Note by TC on Skype:
I actually found out a load of interesting things about the problems in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and HK recently.
One non-military thing was the bizarre removal of the most successful colony status in Malaysia when the UK handed it back volentarily and they all of a sudden destroyed the source of their wealth—rubber, then planted palm oil, thus destroying their wealth.
Both palm oil and rubber came from Brasil.
1. Why did we give these places back to the totally incompetent locals when it made everyone so much money? A British military tactition [sic. Anonymous] was sacked prior to the commencement of hostilities in WWII. He had warned that Thailand would let the Japs travel through their territory to Singapore, via Malaysia.
He got sacked.
The war started, they did just that and did carnage in our colonies against the local civilians, then went across to Singapore without a ship in sight when all of our guns were on the other side, pointing seaward.
Who benefitted from this happening? This cannot have happened very easily by accident to say the least.
Rae West/Rerevisionist 25 Sept 2019