BTW: a gentle plug for Pressreader.com, my source of truth, alternative truth, and the most likely thing that occupies the middle.

Is he good? Is he bad? Does he care? Is he strong? Does he love America and hate war? Or does he love power, and hate freeloaders..

Frequent readers of my blog (*grasshoppers chirp in the distance…*) will realise that I, like the rest of the world, struggle to pigeon-hole Donald Trump. Is he King Lear? Is he Grocho Marx? Does he mean it? Gosh! That was a big bomb. Who the hell IS this guy!?!?

I’m starting to think Donald Trump is ancient. I think his views are mercurial. And, if I was to wrap a shell around him to describe him, I would say Donald Trump wrote the Dissoi Logoi: Two Folds or Contrasting Arguments. Donald Trump is a Master Rhetorician.

Well… Thats a topic for a future blog.

For THIS blog, I want to look at how some of The Don’s decisions are being reflected in mainstream Asia media, focusing on Singapore. Why Singapore? Because more than anything else, Singapore is a country that is a city: it doesn’t have Big Agriculture, Big Fish/Minerals, Big History, Big Colonies. What is does have is small everything (compared to other countries), but it totally punches above its weight in science, finance, technology and defence.

Singapore is not a country you want to mess with, but thats ok because Singaporians are people you naturally just want to be friends with. They’re like the Swiss of the South East Asia – they’re just really on to it and nice. The Economist in me looks at them, claps and says, “Singapore – well played!”.

As a multi-ethnic country, Singapore’s “views” reflect the wider Asian regions, but with a capitalist bent. Their belief in Markets has powered their economy. Their belief in people has housed and employed their population. They’re not laissez faire capitalism, but to call them socialist would also get you some lashes of the rittan.

Their ability to forge meaningful friendships have meant in recent time they haven’t been invaded, yet their internal security appartus makes them the last country you’d want to set up a covert cell within. The Singaporians are just such a straight keeled bunch of future focused people, that I take their voice seriously.

Which is why, when you I look at this from todays Singapore “The Strait Times” below front page. The Singaporians could not have sent a strong yelling message to political United States of America..!

Points to Note from the Front Page Article Below

1. The Tone

   1. Mr Trump began with his East Asian allies..
   2. In Asia, the letters landed with a thud.
   3. These rates were mostly in line with Mr Trumps [James: ..not President…?] announcement in April when he shocked the region…[the rates moved around]… There was no explaination for the adjustments.
   4. Yet, Mr Trump’s erratic negiotiation style has also posed a credibility problem for the the White House.[James: The President IS the White House, right?]
   5. What does someone else (not us) say? It is an attempt to push the nations to make more concessions…

2. The Disregard for Process

   1. In the hours that followed…
   2. For Malaysia and Indonesia, both in hectic negotiations to clinch a deal, Mr Trump’s letter specified that reciprocal tariffs of 25 per cent and 32 percent respectively.
   3. …have not received formal notification…
   4. …paused until July 9… 14 nations received letters – nearly identifcal in wording – which were also posted on Truth Social on July 7, or from 12:30am on July 8 Singapore time.
   5. The messaged to the recipients nations are unambigious: Strike a trade deal within three weeks or face higher tariffs.

3. The Inequality of the Size of the Wallop to Asia

   1. “their exports [ie: in total] will attract” – South Korea, Japan, Malaysia: 25%; Indonesia: 32%; Thailand, Cambodoa: 36%; Laos, Myanmar: 40%; Singapore, India, Taiwan:?? so far.
   2. America’s trading partners would face sectorial tariffs betwen 25%-50%.

4. Puppet-master China

   1. … good considered trans-shipped – made in one country but shipped from another – will face higher, unspecified tariffs.

5. Are you holding “Good Cards”?

   1. If the nations chose to retaliate with tariffs on US goods,Washington said it would respond in kind.

That’s only part of the article!

Golly gosh, if the Singaporians wrote this, then Asia is Pissed with the American government at the moment!