ooohh,its' rainbow fish!! ;x

Update on IHC exam (postponed to thur)

Mr Ho, has luckily given us a chance to mug, and gone thr several impt topics with us...

Mainly about Diplomacy and Deterrence

Firstly, for those hu wan read more, u can go:

wikipedia
ministry of foreign affairs website
ministry of defense website

for 8 mark questions asking abt diplomacy and deterrence in Singapore, the format goes like this:

L1 - Disagrees and identifies other ways to maintain sovereignty

e.g. Bi-lateral relations, multi-lateral relations & deterrence

L2 - Agree and explain why (bring in theories e.g. realism theory)

L3 - Disagree and explain why (international aid might not be forthcoming so quickly)

L4 - Explain that diplomacy and deterrence are mutually dependent because diplomacy must be conducted from the standpoint of a political equal

Muz rmber that Singapore must be adequately prepared for a military threat in order to be seen as a credible partner in diplomacy.

Singapore

believes in realist theory
since independence, we has behaved in a siege mentality
Afraid to lose our competitive edge (怕输)

Singapore's foreign policy carefully combines realism with complex interdependence notwithstanding the different philosophies underlying the approaches.
Singapore was able to embed its foreign relations in a web of diplomatic and political contacts that linked the country to a diverse array of major powers including China, the USA and UK.
Singapore has developed strong economic links to a wide array of trading partners and has encouraged multinational corporations from the main global economies to invest heavily in the country's manufacturing and financial sectors

This ensures that the world's major powers have a strong interest in Singapore maintaining its sovereign integrity and autonomy and together, these strategies have helped to allay fears of Singapore's vulnerability and promoted its independence and sovereignty.

By being friends with so many major powers, it ensures that:

Even if one side fails, not much damage will be done to Singapore
Increase trade and investments
Militarily, it prevents actions against Singapore because it is closely tied with these major powers

Results of Singapore's policy of combining diplomatic and deterrence:

Immediate Neighbours feel threatened by Singapore's forward defense policy (train army in Malaysia)
Forward policy, any war would be fought on Malaysian soil

A sorrow no one can understand nor share..