QA话题：为什么新加坡需要一支庞大的军队？它是面临什么样的威胁？
正文翻译
图文：只有偏执狂才能活下来
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图文：只有偏执狂才能活下来
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
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World War II played a big role too. The inability and lack of resolve from the British to fully defend the colony created this belief; If you don’t defend your land, who will?
As such, if you were to read up on Singapore, you’ll understand that the country is working along the lines of siege mentality, the belief that at any time, Singapore can be trapped in a siege.
Our food and goods all enter by our ports.
Our water supply comes mostly from Malaysia.
We are so near to Malaysia that planes taking off from Singapore enters Malaysian airspace in less than half a minute.
We are a tiny island. It’s easy for our neighbors to lay a siege and starve us out. As such, we decided to invest heavily on the military to build a strong deterrence force. In fact, Singapore will always boast about its air force and navy. Why? Because if we are under siege, these are the assets which will deliver painful destruction and hits on our neighbors.
On a sidenote, we have conscri1ption. While it’s primary purpose is to build a strong military force, as times passed, it has become something embedded in the culture. It’s been a tool to help foster racial harmony and build bonds between people of different backgrounds.
第二次世界大战也起了很大作用。英国人没有能力也没有决心全力保卫这块殖民地，这造就了这种信念；如果你不保卫你的土地，谁会呢?
因此，如果你读过关于新加坡的书，你就会明白这个国家正处于一种被围困的心态中，这种心态认为新加坡在任何时候都可能被围困。
我们的食品和货物都从我们的港口进入。
我们的水供应主要来自马来西亚。
我们离马来西亚非常近，从新加坡起飞的飞机不到半分钟就进入了马来西亚领空。
我们是一个小岛。我们的邻居很容易围攻我们，把我们饿死。因此，我们决定加大军事投入，建设一支强大的威慑力量。事实上，新加坡总是夸耀自己的空军和海军。为什么？因为如果我们被围困，这些资产将给我们的邻国带来痛苦的破坏和打击。
顺便说一下，我们有征兵制。虽然它的主要目的是建立一支强大的军事力量，但随着时间的推移，它已经成为文化中根深蒂固的东西。它已经成为一种工具，帮助促进种族和谐，建立不同背景的人们之间的联系。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
TC Quah Emeritus Consultant
Singapore has learned a good lesson from Andrew Grove:
It’s entirely reasonable for a tiny country like Singapore to be paranoid, especially when it’s surrounded by much bigger countries!
【回答】名誉退休顾问
新加坡从安德鲁·格罗夫身上学到了一个很好的教训：
对于像新加坡这样的小国来说，疑神疑鬼是完全合理的，尤其是当它被大国包围的时候！
Singapore has learned a good lesson from Andrew Grove:
It’s entirely reasonable for a tiny country like Singapore to be paranoid, especially when it’s surrounded by much bigger countries!
【回答】名誉退休顾问
新加坡从安德鲁·格罗夫身上学到了一个很好的教训：
对于像新加坡这样的小国来说，疑神疑鬼是完全合理的，尤其是当它被大国包围的时候！
Bill Chen lives in Singapore
Singapore is surrounded on all sides we don't even have a 12 nautical mile maritime limit.
The threat is literally all around us, wherever we care to look.
Singapore invests heavily in defense to be left alone to our devices, and keep domestic affairs free from foreign interference. The only way to do that is through national strength, just so we won't fold with the merest of threats.
Do you think a couple of commando squads landing on our island today will be able to disrupt society and raise enough mayhem to bring down the government? That happened during the konfrontasi, by the way. The wound was reopened in recent years with the naming of the Usman Harun, a naval warship.
Singapore has been dismissed since day one as a state that drowns in spit, or insignificant as nose snort. Can you imagine if we did not have Spartan levels of firepower at our disposal?
Dismissal is way milder than destruction.
【回答】住在新加坡
新加坡四面被包围，我们甚至没有12海里的海上界限。
事实上，威胁就在我们周围，无论我们关注的是哪里。
新加坡在国防上投下重金，为的是让自己不受干扰，让国内事务不受外国干涉。唯一的办法就是通过国家实力，这样我们就不会屈服于哪怕是最轻微的威胁。
你认为几个突击队今天登陆我们的岛屿就能扰乱社会并制造足够的混乱来摧毁政府吗？顺便说一下，那是在对抗期间发生的。近年来，随着海军军舰“乌斯曼哈伦”号的命名，这一伤口再次被揭开。
从第一天起，新加坡就被认为是一个被唾沫淹没的国家，或者是一个无足轻重的国家。你能想象如果我们没有斯巴达式的火力可以支配，会有什么情况吗？
解雇比毁灭要温和得多。
Singapore is surrounded on all sides we don't even have a 12 nautical mile maritime limit.
The threat is literally all around us, wherever we care to look.
Singapore invests heavily in defense to be left alone to our devices, and keep domestic affairs free from foreign interference. The only way to do that is through national strength, just so we won't fold with the merest of threats.
Do you think a couple of commando squads landing on our island today will be able to disrupt society and raise enough mayhem to bring down the government? That happened during the konfrontasi, by the way. The wound was reopened in recent years with the naming of the Usman Harun, a naval warship.
Singapore has been dismissed since day one as a state that drowns in spit, or insignificant as nose snort. Can you imagine if we did not have Spartan levels of firepower at our disposal?
Dismissal is way milder than destruction.
【回答】住在新加坡
新加坡四面被包围，我们甚至没有12海里的海上界限。
事实上，威胁就在我们周围，无论我们关注的是哪里。
新加坡在国防上投下重金，为的是让自己不受干扰，让国内事务不受外国干涉。唯一的办法就是通过国家实力，这样我们就不会屈服于哪怕是最轻微的威胁。
你认为几个突击队今天登陆我们的岛屿就能扰乱社会并制造足够的混乱来摧毁政府吗？顺便说一下，那是在对抗期间发生的。近年来，随着海军军舰“乌斯曼哈伦”号的命名，这一伤口再次被揭开。
从第一天起，新加坡就被认为是一个被唾沫淹没的国家，或者是一个无足轻重的国家。你能想象如果我们没有斯巴达式的火力可以支配，会有什么情况吗？
解雇比毁灭要温和得多。
Phillip Gabriel Alcantara Mercado Combat Engineer at Singapore Armed Forces (2019-present)
Look at this map!
Look at where our Tiny Red Dot is situated; between two big countries - Malaysia and Indonesia.
Like most other responses have highlighted, Singapore is surrounded on all sides. We don’t have that 12 nautical mile water buffer and our island is physically connected to mainland Malaysia through Tuas Checkpoint and the Causeway.
Singapore invests heavily on its military because it is the only way to deter its neighbors, even if they’re friendly now. One has to consider that this isn’t the case in the past.
Go back six decades and we have Konfrontasi, when Indonesia attacked both Malaysia and Singapore to rebel against the formation of Malaysia. It was clear that Singapore needs a strong defence force if it wanted to survive in the region.
【回答】新加坡武装部队战斗工程师(2019年-至今)
看这张地图！
看看我们的小红点所在的位置；在马来西亚和印尼这两个大国之间。
与大多数其他回答所强调的一样，新加坡四面环岛。我们没有12海里的缓冲区，我们的岛屿通过大士检查站和堤道与马来西亚大陆相连。
新加坡在军事上投入巨资，因为这是威慑邻国的唯一途径，即使他们现在很友好。人们必须考虑到，过去的情况并非如此。
回到60年前，我们经历了马印对抗，当时印尼袭击了马来西亚和新加坡，以反抗马来西亚的形成。很明显，新加坡如果想在该地区生存下去，就需要一支强大的国防力量。
Look at this map!
Look at where our Tiny Red Dot is situated; between two big countries - Malaysia and Indonesia.
Like most other responses have highlighted, Singapore is surrounded on all sides. We don’t have that 12 nautical mile water buffer and our island is physically connected to mainland Malaysia through Tuas Checkpoint and the Causeway.
Singapore invests heavily on its military because it is the only way to deter its neighbors, even if they’re friendly now. One has to consider that this isn’t the case in the past.
Go back six decades and we have Konfrontasi, when Indonesia attacked both Malaysia and Singapore to rebel against the formation of Malaysia. It was clear that Singapore needs a strong defence force if it wanted to survive in the region.
【回答】新加坡武装部队战斗工程师(2019年-至今)
看这张地图！
看看我们的小红点所在的位置；在马来西亚和印尼这两个大国之间。
与大多数其他回答所强调的一样，新加坡四面环岛。我们没有12海里的缓冲区，我们的岛屿通过大士检查站和堤道与马来西亚大陆相连。
新加坡在军事上投入巨资，因为这是威慑邻国的唯一途径，即使他们现在很友好。人们必须考虑到，过去的情况并非如此。
回到60年前，我们经历了马印对抗，当时印尼袭击了马来西亚和新加坡，以反抗马来西亚的形成。很明显，新加坡如果想在该地区生存下去，就需要一支强大的国防力量。
World War II played a big role too. The inability and lack of resolve from the British to fully defend the colony created this belief; If you don’t defend your land, who will?
As such, if you were to read up on Singapore, you’ll understand that the country is working along the lines of siege mentality, the belief that at any time, Singapore can be trapped in a siege.
Our food and goods all enter by our ports.
Our water supply comes mostly from Malaysia.
We are so near to Malaysia that planes taking off from Singapore enters Malaysian airspace in less than half a minute.
We are a tiny island. It’s easy for our neighbors to lay a siege and starve us out. As such, we decided to invest heavily on the military to build a strong deterrence force. In fact, Singapore will always boast about its air force and navy. Why? Because if we are under siege, these are the assets which will deliver painful destruction and hits on our neighbors.
On a sidenote, we have conscri1ption. While it’s primary purpose is to build a strong military force, as times passed, it has become something embedded in the culture. It’s been a tool to help foster racial harmony and build bonds between people of different backgrounds.
第二次世界大战也起了很大作用。英国人没有能力也没有决心全力保卫这块殖民地，这造就了这种信念；如果你不保卫你的土地，谁会呢?
因此，如果你读过关于新加坡的书，你就会明白这个国家正处于一种被围困的心态中，这种心态认为新加坡在任何时候都可能被围困。
我们的食品和货物都从我们的港口进入。
我们的水供应主要来自马来西亚。
我们离马来西亚非常近，从新加坡起飞的飞机不到半分钟就进入了马来西亚领空。
我们是一个小岛。我们的邻居很容易围攻我们，把我们饿死。因此，我们决定加大军事投入，建设一支强大的威慑力量。事实上，新加坡总是夸耀自己的空军和海军。为什么？因为如果我们被围困，这些资产将给我们的邻国带来痛苦的破坏和打击。
顺便说一下，我们有征兵制。虽然它的主要目的是建立一支强大的军事力量，但随着时间的推移，它已经成为文化中根深蒂固的东西。它已经成为一种工具，帮助促进种族和谐，建立不同背景的人们之间的联系。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Andrew Goh lives in Singapore
Why does Singapore invest so heavily into the military?
There’s this story that gun owners in the US like to tell…
A state trooper pulled over an old woman on the road for a traffic stop. When she opens her purse, he notices her concealed carry license.
“Do you have any weapons with you today, ma’am?” he asks.
“Yes,” she says, “I have a revolver in my handbag, a .45 in the glove compartment and a Glock in my coat. In the trunk I have a shotgun and an AR-15.”
“Holy cow, lady,” says the trooper, “What are you so afraid of?”
Replied the old woman: “Not a damn thing!”
Singapore’s heavy investment in the military is like that. I hate to borrow the rhetoric of US gun owners, but at the end of the day, you are the only person you can rely on to protect yourself. Singapore takes this and applies it to the entire country.
Where do they expect threats from?
Where do US gun owners expect a threat from?
【回答】住在新加坡
为什么新加坡在军事上投资如此之多?
美国的拥枪者喜欢讲这样一个故事…
一名州警在路上拦下了一位老妇人。当她打开钱包时，他发现了她隐藏的枪支携带执照。
“夫人，您今天带武器了吗?””他问道。
“有，”她说，“我的手提包里有一把左轮手枪，杂物箱里有一把0.45口径的手枪，外套里有一把格洛克手枪。”后备箱里有一支猎枪和一支AR-15步枪。”
“天哪，女士，”骑警说，“你在怕什么?”
老太太回答说:“什么也没有!”
新加坡在军事上的巨额投资就是这样。我讨厌借用美国拥枪者的花言巧语，但归根结底，你是你唯一可以依靠来保护自己的人。新加坡采取了这一做法，并将其应用于整个国家。
他们会从哪里受到威胁?
美国的拥枪者认为威胁来自哪里?
Why does Singapore invest so heavily into the military?
There’s this story that gun owners in the US like to tell…
A state trooper pulled over an old woman on the road for a traffic stop. When she opens her purse, he notices her concealed carry license.
“Do you have any weapons with you today, ma’am?” he asks.
“Yes,” she says, “I have a revolver in my handbag, a .45 in the glove compartment and a Glock in my coat. In the trunk I have a shotgun and an AR-15.”
“Holy cow, lady,” says the trooper, “What are you so afraid of?”
Replied the old woman: “Not a damn thing!”
Singapore’s heavy investment in the military is like that. I hate to borrow the rhetoric of US gun owners, but at the end of the day, you are the only person you can rely on to protect yourself. Singapore takes this and applies it to the entire country.
Where do they expect threats from?
Where do US gun owners expect a threat from?
【回答】住在新加坡
为什么新加坡在军事上投资如此之多?
美国的拥枪者喜欢讲这样一个故事…
一名州警在路上拦下了一位老妇人。当她打开钱包时，他发现了她隐藏的枪支携带执照。
“夫人，您今天带武器了吗?””他问道。
“有，”她说，“我的手提包里有一把左轮手枪，杂物箱里有一把0.45口径的手枪，外套里有一把格洛克手枪。”后备箱里有一支猎枪和一支AR-15步枪。”
“天哪，女士，”骑警说，“你在怕什么?”
老太太回答说:“什么也没有!”
新加坡在军事上的巨额投资就是这样。我讨厌借用美国拥枪者的花言巧语，但归根结底，你是你唯一可以依靠来保护自己的人。新加坡采取了这一做法，并将其应用于整个国家。
他们会从哪里受到威胁?
美国的拥枪者认为威胁来自哪里?
The world is getting more and more dangerous by the day. Anywhere you look, you can find threats. Between countries demonising each other for various reasons, politicians whipping up nationalist fervour and non-state actors waiting on the sidelines to get back to fighting after the Covid-19 lockdowns, there exists danger all across the spectrum.
Add that to the fact that South-East Asia hasn’t been exactly peaceful. Myanmar has been fighting a low-intensity internal conflict since 1948. The Vietnam War went on for 10 years. Thailand and Indonesia have terrorists operating in restive regions. The Philippines fought a conflict in Marawi in 2017. Why would Singapore not invest heavily in the military?
世界正变得越来越危险。无论你往哪里看，你都能发现威胁。各国出于各种各样的原因互相妖魔化，政客们激起民族主义热情，而在新冠疫情封锁后，非国家行为的人员在场外等待重返斗争，各种危险都存在。
再加上东南亚并非完全和平的事实。自1948年以来，缅甸一直在进行一场低强度的内部冲突。越南战争持续了10年。在泰国和印度尼西亚，恐怖分子在动荡不安的地区活动。2017年，菲律宾在马拉维发生了冲突。新加坡为什么不大举投资军事？
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Add that to the fact that South-East Asia hasn’t been exactly peaceful. Myanmar has been fighting a low-intensity internal conflict since 1948. The Vietnam War went on for 10 years. Thailand and Indonesia have terrorists operating in restive regions. The Philippines fought a conflict in Marawi in 2017. Why would Singapore not invest heavily in the military?
世界正变得越来越危险。无论你往哪里看，你都能发现威胁。各国出于各种各样的原因互相妖魔化，政客们激起民族主义热情，而在新冠疫情封锁后，非国家行为的人员在场外等待重返斗争，各种危险都存在。
再加上东南亚并非完全和平的事实。自1948年以来，缅甸一直在进行一场低强度的内部冲突。越南战争持续了10年。在泰国和印度尼西亚，恐怖分子在动荡不安的地区活动。2017年，菲律宾在马拉维发生了冲突。新加坡为什么不大举投资军事？
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
But the military is the last resort. It’s Singapore’s “nuclear option,” so to speak. More important is Singapore talking to other countries. It talks to as many as it can, to establish non-hostile relations and be amicable, so the military doesn’t have to be mobilised.
To quote:
“The mission of Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces is to enhance Singapore's peace and security through deterrence and diplomacy, and should these fail, to secure a swift and decisive victory over the aggressor.”
Diplomacy first. If that fails, out come the tanks.
但军队是最后的手段。可以说，这是新加坡的“核选项”。更重要的是新加坡与其他国家对话。它与尽可能多的国家进行对话，以建立非敌对关系和友好关系，这样就不必动员军队。
引用：“国防部和新加坡武装部队的任务是通过威慑和外交手段来加强新加坡的和平与安全，如果这些手段失败，则要确保对侵略者取得迅速和决定性的胜利。”
外交先行。如果失败了，坦克就会出来。
To quote:
“The mission of Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces is to enhance Singapore's peace and security through deterrence and diplomacy, and should these fail, to secure a swift and decisive victory over the aggressor.”
Diplomacy first. If that fails, out come the tanks.
但军队是最后的手段。可以说，这是新加坡的“核选项”。更重要的是新加坡与其他国家对话。它与尽可能多的国家进行对话，以建立非敌对关系和友好关系，这样就不必动员军队。
引用：“国防部和新加坡武装部队的任务是通过威慑和外交手段来加强新加坡的和平与安全，如果这些手段失败，则要确保对侵略者取得迅速和决定性的胜利。”
外交先行。如果失败了，坦克就会出来。
David J Wong Regular visitor to Singapore for 20 years
Several years ago, I used to hang out regularly with friends from Malaysia. They used to joke about how badly their armed forces would do in a war with Singapore. Regardless of whether that is true or not, the myth of that superiority is an effective deterrent.
Deterrent against what?
Singapore is a tiny minnow in an ocean surrounded by much larger fish. Just to the north, there’s Malaysia with a population 5x that of Singapore. Across the Strait of Singapore to the south lies Indonesia with a population 50x that of Singapore.
But while the city state is a tiny speck on the map, it also occupies a strategic location astride the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the world’s busiest sea lane. It is a global shipping and transportation hub. It is also fabulously wealthy, with a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. All of this potentially makes this minnow a juicy meal for a passing shark — save for the fact that the city has invested heavily in its military. The Singapore Armed Forces has a reputation as the best trained and organized in Southeast Asia. It has strong security ties with Israel — coincidentally another tiny nation with a crack military and surrounded by larger, potentially hostile countries. It has the most advanced equipment in the region, purchasing the F-35 and deploying stealth frigates based on the French La Fayette class.
【回答】二十年来新加坡的常客
几年前，我经常和来自马来西亚的朋友出去玩。他们过去常常开玩笑说，如果与新加坡开战，他们的军队会表现得多么糟糕。不管这是不是真的，这种优越感的神话是一种有效的威慑。
威慑什么?
新加坡只是一条小鱼，生活在一片被大鱼包围的海洋中。再往北是马来西亚，人口是新加坡的5倍。隔着新加坡海峡向南是印度尼西亚，人口是新加坡的50倍。
不过，虽然这个城市国家在地图上只是一个小点，但它也占据着战略位置，横跨马六甲海峡和世界上最繁忙的海上通道，新加坡，它是一个全球航运和运输枢纽。同时，它也极其富有，人均GDP位居世界前列。所有这些可能会让这只小鱼成为路过的鲨鱼的美味佳肴——除了这座城市在军事上投入了大量资金这一事实。新加坡军队被誉为东南亚训练和组织最好的军队。它与以色列有着紧密的安全联系——巧合的是，以色列也是一个拥有强大军事力量的小国，被潜在的敌对大国包围。它拥有该地区最先进的装备，购买了F-35，并部署了基于法国拉斐特级隐形护卫舰。
Several years ago, I used to hang out regularly with friends from Malaysia. They used to joke about how badly their armed forces would do in a war with Singapore. Regardless of whether that is true or not, the myth of that superiority is an effective deterrent.
Deterrent against what?
Singapore is a tiny minnow in an ocean surrounded by much larger fish. Just to the north, there’s Malaysia with a population 5x that of Singapore. Across the Strait of Singapore to the south lies Indonesia with a population 50x that of Singapore.
But while the city state is a tiny speck on the map, it also occupies a strategic location astride the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the world’s busiest sea lane. It is a global shipping and transportation hub. It is also fabulously wealthy, with a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. All of this potentially makes this minnow a juicy meal for a passing shark — save for the fact that the city has invested heavily in its military. The Singapore Armed Forces has a reputation as the best trained and organized in Southeast Asia. It has strong security ties with Israel — coincidentally another tiny nation with a crack military and surrounded by larger, potentially hostile countries. It has the most advanced equipment in the region, purchasing the F-35 and deploying stealth frigates based on the French La Fayette class.
【回答】二十年来新加坡的常客
几年前，我经常和来自马来西亚的朋友出去玩。他们过去常常开玩笑说，如果与新加坡开战，他们的军队会表现得多么糟糕。不管这是不是真的，这种优越感的神话是一种有效的威慑。
威慑什么?
新加坡只是一条小鱼，生活在一片被大鱼包围的海洋中。再往北是马来西亚，人口是新加坡的5倍。隔着新加坡海峡向南是印度尼西亚，人口是新加坡的50倍。
不过，虽然这个城市国家在地图上只是一个小点，但它也占据着战略位置，横跨马六甲海峡和世界上最繁忙的海上通道，新加坡，它是一个全球航运和运输枢纽。同时，它也极其富有，人均GDP位居世界前列。所有这些可能会让这只小鱼成为路过的鲨鱼的美味佳肴——除了这座城市在军事上投入了大量资金这一事实。新加坡军队被誉为东南亚训练和组织最好的军队。它与以色列有着紧密的安全联系——巧合的是，以色列也是一个拥有强大军事力量的小国，被潜在的敌对大国包围。它拥有该地区最先进的装备，购买了F-35，并部署了基于法国拉斐特级隐形护卫舰。
So maybe not so much a minnow but more a porcupine fish. And even if Singapore’s relations with its neighbors are good and there is no threat from surrounding countries, a strong military allows the city state to assert its voice more strongly across the region.
所以与其说是一条小鱼，不如说是一条“豪猪鱼”。而且，即使新加坡与邻国关系良好，没有来自周边国家的威胁，强大的军队也能让这个国家在整个地区更有力地发出自己的声音。
所以与其说是一条小鱼，不如说是一条“豪猪鱼”。而且，即使新加坡与邻国关系良好，没有来自周边国家的威胁，强大的军队也能让这个国家在整个地区更有力地发出自己的声音。
Anonymous
It’s not really about “where”, but more about ”when”.
Singapore’s current relationship with its neighbors is excellent. However, its neighbors are much poorer and are politically much less stable.
Besides that, Singapore is a Chinese majority country. The legacy of Chinese culture is obvious in the whole Singapore. In South-East Asia, the relationship between the Chinese descendants and the natives is at best uneasy. The populists in the region like to demonize the Chinese descendants for anything wrong in their country. Given the fact that those countries are poor, they have many bad things to blame the Chinese.
In recent years, with China turning more nationalist, being a Chinese majority country created a new problem: many Chinese see Singapore as an ungrateful nation.
And of course, Singapore is tiny.
【回答】
这不是关于“威胁在哪里”，而是关于“威胁什么时候发生”。
新加坡目前与邻国的关系非常好。然而，它的邻国要穷得多，政治也不稳定得多。
此外，新加坡是华人占多数的国家。中华文化的遗产在整个新加坡是显而易见的。在东南亚，华裔和当地人之间的关系充其量也是不稳定的。该地区的民粹主义者喜欢妖魔化华裔，因为他们的国家发生的任何错误。考虑到这些国家贫穷的事实，他们有很多不好的事情可以归咎于中国人。
近年来，随着中国的民族主义情绪日益高涨，作为一个华人占多数的国家，新加坡出现了一个新问题：许多华人认为新加坡是一个忘恩负义的国家。
当然，新加坡很小。
It’s not really about “where”, but more about ”when”.
Singapore’s current relationship with its neighbors is excellent. However, its neighbors are much poorer and are politically much less stable.
Besides that, Singapore is a Chinese majority country. The legacy of Chinese culture is obvious in the whole Singapore. In South-East Asia, the relationship between the Chinese descendants and the natives is at best uneasy. The populists in the region like to demonize the Chinese descendants for anything wrong in their country. Given the fact that those countries are poor, they have many bad things to blame the Chinese.
In recent years, with China turning more nationalist, being a Chinese majority country created a new problem: many Chinese see Singapore as an ungrateful nation.
And of course, Singapore is tiny.
【回答】
这不是关于“威胁在哪里”，而是关于“威胁什么时候发生”。
新加坡目前与邻国的关系非常好。然而，它的邻国要穷得多，政治也不稳定得多。
此外，新加坡是华人占多数的国家。中华文化的遗产在整个新加坡是显而易见的。在东南亚，华裔和当地人之间的关系充其量也是不稳定的。该地区的民粹主义者喜欢妖魔化华裔，因为他们的国家发生的任何错误。考虑到这些国家贫穷的事实，他们有很多不好的事情可以归咎于中国人。
近年来，随着中国的民族主义情绪日益高涨，作为一个华人占多数的国家，新加坡出现了一个新问题：许多华人认为新加坡是一个忘恩负义的国家。
当然，新加坡很小。
So, there is always a threat for Singapore that suddenly a populist strongman emerges in a neighboring country and blame Singapore for anything wrong in their country.
The last invasion Singapore received (in the form of state-supported terrorism) is from Indonesia during the Soekarno era in the 1960s. The attack was both strategically and tactically hopeless (not to mention that it’s illegal under international law), but Soekarno badly needed something to deflect the public attention away from his governance failure. Such is the logic of populist strongmen.
所以，新加坡总是面临着这样的威胁，即一个民粹主义强人突然出现在邻国，并将他们国家的任何问题归咎于新加坡。
新加坡最近一次受到的入侵(以国家支持的恐怖主义形式)是在上世纪60年代的苏加诺时代，来自印度尼西亚。这次进攻在战略上和战术上都是绝望的(更不用说它在国际法上是非法的)，但是苏加诺迫切需要一些东西来转移公众对他治理失败的注意力。这就是民粹主义强人的逻辑。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
The last invasion Singapore received (in the form of state-supported terrorism) is from Indonesia during the Soekarno era in the 1960s. The attack was both strategically and tactically hopeless (not to mention that it’s illegal under international law), but Soekarno badly needed something to deflect the public attention away from his governance failure. Such is the logic of populist strongmen.
所以，新加坡总是面临着这样的威胁，即一个民粹主义强人突然出现在邻国，并将他们国家的任何问题归咎于新加坡。
新加坡最近一次受到的入侵(以国家支持的恐怖主义形式)是在上世纪60年代的苏加诺时代，来自印度尼西亚。这次进攻在战略上和战术上都是绝望的(更不用说它在国际法上是非法的)，但是苏加诺迫切需要一些东西来转移公众对他治理失败的注意力。这就是民粹主义强人的逻辑。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
James Lim lives in Singapore (1974-present)
Why does Singapore invest so heavily into the military? Where do they expect threats from?
Let me tell you a story as an example…
I'm walking with my wife on a lonely street when I'm stopped by a man walking out of the shadow with a small knife demanding my money… then looking at my wife, demand her too…
* I could hand over everything I own and my wife, because I can do nothing and can't fight back…
* I can shout for help, for other people or the police… hoping they could come in time to save me and my wife…
* Or I could rise my fists… while shouting for help… and give the mugger my best, while protecting my property and wife. And hope someone or the police could come…
Well… Singapore is number 3… you'll NEVER KNOW when you'll have an enemies that is out to do you harm… you'll NEVER KNOW if your allies could come in time to help, or would even bother to come to help… but you could always trust your own hands (military) to protect you and yours while you wait for help…
So… hope you understand now…
As to where we ‘expect’ the threats to come from… doesn’t matter… as long as something, somewhere threaten Singapore, Singapore’s interests… and the people living in the country… I hope we have the ability to stop them… be it through political or military means….
【回答】生活在新加坡(1974年-至今)
为什么新加坡在军事上投入如此巨大? 他们认为哪里有威胁？
让我给你讲个故事作为例子…
我和妻子走在僻静的大街上，一个拿着小刀的男人从阴影中走出来要我的钱，然后看着我的妻子，也要她…
*我可以把我拥有的一切和我的妻子都交出来，因为我无能为力，无法反击。
*我可以大声呼救，希望其他人或警察能及时来救我和我的妻子。
*或者我可以举起我的拳头，一边喊救命，一边尽我最大的努力，保护我的财产和妻子。希望有人或者警察能来…
是的，新加坡选择了第三个，你永远不会知道什么时候会有一个敌人来伤害你，你永远不会知道你的盟友是否会及时帮助，甚至懒得来帮助…但你总是可以相信自己的手(军事)来保护你和你的同时，等待救援……
所以…希望你现在明白了。
至于威胁会从哪里来，这无关紧要，只要有什么东西在某个地方威胁新加坡、新加坡的利益和新加坡人民，我希望我们有能力阻止他们，不管是通过政治还是军事手段。
Why does Singapore invest so heavily into the military? Where do they expect threats from?
Let me tell you a story as an example…
I'm walking with my wife on a lonely street when I'm stopped by a man walking out of the shadow with a small knife demanding my money… then looking at my wife, demand her too…
* I could hand over everything I own and my wife, because I can do nothing and can't fight back…
* I can shout for help, for other people or the police… hoping they could come in time to save me and my wife…
* Or I could rise my fists… while shouting for help… and give the mugger my best, while protecting my property and wife. And hope someone or the police could come…
Well… Singapore is number 3… you'll NEVER KNOW when you'll have an enemies that is out to do you harm… you'll NEVER KNOW if your allies could come in time to help, or would even bother to come to help… but you could always trust your own hands (military) to protect you and yours while you wait for help…
So… hope you understand now…
As to where we ‘expect’ the threats to come from… doesn’t matter… as long as something, somewhere threaten Singapore, Singapore’s interests… and the people living in the country… I hope we have the ability to stop them… be it through political or military means….
【回答】生活在新加坡(1974年-至今)
为什么新加坡在军事上投入如此巨大? 他们认为哪里有威胁？
让我给你讲个故事作为例子…
我和妻子走在僻静的大街上，一个拿着小刀的男人从阴影中走出来要我的钱，然后看着我的妻子，也要她…
*我可以把我拥有的一切和我的妻子都交出来，因为我无能为力，无法反击。
*我可以大声呼救，希望其他人或警察能及时来救我和我的妻子。
*或者我可以举起我的拳头，一边喊救命，一边尽我最大的努力，保护我的财产和妻子。希望有人或者警察能来…
是的，新加坡选择了第三个，你永远不会知道什么时候会有一个敌人来伤害你，你永远不会知道你的盟友是否会及时帮助，甚至懒得来帮助…但你总是可以相信自己的手(军事)来保护你和你的同时，等待救援……
所以…希望你现在明白了。
至于威胁会从哪里来，这无关紧要，只要有什么东西在某个地方威胁新加坡、新加坡的利益和新加坡人民，我希望我们有能力阻止他们，不管是通过政治还是军事手段。
Joel Reid Western White Male in my 30s
Singapore is a small neutral country amogst many potential threats, culturally, religious, and economically, they face dangers from Malaysia (who they used to beling to), Indonesia (who can challenge singapore for economic reasons), and China (so they can hold sway in the economic zone of South East Asia for much more complex reasons) …
But Singapore is not the only one in this type of situation:
Switzerland, neutral, has a history of being surrounded by hostile forces in several wars
Singapore is not stupid… it does what every small country surrounded by potential competition does… they hunker down and prepare for any possibility.
【回答】30多岁的西方白人男性
新加坡是一个中立小国，在文化、宗教和经济方面都面临着许多潜在威胁，他们面临的威胁来自马来西亚(他们曾经属于马来西亚)、印度尼西亚(他们可以出于经济原因挑战新加坡)和中国(这样他们可以在东南亚经济区占据主导地位，原因要复杂得多)…
但新加坡并不是唯一一个出现这种情况的国家，中立国瑞士曾在几次战争中被敌对势力包围
新加坡并不愚蠢…它做的是每个被潜在竞争包围的小国所做的事情…他们蹲下身来，为任何可能的情况做好准备。
Singapore is a small neutral country amogst many potential threats, culturally, religious, and economically, they face dangers from Malaysia (who they used to beling to), Indonesia (who can challenge singapore for economic reasons), and China (so they can hold sway in the economic zone of South East Asia for much more complex reasons) …
But Singapore is not the only one in this type of situation:
Switzerland, neutral, has a history of being surrounded by hostile forces in several wars
Singapore is not stupid… it does what every small country surrounded by potential competition does… they hunker down and prepare for any possibility.
【回答】30多岁的西方白人男性
新加坡是一个中立小国，在文化、宗教和经济方面都面临着许多潜在威胁，他们面临的威胁来自马来西亚(他们曾经属于马来西亚)、印度尼西亚(他们可以出于经济原因挑战新加坡)和中国(这样他们可以在东南亚经济区占据主导地位，原因要复杂得多)…
但新加坡并不是唯一一个出现这种情况的国家，中立国瑞士曾在几次战争中被敌对势力包围
新加坡并不愚蠢…它做的是每个被潜在竞争包围的小国所做的事情…他们蹲下身来，为任何可能的情况做好准备。
Cze Low
Singapore did the right thing despite the initial citizens’ doubts. She is a small island country with mainly a Chinese population, and a small Malay and Indian population totaling 5.6 million.
She is surrounded by Malaysia with 23 million mainly Malays and by Indonesia with a huge 230 million Muslim population.
Indonesia wanted to conquer Singapore years ago with a policy of ‘Confrontasi’ and set off two bombs in the centre of Singapore, Orchard Road. Hence a strong deterrence is needed.
Hence Singapore's alliance with USA and the 5Eyes. She hosts a deep port for visiting USA navy aircraft carrier ships as a deterrence and a signal to her Muslim neighbours.
Hence also her balancing act with China. She is China's biggest investor and China is her biggest trading partner.
【回答】
尽管最初的公民心存疑虑，新加坡还是做了正确的事情。她是一个以华人为主的小岛国，还有为数不多的马来和印度人口，总计560万。
她被马来西亚和印度尼西亚所包围，前者有2300万马来人，后者有2.3亿穆斯林人口。
多年前，印度尼西亚想用“对抗”政策征服新加坡，在新加坡中心乌节路引爆了两枚炸弹。因此，新加坡需要强有力的威慑。
所以，新加坡与美国和五眼结盟。她为到访的美国海军的航空母舰提供了一个深水港，作为对她的穆斯林邻国的威慑和信号。
所以，她也要平衡与中国的关系。她是中国最大的投资者，中国是她最大的贸易伙伴。
Singapore did the right thing despite the initial citizens’ doubts. She is a small island country with mainly a Chinese population, and a small Malay and Indian population totaling 5.6 million.
She is surrounded by Malaysia with 23 million mainly Malays and by Indonesia with a huge 230 million Muslim population.
Indonesia wanted to conquer Singapore years ago with a policy of ‘Confrontasi’ and set off two bombs in the centre of Singapore, Orchard Road. Hence a strong deterrence is needed.
Hence Singapore's alliance with USA and the 5Eyes. She hosts a deep port for visiting USA navy aircraft carrier ships as a deterrence and a signal to her Muslim neighbours.
Hence also her balancing act with China. She is China's biggest investor and China is her biggest trading partner.
【回答】
尽管最初的公民心存疑虑，新加坡还是做了正确的事情。她是一个以华人为主的小岛国，还有为数不多的马来和印度人口，总计560万。
她被马来西亚和印度尼西亚所包围，前者有2300万马来人，后者有2.3亿穆斯林人口。
多年前，印度尼西亚想用“对抗”政策征服新加坡，在新加坡中心乌节路引爆了两枚炸弹。因此，新加坡需要强有力的威慑。
所以，新加坡与美国和五眼结盟。她为到访的美国海军的航空母舰提供了一个深水港，作为对她的穆斯林邻国的威慑和信号。
所以，她也要平衡与中国的关系。她是中国最大的投资者，中国是她最大的贸易伙伴。
She is neutral to avoid getting into taking sides. In fact she sends her soldiers to Australia and Taiwan for training!!! A really good balancing act!!!
Others fighting for world dominance should take a leaf from the diplomacy on display here.
她保持中立以避免偏袒任何一方。事实上，她把她的士兵送到澳大利亚和台湾训练！！非常好的平衡技巧！！
其他争夺世界主导权的国家，应该借鉴一下这里展示的外交手段。
Others fighting for world dominance should take a leaf from the diplomacy on display here.
她保持中立以避免偏袒任何一方。事实上，她把她的士兵送到澳大利亚和台湾训练！！非常好的平衡技巧！！
其他争夺世界主导权的国家，应该借鉴一下这里展示的外交手段。
John Tan
That’s because we learned the lesson from WW2 that we have to defend ourselves as we cannot trust anyone else to do it. Yamashita came with 30,000 troops & in 55 days, chased 130,000 British & commonwealth troops down the 550 miles of the Malayan peninsula. And 15 days after that, Percival surrendered 125,00 troops to the 25,000 Yamashita used for the invasion of Singapore. Unfortunately, that’s when we learned that despite the propaganda, the British army really only knew how to run, & not fight. The only units who fought to the death were the local volunteers. As for threats, that’s being mitigated now as the region learned to work with each other, but it was never always that way. Every now & then, someone will find a reason to threaten us. All you need to do is follow the news.
By the way, what is invested has been consistently a % of the GDP, around 3.2%, much lower than many. The US spends 3.6%.
【回答】
那是因为我们从二战中吸取了教训，我们必须保卫自己，因为我们不能相信其他人会去做。山下带着3万名士兵来到这里，在55天的时间里，在马来亚半岛550英里的地方追捕13万名英国和英联邦军队。15天后，珀西瓦尔向侵略新加坡的2.5万名山下部队投降了1.25万名士兵。不幸的是，那时我们才知道，尽管有宣传，英国军队实际上只知道如何逃跑，而不知道如何战斗。唯一战斗到死的部队是当地的志愿军。至于威胁，由于该地区学会了相互合作，现在已经有所缓解，但以前从来都不是这样的。时不时地，有人会找到理由来威胁我们。你所需要做的就是关注新闻。
顺便说一下，对军事的投资一直只占GDP3.2%左右，远低于许多国家。美国的支出是3.6%。
That’s because we learned the lesson from WW2 that we have to defend ourselves as we cannot trust anyone else to do it. Yamashita came with 30,000 troops & in 55 days, chased 130,000 British & commonwealth troops down the 550 miles of the Malayan peninsula. And 15 days after that, Percival surrendered 125,00 troops to the 25,000 Yamashita used for the invasion of Singapore. Unfortunately, that’s when we learned that despite the propaganda, the British army really only knew how to run, & not fight. The only units who fought to the death were the local volunteers. As for threats, that’s being mitigated now as the region learned to work with each other, but it was never always that way. Every now & then, someone will find a reason to threaten us. All you need to do is follow the news.
By the way, what is invested has been consistently a % of the GDP, around 3.2%, much lower than many. The US spends 3.6%.
【回答】
那是因为我们从二战中吸取了教训，我们必须保卫自己，因为我们不能相信其他人会去做。山下带着3万名士兵来到这里，在55天的时间里，在马来亚半岛550英里的地方追捕13万名英国和英联邦军队。15天后，珀西瓦尔向侵略新加坡的2.5万名山下部队投降了1.25万名士兵。不幸的是，那时我们才知道，尽管有宣传，英国军队实际上只知道如何逃跑，而不知道如何战斗。唯一战斗到死的部队是当地的志愿军。至于威胁，由于该地区学会了相互合作，现在已经有所缓解，但以前从来都不是这样的。时不时地，有人会找到理由来威胁我们。你所需要做的就是关注新闻。
顺便说一下，对军事的投资一直只占GDP3.2%左右，远低于许多国家。美国的支出是3.6%。
Wong Kam Luen lives in Singapore (1967-present)
Singapore's defence policy is fundamentally based on the twin pillars of deterrence and diplomacy. ... The second pillar of defence diplomacy is built by establishing strong and friendly ties, through extensive interactions and cooperation, with defence establishments and armed forces in the region and around the world.
The playbook for the Singapore army is the Swiss model. Switzerland did very well in the Second World War by staying neutral and discouraged both the Allies and the Axis powers from invading it. It had quite a formidable war machine that helped to deter any offensive moves by nations that wanted to invade it. It was also very active in Defense Diplomacy to ensure its safety. Singapore will be very happy if it does not face any threats in the foreseeable future.
In summary, Singapore invests so heavily into the military and its defense Diplomacy so that it will not face any threats from anyone in the foreseeable future.
【回答】生活在新加坡(1967年-至今)
新加坡的国防政策从根本上是基于威慑和外交这两大支柱的。国防外交的第二个支柱是通过广泛的互动与合作，与地区和世界各地的国防机构和武装力量建立牢固和友好的关系。
新加坡军队的策略采用的是瑞士模式。瑞士在第二次世界大战中表现出色，保持中立，阻止了同盟国和轴心国的入侵。它有相当强大的战争机器，帮助阻止任何国家的进攻入侵行动。它还非常积极地进行国防外交，以确保其安全。如果新加坡在可预见的未来不会面临任何威胁，新加坡将非常高兴。
总而言之，新加坡在军事和国防外交上投入如此之多，以至于在可预见的未来不会面临任何威胁。
Singapore's defence policy is fundamentally based on the twin pillars of deterrence and diplomacy. ... The second pillar of defence diplomacy is built by establishing strong and friendly ties, through extensive interactions and cooperation, with defence establishments and armed forces in the region and around the world.
The playbook for the Singapore army is the Swiss model. Switzerland did very well in the Second World War by staying neutral and discouraged both the Allies and the Axis powers from invading it. It had quite a formidable war machine that helped to deter any offensive moves by nations that wanted to invade it. It was also very active in Defense Diplomacy to ensure its safety. Singapore will be very happy if it does not face any threats in the foreseeable future.
In summary, Singapore invests so heavily into the military and its defense Diplomacy so that it will not face any threats from anyone in the foreseeable future.
【回答】生活在新加坡(1967年-至今)
新加坡的国防政策从根本上是基于威慑和外交这两大支柱的。国防外交的第二个支柱是通过广泛的互动与合作，与地区和世界各地的国防机构和武装力量建立牢固和友好的关系。
新加坡军队的策略采用的是瑞士模式。瑞士在第二次世界大战中表现出色，保持中立，阻止了同盟国和轴心国的入侵。它有相当强大的战争机器，帮助阻止任何国家的进攻入侵行动。它还非常积极地进行国防外交，以确保其安全。如果新加坡在可预见的未来不会面临任何威胁，新加坡将非常高兴。
总而言之，新加坡在军事和国防外交上投入如此之多，以至于在可预见的未来不会面临任何威胁。
Yong Jian-Yi lives in Singapore
Singapore has invested alot into the military because it is good business. All of our small arms are manufactured locally when we licensed the M16S1 weapon. Since then we have designed and built several for our own for our local use and as export. From small arms, we eventually upgraded to howitzer and self propelled artillery, several types of Infantry fighting vehicle over time through experience.
I think our government decide that it is better to have an army than not to have. It helps support our own local armanent business and discourages people from looking at you as prey. It is just the kind of environment we are in.
【回答】住在新加坡
新加坡在军队上投入了大量资金，因为这是一笔不错的生意。当我们获得M16S1武器许可证时，我们所有的小型武器都是本地生产的。从那时起，我们设计和建造了一些，为我们自己本地使用和出口。从小型武器，我们最终升级为榴弹炮和自行火炮，几种步兵战车经过一段时间的经验积累。
我认为我们的政府认为拥有军队比没有军队好。它有助于支持我们本地的军火生意，并防止人们把你视为猎物。这就是我们所处的环境。
Singapore has invested alot into the military because it is good business. All of our small arms are manufactured locally when we licensed the M16S1 weapon. Since then we have designed and built several for our own for our local use and as export. From small arms, we eventually upgraded to howitzer and self propelled artillery, several types of Infantry fighting vehicle over time through experience.
I think our government decide that it is better to have an army than not to have. It helps support our own local armanent business and discourages people from looking at you as prey. It is just the kind of environment we are in.
【回答】住在新加坡
新加坡在军队上投入了大量资金，因为这是一笔不错的生意。当我们获得M16S1武器许可证时，我们所有的小型武器都是本地生产的。从那时起，我们设计和建造了一些，为我们自己本地使用和出口。从小型武器，我们最终升级为榴弹炮和自行火炮，几种步兵战车经过一段时间的经验积累。
我认为我们的政府认为拥有军队比没有军队好。它有助于支持我们本地的军火生意，并防止人们把你视为猎物。这就是我们所处的环境。
Jack Ye studied Mathematics & Economics
First you need to know the background of the founding of the country.
Malays didn’t want ethnic Chinese to have too much of a voice in the country. So they literally gave them a city called Singapore, saying you Chinese go live there. Singapore was nothing like what it is today, more like a wasted piece of land with not much farm land nor fresh water.
Surrounding Singapore are two Islamic countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, the latter of which literally had a anti-Chinese massacre. And They have a very low tolerance to those who have different cultures as we witness in Middle East.
Singapore is also much smaller than those two. So you can tell that Singapore didn’t really have a good start. Nobody could be sure that Malaysia and Indo are going to be nice to the city forever.
【回答】学习数学和经济学
首先，你需要了解这个国家的建国背景。
马来人不希望华人在这个国家有太多的话语权。所以他们给了华人一座城市叫新加坡，说你们华人就住在那里。那时的新加坡和今天的新加坡一点也不像，更像一块没有多少耕地和淡水的荒废土地。
新加坡周围是两个伊斯兰国家，马来西亚和印度尼西亚，后者确实发生了反华大屠杀。他们对那些有着不同文化的人的容忍度很低，就像我们在中东看到的那样。
新加坡也比这两个国家小得多。所以你可以看出新加坡并没有一个好的开端。没人能确定马来西亚和印尼会永远善待这座城市。
First you need to know the background of the founding of the country.
Malays didn’t want ethnic Chinese to have too much of a voice in the country. So they literally gave them a city called Singapore, saying you Chinese go live there. Singapore was nothing like what it is today, more like a wasted piece of land with not much farm land nor fresh water.
Surrounding Singapore are two Islamic countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, the latter of which literally had a anti-Chinese massacre. And They have a very low tolerance to those who have different cultures as we witness in Middle East.
Singapore is also much smaller than those two. So you can tell that Singapore didn’t really have a good start. Nobody could be sure that Malaysia and Indo are going to be nice to the city forever.
【回答】学习数学和经济学
首先，你需要了解这个国家的建国背景。
马来人不希望华人在这个国家有太多的话语权。所以他们给了华人一座城市叫新加坡，说你们华人就住在那里。那时的新加坡和今天的新加坡一点也不像，更像一块没有多少耕地和淡水的荒废土地。
新加坡周围是两个伊斯兰国家，马来西亚和印度尼西亚，后者确实发生了反华大屠杀。他们对那些有着不同文化的人的容忍度很低，就像我们在中东看到的那样。
新加坡也比这两个国家小得多。所以你可以看出新加坡并没有一个好的开端。没人能确定马来西亚和印尼会永远善待这座城市。
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