The Tao of Slash and Burn

“They killed all my birds and those daughter fuckers think, they can just walk…..and it’s just another day in paradise. I will never forgive….I will never ever forget…..one day, we will square it off with those cheap pirates very nicely. You just wait and see. Just give me five or seven more years….I need to grow.

Fly my love…fly.

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“When my neighbor brings in a tractor to widen the river on his side. I am there. If the tractor starts at seven. I am there on the edge of my lands standing there like a hawk till the sun goes down. It doesn’t matter whether it rains or shines. Or even how hot or cold it is. I am there – I may not be able to see everything from the hill top. But my neighbor and his hands all see me standing there – that’s really all it takes to make sure that my neighbor doesn’t widen the river so much that I don’t get fast and clear water flowing on the river in my lands.

My friends, this is the art of war – it is very subtle. A little goes a long way. Now you understand why this nonsense of not interfering with the internal affairs of our neighbors is really just very handsome rubbish – the facts are brutal to me, what you do in your backyard may and in certain cases affect be affect me, so I have every right to know what you’re doing. I have every right to defend myself using whatever means possible to render you as transparent as possible.

I have too. If I dunno. Then there is no way I can even defend myself – it’s never personal with me, it’s business.

It’s really as simple as that to me. Don’t talk to me about size, this has nothing whatsoever to do with real scale and everything to do with attitude and projecting power to produce a good neighbor.

Because it is not true to say that your neighbor is always a jolly good fellow. You might as well go to a synagogue and tell everyone that Adolf Hitler was just a misunderstood postcard painter.

Good neighbors are good because they see a utility to be good.

If you’re new to business. Laminate this and carry it with you in your wallet.

Because that is all you will ever see in the business world. But I absolutely do not agree with the idea we should be price takers. Not even if we happen to be small.

I DO NOT AGREE WITH THAT IDEA!

Improvise, adapt and overcome – if you’re short, you better learn to cultivate the friendship of fine tailors and shoemakers to make yourself look taller – if you’re fat, stick to dark and sombre colors – if you’re ugly, develop a winning policy – and if you happen to small, then it doesn’t pay to think or behave small, that just get others to disrespect you! They will humor you, talk to you like a child and if you think small, they will despise and look down on you!

You can’t blame them for giving you a good kick in the ribs just for laughs – after all you bought the lie that we are price takers, which is really just a politically correct way of saying, we will always be holding the short end of the stick all the time.

Now can anyone here tell me, who is standing on hill in Sumatra and watching over our neighbors? Thank you very much….now you know why all our children and wifes are coughing their lungs out. We are truly taking the price like price takers lah…..how is the air? Is it better than a fart in a packed elevator?.

Now can some idiot here tell me please, how much again is a squadron of F-35’s? Not enough it seems for my asthmatic wife and boys who can’t go out to kick a ball it seems.

I know, I am not supposed to interfere, but I cannot help it – as through the years I have grown fond, very fond indeed of Singaporeans. My children and wife is there – that is why I must teach you how to fight this haze.

We will win!”