tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post4356456069998448414..comments2024-03-07T14:43:21.888-08:00Comments on Whatever I want to write about: Shakespeare would never have written about Singapore's soulless orchids!Sriram Khéhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907731254833435446noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-53321918238492841582014-07-30T21:55:19.968-07:002014-07-30T21:55:19.968-07:00Hey, timely ...
there is an op-ed about Rwanda on ...Hey, timely ...<br />there is an op-ed about Rwanda on some of those issues I listed here--strong leader, democratic rights ...<br />http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/opinion/murithi-mutiga-rwandas-unfinished-miracle.html<br />Sriram Khéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724218458246880137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-47920769557102504702014-07-30T20:03:02.515-07:002014-07-30T20:03:02.515-07:00I wonder if that overreaching nanny approach, and ...I wonder if that overreaching nanny approach, and now the hi-tech surveillance method, is why people like that woman refer to that country as being soulless.<br /><br />From an economic development approach, I have always believed that Singapore and Taiwan do not really offer any valid model because of their small sizes, to begin with, and in the case of Taiwan the very, very unique geopolitics there. However, the reality is that demagogues like to talk up the Singapore model in ways that translate into a strong state/leader and very few democratic rights for the public. Rwanda is the latest along those lines.<br /><br />From the techno-surveillance perspective, Singapore is one awfully nightmarish scenario.Sriram Khéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724218458246880137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-48335476185109275792014-07-30T19:40:23.199-07:002014-07-30T19:40:23.199-07:00There are two different issues here, in my view.
...There are two different issues here, in my view.<br /><br />Firstly I strongly dispute that Singapore is soulless. Its a common criticism, largely engineered by jealousy of how orderly it is. Its a small island state - it does not have a long history or culture being an amalgam of Chinese, Malay and Indian immigrants. But its a actually quite a nice place to live in as well as visit, even in the fun quotient.<br /><br />Its a completely different matter when it comes to the nanny state. In that, all your criticisms, and a lot more, are valid. If ever there was an example of how horribly overreaching supposedly well meaning governments can become, Singapore has to be the prime example. Rameshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782192840421019943noreply@blogger.com