tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post723635248214227857..comments2024-03-28T21:39:05.175+08:00Comments on Senang Diri: Singapore's 12th Parliament: Gearing up for the Defence Budget debate for Work Year 2012/13David Boeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11401913253357584603noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-55234252602120669552011-10-11T20:10:39.092+08:002011-10-11T20:10:39.092+08:00"If we are not too careful, the defence spend..."If we are not too careful, the defence spending could itself bankrupt the country or end up spending on the wrong thing." - Anonymous comment, 11 Oct 2011 12:07 AM<br /><br />Dear Anonymous,<br />You hit the nail on the head with this sentence.<br /><br />Best Regards,<br /><br />DavidDavid Boeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11401913253357584603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-12720017257571600082011-10-11T03:13:07.383+08:002011-10-11T03:13:07.383+08:00I think it helps for us to reflect on a cautionary...I think it helps for us to reflect on a cautionary note that (GEN) Eisenhower made when he stepped down as president of the U.S. in 1961. I produce the passage I find most relevant to our conversation:<br /><br />"A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction...<br />This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."<br /><br />Singapore is not too different in that we have actively cultivated own military-industrial complex that is often not acknowledged that way, but unproblematically interpreted as a strength in our national defense and economy. SAF personnel, senior or otherwise, do transit to executive, managerial and technical positions in the industry. By itself it's not a bad thing. But we must remember such connections have the potential to turn self-serving. Joseph Schumpeter, a great economist and thinker, also pointed out too that "a machine of warriors, created by the wars that required it, which now creates the wars it requires." We must remember our national defense should not and cannot be purely conceived as military. While we do have a "total defense" policy articulated but it is seldom seen implemented in full or conscientiously. Perhaps it's time to revisit this wise concept I believe proposed by Mr. Lee Hsien Loong when he was still in the SAF.<br /><br />Mr Boey -- I feel that you do push a convincing albeit aggressive point about the need to upgrade our platforms and maintain our edge through technology. But I cannot help but feel our thinking is not only far from mature, but also has borrowed heavily from other militaries. Borrowing in itself is not a bad thing. But it becomes suspect when the vocabulary we use - RMA, EBO, network-centric warfare, warfighters, transformation - seem to trail the U.S. journey of military reorganization. <br /><br />I'm not saying we have followed others wholesale. But it is discomforting to witness how our national military thought leadership is so determined by the prevailing fads and fashion in military organization and technology use.<br /><br />EricAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-54012539851551005852011-10-11T00:07:59.415+08:002011-10-11T00:07:59.415+08:00With the PAP dominated and WP supplemented parliam...With the PAP dominated and WP supplemented parliament I don't expect there will be much serious debate about defence expenditure. So defence expenditure increase is a foregone conclusion.<br /><br />On your point about not taking defence for granted, well what does that mean? Does defence simply mean military?<br /><br />The problem is that there is no attempt to dig deeper into what is meant by defence. Hence when talking about defence we always end up Defence = Military = Military hardware = Technology.<br /><br />If we are not too careful, the defence spending could itself bankrupt the country or end up spending on the wrong thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-55387941942885713172011-10-10T22:44:35.289+08:002011-10-10T22:44:35.289+08:00Hi stngiam,
I hold the idea that one's defence...Hi stngiam,<br />I hold the idea that one's defence should never be taken for granted. <br /><br />But this doesn't mean I also believe S'pore's military machine should be built up year after year with the biggest slice of the national budget.<br /><br />The two viewpoints are not contradictory.<br /><br />Best Regards,<br /><br /><br />DavidDavid Boeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11401913253357584603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-23161728553826979462011-10-10T10:18:19.774+08:002011-10-10T10:18:19.774+08:00@ stngiam: I do not think CJ is shamelessly cheer ...@ stngiam: I do not think CJ is shamelessly cheer leading for spending on defence hardware. <br /><br />You have acknowledged that ours is a citizen army; I personally find it criminal if the government do not matched its spending on defence with the commitment that the sons and daughters of Singapore had given and are continuing to give.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118472750588748804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-75763864382991420202011-10-09T22:32:44.534+08:002011-10-09T22:32:44.534+08:00Why are you so persistently cheerleading for defen...Why are you so persistently cheerleading for defence spending on hardware ? Hardware is easy. The tough part is maintaining support for a citizen army. In terms of economic cost, I think national service (full-time and reservist) is far more expensive than any submarine or aircraft.<br /><br />Not sure whether you are saying that you agree or disagree that counter-terrorism is an appropriate mission for the SAF. I don't think that it is. The Americans chose to millitarize their "War on Terror" because that was the only tool they had, but that was a mistake we should know better than to follow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-24742172894400501352011-10-09T21:46:48.105+08:002011-10-09T21:46:48.105+08:00Thanks, much appreciated.Thanks, much appreciated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-68871743098139249542011-10-08T20:49:03.122+08:002011-10-08T20:49:03.122+08:00No.No.David Boeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11401913253357584603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348464617577736454.post-55247520833306564812011-10-08T17:47:00.562+08:002011-10-08T17:47:00.562+08:00Are you counting the M60 based CEV as an MBT type?...Are you counting the M60 based CEV as an MBT type? Yes/no answer is sufficient clarification pls, don't want to breach opsec.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com