Rule No 1 is peace and less tensions save a lot of unnecessary defense expenditure.
When your neighbour is your good friend, you need less fencing, less CCTVs, less guard dogs and less security guards. More importantly your neighborhoods become safer living environments (some high class cemeteries also have cctvs and security guards but they are for dead people) and your property values will increase.
Taken at country level, your people and their government will then have more time, more manpower, more money and resources to be spent on other more constructive economic pursuits. This is the peace dividend. Making weapons is a destructive economic pursuit. So, peace and national security is always the better option.
In Malaysia we have been caught up in totally useless and time wasting concerns over the exploits of the common thieves. Village idiots really. Now the World Cup is also upon us (France beat Uruguay folks.)
Minus these distractions there are two humongous events taking place around us - the Trump - Putin Summit in Helsinki and the second meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un scheduled to be held possibly in Switzerland.
When your neighbour is your good friend, you need less fencing, less CCTVs, less guard dogs and less security guards. More importantly your neighborhoods become safer living environments (some high class cemeteries also have cctvs and security guards but they are for dead people) and your property values will increase.
Taken at country level, your people and their government will then have more time, more manpower, more money and resources to be spent on other more constructive economic pursuits. This is the peace dividend. Making weapons is a destructive economic pursuit. So, peace and national security is always the better option.
In Malaysia we have been caught up in totally useless and time wasting concerns over the exploits of the common thieves. Village idiots really. Now the World Cup is also upon us (France beat Uruguay folks.)
Minus these distractions there are two humongous events taking place around us - the Trump - Putin Summit in Helsinki and the second meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un scheduled to be held possibly in Switzerland.
The Trump-Putin Summit will have significant bearing on peace in the Middle East. It may not be resolved fully but certainly there will be better outcomes in Syria, Iraq and possibly have a bearing on Palestine as well. In my view this will be the first major military and political cooperation between the US and Russia, because certainly a military resolution of outstanding issues will be required. It will build trust between the US and Russia.
This by itself will help to even out many a speed bump to peace in the Middle East.
More peace may pull the rug from under the feet of the islamists, the jihadists and the megalomaniacs. Or it may propel them to greater attention grabbing antics. For example Erdogan and the Saudis may not like a peace process. Peace in the Middle East may not suit their political fortunes as much. The same applies to the Ayatolahs in Iran.
Trump-Kim Jong Un 2 will have greater impact on Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific.
We can now really visualise a nuclear free Korean Peninsula. (Nuclear free means no nuclear weapons on board US Navy ships docking in Japan, Korea, no more atomic bombs, nuclear tipped missiles on the Korean Peninsula etc.)
North and South Korea can sign a Peace Treaty, the US Army can either leave Korea or pull back from the 38th Parrallel. (The same for the North Korean Army).
It appears that China wants this to happen as well. A Peace Treaty in Korea will also mean a real cooling of the "imaginary tensions" between the US and China.
Telescoping this peace, there will be less tension in the South China Sea. I believe it will even have an impact on peace in the Southern Philippines as well. Peace in the South China Sea and the Southern Philippines will have a direct effect on our own peace and security.
A Korean Peace Treaty will most likely open up North Korea to the world. A whole new market will develop. Plus North Korea, with its highly educated workforce will most likely become another manufacturing power house, to be organised by the Hyundais, Daewoos and the Kias.
Amidst all this (which I believe will happen so long as Trump is President) Malaysia can reap a huge peace dividend. We need not spend as much on defense. We may need to rethink our defense strategies. Protecting our borders and preserving territorial integrity (from low intensity encroachment) and swatting nonsensical jihadis may require more vigilance than buying tanks, submarines and aircraft.
Plus we also need to create a military that can contribute to the economy. Like the US, Singapore and Israel where the military serves as a significant pool of technical talent that can work hand in glove wite the civilian economy. This is a great future.
Lets hope that Trump-Putin and Trump-Kim Jong Un 2 works out well.
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