Powered by glolg
Display Preferences Most Recent Entries Chatterbox Blog Links Site Statistics Category Tags About Me, Myself and Gilbert XML RSS Feed
Sunday, Sep 14, 2025 - 01:40 SGT
Posted By: Gilbert

Reassessments Of Things Past


Yes, it's a hecking face mask
(Source: liargame-anime.com)


The long-awaited Liar Game anime adaptation has just been announced for release next year, with the mangaka meaningfully noting that it has been twenty years since his work first appeared - with an emphasis on trust - and that this theme is only more relevant than ever with the emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic (Game)*, and the explosive rise of social media. Given that this blog has recognized the uncanny resemblance of the Liar Game Pandemic Game to real life more than three years ago, I'm eagerly awaiting as to whether the anime will throw some Easter eggs in that direction.

Following up on more recent suppositions, it had been suggested in February that the confirmations of RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard should likely presage much entertainment - which has certainly arrived some weeks after the new Health Secretary cleaned house at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) etc., by firing over ten thousand workers across these government agencies. Meanwhile, Gabbard is moving forward with RFK Jr. and the new director of the NIH to (very justifiably) investigate the true origins of the Pandemic (Game), with recent developments revealing that erstwhile incarnation of Science, Dr. Fauci, had exhorted the former NIH Director to delete emails relating to "controlling the narrative" about the affair, via the WHO.

All this has had over a thousand current and former employees from RFK Jr.'s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signing a letter demanding his resignation, and while one is never happy to learn of workers losing their jobs, I confess that I would have been far more sympathetic to their entreaties, had they sounded out on any of multiple previous acknowledged abortions of public and medical trust, relating to the pandemic.

Had one in ten - nay, one in a hundred - of these worthy signatories tried to formally raise attention about getting to the bottom of complete fraud on plausible early interventions, question as to why trials on the efficacy of existing medications against COVID-19 would require over three years to plan and execute, or protest against their government's false anti-vax propaganda against non-mRNA vaccines, one would have been significantly more well-disposed towards their cause; still, I would refrain from labelling them as conspiracy theorists defying recognized official medical authorities - or chastise rogue states for setting up their own alternative health advisories - because I still feel that there should be mutual respect in honouring personal healthcare choices.

[*Adapted as the Angels and Demons Game, in the J-Drama version from 2007-2010. But more on wrapping up the Pandemic Game arc, next time.]


America, The New Singapore?


War never changes, except when it does
(Source: straitstimes.com)


I was pleasantly surprised to read that Singapore's leadership had achieved a world-first on the ninth of September, in getting ahead of all other countries for a tour of America's rebranded Department of War. One believes that this change has two main reasons behind it, one stated and one unsaid. On the public justification, GOD-EMPEROR TRUMP has explained that "it's really about winning", in what sounds like a direct counterpoint to our discussion in mid-June on the imposition of universal tariffs being due to America "not been winning recently".

The other reason is even more straightforward: it is only natural for a God of War to have a Department of War, after all, as observed here late April and early May!

Truth be told, I don't envy our ministers having to maintain a delicate balancing act, which has seen our Prime Minister meet Modi in New Delhi from September 2nd to 4th, and our Deputy Prime Minister shake Xi's hand in Beijing at their Victory Day parade on September 3rd, right after our Senior Minister had received** the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun from the then-Japanese Prime Minister. This left one very obvious name missing from the packed engagement schedule, and after the U.S. cancelled our air force's basing of fighter jets in Guam, our Defence Minister would be hobnobbing with the U.S. Secretary of the God of War, and bribing working his way into Hegseth's good graces with the probably billion-dollar acquisition of four P-8A maritime patrol aircraft from Boeing. It is a blessing, then, that we have but two arms to twist!

However, we can be rightly proud of having navigated choppy geopolitical waters fairly well for now, which has extended to TRUMP's America apparently adopting many Singaporean/LKY-style policies in recent months. Consider:

  • Media & Early Education: The defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is threatening the shutdown*** of PBS and NPR broadcasting, which has cleared the path for non-profit conservative patriotic media organization PragerU to set young American minds on the right (GOP) path from infancy; any similarities with the also-nonprofit**** PAP Community Foundation (PeeCeeF) that utterly dominates the local kindergarten scene are, of course, entirely incidental.

  • Gerrymandering: GEOTUS is beginning to explore the possibilities of simply drawing additional seats for the GOP in the congressional map, but on this, even a GOD-EMPEROR may only be second-best. Our PAP have surely been the global leaders on creative redistricting, what more with unique innovations such as combining multiple seats into a winner-take-all constituency. Criticisms that this benefits the incumbent party are clearly totally unfounded (hint, hint, Republicans!)

  • Illegal Immigration: The continued outrage over illegal immigration in America remains maybe the most ridiculous feature of their political discourse, which might be compared to standard practice in Singapore (and Japan, and heck, most nations) - if a person overstays (his visa), then he's deported, because otherwise what?? This deserves its own blog post, so more next time...

  • Tough on Drugs: GEOTUS has focused on fentanyl abuse since his first term, and passed new laws in June that will increase prison sentences for traffickers. Well, you'd have our hangman bewildered ("Prison sentence? What sentence?"), and with Singapore completely banning vaping and deploying over five thousand officers to that effect, the U.S. has some way to go in this area.

  • Military Parades: Let's be frank here, the U.S. parade was... pretty bad compared to China's meticulously-choreographed example - or even Singapore's annual display, if I do say so myself. But I'm sure they'll improve, under the watchful eye of the God of War!

  • Cash Vouchers: And now, the real kicker: TRUMP has proposed $600 tariff rebate checks for everyone, to stimulate the economy and help with daily necessities; Singapore has disbursed $600 in SG60 vouchers to all adults ($800 for seniors), to stimulate the economy and help with daily necessities.

    I rest my case (and strongly, strongly suspect that GEOTUS knows exactly what signal they're sending - and to whom - with all this)


Spot the difference!
(Sources: youtube.com, freshcandy.co.za)


Aggregating all this, I would hardly be surprised if America progresses into having a dominant incumbent GOP (PAP) keeping a nominal (left-wing*****) opposition party in blue around for kicks, with Team Blue routinely drawing large rallies only to be decisively crushed each time elections are held...


[**This was not taken well at all, by PRC netizens.]

[***It has been asked as to why Fox News appears to be blocked in Singapore (and not by the local authorities), while CNN, MSNBC etc. are accessible. Once again, the answer appears obvious: this is out of professional courtesy, since our media fills roughly the same niche. No, seriously, not really joking here.]

[****Because brainwashing is priceless!]

[*****The government has recently asked inactive political parties such as the Barisan Sosialis for proof of existence, which was swiftly noted to be a strange request in that a non-existent party could not very well be expected to reply. Let's put it this way - I wouldn't say that our founding father LKY was vindictive, but I have been assured that he - and his successors - have a very good and very long memory; something that GOD-EMPEROR TRUMP might do well to emulate to an extent.]



comments (0) - email - share - print - direct link
trackbacks (0) - trackback url


Next: Money, Money Everywhere


Related Posts:
A Question Of Production
Tongues Of Conflict (Part III)
Twilight Struggle Redux
Déjà Vu
War Of The Worlds
Back to top

Copyright © 2006-2026 GLYS. All Rights Reserved.