Huxley's original text about Singapore's doomsday machine?
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DANA R. DILLON quoted Tim Huxley as follows in his "Contemporary Security Challenges in Southeast Asia" published in the Spring 1997 issue of Parameters.
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/97spring/dillon.htm
"In insular Southeast Asia the principal source of friction is the historical animosity between Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore has been portrayed as "a Chinese nut in a Malay nutcracker,"[34] but this metaphor belies the actual situation. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are specifically designed, equipped, and trained to conduct military operations on the Malay peninsula. Should widespread internal instability in Indonesia or Malaysia result in violence against ethnic Chinese, threaten Singapore directly or indirectly, or threaten the island state's extensive economic investment in those countries, the SAF is clearly capable of protecting Singapore's interests however it chooses to define them.[35] A Singaporean invasion of any ASEAN country would most likely result in the complete collapse of ASEAN. In fact, the possible repercussions are so devastating that one observer has called Singapore's strategy "a sort of regional 'doomsday machine.'"[36]
34. Tim Huxley, "Singapore and Malaysia: A Precarious Balance," Pacific Review, 4 (No. 3, 1991), p. 210.
35. Dillon, p. 58.
36. Huxley, Pacific Review, p. 210."
Does anybody have the original text where Tim Huxley called Singapore's strategy a sort of regional doomsday machine?
Cheers,
Sunho -
I am not sure if i am of help but you may wish to look up on Dr Tim Huxley's book "Defending the Lion City". I remember reading about the doomsday machine part there.
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Thanks a lot, I found it on page 63.
Cheers,
Sunho -
And why in the blue hell would S'pore want to invade any ASEAN country?
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I recommend you to read the book for better understanding.Originally posted by sgf:And why in the blue hell would S'pore want to invade any ASEAN country? -
Like maybe when somebody cut off your water supply, freeze your assets in their neighbourhood, amass their troops at the border, etcOriginally posted by sgf:And why in the blue hell would S'pore want to invade any ASEAN country? -
Yes but the text says invade ANY ASEAN country. Now why would we want to invade Thailand or Philipines or Vietnam? Aren't they ASEAN countries too?Originally posted by huaichien:Like maybe when somebody cut off your water supply, freeze your assets in their neighbourhood, amass their troops at the border, etc -
I have read the book. In fact its in my book case right now. And personally I find it extremely misleading. Yes the SAF is potent to a certain extent but its certainly not as invincible as Tim Huxley makes it out to be. Anyone reading the book will be mistaken to think that S'pore will make mince meat out of M'sia or Indonesia. The precise same reason why the M'sians kicked up a big fuss over the book as it made the MAF sound like a totally useless organisation.Originally posted by tankee1981:I recommend you to read the book for better understanding. -
we singaporeans are very c0cky. even i myself am surprised at our c0ckiness.Originally posted by sgf:I have read the book. In fact its in my book case right now. And personally I find it extremely misleading. Yes the SAF is potent to a certain extent but its certainly not as invincible as Tim Huxley makes it out to be. Anyone reading the book will be mistaken to think that S'pore will make mince meat out of M'sia or Indonesia. The precise same reason why the M'sians kicked up a big fuss over the book as it made the MAF sound like a totally useless organisation.
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Qouted from his interview back in 2003.
Dr Huxley believes that the SAF is, in many ways, the most impressive military force in the region, with the capability to absorb a first-strike attack should war break out.
But he also warns Singapore against becoming over-confident when it compares itself with its neighbours. -
sometimes i wonder if the SAF will fall apart if hostilities ever really happen to us
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of course SAF will fall apart like a deck of cards... everyone knows that...Originally posted by beavan:sometimes i wonder if the SAF will fall apart if hostilities ever really happen to us
you should seriously start practising some serious chinese kungfu...
when when war come to singapore... you can sprint across 40km of open sea on your bare foot to batam..
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no need laOriginally posted by tripwire:of course SAF will fall apart like a deck of cards... everyone knows that...
you should seriously start practising some serious chinese kungfu...
when when war come to singapore... you can sprint across 40km of open sea on your bare foot to batam.. ,i learn no shadow kick from poh chi ling can fly to batam 
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Actually I think Huxley did make a point that our military senior leadership is too scholar based as well as the main bulk of our military is too heavily based on our reserves versus the professionals of the other ASEAN armies which is a minus point for us.
So SAF is hardly invincible lah.
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I just hope we don't end up like those armies in history that looks great on paper but can't hold anything in a scrap.
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That is up to each and every singaporean soldier to do his/her job. We all have a part to play in making that a reality when the time comes, if we all just throw down our arms thinking that we will be defeated then we have lost before we even started.Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:I just hope we don't end up like those armies in history that looks great on paper but can't hold anything in a scrap. -
Doesn't help that we keep changing leaders too. How much experience do these ppl have? Look at SCDF & SPF. They've not changed Commissioners for ages. During this same period, SAF has changed tons of CDF, COA, etc.Originally posted by insouciant:Actually I think Huxley did make a point that our military senior leadership is too scholar based as well as the main bulk of our military is too heavily based on our reserves versus the professionals of the other ASEAN armies which is a minus point for us.
So SAF is hardly invincible lah. -
The rotation of the top military officiers have its uses. This is to allow them to gain experience in as much field as possible so that when war starts should one dies there is another one who can take over. The chances of SPF and SCDF officiers dying in war is significantly lower due to them being civilians and are non-combatants
But personally i think those officiers can't stay for long is due to the fear of an attempted military coup to take over the government. This have happened before in many ASEAN countries such as neighbouring Indonesia and many times in Philippines. When an officier stays at a top post for too long he will consolidate power and corruption may occur.
Of course one may argue that this is very unlikely in present day Singapore but this is a very real problem back in the early days of nationhood. So i guess the changing of top military brass to facilitate their entry into politics is one way of preventing a coup back then. Some how this is carried till now due to the merits of this system as these ex-officiers are very good candidates for senior government posts. Remember Teo Chee Hian? -
Actually, I wonder what happens when all these ex-CDFs, ex-COAs, etc, get called up for combat, what will their position be? CDF mentor?
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Wow. Another one. The SAF is as de-politicised as you can get. The only time when it marrs this image is when the CDFs and COAs cross over to become politicians.Originally posted by tankee1981:The rotation of the top military officiers have its uses. This is to allow them to gain experience in as much field as possible so that when war starts should one dies there is another one who can take over. The chances of SPF and SCDF officiers dying in war is significantly lower due to them being civilians and are non-combatants [/quote]
Wow. I'm going to jump your throat right now. That's a very dumb statement. Top military officers are rarely neutralised during war. There's no need to stockpile on them.
I think COAs and CDFs are as non-combatant as the PM. Unless you can illustrate otherwise.But personally i think those officiers can't stay for long is due to the fear of an attempted military coup to take over the government. This have happened before in many ASEAN countries such as neighbouring Indonesia and many times in Philippines. When an officier stays at a top post for too long he will consolidate power and corruption may occur.
And you seem to suggest that the strain of military coup is especially present in ASEAN countries. Is that an argument even?
[quote]Of course one may argue that this is very unlikely in present day Singapore but this is a very real problem back in the early days of nationhood. So i guess the changing of top military brass to facilitate their entry into politics is one way of preventing a coup back then. Some how this is carried till now due to the merits of this system as these ex-officiers are very good candidates for senior government posts. Remember Teo Chee Hian? Err... Good soldiers do not make generals. Generals are politicians. Now your turn to jump at me for silly sweeping statements. -
Huxley is a military acedemic at best and an armed-chair general at worst.
Did he predict correctly how US would have faired against insurgence in Iraq and Afgahnistan, or Isreal vs Hizballah ?
Even 3G-enabled IDF is having hard time now in South Lebanon.
Missing soldiers, lost Apaches, lost F16I and almost loosing its Saar-5 class corvette by surprised attack fro Hizballah guerrillas using 2 x Iran-made radar-guided C-802 shore-to-sea missiles.
And still IDF cannot stop Hizballah from lunching unguided rockets into Israel.
So does techno-3D thingy REALLY works when comes to reality check on the battlefield ?
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Originally posted by Si Geena
Haha! I don't see the need to do that. Lets just see what the others comment about your comments on my post shall we?
Now your turn to jump at me for silly sweeping statements
If i may suggest, maybe you will like to read the my post again but this time at one go and try not to misinterpret my words. Thanks