too old."<BR/><BR/>"I do not want my sons to turn into another Melvyn Tan or Ike See."<BR/><BR/>Ironically, of all your arguments I respect these two sentences the most; at least they are honest.<BR/><BR/>I'll say this: conscription sucks, and having to fight in a war whose cause you may not identify with sucks. But at least I don't pad my case with other unrelated arguments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-52639192087778909052007-05-15T18:52:00.000+08:002007-05-15T18:52:00.000+08:0011: Passport validity reduced to 2 years at renewa...11: Passport validity reduced to 2 years at renewal.<BR/><BR/>13-16.5: Passport validity reduced to 1 year at renewal, exit permit required for all overseas trips of over 3 months.<BR/><BR/>For pre-enlistment males 11 and above who go overseas for any reason other than accompanying their parents for overseas employment, a monetary bond is required. The monetary sum is S$75,000 or 50% of the combined gross annual income of both parents for the preceding year, whichever is higher.<BR/><BR/>As you can see, once the boy turns 11, it gets messy. I do not want my sons to turn into another <A HREF="http://commentarysingapore.blogspot.com/2005/11/ns-defaulting-pianist.html" REL="nofollow">Melvyn Tan</A> or <A HREF="http://commentarysingapore.blogspot.com/2006/05/musical-talent-crushed.html" REL="nofollow">Ike See</A>.Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-28647672976373446232007-05-15T18:18:00.000+08:002007-05-15T18:18:00.000+08:00Go Jimmy, bring your kids elsewhere, I wouldn't wa...Go Jimmy, bring your kids elsewhere, I wouldn't want to train so hard to protect people like you. <BR/><BR/>As I said before, you must be sleeping through your NS, you thoroughly wasted your 2.5 years.<BR/><BR/>You think moving through an AO with 2000 men are easy? Let me opened up some thoughts for you to ponder. If you are not trained in brigade level, you will think twice about shooting when you see an enemy 300 metres from you. Because you will not know if he is your own country men.<BR/><BR/>Shorter time means tougher NS for your child, think about it.<BR/><BR/>Example:<BR/>My unit went brunei for training, 3 weeks of training was shorten to 16 or 18 days(I can't remember). All the time taken out are our rest time. The 16 days are like hell to us. All of us slept less than 3 hours a days in camp. <BR/><BR/>Your thoughts on NS really amazed me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-37469482370412071322007-05-15T16:23:00.000+08:002007-05-15T16:23:00.000+08:00"Before they get too old" - can any one indicate h..."Before they get too old" - can any one indicate how old is too old? Is it 12 years old before the govt makes you come out with a bond before your son can leave overseas to study? How much is the bond? Does anyone have the information?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-58647614747017941762007-05-15T14:18:00.000+08:002007-05-15T14:18:00.000+08:00If Indonesia wants Singapore to suffer, all they n...If Indonesia wants Singapore to suffer, all they need to do is to recall all their maids working here, and can sit back and laugh while Singaporean families fall apart. <BR/><BR/>If Malaysia wants Singapore to suffer, all they need to do is to recall the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians working in Singapore.<BR/><BR/>What good are soldiers then? Send them across the Causeway to kidnap the workers back here to work?<BR/><BR/>The PM had mentioned that if PAP didnt win big in the GE, the foreign investors may think twice about investing in Singapore.<BR/><BR/>If ever Singapore gets anywhere close to war, what do you think the foreign investors and the foreign talents will do? In this age of globalisation, Singapore is dependent, not just on water, on oil, but on people and on capital, all of which are internationally mobile and has no interest sticking with Singapore through the bad times. When we reach the projected 8 million population, half of Singapore will be foreigners.<BR/><BR/>It is nice to have big scary numbers in the armed forces, and may be good for intimidating our neighbours but if the fighting efficiency of SAF is ever tested, Singapore would already have lost.<BR/><BR/>It is hard to handle the truth: The emperor has no clothes.<BR/><BR/>We can continue to delude ourselves with cowboy talk about power projections, or we can have a look at what nations like Switzerland or Finland is doing that helped them survive at the fronline of two World Wars and one Cold War practically unmolested.<BR/><BR/>To me, NS is just a waste of time and money, and we be better off abolishing it altogether. Our navy and air force does not depend on conscripts and is very adequate for power projection. Even then, I know there will be plenty of Chicken Littles who will freak out, and that is why I only suggested a minimalist cutback of 6 months, but that is too much for some to handle.<BR/><BR/>No matter, if I do not see further plans for NS cutback, I will take my two sons and leave Singapore before they get too old.Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-88643677674683568802007-05-15T11:27:00.000+08:002007-05-15T11:27:00.000+08:00It is okay to disagree. My sister is in New Zealan...It is okay to disagree. My sister is in New Zealand with her family, and I am glad she was able to go. Not happy to serve? Migrate. Her son is better off with no NS, no reservist, no hidden tax. Best regards,Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-88287831272207132992007-05-15T03:17:00.000+08:002007-05-15T03:17:00.000+08:00"And I don't know who is the greater fool." Make ..."And I don't know who is the greater fool." Make no mistake. You are.<BR/><BR/>"If a division cannot fit into Singapore, don't you think there is something wrong with the size of our army?"<BR/><BR/>I have no time and patience to give u lessons, but you do not even know abt the concept of defense. You think the declared 5 S'pore Divisions will defend from the main island? Think offensive actions... Go read up on power projections in time of war. A Marine Bn's Area of Operations (AO) in Iraq is already bigger than S'pore. Go figure.<BR/><BR/>"Seriously, can you think of another country that has so many soldiers, they cannot train in their own country?"<BR/><BR/>Qn is irrelevent. Why are you obsessed with trg within S'pore?! <BR/><BR/>"it is okay to put on your thinking cap every now and then and do some *THINKING*."<BR/><BR/>No quarrel with your notion of THINKING. Go ahead & think! But don't disguise fallacies as facts and call it thinking. <BR/><BR/>"Who is the greater fool here? The one who challenges the status quo, or the one who fights change with dear life?"<BR/><BR/>Go challenge by all means. But please do some research and have rock solid arguments, rather than always using a "layperson" & erroneous views, and hence embarrassing yrself repeatedly. Do not Champion change for the sake of change. It's just noise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-71157179808676684852007-05-15T01:48:00.000+08:002007-05-15T01:48:00.000+08:00And I don't know who is the greater fool. If a div...And I don't know who is the greater fool. If a division cannot fit into Singapore, don't you think there is something wrong with the size of our army? Seriously, can you think of another country that has so many soldiers, they cannot train in their own country?<BR/><BR/>I know NS whipped you guys well into obedient slaves, but it is okay to put on your thinking cap every now and then and do some *THINKING*. <BR/><BR/>Who is the greater fool here? The one who challenges the status quo, or the one who fights change with dear life?Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-65778815147643400672007-05-15T01:41:00.000+08:002007-05-15T01:41:00.000+08:00At 1 year 6 months, our NS is still ONE WHOLE YEAR...At 1 year 6 months, our NS is still ONE WHOLE YEAR longer than that of the Swiss or the Finns. Finland shares a long border with Russia, BTW.Jimmy Munhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927345822970412901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34166742.post-3182887374896897502007-05-14T23:58:00.000+08:002007-05-14T23:58:00.000+08:00Jim, You are half-right. You indeed qualify as a ...Jim, <BR/><BR/>You are half-right. You indeed qualify as a layman - but a rather idiotic & silly one. <BR/><BR/>You said "We CAN start by cutting down to 1 year 6 months, and see if the sky comes falling down." <BR/><BR/>Yo, Defense is NOT a trial and error business, and they are often irreversible. Your comments are trivalizing the effects of war (READ: plain stupid & dangerous). <BR/><BR/>"If we cut down on training, we will not need to seek new training grounds."<BR/><BR/>Another stupid statement. The size of training grounds is not determined by the duration or frequency of training. It is simply a factor of the level of training, i.e. Battalion, Brigade or Div size. Even if S'pore decides to "cut down" our trg tempo eventually, S'pore's level of training demands terrain much bigger than local land can offer. In any case, any planners worth their salt will constantly seek new training grounds to ensure that short term diplomatic issues (e.g. Thailand coup, Cross-straits tension, etc) will not adversely affect the mdeium to long term training regime. <BR/><BR/>Enuf said. Of course you are "embarassingly silly"!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com