at that point I got a real sense of the devastation WWI wrecked on Britian

when I told this fact to a chinese person he replied "well, kissing in public **is** an act that's befitting only for prostitutes!"

Some of these villages are tiny. I was once on a tour in the cotswolds when the guide pointed out we were passing through a 'thankful village'.

it had no more than five houses.

it has just occurred to me that the 2nd part of the curse turns you into a one-man super weapon; you can destroy your country's enemies by simply migrating to their country.

they can't kill you because you will live to 120

I remember hearing a debate. the debate was about whether you should use a hypothetical machine that would determine, with 100% accuracy the day you die.

someone pointed out that if you use the machine, you would become functionally immortal in the period between now and your death date

More seriously, I believe one of the reasons why people are studying the Hanfeizi and Shangjun Shu now, is the collapse of the liberal-democratic consensus: it has become acceptable to discuss these forms of government without reflexively cringing or calling it 'fascism'

honestly I would not be surprised if the hanfeizi and shangjun shu will become standard reading in singaporean politics in a few decades.

again, lee kuan yew, through various tactics had managed to make his own party paramount in singaporean politics. there is no need for division and squabbling over abstract things like 'freedom' and 'rights'; he cared for what matters, the physical wellbeing of the people, Thus laozi says 是以聖人為腹不為目