Forever Glorious

for Samina Khalid representing her nation in London
March 19, 2010

Glory is the emission of light
Though light is from strength deep within
Strength must be nourished by love beyond

Nourish the land
Sow love among man
Even deep in desert storms
True friendship shall bring peace in you

Now
problems, hardships, tragedies abundant
you are tormented
Wondering when Glory will return

Reaching across continents
Sow love not hatred, unite not divide
Even setting sun will certainly rise again
Glory certainly
will return

May we hold loving hearts God already blessed us
Wisdom, Strength will come
Glory will
last

3 Keys to Nations’ Success - Pride, Hardship, Simplification

3 Keys to Nations’ Success - Pride, Hardship, Simplification
2010 03 10
solvere.blogspot.com
Solvere Lim Swee Keng

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Summary

3 Keys

Many nations study Singapore story of success.
Lee Kuan Yew, one of the founders, pointed two important points for success – Pride and Hardship.

However, Singapore does not escape the greatest world economic crisis.
There must be some extra wisdom, over-riding wisdom that the world need, Singapore yet to cognize.
This wisdom is Simplification - the key that governs all inventions.

Simplification - Overriding Priority

Only through simplification, are we able to solve bigger, more complicated, more difficult problems.
Only through simplification, can we afford good, affordable housing, education, health care for the people.
Only then can we be confident we will be served by loving, capable, devoted people of own land, after shocked by retarded services in advanced nations' hospitals.
There is no time longer than that thousands miles of flight.
There is nothing more precious than own country, own nation, own people, own family.

Richest, most powerful must recognize their well beings depends on people willingness to serve them.
Their happiness depends on whether the people around them are credible, capable, loving, devoting!
These are not in the numbers, indices, models, even Nobel Prize winning equations.
Love, capabilities, credibility, devotion are more tangible than money, numbers, yet they are suffocated by misplaced priorities.
Such immense misplacement can only be the result of human nature misunderstood.

Simplification can be achieved only after comprehending the realities correctly.
Simplification resulted in effective, efficient, elegant solutions.
This is the manifestation of advancement of wisdom.

Therefore, Simplification is not just an indicator, it is the overriding priority, ultimate importance.

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3 Keys to Nations’ Success - Introduction

3 Keys to Nations' Success - Introduction
2010 03 10
solvere.blogspot.com
Solvere Lim Swee Keng

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Introduction

To succeed is everyone’s desire, even though success means different things to different people at different occasion.
But for sure, history tells us success will not come by, come by just through any change, reform, freedom, election even revolution.

Post World-War II, many new nations formed, only few industrialized, among them even fewer succeeded with clear recipe like Singapore.

Many nations studied Singapore story of success.
Lee Kuan Yew, one of the founders, pointed two important points for success – Pride and Hardship.

Today, the world is facing more deadly crisis than the Great Depression.
2009 Mar 11 “… most virulent since the 1930s” Greenspan ex-US Federal Reserve Chairman.
2009 Jul 26 “… more virulent than the great depression” Bernanke, US Fed Reserve Chairman
2010 Feb 23 “… the greatest financial crisis globally ever” Greenspan

After nations pumping in unprecedented Trillions Dollars, there is no creation of significant employment, there is no clear sign of recovery – Singapore included.

Pride and Hardship are necessary, but inadequate.
We need added wisdom, for sure.

Civilization progresses through endless inventions.
Invention is not limited to sciences, technology.
Every progressive step needs invention, spanning from Statues in Law to dynamic Social order.

Simplification is the first requirement for an invention.

Principles behind International Patent Law crystallized wisdom from centuries of scientific research, technological innovation - putting Simplification first ahead of others.
Simplification is the first and most important requirement for an invention, any invention, all inventions.
This is an unambiguous demonstration of its paramount importance.

Examining today crisis, this crisis was partially created by bankers.
They made simple, direct, quantifiable assets into complex, derived instruments with more than six decimals point accuracy - yet that are in fact impossible to be quantified.

This pointed clearly that the west has failed in the very anchor that governed all their thoughts - logic and reasoning.
They also eliminated the golden rules of discipline and accountability, efficiency and transparency.

The west has abandoned the very key for their success in the name of creativity.
They even abandoned function and purpose for the sake of profits, so that profits can be easily manipulated.
Human wit manipulated these beyond way to verify, means to ascertain, even by the best experts, all the Nobel Laureates.

Within few centuries of disciplined research, the west surpassed all others in organization, sciences, technology.
Yet the west abandoned discipline, ignored its preeminence, even failed to recognize it after disasters turn virulent.

It is a sad moment for the west.
This prolong crisis pronouncedly reminding the west they cannot preach freedom freely without real facts, sound logic, strong reasoning.
Even with these they still have to support with verifiable real facts, consistent and verifiable real facts.

Simplification improves efficiency, reliability.
Simplification also makes every wrong move surfaces, becomes transparent, naked earlier - disaster can be detected, mitigated before becoming virulent.

Cognizing NOT the criticality of Simplification, preaching of free market is baseless.

On Sep 2, 2009 at LKY at LKY School’s forum, expressed concerne on the immense costs of regulation – so immense that the world may only be able to afford regulation after economy recovers.

How could we heal a sick without arresting the cause, an important cause, the root cause?
It therefore demonstrated clearly this is the very important key Singapore yet to cognize!

How could the world go on, when freedom of market is for players to freely exaggerate, fabricate, manipulate at the expense of effective, efficient, expedient transaction between real supply and demand?

Therefore we need to regulate, we can regulate, we must regulate immediately and effectively by removing complication artificially introduced by the witty unwise fools.
We must simplify, make direct, make measurable of all tradable.

The purpose of this writing is not to praise or condemn any political systems.
It is to highlight, deliberate, emphasize the importance of Simplification.

With simpler solutions, everything is made more efficient, resources more nations can have timely access to, all nations therefore have more chances to succeed – which is the purpose of this writing.

This long introduction detailed how big is the error, where is the error, how error was made, how error till today is not yet properly understood.
This is based not on high ideals of socialists, nor motivation of capitalists.
It is built on the foundation of improved understanding of human nature that shaped history, that determined our future.
With these, we can go to fruitful, detailed discussion of the three keys - Pride, Hardships, Simplifications.

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1st Key to Nations’ Success - Pride

1st Key to Nations’ Success - Pride
2010 03 10
solvere.blogspot.com
Solvere Lim Swee Keng

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Pride

My Colleagues and I are determined that no one – neither the Japanese nor the British – had the right to push and kick us around.

We were determined that we would govern ourselves and bring up our children in a country where we can be a self-respecting people

Lee Kuan Yew
First Prime Minister of Singapore
The Singapore Story
A poster displayed at the Changi Chapel and Museum

Solvere visited on Jan 22, 2010
Short, cold, empty conversation with the person in charged
A young Australian, who is not a veteran, nor has the wits of Brits, nor rigor of Japs
A middle-aged Singaporean lady served with smile, warmth and commit to visitors

Pride, is the second most important elements that the living things’ desire, after survival.
Pride is needed to race, to hunt, to court, to mate.
Unforgiving laws of nature determined that those lesser have reduced access to pair, to mate, to father.

We need pride to stand while ceaselessly learning from others, working and competing with others.
We need pride to hold ourselves together to overcome failures that certainly come occasionally.

We take the most recent examples well comprehended by scholars, leaders – Asia Four Dragons.

Koreans were brutally treated by the Japanese before and during the world war.
Forged into them are the will and determination, the discipline and fire to compete head on with Japanese in every field they compete. Koreans become world leaders in electronics, handphones. Contrary, Sony, the Champion of Japan sought westerner as leader, and joining hand with once world leader Sweden’s Ericsson. Headway they made little, struggling they are in markets.

Taiwanese were better treated by the Japanese during the same period.
Not all Taiwanese are sure they are Chinese. Some named Japanese as their best friend. Even Taiwan had immense reserve, Nobel Laureate, effective bureaucracy. Important brand names Taiwanese hold one or two, but certainly not even one is clearly leading the world.

Residents of Hong Kong were so well managed by the British, through out century long of colonialism. When come to appointing Governor, no one challenged Her Majesty.
Can they stand proudly on their feet to offer the best of themselves, products, services to the world?

Today, how often do we pick up something with Hong Kong brand name, or merely just “Made in Hong Kong”?
Can HSBC stand tall without special rights, immense market from China?

These are facts on the surface.
We need to explore deeper into human behavior.

Bicycle was an important asset in old day’s Singapore.
During a street riot, Lee Kuan Yew observed a person carried his bicycle quickly up the stairs.
Everyone cherishes his precious asset, so Lee Kuan Yew noted.
Decades of concerted effort commenced to provide everyone an affordable flat to own, to live in.
Singaporeans became good, responsible workers.

Success of a nation relies first on the leader.
Successful leader, such as Lee Kuan Yew, motivated his people, inspired many leaders.
He brought Singapore ahead in competition and her economy therefore prospers.

For common person, some capital assets like vehicle, house, are important.
For nations, Gross Domestic Product, nations’ reserves are important.
But are not affordable housing and health care, education and skill training critical to secure cost competitiveness in a globalized market?
Winning competition make good economy, good economy is the end result not the cause, nor an adequate, comprehensive indicator.

No one can win by compromising oneself - even the rewards may seem promising.
Singapore entered a union to form Malaysia. No sooner was Singapore expelled.
This is remembered.

but how many cognize this is repeatable?
Recognize it is repeating?

Can any major investor dilute her character, employing agents to win edge in investing in others?
Berkshire Hathaway won better term for investment in General Electric.
Warren Buffett proudly proclaimed he could be greedier.
He did a global effort to find successor, he found none.
His son Howard Buffett is named the successor. The name of Warren's father is Howard Buffett.
Any major investor who has immense values to offer can pay lesser for what is priced much higher.

China won entry to learn the operations of Rothschild. China decided to withdraw.
Having strength is not enough.
Together with self-confidence, Chinese come and go at own timing.

Any big investor who has nothing significant to contribute, leaves the running of the company to the management, are nothing different from small-timer, casual punters, speculators.
They failed as significant investors, they merely buying, not adding values, not providing multiplier effect, not enabling breakthroughs, not opening new frontiers.
Worse, they do not gain new wisdom, added strength for themselves in the process.
They are ignorant of the agency theories.
This is like an animal parting a piece of its flesh to a carnivores and hope soon a bigger piece of lamb will come back as a reward.

Money cannot buy pride.
When commercials, donations, betting became more rewarding than the sports itself, Chinese soccer team decimated.
Even those with spiritual purpose, Monk gain over the rim donations, he kept a horse as a pet – before long he lost his path as a monk.
When doctors, nurses, care givers addressing patients, handicapped, as “clients” – we need no President Obama to tell system is falling apart!

When money becomes the primary objective, sole measure, every piece of work is for sale, everything will be done for more money, nothing will be done for the real purpose – nothing real will be accomplished, everyone falls.

Thinking immense monetary rewards can motivate people for real good, is an ideology, a failed ideology as proven in history, from ancient time till tomorrow.

Any nation that does not have pride will not succeed.
Any people who cannot govern themselves definitely will be decimated!
Even though American Indians were nomads, holding fast not to any land. But history witnessed them warmly welcomed others to their land without caution. They ended up as drunkards cornered into barren tiny little slump, away from the vast, rich land – land once their horses freely galloped, candors soared beyond clouds in sky!

The first Prime Minister made the right observation and pleaded the right pledge - stellar success he accomplished during his rein –generations of Singaporeans appreciated his effort.

Sharing these achievements, LKY School of Public Policies was set up. Not only proudly stating the name LKY, also expanded beyond merely Government (e.g. Kennedy School of Government) into all policies for public good. This is pride manifested, wisdom shown.

Ever this pledge be forgotten, the tide shall turn immediately.
Can a nation progress, children not disperse?

This is not ideology!
Repeated lessons recorded in history tell us what matters most in this real world.
Those who forgotten this ended up at the receiving end of brutal outcome.
Can we find any exception?

We were determined that we would govern ourselves and bring up our children in a country where we can be a self-respecting people

Lee Kuan Yew
First Prime Minister of Singapore

This wisdom resonate easily in any town hall meetings, any elections, any nations.

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2nd Key to Nations’ Success - Hardship

2nd Key to Nations’ Success - Hardship
2010 03 10
solvere.blogspot.com
Solvere Lim Swee Keng

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Hardship

“Singapore had succeeded in the past because it had a generation of people who grew up in hardship, were prepared to take risks and tackle challenges.”

Lee Kuan Yew
Senior Minister of Singapore
Poster found on the inside of a boy toilet cubicle door in North Light
a school for the less academically inclined

Great wisdom often found in humble places.
Less academic inclined, even shipyard workers, peasants became leaders, Presidents, even Emperors.

Leaders are those who lead the herd, overcoming challenges.
When severe challenges come, leaders have to unite all, select the best alternative and fight against all odds.
No alternative is perfect, every choice bound to fail at one point or another; improvisations are made all the time.
Even though not all leaders live to taste the fruits, the herd eventually shall see the victory, enjoy the success, as their pride pressing them on, leading them through crisis after crisis.

A nation already determined its failure when leaders are manufactured through express streams that subjected to lesser test, not solving real problems, enjoy bullying the weaker, soon they become disconnected with realities, truth, virtue, never mind the masses, ……

Those who are elected to serve are called Advisors.
Advisors merely advise, do they feel they are responsible to the outcome?
They needed no execution, will their wisdom progress in the process?
Youth, inexperienced, simple minds can becomes advisors – what relevant wisdom they have to offer?
They should be called Responsible Persons, Perons-In-charge.

A bureaucracy failed when those shouldering heavy responsibilities are called Super Scale.
They scale the super-surface without even looking for root causes - resolving small problems, communal quarrels, attending meeting, writing blogs becomes their important tasks.
What about setting direction, trimming wastage, improving efficiency, enhancing competitiveness?
What about nourishing successors?

Ministers are called ministers because they have to nurse sicknesses, minister solutions.
Grass roots are called grass roots because they nourish others with humility in order to keep the grass green, for leaders to harvest.
Civil servants are neither civil nor serving the greater good, the society will become brutal and broken.
Civil servants should be named as entry level, apprentices, light scale, heavy scale, immense scale….

Otherwise, when problems come, “Haze will go when monsoon come”, “dengue will go when dry season come”, “more, deeper drains”, “that University is privatized”, “the resignation I was not consulted”, “I do not know there are so many foreign workers”, "the greatest drug to invent is one that improve human memory" were heard loudly.

Those who said the above, you need not feel embarrassed.
You just need to recognize your responsibility is immense.
You just need to set high priority to understand the problem, ceaselessly improve your understanding.
You need to seek right solutions, to implement and improvise them.

Do not communicate to your electorates - Communicate with them.
Do not tell them they are not Ang Mo, Ang Mo solutions certainly work.
Even the greatest contemporary leader LKY's words can be found in the toilet cubicle door - who are you to say your brethren's has less wisdom than you, know the situation less than you?

And even God was sent to be crucified.
Who can manipulate everything at will?
Who can conceive even one flawless solution?
Even the most powerful, the smartest leaders in history did not attain it?
Ignorant, do not know the right solutions are natural.

One of Singapore founders, Goh Keng Swee recalled he had to exercise in order to have the access to inspect the nation’s vault.

A great nation is in the making, when leaders’ children are sent to the front, saving people trapped in dangerous spot, overcoming most pressing crises, fighting wars against mightiest enemy.

How to expose to hardship when time is peaceful, economy is prospering?

Young Singaporean men are required to serve two or more years of full time national service. Then they are required to serve up to about 40 years old as reservist.

I personally participated in the conversion of lay back, obese reservists into highly motivated, organized, trimmed and swiftly operation ready troops.

This conversion took less than five years.

Now, within less than few hours, we are able to mobilize civilians across the island and form into battalions of operationally ready soldiers, swiftly, confidently.
Security we sense, brighter future we shall hold.
We accomplished this through artificially created hardship with a purpose, a convincing, worthy purpose.
These fortified the strength, the will of Singaporeans even in their daily life, their work ethics, their values to investors.
We see students working part-time to pay the high tuition fees, we never see before.
We see old men and women taking first bus to work earlier than school children, riding motobike home latter than clubbing youth.
Chinese workers despised Singaporean for not allowing these elders to retire!

Singaporeans are able, devoted, never ask for higher pay, longer holidays, lessons in fine cooking.
Those who blamed Singaporean elders not able to work in over weekends are not human.
Those who do not discover Singaporean can work hard, are disciplined, are not interesting, are choosing the wrong segment of Singaporeans as peers, as workers, as officers -therefore setting the wrong curriculum, agenda, and over labor themselves.

Human basic attributes do not differ so much, every race has fair share of champion and laggards.
Leaders make the decisive difference - even layback can be motivated, obese can become trimmed and fit.

If the masses already took extra miles, leaders have to take much more, to be ahead in order to lead. Otherwise Champion can blaze their tails into delinquent.

Leaders cannot be functioning by eloquent speeches done, technology most advanced, spending coffer undone.
Leaders must be cultivated through challenges in real world, able to identify priority, do more with less, solving with effectiveness, efficiency and elegance.

They then gain insight and foresight, continue their journey with vigor and rigor, for an unwavering purpose of serving all people on the public front, and securing their regimes in their private feeling, deep in their hearts.

Serving can be beautifully said, but serving need solutions, what are good solutions?

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3rd Key to Nations’ Success - Simplification

3rd Key to Nations’ Success - S
2010 03 10
solvere.blogspot.com
Solvere Lim Swee Keng

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Simplification

Leaders cannot be functioning by eloquent speeches done, technology most advanced, spending coffer undone.

Leaders must invent more effective, efficient and elegant solutions.

Solution, inventing good solution is the key.
What is an invention?

What is an invention?
An invention is one that has fewer components, simpler, smaller; perform more, bigger, faster, easier.
This is the first principle of invention – well known requirement for filing patent.
This is shared among nations, with no exception.
This is not ideology; this is wisdom crystallized from centuries long scientific research, technological innovation.

Drainage systems is one of the most ancient invention, drainage maintains its primary importance even in most modern metropolis today – wisdom of our fathers dictated that no drains should be concealed.

However, Technology, Machineries make digging drains a breeze.
Therefore, more drains are dug. They are dug deeper, concealed, until it consumes more imported sand, cement, granite than building a house, the road.
They also becomes so difficult to maintain.
This is a common error in drainage design committed not just in rich metropolis, it happened even in remote fishing villages like Balai, Indonesia.

If the corridors on the second floor of ENV buildings got flooded - sending canteen operator sweeping in the storm is not a solution.
Flooding on second floor of Autobay in Bedok, built years latter certainly is no surprises - more, bigger floor trap, bigger inlet while keeping the drain pipe horizontal, without slope is not a solution either.

This is not the most costly mistake, a major mistake even after cost of labors, sand, cement skyrocketed.
Action is further taken to complicate, intensify matters - by expanding the cavity under the cover so that man can enter, access and perform cleaning and maintenance.

Make simple complex, make obvious concealed, adding many to one.
These are enlarging, propagating what is already wrong – can wrong not be multiplied, magnified, proliferate everywhere?

There will be no ending to this wasteful approach.
No coffer can support such costly expedition.
But the worst is human brains are left idling while lips asking for more land for drains, bigger budgets, more shopping trips.

This is a Technology crisis, it is parallel to Financial Crisis – inventing derivatives from what is already direct and measurable …
Financial Crisis resulted in few billionaires committed suicide. But it does not take away life directly.

Technology crisis impact not just market, systems, corporations, also life and safety.
Technology crisis is indeed a bigger crisis.

To solve this crisis, to keep the excessive brains, labors fully employed in constructive work, is to demand every idea, solution, machine, instrument, policy, law to be simplified, solve with fewer, smaller, lighter, everything made concise, easier, faster, less energy use.

The very first requirement for Invention is therefore Invention must be simpler than prior arts.

With this approach, computer used to be bigger than a train cabin, over 40 tons, consume 15 kilowatts, own by Defense department, operated by experts to make only Hydrogen Bomb.
Today, even less brainy know how to operate computers by dragging, clicking mouse and playing with his children at home thousands miles away.

This is the most important yardstick, not only more nations can afford simplified solutions, many difficult problems found simple, affordable solutions.

This will not just expand the economy, reduce the cost of living, it also inspires all the brains to engaged in elaborate considerations of every aspect of natural sciences and human behaviors.

With this sharing, I hope the world will start to evaluating everything at hand, and trying to simplify every aspect of all machines, construction, market, methods.

“Post Industrialization Dynamos” Autumn 2009, ISBN 9810 833558 detailed four key improvements encompass all aspects of machines, markets, societies.

The explanation here is adequate for policy maker to take position and set direction for technocrats to elaborate and implement, verify through experiments in real life.

One proven implementation is by rally forces inherent in water flow to concentrate and elevate flotsam to an easily accessible collection point and drip dry – there is no machinery, no power needed yet the filter is always clear, the flotsam so easy to collect – even by less agile, aged workforce.

This is one of the ways to address aging population - design jobs for the aged.

“Effective Separation, Easy Maintenance” Jointly invented with Leung Chi Lam. Solvere shared with Public Utility Board since 2005, Patent jointly filed with Leung Chi Lam IPOS200806192-4, partially implemented by Ch2M at Kallang River.

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3 Keys to Nations’ Success - Conclusions

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Conclusions

Without pride, even children disperse.
Prosperity is day-dreaming.
Even today's Survival is at stake!

No one can lead without wisdom.
Most valuable wisdoms are those tested through overcoming hardships.
Leaders need exceptional wisdom, therefore need to go through severe hardships.
In peaceful times, hardships can be purposefully designed, introduced to strengthen the muscles, unite the people, improve the society.

Solutions must be made more direct, must be continuously simplified, ceaselessly simplified – strive to make it more handy, more people can use, afford to use like computer, mobile phone did.

To have more, you have to pay more is obsolete, is fundamentally against your own survival.

Nation’s most critical asset is not its people, its natural resource, its reserves.
Nation’s most critical asset is its leader, character, wisdom, AND commit to his people.

Singapore succeeded because of one generation of great founders; they were wise and committed to their people.
Neither can be taken for granted.

With pride everyone shoulder the responsibility.
Through hardships everyone fortified his strength.
Only simplification, continuous simplification can leader carry people, all level of people through.

Carry the people, all level of people through.
This was pointed out by LKY as the key for China to progress peacefully when Chinese students asked him at LKY School of Public Policies on Sep 2, 2009.
This not only applies to China, this applies to all families, corporations, nations including Singapore.

Pride, Hardships, Simplification improve the chances of success for all.