Will this require subsequent public grovelling (the truer form of apology)
Yes, our government, in true Singaporean style, demonstrates yet again how confident they are of maintaining leadership of this country in light of the recent election results, and their commitment to upholding our rights under the Constitution ("Our what? We have one?")
Apparently you, as a citizen who put that government into power (allegedly), cannot subsequently criticize said government and/or its bodies. Because that's being a "partisan player in politics". Apparently you are entitled to your opinions, but only if you can offer an "alternative or solution". Because that's what ministers and the like are paid thousands for each month, to come up with policies which are great for boosting party popularity but may be a little lacking in execution, and then sit back and have the citizens who are paying their salaries with their taxes come up with a better plan.
Apparently if you have the temerity to write, tongue-in-cheek, about the latest policies for our snazzy new tagline (Progress!), then you are summarily chucked from the column you write for the 'free press', because we believe in freedom of speech, but only insofar as it says what they want it to say.
(The quotes are necessary since we are apparently ranked below Afghanistan, Rwanda and Iraq for freedom of press. Although we do rank one place above Azerbaijan, whoop whoop.)
Silly me. And here I was thinking that our government was for the people, by the people. You know, one of them democracy type things. Perhaps there was fine print on the back of the voting slip where we put our anonymous votes after we register to vote. Then again, I wouldn't know, since I wasn't in the country and there were no polling stations where I was so I couldn't vote. (and was therefore taken off the polling lists and am only eligible to vote again after I pay them to reinstate my *cough* right *cough* to vote and I provide adequate explanation and proof of my absence, despite the fact that I wrote to the relevant department prior to the election.)
I suppose that I should be kissing the ground in praise for their tolerance that they have not asked bloggers to register our identities (and doesn't that sound terribly 1939?).
You know, I was happy to come back home. But now I'm feeling a little embarrassed that this was what people know my country for.
posted by Slinky @ 10:22:00 PM
5 Comments:
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Velle commented:
Nothing new there, although I did find this link which made me laugh:
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw05/051024af.htm- » July 12, 2006 7:09 AM
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Larry Jones commented:
Please keep up the reporting. My own country is heading in this direction, and I'd lke to know what I'm in for.
- » July 14, 2006 5:28 AM
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Slinky commented:
Velle - funnily enough, Reporters Without Borders was where I got the stats regarding Singapore's freedom of speech rankings (was too lazy to post it up). And yes, I love how they defended it by saying that the ranking is misleading because they were using a different press model for their rankings, i.e., the adversarial model. Wonder what ours is called - the 'no criticism model'? The 'toe-the-party-line" model? Or maybe it's the "we-believe-in-free-speech-but-only-so-long-as-you-say-what-we-want" model.
Oh boy I'm so going to get shipped off to St. John's island for the enxt thirty years without trial.
It aggravates me deeply that we can say that there's "nothing new thjere" - it keeps happening and there's nothing we can do about it. I hate that. In so many other places this kind of heavy-handed censorship would have resulted in a public outcry and yet here evryeone just shrugs and says "aiyah, gabermen again". The apathy and the lack of freedom drives me crazy sometimes.
Larry - your country has a loooooooooooong way to go before you reach this level. And isn't America supposed to be the Land of the Free?- » July 15, 2006 1:14 PM
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Anthony commented:
Actually,
America -is- going the way of Singapore. It's a while before they reach it, but they are heading in that direction.- » July 15, 2006 10:41 PM
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-ben commented:
Thank goodness I still have Sinky's email or else I would have lost her blog address forever :-)
I agree with Slinky's post.
That said, however, a little control is good. E.g. I feel that publishing information of the US government's surveillance of financial transactions is seditious. IMHO, the editors and resporters responsible should be rounded up and tried for treason. The public has a right to know, yes, but not when it threatens national security and the lives of everyday citizens. Thanks to the New York Times, an important tool against the terrorists have been irreparably compromised.
Perhaps the leftists will think differently when they lose someone in this war against terrorism. To them I ask, "What did you lose?'
I lost a classmate on 9/11. She was on United Airlines Flight 93. To the liberals, I ask, "What did you lose?"- » July 25, 2006 9:25 AM