The PM has been shockingly candid to express the view that Singapore may have to choose between the US and China. Here is my take of why he had taken that step.
Without saying so and we mustn't, we are trying to help some ignorant fool in the White House understand somethings which he otherwise take for granted.
Singapore might be tiny but its is utterly strategic to the USA. This is to help the monkeys in the White House think through the consequences of the policies it is toying with. They are too dumb and ignorant to be able to imagine and work through the consequences of those fear based policies. Try them and America would end up with a lot more to fear.
Fear must always be stared down. It was the lesson Franklin Roosevelt taught them which they seem to have forgotten.
PM Lee has shown courage.
Update: 1:25 pm
Of course the Americans will not withdraw from Asia but they can over time quite easily be dislodged by the Chinese at China's choosing of time and place. The Americans would ask themselves at those moments what is at stake for them and find that the Chinese are more determined to push them out than they have the reason to stay. If there was the TPP it would be different as there would be a huge economic imperative to do so.
During this window, after repeated warnings, Singapore and other Asian states would be watching closely and making calculations. They will choose to go with China simply because it is the giant neighbor and the Chinese would try much harder. You simply cannot get a good enough deal with the Americans at that time.
The most unwilling parties would be Japan and Taiwan and that is why Shinzo Abe has been trying so embarrassingly hard at trying to get Trump to come alongside him. It would be a very difficult choice for the Aussies.
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