if. >> rose: let's talk about singapore. so you agreed to sit down with seven or eight journalists from the "times," a well-known newspaper here in singapore and said "i'll talk about anything" and then they published this book. did you do that because you were worried that the young people did not understand singapore and you wanted to make sure you got to them? >> yes. i'm worried that they believe that we have arrived in autopilot. it's not possible. >> rose: what are you worried about? >> the base is a very narrow one it's 700 something square kilometers and it's a one-story edifice and if you keep that steady you might go up to 150. and you keep it around it might come tumbling down this base is narrow so margins of error are small so make sure when you reach a decision you've got to fall back. >> rose: so people say that singapore has crystal sized the question what price for prosperity and security? >> yes. that's the question that you have... >> we've had to tackle that question. >> rose: and how have you done that?

>> guest: i hope not i can describe that, singapore last year with the fastest growing economy on the planet it had about 15% growth in gdp growth. that is mind-boggling for the country that is really close to the western standards in fact about western standards in the per capita income basis we should expect to see the levels of economic growth for the rates of economic growth if we believe what you just said so isn't that at all. the reason i wrote my book is i really believe that a lot of americans don't really understand what the problems are in the economy and to see a lot of them on television and the press about the deficits and massive debts but it's not a practical initiative people understand this is a fight for the soul of america and not only america but the world. 9 billion people on the planet in 2015. we absolutely need to get it right. we need america to help solve some of the big problems of not resources and the lack of water and land and issues are now the energy that the united states is great at solving these problems. we are not going to be room able to rely on

it is the case of singapore. this is again these discussions and decisions that the society has to make a letter to flee. there are things that go on and singapore that americans might say absolutely not we don't want to have that and i will give you an example in the look. the government has a dating agency where it actually helps educated, quality college educated people so in the hope of producing -- >> host: >> guest: it is the version of match.com. if you think about it, that is maybe infringing on personal rights. but the government says we aren't putting a gun to anybody's head and saying you have to be together but we arepg creating apgnpo environment whee our educated population meetpopo each other and produce childreno who are more likely to go to school and so on.pgpopopgpopo and talking about how data theqg government pgshould be that is g they might have a government ing terms of the fastest in the social policy a lot of people would call it that and it is unacceptable. >> host: i think boys have bee

singapore last year was the fastest growing economy on the planet. it had about 15% growth, gdp growth. i mean, that is really mind boggling for a country that is really close to western standards, in fact, western standards of living and per kappa income basis we shouldn't expect to see those rates of economic growth if we believe what you said. it's not that at all. the reason i wrote the book is because i really believe perhaps a lot of americans don't understand what the problems are in the economy. you see a lot on television and the press about big deficits and massive debts, but i don't think as a practical initiative people understand this is really a fight for the soul of america. not only for america, but the world. there's going to be 9 billion people in the planet in 2050. we absolutely need to get it right. we need america to help solve some of the big problems around resources, a lack of water and land and issues around energy. the united states is great at solving these problems. we're not going to rely on the u.s. if you don't have ed

they left singapore carrying disaster kits, medical supply, and food. we talked to a crew member who says it hits close to home. >> there is a lot of us on the ship that have started lives there. we have families back in japan. i'm honored i am able to help out. >> usf blue ridge is based in japan which is south of tokyo. they were in singapore for a port visit but immediately prepared to return following the disaster. we are hearing firsthand accounts of people that were in japan when it happened. they describe a frightening experience. one woman a san francisco native currently lives in tokyo with her husband and two young sons. she says the quake was noticeably more violent than the 1989 quake. >> we were walking home from kindergarten and it was crazy the ground shook so hard. we had to sit down. we couldn't even stand. >> other bay area residents are boarding flights to japan to look for family members they have not heard of since the quake hit. central bankers are injecting nearly $184 billion into money markets. the record level is more than twic

. >> rose: you once said you wanted for georgia to be a bit of switzerland and a bit of singapore. >> i still insist on that and it has become much more like switzerland and much more of singapore, actually. you know, georgia's transformation from what was a totally failed state with megacorruption, one of the worst places in the world to do business, into what we are now, which accordinging to-- there are certain benchmarks. so the world bank says we are the world's number one reformer, economic reform based on five year's period. that is around the time i have been president. transparency internationally is the main. corruption waurb dog in the world. they've made polling and basically they said that no other country in the world's progress encore ruption, fighting corruption is matched. so we are number one fighting with corruption. and i think it was a mental revolution it was very well set by the-- mental revolution. it is everything. it is the fact that you know when i came the first time, by that moment, 98% of georgia in gallop poll said that they encountered corruption. last

. >> students from russia and singapore line up for a snapshot. they arrived in germany just yesterday and this is their first ever cologne carnival. >> i am here to catch more german culture. i think it is a very good opportunity to have this carnival. >> it is one of the biggest four caramels in -- carnival's in germany. people have the day off and where all kinds of costumes, go on the street, and enjoy a total outrage tuesday. -- outrageous day. >> most of the working population appears to be off sick. beverages will not be in short supply. getting made up is part of the fun with no excuses for reporters. carnival in general seems to bring people closer together. compulsory kisses are something that are there are plenty of during these days. >> we have been partying since thursday. my knees hurt. today is the climax. >> you should shop for candies -- shout for candies. you get them anyway whether you call for them or not. >> the big parade gets rolling at 10:30 a.m., with over 10 -- 10,000 people actually taking part. close to 100 floats, than

there's very advanced in singapore they have to recycle every thin with their membrane technology so our subscribers are all looking for this. de sal is not the answer to all of it. where it's wherever. conjunctive use is one of our prime uses is a way we're meeting it, soy have to believe on the membrane which is what you represent in de sal that technology is moving so quick in respect to smart and a insuranced membranes that we're not asking the question that we're asking now with respect to membrane. >> one final piece you talked about the cost of water and that's one element to be considered but not the sole element in incremental water supply element. it goes back to the no silver bullet approach where there's not one single strategy that will work but a come polation of all the tools to help us be flexible and responsive to this changing environment. >> well on that note our time is up and please join me in thanking this excellent panel. and thank s to all of you. >> can can is a research meterologist at the scrips institute of oceanographer at,uc san diego and researcher at i

least six navy ships headed towards japan from the western pacific and as far away as malaysia and singapore carrying relief supplies. >> this is a huge disaster and we will do anything we are asked to do to help out. >> our counselors efforts are literally 24/7 to make sure we assist u.s. citizens and the japanese needs. >> they are sending rescue crews and rescue equipment. some of the japanese firefighters stranded in the bay area because of the quake are on their way home tonight. they have been here the last week doing emergency response training but the earthquake forced some of their flights to be canceled. they say they not only wanted to get home to help with disaster relief but also to be with their families. today they were able to rebook their flights and head home after service resumed from sfo to tokyo. >>> well, on the way home from a casino when tragedy strikes. >> we had about seven or eight people pinned in the rear of the bus. >> tour bus sliced in half when it overturns. what authorities are looking for that may have contributed to the crash. >>> i'm meteorologist lawrenc

singapore and hong kong have banned imports from the affected region. we go to our bbc reporter who is in tokyo. he joins me now. do you think more people are going to be leaving japan after these radiation levels, there rising levels? >> certainly, among the japanese people i have been speaking to, there was a sense that they were going to be getting out of tokyo as a result of the rise in radiation levels, particularly the tap water issue, but there is a great deal of widespread concern. yesterday's warning applied only to imports, , and they said that more than double the level was found in the tokyo tap water and that children under a certain age should avoid drinking it. many people rushed up to the shops to try to buy already depleted shot. supplies of bottled water, and many supplies have run out. they're in a very difficult position. the city authorities said they were going to be making one quarter of 1 million bottles of water available to those with babies, and in the last hour, what we have heard from the secretary really reinforces this mes

an increasing number of countries including the united states and singapore have suspended imports of some japanese products. it comes after radiation in several farm products from prefectures near the damaged nuclear power plant were above levels recommended by japanese authorities. they will certify safety of food exports to the european union in response to the group's request to ban all imports in to northern and central japan unless accompanied by a safety guarantee. following the announcement the agriculture ministry to test food products and issue safety certificate fs the results clear eu standards. for disaster-hit areas they may handle the process on their behalf. it totaled $300 million in 2009, accounting for about 5% of all exports. tokyo stocks are moving in a narrow range on wednesday morning. the nikkei ended the morning session at 9,575, up over 100 points at 1.2%. trading is thin as investors are holds back from taking on aggressive positions. they are worried that the recent natural disaster and ongoing nuclear crisis will have a lasting impact on the economy. on th

it isn't just europe any more it's india, china, the gulf states, singapore, turkey -- you have to know more, not less. so when people pride themselves on never leaving the country i have to say it makes me rom my eyes. brian: where are the american politicians rolling their -- parading their ignorance? where do you see it? >> well, when they say i don't have a passport and they're proud of it. at the last real change, the cold war, these were international businessmen. if you see butch cassidy, it's his father's railway they're robbing. we really miss those wise men, people with global experience who are quintessentially american. i love bush one for that wreason. i think president bush's people were the last quns to really do that but if you don't have those global linkages, the world won't make sense 20u78ing9 brian: january 11, the cato institute. this is a slip. it's about eisenhower's farewell address? >> yes. >> another thing i learned in washington is is is is is it is almost impossible to lose your job is. it's not the real world. i worked hard at it. but in the real world it's

the honk kong etf off more than 2%, and the singapore etf down sharply, off 3%. some investors opting for cash today, selling off their holdings in gold, long considered a safe haven. april gold futures skidded $32 to $1,392 an ounce, a drop of more than 2%. investors also took profits in oil. in new york trading, april futures fell $4 to $97 a barrel. that was the biggest one-day drop in nearly five months. s for stocks, utilities and information technology stocks led the selling. yahoo! was the s&p 500's weakest member, down almost 6%. shares had been trending higher on speculation the company was looking at selling its stake in yahoo japan. analysts now believe there's little chance of a deal getting done. shares are now close to where they started the month, around $16 apiece. also under heavy selling pressure-- aflac. the life insurer does big business in japan. sellers turning a deaf ear to the company's insistence that earnings will not take a meaningful hit from the disaster. aflac's c.e.o. thinks claim costs will be manageable. those comments unable to c

loaded with supplies the carrier left singapore friday. >> we are here to help the japanese people. >> reporter: with japan in a state of emergency, more help is coming from around the world. search and rescue teams from 45 countries are ready to respond. south korea, australia and the united kingdom have all deployed search teams and time is working against them. >> we know there are miracles survivors days after an incident like this. but we know the longer time goes on, the less likely it is that we will find survivors. >> in fairfax, virginia, teams loaded supplies. tomorrow they'll join a feel from los angeles in japan. it was that same crew that pulled a woman in haiti from the rubble of port-au-prince six days after the devastating earthquake there. her story inspired a country. the team will be looking for another miracle this time in japan, where some 10,000 may still be missing. >> to me, it is the right thing to do. as a member of the international search and rescue community. >> reporter: just back from new zealand the los angeles team worked side-by-side with a team from

dissipated in the largest ipo in history -- i participated in the largest ipo in history in the singapore stock exchange. there is so much opportunity for shorn stain to help them preserve their cash flow. it is much more elegant all the way around. how about a year's free rent, and then maybe an escalator? everybody is going to want to be there. that is a lot less controversial and a much more elegant way to solve this. i wish she would find his civic pride, and understand how it would benefit his own pocket but, instead of taking it out of everyone else. like i said, i am concerned about the cumulative the facts. it is not just twitter, tax incentives, tax giveaways. it is that, cpmc, large hospital complexes, it is about the arts district. i would be much more comfortable if we had a planning process that put us first and brought everybody to the table. supervisor chu: thank you. next speaker please. >> walter paulson. do you know where you are going to do you like the things the city is showing you where are you going to, do you know once we were standing free in time chasing a better

at the same time, japan, singapore and south korea will be super aged societies, meaning more than 21% of their populations will be elderly. japan has spent a lot of time and money on elderly care services. now its neighbors are trying to learn from its experience. >> reporter: william zen is the chairman of a construction and real estate company in shanghai. he recently visited a luxury retirement home. zen is looking for ideas for his latest project. he's planning to build a similar facility to serve shanghai's rapidly-growing elderly population. zen was especially impressed by the high-tech sensors installed in all of the facility's bedrooms. it notified staff when no movement is detected in a room for more than 12 hours. >> this is a wonderful home for the elderly. i want to build high-end facilities in china because there are very few of them for the wealthy. >> reporter: zen is considering paying the japanese retire home for consulting services. the contract would be worth several million dollars. >> asian countries are especially interested in japan's expertise in taking care of

we went to singapore, the netherlands, belgium a federal court judge then announced that mr. william should be released from prison. [applause] he is currently still in prison because the state has an appeal, but the judge basically said, it will be remanded to the same judge at said the evidence was bogus. the police department basically botched all the evidence. they executed more people in harris county than in many states. the judge says by next year this time, they fully expect him to be home with his family after being locked up for more than 18 years, more than half his life. so even just a small part of this victory on the horizon, that has been a blessing and an honor to be a part of that. i have a friend who is a skinhead -- was a skinhead. he was a white guy who used to beat up black people and gay people in texas. when he was the same age of the guy that got into trouble with the law as well, they used to hang outside of dallas. they would wait on a park bench, send a guy out, and when somebody came out to flirt with him, they would beat him up. that was their wee

india, south africa, the gulf states, singapore, brazil, turkey -- this is a 500-year change in power in the world, and it's staring us in the face and nobody is doing anything here. brian: as you know, anybody that watches these networks sees these think tanks and sessions all the time. why do people go to these rooms and sit there and listen to people like you? i don't mean that negatively. >> i wonder that too! brian: and there's thousands of them. >> there are. i had a staffer who did just that. he was a professional meeting goer. if anything was interesting said he would tell me. not often, but he would tell me. couple reasons. one, and you know washington, it's a bit like high school. you want to be seen with the cool kids walking into the room. you want to walk in with, say, kissinger and brzezinski. you want to be seen to be part of the decision-making process, to have access to that power. being bit high school quarterback. that's what really matters. part of it is that, to be seen, this ridiculous juvenile games playing that i don't miss at all but boy, when you are back, it

are now trying to cope with in japan some commentators on that back starting to look a lot like singapore what do you think about that i hope that we're still going to be a long way short of a trip of a chernobyl here particularly for one reason that even if there were a major release of radioactivity from one or more of the reactors the the event to chernobyl was accompanied by an enormous fire which produced a huge plume of thought air carrying radioactivity right up into the stratosphere. and that radioactivity was then carried all over the planet by stratospheric wins i think but i can't think of a mechanism that would distribute radioactivity on that kind of scale from anything that could possibly happen at fukushima but we have heard that they have already had some fires including a fire in a fuel pond when which the cooling apparently failed and any kind of any kind of heat source like that will at least produced some kind of updraft to lift some radioactivity of some kind into the into the upper atmosphere into the into into the wind where it can be carried some distance and of yo

on how the world markets are reacting to the earthquake in japan and i'm joined by our own from singapore by angie financial markets chief economist timothy condon hello timothy can you explain to us how all this is affecting asian and european markets . well it's a pretty simple really markets of. the uncertainty of the about damage from the quake in japan by doing what they usually do when there is uncertainty they see the sell off sharply and. i would highlight that the. squad that virtually all of its initial depreciation depreciation immediately follow the news of the earthquake it's it's back where it was before that at this point and i guess that's what we can expect from for the year to happen in the case of the knee jerk reactions to the earthquake that we've seen in the equity markets and what will happen do you think for the nikkei when it opened themselves on monday. we'll have a. long weekend to assess the damage and see whether or not the huge falls that we see in. immediately following the news of the earthquake are justified i imagine that. will be a good reaction to the e

. >>> currently >>> currently in port in singapore, u.s.avy amphibious helicopter carrier blue ridge getting loaded up with relief supplies that will be heading to japan tomorrow. the pentagon by order of president obama sending a lot of assets, including the aircraft carrier ronald reagan, again mostly for helicopter lift capacity. and if you want to help, for more on the relief effort and how you can be of assistance, there's information tonight on our website, nightly.msnbc.com. >>> some other news now, we got an update today on the condition of congresswoman gabby giffords. the hospital in houston says she continues to make significant progress. her breathing tube was removed a few days ago, she is speaking now in full sentences and her movement is improving. she has been told what happened to her, but not about the others who were shot in tucson that day in january. >>> at a news conference today, president obama spoke about the civil war in libya, saying he hasn't taken any options off the table. >>> also today we got a first look at

they were in singapore when the quake hit.hen they got word they immediately loaded up on supplies and prepared no go back. >>> happening right now community leaders are getting ready to meet this morning to start coordinating fund raising efforts for earthquake victims in japan. the group has already started to accept donations. people in the bay area wait for word on their loved ones in the quake zone. >> my brother, we are waiting. god is very upset, that is what i feel. >> the japanese cultural community center also tells us the local japanese con sew lat wanting information. we'll go live for more on the fund raising meeting taking place this morning. >>> a hardware store is also doing their part to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. south hampton road set a $25,000 goal and the store will match any donation for a total of $50,000. the owner says customers gave more than one thousand dollars in less than a day after hearing the fund had been established. all of the money collected will go directly to the amer

situation on the ground making it much more dangerous for all those a currently in that countries like singapore and also raised concerns over what this could mean for the u.s. foreign policy basically saying that the united states is taking on much more responsibility than it can and basically playing a lone hand within the international community making very tough decisions seemingly very like hard. on the yorkers concerned of ease with which decisions are being made over the use of force in international affairs today in u.s. policy it's becoming a dangerous tendency during bill clinton's time they bombed yugoslavia and belgrade bush deployed troops in afghanistan and then using fake reasons more forces were deployed in iraq a little iraqi authorities were destroyed now libya is next they say they're protecting civilians but it's civilians who are dying when they bomb libya there's no logic in the conscience there's neither. very strong words there coming of course from the russian prime minister he also said that based on the current situation in libya and the ongoing conflict this makes all