Sociologists were baffled by this for a long time, but they eventually figured out that the key to social contentment is not freedom, but consistent application of the law. Singapore might be an authoritarian state, but its citizens accept it because it is authoritarian for EVERYONE.
The article I read about this cited an example of a young adult man who was the son of a leading national political figure — maybe Singapore’s equivalent of the Vice President. He was arrested for some kind of petty crime like vandalism or minor theft. In almost any other country the crime would have been swept under the rug or, at worst, the young guy would have gotten a slap on the wrist. But in Singapore, the politician father wanted to make an example of his own son … so he insisted that the kid would be flogged repeatedly with a bamboo cane on national television. THAT surely sent a message to both the son and the nation as a whole.
The article I read about this cited an example of a young adult man who was the son of a leading national political figure — maybe Singapore’s equivalent of the Vice President. He was arrested for some kind of petty crime like vandalism or minor theft. In almost any other country the crime would have been swept under the rug or, at worst, the young guy would have gotten a slap on the wrist. But in Singapore, the politician father wanted to make an example of his own son … so he insisted that the kid would be flogged repeatedly with a bamboo cane on national television. THAT surely sent a message to both the son and the nation as a whole.
The “Broken Windows Theory” in action.
“so he insisted that the kid would be flogged repeatedly with a bamboo cane on national television. THAT surely sent a message to both the son and the nation as a whole.”
Way more effective and less expensive that our disaster revolving door jail system.
I got a feeling there isn’t much recidivism in Singapore!
Just imagine Hunter Biden executed for drug usage. And then after that, The Big Guy himself getting many years in prison for the bribes Hunter was serving as the bagman for.
That isn't true at all. No asian country ranks high on the happiest country scale. Singapore might rank high in se asia, but no place in asia will win on being happy. The long work hours, high population density, high costs of living in many forms.
Singapore always is a inviting place to be a tourist, but if you've lived there like I have you have seen the limitations on a country like that.