‘I've seen you argue elsewhere that there's a moral case for defense spending, because the first duty of government is to protect its citizens. But in my lifetime, with the notable exception of Kosovo, the wars that we fought have destabilized countries abroad, and made terrorist attacks more likely over here. So isn't there a problem perhaps with too closely associating safety with militarization, and not for instance, redressing global inequalities in wealth and in power?’
‘Well, there are good and bad cases. I mean, you rightly say I mean, the military can be misused can be used for purposes, which are strategically incorrect or strategically foolish, and that has been the case in the past. But in 1982, the military was used to reverse a naked aggression. In 1991. In the Middle East, the military was used to reverse a naked aggression when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, I mean, complete aggression. The military was used again to prevent a war getting worse in the Balkans in 1995, quite muscular military action, it was a bit ambiguous, but it did the job. It was used very successfully in Sierra Leone in the year 2000, to prevent a bunch of cutthroat gangs getting control of the government. So the military can be used either well or badly.’...
‘I think [aid is] a sort of neo colonial mindset, intended really for the donor to feel good about themselves, and look at where the aid goes. And it's dictated by local domestic needs, not the needs on the ground, and look at the impact of it. And it has a disastrous record. Ask yourself why it is that the poverty gap, which is the amount needed to get everyone over the poverty line globally, was calculated a couple of years ago at $66 billion. And yet, aid has more than doubled that each year, something is going wrong.’...
'Why shouldn't I feel good about these things?... Why is it wrong to be proud of helping poor people who need help?'
'Because you're not helping, you're making it worse... you chose Pakistan. Well, my interest in Pakistan was when I was there, and I went to a conference. And I heard economists from the very libertarian right through to the Marxist left all unite around only one issue. And that was how disastrous it was, these arrogant aid flows come in to their country and making the corruption worse and flowing into the arms of the military.'...
‘There are lots of things we can do. Let's tackle the tax dodging, which stems the flows of dirty money. Let's legalize drugs to weaken crime gangs around the world. Let's loosen borders for trade and people. Let's end the sale of weapons to despotic regimes. There's lots of things we can do. But what we shouldn't do is naively think that by throwing lots of money around the world and giving it to rich people in poor places and fueling conflict and fueling corruption, we're actually doing good. We might feel better at home, but it's doing a lot of harm on the ground'...
'In the 18th century, there was this English commercial expert called Malakai Postlethwaite [sp?], and he was enthusiastic about the fact that British trade is a magnificent superstructure on an African foundation. So he's celebrating that Britain was made rich by the impoverishment, the enslavement and the degradation of others. So regardless of whether you think that the aid industry is the right means to do so, do you agree that there is a specific historical obligation for Britain to redistribute the wealth that has garnered over the centuries from the under development of Africa?'...
'Part of my problem is the fact that we're actually perpetuating the same sort of arrogant attitude seen in colonial times. We're saying, essentially, we're infantilizing people abroad, and we're saying we have all the answers, we have the right to tell you how to run your education system, how to run your public services, what you should be doing, we're telling you to do that. And here's the checkbook that buys us that influence, buys us that power... We're pumping money into some of the world's worst regimes from Rwanda to China to Uganda. And look at the claims being made. I want to try to delve down. People talk about the transparency of DIFFIT [sp?]. Actually, it's very hard to try and really find out what's happening. I tried to burrow down into their statistics and once they claimed that they were giving money to 13 countries which were advancing democracy. When I delved down that included Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe, a vote in Pakistan where there was sectarian violence, an election in Yemen, where there was just one candidate, another in Uganda, which is notoriously corrupt and badly governed country, and you're perpetuating the misery and the autocracy being imposed on the local people’...
‘That oft quoted statement that aid is a way for poor people in rich countries to subsidize rich people in poor countries.’"
With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, trashing of defence spending in favor of foreign aid sounds even more naive, but even in 2020 when this was published, it was ludicrous to imagine that foreign aid could save the problems of the world, especially given its record (not to mention how big the world is vs the comparatively small footprint defence has to cover)
This might be one of the best examples of counterproductive, harmful virtue signalling
It's interesting and telling that trade is seen as a zero sum game - because the UK benefited from trade with Africa, it means Africa must have suffered
Difference Between Scallions and Green Onions and Spring Onions - "Green onions and scallions are actually the same thing! They are either harvested very young from the regular bulb-forming onions we are familiar with, or they can come from other varieties that actually never form bulbs... Spring onions, on the other hand, look similar to scallions, but you’ll notice that they have small onion bulbs at the base. These onions come from the varietals that produce bulbs and are basically more mature versions of scallions. They are planted as seedlings in the late fall and then harvested the next spring, thus the word “spring” in the name"
Primary school children filming and uploading sexualised content in worrying new trend - "An increasing number of primary school-aged children are creating and uploading their own sexually explicit material to the internet, prompting fears from child abuse investigators that they are putting themselves at risk of serious harm. Investigators say they have discovered Australian children as young as 6 making their own content, with growing concerns that popular influencer-promoted websites such as OnlyFans are normalising making pornography for cash. Detective Acting Inspector Carla McIntyre, the officer in charge of the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team, said police were now having tough conversations with parents after knocking on doors thinking they’re preventing children from harm, only to find the child was authoring their own exploitation material... One girl was aged 6, McIntyre said, and others were 7 and 8. Her team, which is made up of both Victorian and federal police, had found no one had coerced or forced the children into making the content. Instead, the children believed it was normal behaviour... police were forced to shut down a meet and greet with 23-year-old TikTok and OnlyFans star Anna Paul because so many people turned up. Paul has 5.2 million TikTok followers but is also Australia’s number one creator on OnlyFans, a subscription-based service which allows users to post their own sexually explicit content. Paul was promoting her new activewear line when thousands of young people flooded into the city. “We were told the last time police saw a huge crowd like this was for a Justin Bieber concert”"
Judge tosses claims over King’s Hawaiian rolls packaging - "A logo depicting a crown slightly evocative of a pineapple alongside " Hilo, Hawaii" did not persuade a federal judge to accept claims that King's Hawaiian misleads customers into believing its rolls are actually made in Hawaii... The label prominently features a three-point crown suggestive of the crown of a pineapple — the reputed “King of Fruits,” according to their class action. It also includes “Est. 1950,” and “Hilo, Hawaii,” in reference to the company’s founding. A close examination of the fine print reveals that the rolls are actually made in Torrance, California, where the company has been headquartered since 1977. The women also accuse King’s Hawaiian of promoting its Hawaiian connection through a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade float dubbed “The Aloha Spirit.”... unlike in Peacock v. Pabst Brewing Co., where a consumer prevailed on deception claims because statements on a can of Olympia beer depicted waterfalls at the company’s original brewing site to mislead buyers into thinking the beer was still made using water from Olympia, Washington, King’s Hawaiian never claimed its rolls were made using traditional ingredients and methods. "All references to pineapple, honey, production by 19th century Portuguese immigrants, forno and 'local kiawe wood' come from plaintiffs’ complaint, not from any public representations that plaintiffs have attributed to defendant,” Hamilton wrote. “It is inappropriate and unreasonable to infer that defendant’s sweet rolls include such allegedly traditional ingredients based solely on selective review of the product’s packaging.” The packaging, she added, does not contain any actual images of honey or pineapples, even if the crown logo looks somewhat like a pineapple... Spencer Sheehan, one of the attorneys representing the women, declined to comment Tuesday, saying he had not yet read Hamilton's decision. Sheehan also represented Yonkers resident Robert Galinsky in a similar case against King's Hawaiian in the Southern District of New York, which was later voluntarily dismissed. He has also represented clients suing Kraft Heinz over Bagel Bites that contain no real mozzarella cheese and Kellogg over the paucity of real strawberries in its Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts."
The Enduring Mystery of the Oreo Cookie Design - "When the National Biscuit Company introduced the Oreo cookie in March of 1912, there was no mistaking its origins. It was a blatant knock-off of Sunshine Biscuits's Hydrox, a double-wafer chocolate and cream sandwich snack that capitalized on the popularity of a similar home-baked treat that had been circulating since the mid-1800s. The Hydrox was introduced in 1908. But Sunshine had relatively little of the advertising or production power of Nabisco, which was formed in 1898 as a conglomerate of baking companies: The fact that it beat Oreo to shelves by four years was irrelevant."
Sturgeon ‘misled Scottish parliament’ in Salmond investigation - "A Holyrood committee has concluded Nicola Sturgeon misled an investigation into the handling of sexual misconduct claims against her predecessor, according to reports. MSPs on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints Committee voted 5 to 4 that the first minister gave an “inaccurate” account of a meeting with her predecessor during the live investigation, a source told the PA news agency. The decision is likely to increase pressure on Ms Sturgeon to stand down before May’s election, although it is unclear whether the committee concluded she had intentionally mislead parliament, which would typically be deemed a resignation-worthy offence."
Hamilton report into Nicola Sturgeon's conduct around Alex Salmond harassment cases to stay secret
Those who see the SNP as moral paragons just hate the Tories
Nicola Sturgeon dodges question on ‘missing’ £600,000 campaign funds - "Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first female first minister, announced that she would be stepping down as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on Wednesday after eight years in power... She denied that she had felt compelled to step aside by a series of recent political setbacks, notably the failure to secure a second independence referendum and a move by Westminster to block new Holyrood gender recognition legislation, and said steering Scotland through the Covid-19 pandemic had been the greatest challenge of her career. One question Ms Sturgeon declined to be drawn on, however, was whether or not she had been interviewed by police as part of an investigation into the SNP’s campaign finances... The question related to a probe into the fate of more than £600,000 raised by Scottish independence campaigners in 2017, which was supposed to have been ring-fenced for spending on that issue only but was seemingly “missing” from party coffers when documents filed with Companies House in 2020 revealed that the SNP had just £96,854 in its account in 2019. The SNP subsequently admitted to spending only £57,000 of the money raised in donations on independence campaigning directly, leading to accusations that the remainder had been spent elsewhere, contrary to what was promised. The matter was the subject of a police complaint by former party activist and independence campaigner Sean Clerkin in March 2021, who alleged that the money had “disappeared to be spent on other things without the permission of the donors”... SNP MP Douglas Chapman had resigned as party treasurer, claiming he had not been given complete access to the information he needed to carry out his responsibilities... It emerged separately in August 2022 that Mr Murrell had loaned the SNP £107,620 in June 2021 to “assist with cash flow”, a point Ms Sturgeon was questioned on earlier this month and said she could not recall details about, inspiring ridicule."
Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell arrested in SNP finance probe - "Mr Murrell resigned as the party's chief executive last month, a post he had held since 1999."
The SNP paradox - "The rise of the Scottish National Party has been remarkable... In part, the SNP’s rise can be explained by the collapse of the once distinct political outlooks of left and right. The Labour Party no longer represents labouring people and there is no labour movement, as such, for Labour to represent. In many respects, the Labour Party is past its sell-by date (as are the Tories) and this has provided the space for an alternative to emerge. In Scotland, unfortunately, this alternative came in the form of the SNP. At a time when there are few big ideas in politics, the SNP has one defining idea – that Scotland could genuinely be different by going for independence from the UK. The SNP now presents itself in a more social-democratic, leftist way than it once did. It has also harnessed the anti-Tory sentiment that is common up north through the relentless condemnation of all things ‘Westminster’. The political chasm between the voters and the almost alien world occupied by politicians is reframed as a purely geographical problem, as something stemming from the toffs down south... To a great extent, the SNP presents itself as being on the side of popular democracy, the nation and the community. But in reality, it is far more representative of the global, cosmopolitan, technocratic new elite... the SNP is wedded to the European Union, a supranational bureaucracy that undermines national sovereignty. Indeed, leading SNP figures, such as MEP Alyn Smith, portray the EU in the most remarkable, Disneyfied way imaginable, in which the EU is responsible for everything from world peace to workers’ rights. The SNP is among the most pro-EU political parties in the UK. This is strange considering the party is meant to be about nationhood and taking back national control for the Scottish people. With its craven love of all things Brussels, the SNP is the least convincing national independence movement in the history of national independence movements... The SNP paradox Share Topics Brexit Politics UK The rise of the Scottish National Party has been remarkable. In the recent UK General Election, it won 48 of the 59 seats in Scotland (albeit with only 45 per cent of the vote). Back in 2010, the SNP won just six seats, compared to the Labour Party’s 41. In 2019, Labour won only one seat. In this respect, we can see that the SNP has replaced Labour as the dominant party in Scotland – no mean feat for a group of politicians who not so long ago were known as the Tartan Tories. In part, the SNP’s rise can be explained by the collapse of the once distinct political outlooks of left and right. The Labour Party no longer represents labouring people and there is no labour movement, as such, for Labour to represent. In many respects, the Labour Party is past its sell-by date (as are the Tories) and this has provided the space for an alternative to emerge. In Scotland, unfortunately, this alternative came in the form of the SNP. At a time when there are few big ideas in politics, the SNP has one defining idea – that Scotland could genuinely be different by going for independence from the UK. The SNP now presents itself in a more social-democratic, leftist way than it once did. It has also harnessed the anti-Tory sentiment that is common up north through the relentless condemnation of all things ‘Westminster’. The political chasm between the voters and the almost alien world occupied by politicians is reframed as a purely geographical problem, as something stemming from the toffs down south. As a Brexiteer and a democrat who lives in Scotland, I found the success of the SNP in the last election frustrating. Boris Johnson’s Tories won in England and Wales under a pro-Brexit, pro-democracy banner. But in Scotland, the SNP won with an overtly anti-democratic ‘Stop Brexit’ campaign. Why the Resistance is (still) so much worse than Trump Recommended Why the Resistance is (still) so much worse than Trump Tom Slater But despite their recent successes, the Scot Nats should be wary of resting on their laurels. There are many contradictions within the SNP project, which, if they were to properly come to the surface, could be the party’s undoing. Writers examining the rise of populism and the new divisions in contemporary politics have identified three new areas of conflict. First, the rise of technocratic governance, which clashes with demands for popular democracy. Secondly, the rise of the supranational, as opposed to the nation. And lastly, the clash between cosmopolitanism and community. To a great extent, the SNP presents itself as being on the side of popular democracy, the nation and the community. But in reality, it is far more representative of the global, cosmopolitan, technocratic new elite. The SNP represents the new technocratic elite as much as – if not more than – any other UK political party. You see this in the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, where the SNP has been in government since 2007. The SNP MSP’s comfort zone is the committee room, sitting with like-minded lawyers, heads of charities, academics and experts, formulating policies in an echo chamber, at a distance from the electorate. But at the same time as being part of this aloof class of technocrats, the SNP claims to be the voice of the people, defending popular democracy against those in ‘Westminster’ who suffocate the voice of Scotland. The SNP tries to promote the idea of nationhood, and to engage with a national desire for more control over the country. It pretends to represent democracy and freedom, promising a vision of a new nation built upon the sovereignty of the Scottish people, breaking from the shackles of Tory England. In defence of the sexual revolution Podcast In defence of the sexual revolution spiked This is all totally unconvincing – not least because the SNP is wedded to the European Union, a supranational bureaucracy that undermines national sovereignty. Indeed, leading SNP figures, such as MEP Alyn Smith, portray the EU in the most remarkable, Disneyfied way imaginable, in which the EU is responsible for everything from world peace to workers’ rights. The SNP is among the most pro-EU political parties in the UK. This is strange considering the party is meant to be about nationhood and taking back national control for the Scottish people. With its craven love of all things Brussels, the SNP is the least convincing national independence movement in the history of national independence movements. Similarly, the SNP is able to tap into a sense of community, of tradition and commonality, between people. David Goodhart’s idea of the ‘Somewheres’ captures this sentiment well. Many SNP supporters want a sense of belonging, of groundedness to a certain place, and of Scottishness. But at the same time, SNP MPs, MEPs and MSPs seem deeply uncomfortable and suspicious of the people of Scotland – a fear and loathing of ordinary people that is shared across the global cosmopolitan elite. SNP politicians are chronically politically correct, prone to looking down their noses at ordinary people, and always on the lookout for new laws and regulations to control people’s speech and personal lives and relationships (see the now-defunct Named Person legislation or the recent smacking ban). These contradictions are yet to play out properly, but there is a growing sense of confusion about what the party is for. For example, many SNP supporters and voters hate the politically correct, nanny-state dimension of the SNP. The party has a tendency to patronise the public and to interfere in their daily lives (their drinking, eating and parenting habits and use of language), and this aggravates many people. There is also a sense of frustration among Scotland’s voters about the poor state of many public services that the SNP is responsible for, from education to health and policing. At the moment, the SNP has managed to avoid confronting these contradictions. SNP politicians stand for election as populists shouting ‘power to the people’, while running Scotland through committees and experts. The party campaigns for an ‘independent’ Scotland, but one that will be subsumed into the European Union. And it stands as a defender of democracy, while pushing the anti-democratic policy of stopping Brexit. The SNP has benefited from the collapse of both the Tories and Labour in Scotland. It acts as a kind of anti-matter, feeding off the end of class politics and masquerading as the people’s party"
Good riddance to the Named Person scheme - "The Named Person scheme in Scotland was one of those government initiatives which, even in this era of authoritarianism, made your jaw drop. The plan was to give every child, from birth, a state-appointed guardian to oversee their wellbeing. It faced some opposition from Conservative MSPs, but it nonetheless passed in the Scottish Parliament as part of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014... In 2016, the Supreme Court ruled against the Scottish government, insisting that the Named Person scheme breached the rights to privacy and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights... This is a major humiliation for the Scottish government – indeed for much of the political and professional class, huge numbers of whom supported the Named Person scheme and branded those who opposed it as ‘extremists’."
From 2019
The SNP’s European nightmare - "Here, we outline four things Scotland would likely be forced to do as a new EU member-state. Adopt the Euro... Not only could Scotland be more closely entangled to the Eurozone during its next inevitable crisis, but, more generally, Holyrood would also be forced to hand over to Brussels one of the key weapons in any government’s economic arsenal: monetary policy. An ‘independent’ Scotland could not set interest rates or print money according to its own needs. Ultimately, the Eurozone’s monetary policy follows the economic cycles of the larger member states, which can push smaller states into unsustainable, inflationary booms when monetary policy is too loose, and lengthy slumps when it is too tight.
Observe the Stability and Growth Pact... Public deficits cannot be more than three per cent of GDP, and debts cannot be more than 60 per cent of GDP. In 2019-20, Scotland’s deficit hit 8.6 per cent of GDP... We have already seen what happens when the EU sets its sights on small, debt-laden member state... Greece lost a quarter of its entire economic output thanks to both the Eurozone crisis and the bitter medicine of austerity it was forced to take by the EU. The experience of Greece is a stark warning.
Forego trade opportunities Scotland would have to join the Customs Union, meaning it would be unable to negotiate bilateral trade deals with other countries... In joining the EU, Scotland would be entering the most bureaucratic trade bloc in the world. And new trade deals can only be signed as the slowest member state can manage
Join the Schengen Zone... This would mean less control over Scottish borders than the current Brexit deal offers. It would even mean less control than Scotland had while the UK was a member of the EU (the UK was not a member of the Schengen Zone).
Scottish nationalists often complain that they are ruled over by distant London politicians. However, rejoining the EU would mean many of the powers recently repatriated to Westminster would be farmed back out to Brussels – and even giving up powers which the UK had opted out of as a former member state. Unlike in Westminster, where the Scottish nationalists have (disproportionately large) representation, Scotland would have little democratic representation in the EU, other than through the largely powerless European Parliament. Ditching the UK to join with Brussels would represent the worst possible outcome for Scotland. It would become a vassal state, not an independent nation."
Optician suspended after mistaking patient’s ‘wiggling’ yoga postures for flirting - "John Snelgrove was treating a patient who tilted her head down and bent forward when trying on her new glasses to make sure they stayed on while she was in yogic postures. But Mr Snelgrove said he interpreted the ancient exercises as a form of flirting, claiming his patient was carrying out a move he thought was called “dirty dog”, and was wiggling her bottom in a “provocative” way to “get my interest”. The 64-year-old added that he thought she was “simulating oral sex” as she bent over with an open mouth, and that her skirt rode up and “left little to the imagination”. That evening, Mr Snelgrove, based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, texted the unnamed healthcare professional to ask her if she was “interested in taking it further” and the “shocked” woman told him “no”."
Workers want training, development, but few say their employers provide it - "Workers rank professional development and training opportunities highly among their list of criteria for evaluating prospective employers, but comparatively few say their employers are helping to improve their skills"
Valentine's Day pranksters book odd-numbered cinema seats in China - "Romantics in Shanghai will have to forget dinner and a movie for Valentine's Day. Chinese pranksters have reserved all of the odd-numbered seats at a cinema's primetime screening, forcing couples to sit apart. A group of embittered singles worked together to buy up the tickets to a 7.30pm screening of Beijing Love Story, a sappy big-budget romance, at the Shanghai Xintiandi cinema"
Toronto doctor legitimately prescribes patient a real-life puppy - "Family physician Dr. Iris Gorfinkel shared the puppy dog prescription to Twitter... The white gap on the photo of the prescription covers the patient's name. Due to patient-doctor confidentiality, Dr. Gorfinkel couldn't provide the exact reasoning for this prescription but said that having a pet can help with many ailments and conditions. She lists loneliness, mental or physical health and dementia as areas where having a puppy can improve a patient's life, all of which have been backed up by concrete evidence."
Meme - "Leonkumquat: when my dad was in college he had a friend who told a girl he'd take her on a date unlike any other she'd ever been on and so he took her to the supermarket to watch the lobsters fighting in the lobster tank they're married now"
The lure of Singapore: Chinese flock to ‘Asia’s Switzerland’ | Financial Times - "Chinese individuals, their families, their companies and their advisers, according to a wide range of bankers, lawyers, accountants and investors interviewed by the Financial Times, now see Singapore as the vessel that can navigate them through a series of expected storms. At the same time, they add, it is becoming an increasingly vital place for outposts of Wall Street and the global financial industry to interact with them. For many years, Singapore has liked to sell itself as the Switzerland of Asia. The new cold war, says one former top official, is finally turning that pitch into a reality. The big question, though, is how far Singapore will tolerate being Switzerland with Chinese characteristics... The change on the ground in Singapore is palpable. Property deals by mainland buyers are the dominant transaction and the international schools are bursting at the seams, with hundreds of Chinese applicants for a vanishingly small number of places. Chinese Michelin-starred restaurants might — just — be able to find diners an available dinner booking next April... “I think many mainland China clients still see Singapore as a safer long-term bet than Hong Kong for a few reasons. First is political stability, second is economic stability and finally, its rising status as Asia’s financial hub,” says Kia Meng Loh, co-head of private wealth and family office practices at Dentons Rodyk, a law firm. But for all the signals that Singapore has found itself in a prime position to thrive amid geopolitical uncertainty, the story has distinct vulnerabilities. China’s tolerance of what has been happening — the exodus of capital and individuals — will eventually have a breaking point that may come with consequences. Singaporean society could also push back, warn senior figures close to its government. The cost of living has soared in Singapore, angering locals who see danger and division in the rising rents, the bursting schools and the growing number of Rolls-Royces. Meanwhile, the inflow of so much capital so quickly also exposes Singapore to the potential for bad actors using it as a spot to hide money... Investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners has had a significant spike in migration inquiries from Chinese nationals in 2022, which are up 83 per cent by end of November compared to the full year 2021. In the top two positions were Greece and Portugal, which offer “golden visas” that grant residence without having to spend time there. Singapore was in third place. “Generally in pure investment migration programmes, such as Portugal, the vast majority of people don’t move. Singapore and China are different. A lot do want to move physically,” says Dominic Volek, head of private clients at Henley & Partners... “Often we do not even deal with the parents. We deal with the manager and what they call the ‘communicator’ — basically a translator,” the vice-principal says, speaking anonymously because of sensitivities involved. “Often one or both parents are travelling in and out of China. They pay a fortune to buy or rent a luxury unit nearby and then the kids live with the maid, the manager and the communicator.”... Private residential property rents hit a record high in 2022, surpassing the previous peak in 2013, according to Urban Redevelopment Authority data — the last time Chinese mainlanders were heavily buying Singaporean residential property... At a time of intense geopolitical rivalry between the west and China, Singapore remains open and welcoming of both... Singapore has also stolen important conferences from under Hong Kong’s nose. SuperReturn Asia, Asia’s leading private capital conference, last year was held in Singapore for the first time and attracted large companies and investors from all over the world, including China. “When Singapore wants something, the whole machine gets behind it. Singapore Venture Capital Association co-hosted [the event], Singapore Tourism Board provided sponsorship, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and other agencies provided content, the sovereign [investors] were supportive and spread the word,” says Shane Chesson, a founding partner of Singapore’s Openspace Ventures who was involved in moving the conference location... If rich Chinese feel that the current level of repression is lessening, that could reduce the number of people seeking an exit. But even more worrying, say experts, is the potential for Beijing to look at Singapore’s welcome to China’s wealthy and their accompanying flows of capital and seeing it as an opportunity to extend its influence. “You run the risk of China being covetous of Singapore as a Chinese outpost. The more Sinicised and mainland it becomes, the more it could be seen as a part of greater China,” says Thompson. “It is an existential risk.”... “The government was quite happy for people to blame Hong Kong expats. But it has become pretty clear that while that was a contributing factor, the real reason for the eye-popping prices has been the Chinese buyers, many of whom are willing to pay double the asking rent, or pay millions in cash for properties that sit empty,” says one real estate agent."
Eric Turkheimer on Twitter - "A challenge: is one person from the Editorial Board of @JConIdeas willing to state publicly that they agree with the content of this article? If not, why exactly did they publish it?"
Sean Last on Twitter - "Social scientists have become so conformist and status quo pushing they they literally can’t understand the very idea of publishing controversial work if you don’t openly agree with it. Attitudes like this would be funny if they weren’t doing so much damage to science."
Trust The Science!
