Shangri-La Dialogue: Small countries like Singapore need to invest in defence capabilities, says Ng Eng Hen

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Weird analogy but....
=Taking the analogy from the elephants, we are the grass and we can't move anywhere. So, of course, we have to invest in our own defence capabilities...
When elephants fight, the grass is trampled. When elephants make love, the grass also suffers. And so it's very difficult to be an elephant. And yet the elephant has to get on with smaller countries....

Singapore is too small to be a mediator..."We are the grass... we're just sometimes trying to get out of the way, and at other times trying to make sure that the elephants neither fight nor make love too vigorously. And if they do, (make sure) that we're not part of the grass patch

=a strong defence is a good deterrence. But beyond that, the ability to candidly sit down with other countries with disputes is significant, and to try and resolve the disputes through peaceful means is certainly better than conflict,

Qn: Examine the extent to which expenditure on arms and the armed forces is justified in the modern world. (Cam. 2014)