The world is big enough
March 6th, 2024 | 
Author: One of the things that I remember most about starting out was being asked if I was interested in trying to write for the Today Newspaper. The person who asked me, was a senior writer in the Straits Times and she made the suggestion when I went to visit her in her office. She had to make this offer in hushed tones.
There was a reason for this. Back in the days when there was “media competition,” the top management of both media houses (SPH and MediaCorp) took the competition personally. The team that went to the Today Newspaper were from The New Paper and considered “traitors” to the management of SPH. The same was true for those who went from MediaCorp TV to help set up SPH MediaWorks.
I found this attitude strange. I had grown up in the UK where business and political competition were a fact of life. Sure, companies would “compete” and try and come up with things to win consumers over and to keep good staff. However, I never heard the phrase “too small for competition” until I moved back to Singapore nor had I heard of top management taking it personally when staff left to join a competitor.
However, as life required me to come up against the political system more frequently, it became clear where this attitude amongst out top business people came from. In the 2006 election, we got the hear the argument that Singapore was too small to support a two-party system. To anyone outside Singapore, this is a strange idea to put forth, especially when it seems like the governing party in question has done a decent enough job. Why would an institution in a position of strength be so keen to try to convince people that natural laws did not apply to it.
In fairness, this isn’t something that is particularly unique to the PAP or Singapore. If you listen to American politicians talk about China, you’ll notice that the superpower has developed something of a weird fascination with the aspiring one. Take the following from two diplomats:
Sure, the People’s Republic of China does not have a good record of accepting competition to its power. The Chinese Communist Party, particularly under Xi Jinping has become even more monopolistic in its attitude to power. However, in this case, the Chinese have a point. The world is large enough for America and China and while China’s economic rise has been impressive, the fact remains, the average American remains richer than the average Chinese and whilst China’s military has been “modernizing,” it’s been modernizing from the 1950s whilst the American military is preparing for the space age.
So, here’s the reality of life – no one is above the laws of competition. If you study nature, you’ll notice that animal and plant species are designed to compete and everyone in the eco-system has a purpose. The same is true for business and politics. The dominant species only remains dominant as long as it remains strong and has enough food.
In the case business and political economic systems, its clear that the dominant beast are dominant as long as they give the market what it wants or they create markets for their products and services. The problem only steps in when the dominant beast starts to believe that its position of dominance is “God-given.” Again, the story of Singapore’s media giants is instructive.
SPH and MediaCorp went to the government and got the government to restore their monopolies. Everyone seemed happy and secure and the top management spent their time gripping on each other’s platforms about whether readership or viewership was better. What nobody noticed was the fact that the general public got bored with both of them and turned to the internet and a host of “alternative” sites run by people who were motivated by things other than money. The advertisers who were paying the media monopolies noticed it to and moved their money accordingly. Revenue figures dropped and eventually, SPH, a company that that effectively had a license to print money ended up becoming a “non-profit” dependent on government handouts.
Competition exists to keep everyone on their toes. If you look at nature, you’ll notice that even the biggest animals have to stay on their toes or they become a meal for predators. No animal gets the idea that its survival, particularly at the top is a given. So, human institutions need to understand the same is true for them. A dominant player is there because it serves the market rather than being served by the market. Top nations, top companies, top political parties and so on need to remember that they are servants to ordinary folk rather than the other way round.
Tang Li
*Although I’ve been based mainly in Singapore for nearly two decades, I’ve had the privilege of being able meet people who have crossed borders and cultures. I’ve befriended ministers and ambassadors and worked on projects involving a former head of state. Yet, at the same time, I’ve had the privilege of befriending migrant labourers and former convicts. All of them have a story to tell. All of them add to the fabric of life. I hope to express the stories that inspire us to create life as it should be.
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Now the mayors must kowtow when they distribute coupons. At least bend 90 degree.
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Both PAP and the USA are guilty of one thing. ARROGANCE.
Who has never heard of the typical yaya papaya ang moh (Trump) bragging and boasting? Same for PAP in white bragging and boasting and talking big all the time only to taichi blame onto others when something goes wrong.
One thing Tang Li has got right is that competition keeps one on their toes. PAP is still relying on the same old shit about a coalition government resulting in deadlock or that they might not be in power after an election. So F-KING what is the response we should be giving. If the PAP was even half as good as it thinks it is they wouldn’t have lost 2 GRCs in the first place nor have a shitty vote share of 60%. Where is the PAP of old when they could easily get 70% of the vote in any election?
Just keep giving PAP more competition is what I say. They don’t want more opposition MPs in parliament we vote even more in and kick out more monkeys at the same time, it’s win win for us. Force PAP into a coalition government and see jst how fast they will collapse when they cannot suka suka do whatever they like whenever they like!
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Competition at all level is good…the more the merrier.
Good for the people.
Keep everybody on their toes and provide valued and affordable fair services.
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Survival of the fittest and hence competition is inevitable.
This is true only for those who still live in the jungle.
Cooperation, helping each other ensure better opportunities for survival.
Competition divides and waste resources unnecessarily. At the end of any competition, rivalry occurs and prevention of attacks from rivals again drains resources and energy endlessly.
Cooperation, helping each other is much more superior than competition.
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What do we actually observe?
Most times the “Dominant” party(person) DOES NOT WANT TO SEE another “rising” or progressing.
From those words utterred,THE TRUTH IS MIGHTY U$A just want to be THE SUPREME and no others can get close.
Angmoh Supremacism is the cancer of the world; in the past,in the present and should be checked for the betterment of ALL HUMAN RACE.
Even in the MICROCOSM OF THINGS,we all can see that angmohs think they are SUPERIOR.
I am only being honest and frank.
Talking about “democracy” and equality.
Tell you what me thinks.
Angmohs are the real racists,Period!
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“Sure, the People’s Republic of China does not have a good record of accepting competition to its power. The Chinese Communist Party, particularly under Xi Jinping has become even more monopolistic in its attitude to power. However, in this case, the Chinese have a point. The world is large enough for America and China and while China’s economic rise has been impressive, the fact remains, the average American remains richer than the average Chinese and whilst China’s military has been “modernizing,” it’s been modernizing from the 1950s whilst the American military is preparing for the space age.” – UNQUOTE.
Am I supposed to know who [the namedropper’s] “senior writer in the Straits Times” name is? Do you have to know somebody in SPH/MediaCorp noteworthy to get an op-ed published in Today Newspaper? Political/economic competition and journalistic competition don’t share enough to be considered properly analogous, which seemed an implied point of this article. Knowing how intellectually lazy, incompetent and how one could barely string together a paragraph, does anyone doubt one would have accomplished all this without connections?
The nature of plutocracies (government for the rich and powerful by the rich and powerful) is always to make the appearance that their power and money is obtained meritocratically. The truth is that plutocracies always twist the rules so that they become the exceptions.
The apparent point of Social Darwinism is to increase competition, i.e. intensify the struggle in order to “shake out” the superior individuals. It would appear that the incentive to productively “compete” is lost, and the only goal left is material greed. And with the simplistic goal of more money and goods, the creative challenge becomes gaming the system, rather than development and innovation. Our definition of success is seriously perverted.
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Let me blunt.
Let’s say USA is against Abortion.
And,Communist China allows Abortion.
Will USA be condemning the Communists?
To USA,as long as you wor$hip me,you are good.
Otherwise,you are “evil”?
This is the conduct of Pharasees.
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Clap..Clap..Clap.. Well said.
Cooperation is the way to go.
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@ Competition divides and waste resources unnecessarily. At the end of any competition, rivalry occurs and prevention of attacks from rivals again drains resources and energy endlessly.
If say like that, then no need WP, PSP, SDP, NSP, …… Anyway i second you. Hahaha.
If no mpetition, will there be alibaba or tencents or byd
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The Chinese likes to talk c0ck.
If the world is big enough, then why the fcuk the Chinese are occupying South China Sea.
The 9 dash line island belong to KMT ROC, not CCP PRC.
But since KMT ROC is a defunct government and Demoncratic Progressive Party 1.5 PHD degree T$ai don’t want the 9 dash island, South China Sea effectively no mans land.
CCP PRC should stop their aggression in SCS.
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You anti-Chinese extremist has no ability to think. All talk c***.
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For the indigenous peoples in North America, Australia….. the world is just too small for them to run away from the Anglo Saxon.
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BTW,why need to “corner” our ASEAN neighbours for $OLE RIGHTS TO HAVE TAYLOR performed only in $in City for SE Asia?
So getting our neighbours to “fly” here to watch TS is “GREEN”?
HOW MUCH FUEL WASTED!
And,is it fair to our neighbours’ kids ,who are fans of Swift,from families that cannot afford to fly their kids here?
Is this the ASEAN SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION?
WHAT RESULTANT “TRADE”(ECONOMIC) BENEFITS THAT IS SO SIGNIFICANT from doing this vs LONGER TERM ASEAN FRATERNAL RELATIONSHIPS?
THIS IS NOT NICE.
Anyone good n graceful sg disagree?
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@ BTW,why need to “corner” our ASEAN neighbours for $OLE RIGHTS TO HAVE TAYLOR performed only in $in City for SE Asia?
So getting our neighbours to “fly” here to watch TS is “GREEN”?
HOW MUCH FUEL WASTED!
If say like , all tourism can close shop.
Waste will always be there.
If no waste then the subject of scavenging foods below will be ok.
If you prefer HK case where China PRCs go over on new year eve to watch fireworks. Afterwhich the show ends, none spend monies in HK. All sit around in the mrt, the streets until day break then go back to China. Nobody book a hotel, nobody makan fastfood or buy a starbuck coffee ( I believe some did but the numbers are really meagre and pathetic ). Then you should go China immediately. China definitely deserve you.
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Well said. If Anglo Saxon in Americunt tell you Asian, go home.
YOu answer back this: This land belong to Native Red Indians. You return the land to them and I will go home to my birth country.
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You so smart and brave, you go to White House and tell Biden.
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On “GREEN”.
That is why the same jokers who outwardly support “GREEN” are mere hypocrites.
WHO ARE THE ONES MAKING THE LOUDEST NOISES ON “GREEN”?
Are they not the very same people who shout “no plastic bag ” ,”charge for plastic bags” BUT ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR “i-phones” every so often?!
Look at WHO Q FOR EVERY NEW VERSION OF “i-phones”,like every other couple of years?!
You mean ZERO CARBON EMISSION WHEN MANUFACTURING such phones?
WHY CANT MAKE A PHONE WITH HARDWARE THAT CAN LAST LONGER AND ONLY NEED TO “UPGRADE” SOFT-WARE?
There are other examples from laptops to tv to washing machines.
Go figure.
So you see,when green hypocrites want something,it is “ok” and “green” is no more the “PRIORITY”?
THERE IS TOO MUCH BULLSHIT AND TOO MANY HYPOCRITE$,PERIOD.
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@”if like that say,all tourism can close shop”.
So,you can only attract tourists here only if you have exclusive right to have singers like Taylor Swift ?
Then,i guess you will be quickly replaced if you are in charge of STB?
And,if USA says TS can only perform in USA itself,ALL THE TOURISTS WILL FLOCK TO APPLE COUNTRY from all over the world including clowns like you?
We must be much more than just TS in order for our cointry to be attractive to tourists,don’t you agree,sir?
Sg as an attraction is the “given”,singers like TS are not!
We cannot just based on a few celebrities to sustain our beloved Sg as a tourist destination,ya?
Cheerio @PAP Mandate Strong.
Hope you don’t keep getting it all wrong!
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You put it very well. That one is hopeless.
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Just too bad spore is more a competitive soCiety than a cooperative ONE.
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@Clap3
me agrees with you.
The guy is beyond hope.
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Wrong or not wrong on TS concert.
仁者见仁, 智者见智.
Cooperative ?
Last time school project a team of 5 or 6. Only 2 person really spend effort, 1 50% only , the other 2 siam ( less than 10 to 15% ). But 1 out of these 2 siam ones good at talking. So presentation falls on him but too him is chicken feet.
Cooperative. Yes if you fnd the right people.
e.g. Warren Buffet Charles Munger
e.g. George Soros Jim Rogers
e.g. Jack Ma 孙正义
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Competition is good.
Definitely.
PAP gahmen always say competition from FTs is good for sgs.
But PAP gahmen also prevent competition from other parties by putting barriers like GRC,etc.
Parliament is effectively a “MONOpoly”.
TALK NOT EQUAL TO WALK.
What we call that?
“Talk Cock”.
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It is very clear that ,all along,Taiwanese basically acknowledge Taiwan as part of Mainland China.
Taiwanese refer to China’s chinese in Taiwan as “Wai-shen” ren and not “Wai-guo” ren like if a taiwanese refer to an angmoh as “wai-guo” ren.
Even HongKees call angmohs “Guai-lo”?LOL!
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Kowtow!
Your mind is sharp, your knowledge is extensive, your analysis is precise and thorough.
If everyone is like you, the world will be different.
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You are a stupid canon fodder for Americunt.
The native Red Indian already told the Congress who are not pleased to hear it.
1989 – American Indian Activist Russell Means testifies at Senate Hearing
https://shorturl.asia/jKFJC
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@Buayajantan
Hi
Thanks for the kind response.
Just trying to say what me think is right.
Hope to see you around TRE Corner.
Cheerio!
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Anyone here been to The US.
Go have a look!!! You will know, what’s competition.
China is Screwed!!! Copy from everyone!!!
Even Communist Ideology is Not Theirs.
Big Even to Copy, Who is Next, Aliens is It!!!
Hahaha.
Wake Up & VTO.
Comrade Lee, screwed things up. Or rather
Natural Aristocrats in PAP.
Knowing All, Departmental Store Dummies.
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Your mind is sharp, your knowledge is extensive, your analysis is precise and thorough.
If everyone is like you, the world will be different.
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Angmohs forever dividing others in order to keep being The $upreme rulers.
Chinese people are the most “fragmented” somehow; always screwing one another for some strange reason/s?
Now,Angmohs managed to CONvince TSMC to “migrate” to U$A while telling others to desert China.
So,if Taiwan goes back to China as ONE COUNTRY,TSMC will be “angmoh property”!
See,that is the true colour of present day angmohs.
Forget about angmoh gentlemen!
They are no more gentlemen,they are LGBTQ.
DO NOT KILL BUT CAN ABORT innocent unborn babies?
What a stinky load of rubbish!
Pui! Pui and Pui!!!
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