S’pore is world’s most expensive city for the rich

Island repub­lic gets the nod for the fourth year run­ning

 

 Premium destination: Pedestrians walk along the promenade near the financial business district of Singapore. The country ranked third most expensive for healthcare in 2025, but fell to 23rd in 2026. — AFP

SINGAPORE: Singapore has retained its position as the world’s most expensive city for the affluent for the fourth year running, reflecting the premium that global investors place on stability, a strong currency and a safe haven for capital.

As the wealthy assess their lifestyles and financial longevity, their focus has shifted from cost to value, seeking cities that offer the best mix of stability, quality of life, and balance between income and expenses, said the Julius Baer Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2026 released on July 7.

Tan Yee Kim, Julius Baer’s Singapore branch manager, said Singapore continues to stand out as a “natural choice” as the wealthy consider what assets to hold and where these assets should sit.

“It is valued for its stability, strong rule of law, and the sense of security it offers when planning for the long term. For many families, it forms part of a broader, deliberate allocation across regions, alongside Europe and the Americas,” he said.

ingapore’s rank at the top of the Swiss Bank’s Lifestyle Index reflects the high prices of residential property and cars – the two items that carry the heaviest weightings – as well as the strength of the Singapore dollar against the US dollar.

The Julius Baer Lifestyle Index tracks the price of a basket of 20 luxury goods and services – ranging from private school fees, healthcare and residential property to watches, jewellery and cars – across 25 cities globally. The data was gathered in two rounds between November 2025 and March 2026.

The republic continues to rank as the most expensive place in the world to buy a car and third, for residential property.

Singapore, along with Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Bangkok, Taipei, Tokyo, Jakarta, Mumbai and Manila took joint first position globally for the most expensive region to get an MBA. The report said the Asia Pacific has become the most expensive region to get an MBA.

But while Singapore ranked third most expensive for healthcare in 2025, it fell to 23rd in 2026; Sao Paulo, Zurich and London took the top three spots, respectively.

Zurich, long considered one of the world’s most expensive cities, climbed from its fifth spot in 2025 to displace London as the world’s second-most expensive city.

This was propelled by the Swiss franc’s appreciation against the US dollar. The currency’s strength is driven by Switzerland’s political and financial stability, which sees the franc acting as a store of value in unpredictable times, the report said.

Monaco entered the top three for the first time, pushing Hong Kong into fourth place, primarily due to a stronger euro elevating total costs in US-dollar terms, but also due to higher residential property prices.

Currencies were not the only force driving this year’s index, with rising raw material costs – particularly gold, which has more than doubled since 2024 – pushing up prices of luxury goods such as jewellery and watches.

Despite higher prices, demand from wealthy consumers remains resilient, allowing luxury brands to keep raising prices to maintain exclusivity and align global pricing with shifts in currencies, logistics and tariffs.

As wealth becomes more global and complex, ultra-rich families are placing greater emphasis on how and where their assets and structures are set up, particularly for tax, succession and governance purposes.

Mobility – both physical and financial – “is becoming a defining feature of wealth in 2026”, the report said. Not only do the wealthy choose where to live and spend, but they also allocate their assets across markets to benefit from currency trends and opportunities and hedge geopolitical risks.

The report said Asia-Pacific investors have stepped up portfolio adjustments amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, with more than 70% increasing diversification over the past year.

Many have turned to precious metals as a hedge, while also expanding geographic exposure. Beyond gold, platinum has gained traction in China, and silver has seen renewed demand in India, both in physical markets and exchange-traded products.

Asia-Pacific investors are also showing higher risk tolerance and take a longer-term view than their global peers, with many increasing both investment and spending.

While some are taking a more disciplined approach by boosting investments and cutting spending, overall appetite remains firm. Equities continue to be the preferred asset class, with cash rising to second place ahead of real estate.

Asia Pacific and the Middle East saw the highest proportion of wealthy respondents reporting higher luxury spending in the past 12 months, with hotel suites, fine dining, business class flights and smart phones among the top five categories of increased spending for both regions.

Chua Jen-Ai, research analyst at Julius Baer’s equities research Asia, said high-tech artificial intelligence and semiconductor-driven growth, wealth flows and migration are fuelling fresh growth in cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Sydney.

But in cities where traditional legacy industries, commodities and consumption are still the mainstay of economic activity, change has been more gradual.

Asia as a whole remains the fastest-growing region on Julius Baer’s economic projections, with gross domestic product growth of 4.5% in 2026 that is well above the global average of 2.9%, Chua said. — The Straits Times/ANN

S’pore is world’s most expensive city for the rich

Island repub­lic gets the nod for the fourth year run­ning

 

 Premium destination: Pedestrians walk along the promenade near the financial business district of Singapore. The country ranked third most expensive for healthcare in 2025, but fell to 23rd in 2026. — AFP

SINGAPORE: Singapore has retained its position as the world’s most expensive city for the affluent for the fourth year running, reflecting the premium that global investors place on stability, a strong currency and a safe haven for capital.

As the wealthy assess their lifestyles and financial longevity, their focus has shifted from cost to value, seeking cities that offer the best mix of stability, quality of life, and balance between income and expenses, said the Julius Baer Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2026 released on July 7.

Tan Yee Kim, Julius Baer’s Singapore branch manager, said Singapore continues to stand out as a “natural choice” as the wealthy consider what assets to hold and where these assets should sit.

“It is valued for its stability, strong rule of law, and the sense of security it offers when planning for the long term. For many families, it forms part of a broader, deliberate allocation across regions, alongside Europe and the Americas,” he said.

ingapore’s rank at the top of the Swiss Bank’s Lifestyle Index reflects the high prices of residential property and cars – the two items that carry the heaviest weightings – as well as the strength of the Singapore dollar against the US dollar.

The Julius Baer Lifestyle Index tracks the price of a basket of 20 luxury goods and services – ranging from private school fees, healthcare and residential property to watches, jewellery and cars – across 25 cities globally. The data was gathered in two rounds between November 2025 and March 2026.

The republic continues to rank as the most expensive place in the world to buy a car and third, for residential property.

Singapore, along with Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Bangkok, Taipei, Tokyo, Jakarta, Mumbai and Manila took joint first position globally for the most expensive region to get an MBA. The report said the Asia Pacific has become the most expensive region to get an MBA.

But while Singapore ranked third most expensive for healthcare in 2025, it fell to 23rd in 2026; Sao Paulo, Zurich and London took the top three spots, respectively.

Zurich, long considered one of the world’s most expensive cities, climbed from its fifth spot in 2025 to displace London as the world’s second-most expensive city.

This was propelled by the Swiss franc’s appreciation against the US dollar. The currency’s strength is driven by Switzerland’s political and financial stability, which sees the franc acting as a store of value in unpredictable times, the report said.

Monaco entered the top three for the first time, pushing Hong Kong into fourth place, primarily due to a stronger euro elevating total costs in US-dollar terms, but also due to higher residential property prices.

Currencies were not the only force driving this year’s index, with rising raw material costs – particularly gold, which has more than doubled since 2024 – pushing up prices of luxury goods such as jewellery and watches.

Despite higher prices, demand from wealthy consumers remains resilient, allowing luxury brands to keep raising prices to maintain exclusivity and align global pricing with shifts in currencies, logistics and tariffs.

As wealth becomes more global and complex, ultra-rich families are placing greater emphasis on how and where their assets and structures are set up, particularly for tax, succession and governance purposes.

Mobility – both physical and financial – “is becoming a defining feature of wealth in 2026”, the report said. Not only do the wealthy choose where to live and spend, but they also allocate their assets across markets to benefit from currency trends and opportunities and hedge geopolitical risks.

The report said Asia-Pacific investors have stepped up portfolio adjustments amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, with more than 70% increasing diversification over the past year.

Many have turned to precious metals as a hedge, while also expanding geographic exposure. Beyond gold, platinum has gained traction in China, and silver has seen renewed demand in India, both in physical markets and exchange-traded products.

Asia-Pacific investors are also showing higher risk tolerance and take a longer-term view than their global peers, with many increasing both investment and spending.

While some are taking a more disciplined approach by boosting investments and cutting spending, overall appetite remains firm. Equities continue to be the preferred asset class, with cash rising to second place ahead of real estate.

Asia Pacific and the Middle East saw the highest proportion of wealthy respondents reporting higher luxury spending in the past 12 months, with hotel suites, fine dining, business class flights and smart phones among the top five categories of increased spending for both regions.

Chua Jen-Ai, research analyst at Julius Baer’s equities research Asia, said high-tech artificial intelligence and semiconductor-driven growth, wealth flows and migration are fuelling fresh growth in cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Sydney.

But in cities where traditional legacy industries, commodities and consumption are still the mainstay of economic activity, change has been more gradual.

Asia as a whole remains the fastest-growing region on Julius Baer’s economic projections, with gross domestic product growth of 4.5% in 2026 that is well above the global average of 2.9%, Chua said. — The Straits Times/ANN

The incredible star power rising from the East

Zhang Linghe

 CAN a man be so handsome that millions of women, young and old, around the world have become obsessed with him?

That seems to be the case with Chinese actor Zhang Linghe, who has shot to international stardom with the costume drama, Pursuit of Jade. Just mention his name and the eyes of all my female friends will widen with giddy delight and enthusiastic nods and squeals of “He’s soooo handsome!” What follows will be breathless dissecting of his best scenes in the 40-episode drama that aired in March.

There are, of course, many extremely good-looking and popular actors from other East Asian countries like Japan - Yokohama Ryusei, Sakaguchi Kentaro, Yamashita Tomohisa - and from South Korea - Cha Eun Woo, Hyun Bin, Park Bo Gum - and lots more. But none has struck the popularity stakes globally like Zhang.

I, too, am quite smitten by him, but as a long-time consumer of Asian entertainment, I have also seen other actors becoming extremely popular after a hit drama only to fade as new dramas take over.

It's quite unusual that four months on, Zhang is still holding pole position, and it's thanks to the drama and him spreading westward.

That is what I find most interesting: how Western audiences, or rather non-Asian Western women, have become enamoured of Zhang, too. This is especially so when in the not-so-distant past, Asian male good looks, especially of K-pop idols, were ridiculed as effeminate with slanted eyes, too much plastic surgery and make-up.

Well, what do you know? Thanks to streaming sites like Netflix, audiences everywhere have become exposed to Asian entertainment like never before, and bam! the scales have fallen off their eyes.

By Asian, I am referring to East Asians, not people from the Indian subcontinent, because the latter’s good looks differ greatly with their larger, widely set eyes, thick eyebrows, prominent noses, and they are more hirsute; hence, they look a bit more like Caucasians.

Through the dramas and movies, Western audiences are not just exposed to handsome Asian men but also to how the stories are told, especially romance that focuses on character development that slowly builds up the relationship between the couple before their first kiss.

This is unlike Western romances that often have the couple getting physically intimate almost immediately.

And the Asian male protagonists are usually packaged like Prince Charming – tall, smart, educated, respectful of women and of course good looks with floppy hair and perfect skin.

Singapore aesthetic doctor Siew Tuck Wah explains why Zhang’s face has wowed so many. First are his large and well-proportioned, youthful and alert eyes. Next, his well-defined and structured jawline that signals masculinity. Thirdly, clear and blemish-free skin that signals health.

Dr Siew adds that Zhang’s is not overly rugged or soft, meaning his face has structure and refinement, a balance that makes him universally appealing. He suspects Zhang might have had treatments done to his skin but notes if so, it was done very naturally.

One more standout facial feature not raised by Dr Siew is Zhang's lips that are naturally rosy red. Dr Siew says Zhang looks best in period dramas because the hair is styled to show all his best features.

Well, I think Zhang is also very dishy in the modern drama, The Best Thing, in which he played a traditional medicine doctor, but it’s true he was sensational in Pursuit of Jade. My mak datin friend who rarely watches Chinese dramas only wants to watch him in his next historical drama, The Road to Glory, hoping to relive those good looks with old-fashioned hair and clothes that he carries off so well.

Zhang, who is 29, is admired not just for his beauty but his brains, too. He graduated from Nanjing Normal University with a degree in electrical engineering. He fronted a well-received documentary series, The Answer Is Earth, that is said to be a personal project because of his engineering background as it explores China's low-carbon transition and renewable energy sector.

While many Korean actors have long been popular, Chinese dudes are pretty much on par now with the likes of Zhang, Xiao Zhan, Wu Lei, Yang Yang, Chen Xingxu, Li Yunrui... I really could go on.

There are also many East Asian actresses who have become well known, and that’s evident from how both male and female actors and celebrities have become ambassadors for many brands.

And that is another cultural phenomenon that is worth noting. Until the turn of the century, we in Asia would usually see famous white people paid to promote all sorts of goods to us.

I am reminded of the 2003 movie, Lost in Translation, that starred Bill Murray as a washed-out American movie star who travels to Tokyo to promote Suntory whiskey. Even then, when most Asians were still in awe of the West’s hard and soft power, especially the United States, it struck me as ironic that the film was premised on a fading white actor being regarded as an effective salesman for an Asian product.

Then there was Brad Pitt's Heineken’s 2005 commercial showing him trying to buy beer while being chased by the paparazzi. It was a huge hit.

Twenty years on, Kim Taehyung, better known as V, a member of the South Korean superstar group BTS, is the global ambassador of the most iconic US drink, Coca-Cola, for its Zero campaign.

Back in 2021, Vogue Business, in an article, "Forget Hollywood. There’s a new global brand ambassador", stated that “As brands create content across more diverse ad channels, they’re moving away from traditional Hollywood stars in favour of multifaceted, digitally savvy entertainers such as BTS.”

In 1980, it was actress Brooke Shields who starred in the Calvin Klein Jeans campaign delivering the controversial tagline: "You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

In 2026, another BTS member, Jungkook, is the global ambassador. His limited-edition, Jung Kook for Calvin Klein (CKJK) capsule line, which features underwear and apparel, sold out in minutes across multiple global markets.

Indeed, Jungkook is widely acknowledged as an “elite brand multiplier” because his endorsement of any brand dramatically increases visibility, prestige and most importantly, sky-rocketing sales.

That’s why the highly prestigious watch brand, Hublot, chased him for 18 months before he agreed to sign on as its global ambassador.

Many other Asian stars, including from Thailand, have been appointed ambassadors of high fashion and retail labels.

Thai actor Metawin Opas‑iamkajorn represents Prada; Chinese actor Song Weilong (whose good looks and rosy lips are said to be on par with Zhang) is a Gucci and Omega ambassador; Korean actor Cha Eun-woo signed for Saint Laurent and jewellery brand Chaumet. The list goes on, including many top female actresses and artistes like Blackpink members, Yang Mi, Dilraba Dilmurat, Song Hye-kyo and IU.

No surprises that Zhang is ambassador for a slew of diverse brands too, including Bulgari, Puma, Lenovo, Motorola and, with his perfect face, Gucci Beauty and Lancome.

This is truly the Asian century in so many ways. The flow of influence is being reversed or is at last becoming a two-way traffic. We are no longer in thrall of the West that held sway post-colonialism.

I do not deny there was and still is much good coming from the West. But as Prof Amitav Acharya from American University, Washington, DC, writes on Chathamhouse.org, “Globalisation is not disappearing, but taking a new, eastern turn.”

What we are seeing is a definitive shift from Western dominance to a multipolar world. Experts have nicely described it as not merely a "decline of the West" but rather the rise of Asia's own confidence in its soft power as well as its economic and scientific capabilities.

And who's the poster boy for it? Zhang Linghe!

By   

June H.L. WongThe views expressed here are the writer's own.

😭 Tian Xiwei's Emotional Confession About Zhang Linghe Leaves Fans in Tears 💔 Tian Xiwei has captured fans' hearts once again after sharing an motional message about fellow Chinese actor Zhang Linghe. Her heartfelt words about their experience working together and the appreciation she feels for his professionalism have sparked an utpouring of reac …

105 years on, the world comes to understand why ‘the CPC can succeed

A gathering in celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on July 1, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

A gathering in celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday morning in Beijing. 

Addressing the gathering, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, called for continuously building a community with a shared future for humanity, holding high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefits, upholding common values of humanity, and implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, so as to lend more positive energy to world peace and development. This important speech profoundly reveals the "key code" to "why the CPC can succeed," enabling the international community to gain a deeper understanding of the CPC's value and future direction. It has attracted wide attention from all sides.

Among political parties in the world, the CPC possesses unique qualities. Some Western parties have long histories, but have never been so closely bound to the destiny of their countries, nor have they possessed such a rigorous organizational system or such profound capacity for social mobilization. Unlike the loose "electoral parties" common in the West, the CPC embraces the lofty ideal of communism and is committed to the great cause of the Chinese nation across generations. It steadfastly shoulders the heavy responsibility entrusted to it by history and the people. It's a party of guiding character and is mission oriented. 

As General Secretary Xi emphasized, the fundamental reason why the CPC has been able to continuously achieve successes throughout its 105-year struggle and why history and the people have chosen the CPC is that the CPC boasts fine qualities with no parallel among other political parties or political forces.

With 105 years of unremitting struggle, the CPC has profoundly shaped the course of world history. Any assessment of the CPC must be placed within a global framework. The international community's close attention to this important speech occurs against two broad backdrops. First, in global governance, the "four major deficits" are intertwined and steadily worsening. Global challenges continue to emerge, and the existing governance system struggles to respond effectively. Second, in domestic governance, the shortcomings of Western party systems have been starkly exposed. Problems such as interest groups hijacking public decision-making, deepening social divisions and widening wealth gaps remain unresolved. A recent CNN article noted that political decay is an endemic in the West. The world is asking: What kind of party can provide stability and hope in this turbulent era?

The CPC has answered with its practice. China has risen from poverty and backwardness to become the world's second-largest economy, completing in just a few decades the industrialization process that took developed countries centuries. For many years, China's contribution to global economic growth has remained stable at around 30 percent. The CPC has also led the largest-scale poverty alleviation campaign in human history, lifting nearly 100 million rural residents out of poverty and contributing more than 70 percent to global poverty reduction. From a country once ravaged by war and economic ruin to a major nation steadily advancing Chinese modernization and helping shape global governance, the CPC has achieved a record of governance that is truly without parallel.

China is home to more than 1.4 billion people - roughly equivalent to the combined population of the Western world. Governing a country of this scale is exponentially more complex than governing one with tens of millions of people. Such a populous country has successfully blazed a path of Chinese modernization, which in itself constitutes a profound contribution to the governance of modern political parties and the evolution of human civilization. At the same time, China has rejected the old path of Western expansion and plunder, enshrining peaceful development in the national constitution and the Party constitution. It advocates equality and mutual benefit, and harmony and coexistence, thereby achieving a powerful transcendence of zero-sum game thinking. The CPC has pioneered a new and outstanding form of human civilization.

Chinese modernization has shattered the myth of "modernization = Westernization." It proves that developing countries with large populations and weak foundations can independently forge their own development path based on their national conditions. For Global South, China offered not only a new option but also renewed hope.

Meanwhile, as profound global changes accelerate, an increasing number of people in Western countries are paying closer attention to China's practices, including its rigorous Party self-governance, grassroots governance, and commitment to self-reform. Many have been drawn to the achievements of Chinese modernization. Even Francis Fukuyama, who famously advanced the "end of history" thesis, recently acknowledged that if China continues on its current development momentum, then the predictions he made about China four decades ago would prove to be wrong, and "the Chinese have created a pretty impressive system" and that it could become "a real alternative" to Western democracy.

To understand China today, one must understand the CPC. It is even more important to gain a deep understanding of Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building. This thought profoundly elucidates the fundamental questions of what the CPC is and what it aims to do. It radiates rational brilliance and personal charisma, and fully embodies the political character, value pursuits, and spiritual demeanor of contemporary Chinese communists. 

The Party's 105-year history has demonstrated that both history and the Chinese people were right in choosing the CPC to lead the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The world today is far from tranquil. Yet the continued success of the CPC has brought a greater degree of certainty to an increasingly uncertain world and expanded the possibilities for humanity's future. This century-old party has infused China with vitality and resilience, while offering the world a source of long-term stability and hope for peace. The CPC advances with an unstoppable momentum. Its vision of working with the world to build a community with a shared future for humanity is as vast as the ocean, and its path is filled with brilliant ligh 

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Amer­ica at 250, a crum­bling empire

 Shattered myths and soft power legacies, amidst a crum­bling empire.

Happy birth­day, USA!

Trump shines the light on him­self as the nation marks 250 years of inde­pend­ence.

YESTERDAY, Amer­ica turned 250 years old.

Yes­ter­day, Amer­ica was the world’s single greatest super­power – an apex pred­ator without equal.

Today, the rest of the world is scram­bling and jost­ling for power, amidst the ashes of the Amer­ican empire.

It’s easy to ima­gine any­one writ­ing the words above to be gloat­ing haught­ily, delight­ing in the demise of the Great Satan, full of hate for all things Amer­ican.

It is cer­tainly not the case for me.

In fact, in recent months, I’ve reflec­ted on how much of an Ameri­co­phile I am.

As that nation turns 250, it’s also import­ant to note the dif­fer­ence of the things we love about it, and the things we really don’t love about it at all.

I sup­pose the things we don’t love are, for the most part, not uniquely Amer­ican.

The evils of Amer­ican imper­i­al­ism are essen­tially the same evils of every empire that came before it.

The cor­rupt­ing nature of excess­ive greed in Amer­ica is essen­tially the same cor­rup­tion of excess­ive greed throughout his­tory.

What is unique is likely much more a func­tion of time and tech­no­logy than it is geo­graphy or cul­ture.

Amer­ica is a land of a great many con­tra­dic­tions.

It is the wealth­i­est coun­try in the world, yet wealth inequal­ity there some­times feels like it is at Third World levels.

It is the land of some of the world’s most advanced med­ical tech­no­logy and research, yet has some of the worst health­care in terms of afford­ab­il­ity and access among wealthy nations.

Since World War II, it has prob­ably been the largest donor of inter­na­tional aid to the Third World, and has prob­ably dropped more bombs on the Third World (or any­where) than any other coun­try.

Like all the major global empires before it – Brit­ish, Dutch, Span­ish, Por­tuguese, Mon­gol, Chinese, Roman – Amer­ican imper­ial influ­ence saw a phase of vast expan­sion, and is now star­ing down the bar­rel of steep decline.

Nowhere is this more obvi­ous than in the Middle East.

While no one can really keep track of what peace deal is or isn’t in effect from day to day any­more, the latest draft of a pre­deal deal seemed to offer Iran terms that were as shock­ingly good for it as they were shock­ingly bad for Amer­ica.

In essence, this sug­gests that the legendary, myth­ical Amer­ican war machine was brought to its knees by a nation that had been suf­foc­ated and choked by sanc­tions for nearly five dec­ades.

It is inter­est­ing too, to pon­der the source of that legendary myth of invin­cib­il­ity, as we watch it being shattered in real time.

I would argue that Amer­ican influ­ence has been as much about soft power as it has been about hard power.

My gen­er­a­tion, and I daresay the gen­er­a­tions above and below mine, grew up on a steady diet of Amer­ican movies, TV shows, music, fash­ion, and more.

How many movies have we watched where the Amer­ic­ans were the good guys, bat­tling evil Nazis or Sovi­ets.

It feels like one long, unbroken line between Top Gun ,and Top Gun2 – a movie which is a per­fect example of this myth and aura that has been built.

Even more light­hearted Amer­ican cul­ture has found its way into the hearts and minds of bil­lions world wide. (The only com­par­able coun­try in recent times that has achieved any­where near such dis­pro­por­tion­ate cul­tural influ­ence is South Korea.)

I remem­ber Ira­nian friends who would tell me that they learned Eng­lish watch­ing

Friends. I recently met a really lovely per­son whose mother named her Emma, after Rachel’s baby in that same TV show.

To con­tinue the list of con­tra­dic­tions, it is the land of Kim and Kanye, but also the land of Bob Dylan and Kurt Von­negut; the land of Talib Kweli, The Eagles, and one of my favour­ite authors, Lois Mcmas­ter Bujold.

An Amer­ican tweet I’ve never for­got­ten read something like:

The West Wing was our dream of what gov­ern­ment could be,

House of Cards is our night­mare of what it’s become.

Indeed, a lot of the heart and soul of what makes Amer­ica can be found in its lit­er­at­ure.

The Wire remains a clas­sic of all the little things that makes up the rot and insti­tu­tional poverty eat­ing into Amer­ican cit­ies.

But as seen in shows like

Andor, as long as there is oppres­sion, there is always res­ist­ance.

We see this in the latest vic­tor­ies in Demo­cratic primar­ies – not­ably three in con­gres­sional races in New York, where pro­gress­ive demo­cratic social­ists backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mam­dani achieved thump­ing vic­tor­ies.

In a sim­ilar Col­or­ado primary, another pro­gress­ive, Melat Kiros, 29, beat estab­lish­ment, pro-israel Demo­crat Diana Degette, who had been in Con­gress longer than Kiros had been alive.

This is yet another sign of the global trend where polit­ical “extrem­ists” do bet­ter than “mod­er­ates” – espe­cially when those mod­er­ates are still very much under the thumb of Zion­ist lob­by­ists.

US Pres­id­ent Don­ald Trump is of course one of the best examples of this trend, which argu­ably star­ted as far back as the elec­tion of George W. Bush in 2000.

This trend argu­ably explains the defeats of not only Kamala Har­ris and Hil­lary Clin­ton, but the defeats of Mitt Rom­ney, John Mccain, and John Kerry as well.

Amer­ican for­eign influ­ence is dis­in­teg­rat­ing, with Iran being the latest debacle in the vein of Viet­nam and Afgh­anistan.

Per­haps more per­tin­ently, Amer­ica’s eco­nomy is strain­ing under the weight of ever increas­ing inequal­ity.

I see no reason to gloat, but whether we gloat or not, the end­ing of Amer­ican suprem­acy is all but guar­an­teed.

The motto of the state of Vir­ginia is Sic Sem­per Tyr­an­nis – thus always to tyr­ants. Sim­il­arly, all empires even­tu­ally fall.

The rest of the world needs to get smart about how we want to adapt to this new real­ity, and where we want to pos­i­tion ourselves in the unfold­ing new order.

And what will be next for Amer­ica?

When I watch shows like the recent Death by Light­ning ,and the older movie Lin­coln, which was set not far apart in time, I am reminded that there is a great amount of mater­ial and his­tory that Amer­ic­ans can draw from in their 250 year his­tory when it comes time to rebuild from their own ashes.

In time, that leg­acy of hon­our, prin­ciple, tenacity, dili­gence, and love of free­dom, will form the core of Amer­ican inde­pend­ence from the excesses of the pred­at­ory bil­lion­aire class, and the cor­rupt­ing influ­ence of unchecked power (and Zion­ism).

BY NATHANIEL TAN Nath­aniel Tan wishes Amer­ic­ans a happy Inde­pend­ence Day, and every­one in Johor a safe and healthy cam­paign! He can be reached at nat@engage.my. The views expressed here are solely the writer’s own.