fbpx

New Water Deal with Singapore is Entirely Possible – if Malaysia Changes its Tone. And Prime Minister.

 2404 1597 Michael Petraeus

N ew Straits times fired off two pieces in the past few days, again stirring the situation in bilateral relations between Malaysia and Singapore. First, the newspaper published a report from a talk about the…

X-Raying ‘Lawyers for Liberty’: Another Malaysian Weapon Fired at Singapore?

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

Y ou might be forgiven for thinking that the latest barrage of accusations against the Singapore’s death penalty is just another fit thrown by a foreign NGO – as it has happened over many years.…

USA vs. China 1:0 – America Wins First Battle on Trade

 2400 1556 Michael Petraeus

A fter two years of mounting tensions, US president, Donald Trump, has signed the Phase 1 of a comprehensive trade agreement with China, scoring not only a vital political win for himself but a considerable…

Trump Bags a Historic Win, Humiliating Toothless Iran

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

F or all the hysteria pouring out from all corners of the world about impending World War 3, 8th of January 2020 was remarkably uneventful. And as the US President Donald Trump has finished his…

Iran Will Not Retaliate – It Has Far More to Gain By Playing Victim

 1200 759 Michael Petraeus

H ysteria took hold of the mass media of the world after the bold airstrike carried out by US forced in Baghdad killed the legendary commander of the elite Iranian Quds Force, responsible for the…

The Iron Gentleman: After His Meteoric Rise, Britain is Entering Johnson’s Era

 2212 1474 Michael Petraeus

W hen Boris Johnson took over the reins of the country this July I didn’t think much of it aside, perhaps, from a certain pity for the man who was given British premiership in easily…

From Poland to Singapore: How Nicolaus Copernicus Inspired POFMA

 2400 1646 Michael Petraeus

I was in the midst of writing another post in an attempt to clarify many misconceptions people express in online comments about the application of Singapore’s anti fake news law when it dawned on me…

Malaysia, Joke of Asia?

 2328 1443 Michael Petraeus

L ast year I published a highly popular article in which I explained why Mahathir must step down. It was no laughing matter then – the new Malaysian government kicked off its term with several…

Singapore is Teaching the World How to Deal with Fake News

 2246 1497 Michael Petraeus

T he little city-state of Singapore is ahead of the curve yet again. As the world is debating how to deal with the growing threat of fake news, it has already devised and implemented a…

We Should Accept a Nuclear North Korea

 2000 1225 Michael Petraeus

R elations between the US and North Korea are heading for the lowest low since the leaders of two countries exchanged insults in the early 2018. Since then it seemed that a sudden reversal –…

PMD Ban and Why Food Delivery Apps are Like Washing Machines

 2400 1500 Michael Petraeus

A s the controversy over PMD ban continues, I have a few other observations to make as a result of it – about the government and about the public – and the underappreciation of innovation.…

Dr. Moan — Malaysia Can’t Be Treated Seriously With a Complainer in Charge

 2000 1386 Michael Petraeus

S omething truly amazing happened last Thursday (or so it seemed). Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad announced approval for the Rail Transit System between Johor and Singapore. Malaysia, he said, would proceed with the…

Rebirth of Spanish Fascism Puts Chinese Actions in Hong Kong To Shame

 2530 1600 Michael Petraeus

F or months of increasingly more violent protests in Hong Kong Western leaders have warned, threatened and lectured China on how it should behave towards protesters who were – in their judgement – merely expressing…

Joshua W(r)ong – the Butcher of Hong Kong

 2400 1476 Michael Petraeus

M onths go by and I keep wondering how big a hole the protesters are going to dig for themselves and their city. Despite their seemingly good intentions their actions won’t go down in history…

X-Raying Kirsten Han

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

S ingapore’s favorite “oppressed” child, Kirsten Han​ published a response to many allegations circulating about her and her buddies. In it she paints herself as a victim of state-bullying and that her and her companions’…

Corralling the Lion: Singapore’s Biggest Foreign Threats Lie Close to Home

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

S ingapore’s location, coupled with reasonable, friendly governance, has long attracted foreign business to the island. But, as it has grown in prosperity and importance, it has also brought lots of attention – not always…

Rethinking Death Penalty, or Why Nearly All Criminals Should Be Executed

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

A German businessman has just been sentenced to five and a half years jail in Singapore for promoting overseas child sex tours in the Philippines – caught by undercover policemen who posed as potential participants.…

Why Politicians Should Be Paid Millions by the Public – Lessons from Singapore (and the World)

 2400 1596 Michael Petraeus

F ew topics are as delicate as the subject of how much politicians should be compensated for their services. It appears that vast majority of people all over the world reject the notion that their…

Beijing’s Dilemma: Or Why Hong Kong Protests Turned Violent

 2500 1637 Michael Petraeus

W hen normally peaceful protests in Hong Kong turned into a raid on Legislative Council on July 1st – two weeks after Carrie Lam declared suspension of the controversial Extradition Bill – I found the…

The Price of Freedom? Another Mass Shooting in the “Land of the Free”

 2250 1406 Michael Petraeus

A nother dramatic day in America. At least 20 people dead, two dozen more wounded in mass-shooting in a Walmart in El Paso. Among other reasons – like ideological lunacy of many segments of the…

The Reason Why Britain Didn’t Democratize Hong Kong

 2400 1570 Michael Petraeus

D ays go by and protests in Hong Kong appear to increase in severity and irrationality, instead of dying down. I have explained here why they are quite senseless and will only result in more…

Nobody Gives a Damn About Climate

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

Y ou would be hard-pressed to find a day when another apocalyptic piece of news about the state of our planet doesn’t hit the headlines. The narrative of impending doom is gushing out from every…

Hong Kong’s Suicide

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

I have been observing the events in Hong Kong quite silently for a while, expecting them to die down with time. But it seems that the tensions are going to last for a while longer,…

Why Singapore is Correct on LGBT Rights

 2400 1979 Michael Petraeus

T his may be my most controversial article yet (at least to some) – but precisely because it may be considered controversial is why I believe it is important to publish it. So, let’s begin…

Why Is Iran Attacking Ships in the Gulf of Oman?

 2126 1341 Michael Petraeus

S ix tankers as well as Saudi oil facilities were damaged in a spate of attacks in May and June. While the US and its allies are claiming Iran was responsible, the world’s only theocracy…

China Has Just Shown It Expects the World to Submit To It – or Else

 2000 1406 Michael Petraeus

I f anybody thought Beijing’s assurances that it does not seek dominance over others but simply wants to be a respected and valued member of the international community are genuine, then these hopes surely have…

One Last Thing China Must Learn from Singapore – How to Be Liked

 2000 1286 Michael Petraeus

T he two gentlemen exchanging laughs in the lead photo to this article are, of course, Lee Kuan Yew himself and Robert Gates, then Defence Secretary of the United States. The photo was taken at…

Xipocrisy – China Blinks in a Historic Diplomatic Blunder

 2000 1344 Michael Petraeus

C hina has lost its nerve. A series of statements issued by government officials – including Xi Jinping – and state media last week show that either the Chinese are desperate to reverse the course…

Ego, Not Frugality, Drives Mahathir’s Investment Decisions

 2000 1307 Michael Petraeus

I it’s been almost a year since Mahathir took back the reins of his country, inspiring hopes for a positive change after a decade under corrupt Najib. Unfortunately, however, as months go by, he keeps…

Some People Did Something – This Time in Sri Lanka

 2000 1468 Michael Petraeus

O ver 200 people dead (as of this moment), another few hundred injured in eight blasts targeting churches and hotels this Easter morning in Sri Lanka. This adds to the toll of thousands of deaths…

Jack Ma is Right About the 996 Work Schedule

 2400 1602 Michael Petraeus

S peaking candidly about work and business can get you in trouble – though it isn’t really a major surprise in the world where so many people get offended about almost everything. This time it’s…

The Most Famous Victim of Falsehoods and Manipulation: Steve Jobs

 5375 3587 Michael Petraeus

W hile selfish and egotistical free speech “advocates” are running around lamenting introduction of the laws aimed at combating online misinformation, I thought it would be quite useful to sideline their paranoia for a moment…

New Zealand Tragedy Could Have Been Avoided if the World Had Studied Singapore

 2000 1200 Michael Petraeus

I t’s hardly a secret that I am hugely impressed by the small city-state of Singapore – what I often present in my articles here. But few people realize or understand why that is –…

Singapore Is Wealthy Not Thanks to Water but Trust – One Thing Malaysia Lacks

 2500 1674 Michael Petraeus

W henever I think that Malaysian politicians have, perhaps, concluded their barrage of ludicrous assaults against their most valuable neighbor, they reignite controversy with another thoughtless comment – with the main culprit often being the…

Malaysia’s “Parang Diplomacy” is Entirely Self-Defeating

 1920 1080 Michael Petraeus

T he never-ending spectacle of Malaysian provocations, which has been going on for the past months, is increasingly less worrying and more entertaining – even if it’s a completely irrational waste of time. Does anybody…

Why Malaysia Needs a Non-Malay Prime Minister

 2400 1477 Michael Petraeus

I freely admit that what you’re about to read borders on political fiction. There’s absolutely no realistic chance of a non-Malay taking over the reins as Malaysia’s leader right now. However, it may also be…

Gluttony, Not Greed, Makes US Healthcare So Costly

 2400 1539 Michael Petraeus

Y esterday Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a study in which it claims that “the United States, on a per capita basis, spends much more on health care than other developed countries; the…

‘The Economist’ Should Learn from Singapore Instead of Attacking It

 2000 1250 Michael Petraeus

C ondescension in reports about Asia is nothing new in the Western world. But one is forced to recognize things are getting out of hand if articles published in one of Britain’s leading magazines on…

Singapore is Getting Stronger Thanks to Malaysian Government

 2500 1641 Michael Petraeus

I wasn’t planning on writing another article about the tensions between the two neighbors within little over than a week. But just when I thought the situation is going to wind down, that the posturing…

Malaysia Can’t Win with Singapore – But It Can Lose a Lot

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

W hy, dear Malaysia, why? Why do you keep doing this? To Singapore – and to yourself. Why the repeated attacks over completely meaningless issues? In a follow up to my earlier post about why…

Mahathir Must Step Down

 2400 1600 Michael Petraeus

U nfortunately for all those who hoped that the old fox has mellowed over the years, Dr. M needed just a few months to drag everybody back to the 80s and 90s. Given his reconciliation…

Three Reasons Why There Won’t Be A ‘Domino Effect’ After Brexit

 2048 1200 Michael Petraeus

B ritain chose to leave and the EU leaders are now losing sleep over a possible fallout from this decision. Here are a few reasons why the ‘domino effect’ that is now discussed in the…

Who Needs Britain Anyway?

 2091 1486 Michael Petraeus

(This article was originally published ahead of the Brexit referendum in 2016 but as it remains relevant even in 2020, I am republishing and promoting it again.) T hree weeks away from the referendum about…

What an Ambitious Man Seeks in a Woman

 1920 1038 Michael Petraeus

M any discussions about relationships these days inevitably lead to a debate why so many intelligent, successful women stay single. What happened to the men? Where are they? Does female success scare them away? Do…

The Overlooked Impact of the Nuclear Deal with Iran

 1920 1200 Michael Petraeus

T he times of peace are upon us! The world rejoices, Iranians are celebrating in the streets of Tehran, John Kerry and Federica Mogherini hail it as a milestone achievement. But is it really? Before…

Why Euro is a Good Idea – and How Europe Keeps Ruining It

 1920 1200 Michael Petraeus

I t’s very popular to bash the euro these days. Many economists and economic commentators crawl out from dark corners of their offices, triumphantly shouting – “I told you!”. And media love a scapegoat you…

6 Good Reasons Why EU Should Stop Helping Greece

 1920 1080 Michael Petraeus

A fter Greeks overwhelmingly voted against Troika’s terms for extended debt relief assistance the world is holding its breath, waiting what’s going to happen next. Will Greece leave the Eurozone? Will EU countries bend to…

Follow me online: