Why adaptive management keeps us ahead

If there is one thing about our local leadership, it is their ability to press ahead and remain adaptive. That is something that Singaporeans should be proud of. Be it the drive into media production like animation and special effects via Fusionpolis, or the life sciences push via Biopolis, these are the little niches that we have attempted to carve for ourselves. Coupled with our continuous push for education (albeit extremely demanding and stressful), it will ensure that our island can keep pace with the world.

It is wonderful that we have understood early that our best resource have been our people. Perhaps the people don't believe that they are valued and would kick up a big ruckuss about our immigration policies or maybe even complain against the education system designed to teach them a life skill of being always able to "fish" (rather than always asking for a fish). Even people outside of our nations have seens the wisdom of our strategy. One example is David Heenan in his book Flight Capital, which talks about the brain drain that faces the United States and how Singapore have been successful in drawing 'foreign talent' (people react viscerably to this word). By the way, David Heenan doesn't like us very much and he doesn't fail to admire us for it.

Comparatively, the United States is in a lot of decline. To put it simply, short-termism has grounded their competitive edge to a blunt tool. It's not just the economy stupid, it's also the other E. Education. Anyhow, populist politics or domestic politics to the U.S. dominates and now we see protectionism on the rise (Not that it wasn't there before). Then of course there was the statement about the Chinese messing them up by currency manipulation. Although there is some truth that the yuan is devalued, it does not hold water as the source of their problems. Here's is a good piece from Foreign Policy.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4692

Although I might sound harsh, my reason for doing so is simple. Because we are the small boat, we are affected by the wake of the big boats. Plus, we've always been in tow.