6 ms·

Say what you want about the Singapore system - it has resulted in the most successful south east Asian country. So perhaps this model actually works.

philwelch 16y ago
Singapore is one of the two most successful east Asian city-states. It's very difficult to say much beyond that.
- pigbucket 16y ago
  "Disneyland with the death penalty"--W. Gibson, early '90s. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.04/gibson.html http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.04/gibson.html
- nailer 16y ago
  Here in London 'Singapore' is a running joke for describing any faceless, flavourless, rule-bound place - ie, the corporate estate in Canary Wharf where I wrote this is mocking referred to as Singapore by its residents. Neither Sydney or Hong Kong have this reputation.
thaumaturgy 16y ago
Successful by which metrics, though?
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- mechanical_fish 16y ago
  And subject to which constraints? Singapore is an unusual country. One might also ask: Is the phenomenon being described here a necessary component of Singapore's success (however defined) or an ancillary one? And, even if it was necessary once, does it continue to be so?
  - etal 16y ago
    Lee Kuan Yew, modern Singapore's daddy, has spoken and written a lot of interesting things about his philosophy in making the country the way it is (politically and culturally) and how it should relate to the rest of the world. Here's a great interview: http://www.lee-kuan-yew.com/lee-kuan-yew-charlie-rose.html http://www.lee-kuan-yew.com/lee-kuan-yew-charlie-rose.html
- lionhearted 16y ago
  > Successful by which metrics, though? Southeast Asian mainland: Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia Southeast Asian islands and archipelagos: Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Singapore I've been to like half those countries. Of the ones I've been to, I would call Singapore the most successful of them based on any reasonable metric. The countries I haven't been to also aren't the ones you'd write home about - Laos, Burma, etc. So moral relativism and "well, okay, they're healthy, safe, prosperous, long lived, developed, international, and educated - but do they do what really matters?!" - yeah, I don't think that one applies here. Singapore is hands down the cleanest, safest, overall nicest country in Southeast Asia. The people are friendly, polite, and courteous. Maybe a little bit too much deference to authority, but there's no any really creative hyper-individualistic societies anywhere else in SE Asia, and there are some interesting thinkers and researchers in Singapore anyways. There's also some decent culture and interesting things going on, excellent local cuisine, decent and friendly nightlife - it's pretty easy to make friends there, the culture is warm enough, and they've got the Confucian-descended ideals about taking care of your family and all that, which I quite respect and think is one of the biggest things missing from the West right now. Really, Singapore is a very nice and wonderful place.

philwelch 16y ago

Singapore is one of the two most successful east Asian city-states. It's very difficult to say much beyond that.

pigbucket 16y ago
"Disneyland with the death penalty"--W. Gibson, early '90s. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.04/gibson.html http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.04/gibson.html
nailer 16y ago
Here in London 'Singapore' is a running joke for describing any faceless, flavourless, rule-bound place - ie, the corporate estate in Canary Wharf where I wrote this is mocking referred to as Singapore by its residents. Neither Sydney or Hong Kong have this reputation.

thaumaturgy 16y ago

Successful by which metrics, though?

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
mechanical_fish 16y ago
And subject to which constraints? Singapore is an unusual country. One might also ask: Is the phenomenon being described here a necessary component of Singapore's success (however defined) or an ancillary one? And, even if it was necessary once, does it continue to be so?
- etal 16y ago
  Lee Kuan Yew, modern Singapore's daddy, has spoken and written a lot of interesting things about his philosophy in making the country the way it is (politically and culturally) and how it should relate to the rest of the world. Here's a great interview: http://www.lee-kuan-yew.com/lee-kuan-yew-charlie-rose.html http://www.lee-kuan-yew.com/lee-kuan-yew-charlie-rose.html
lionhearted 16y ago
> Successful by which metrics, though? Southeast Asian mainland: Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia Southeast Asian islands and archipelagos: Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Singapore I've been to like half those countries. Of the ones I've been to, I would call Singapore the most successful of them based on any reasonable metric. The countries I haven't been to also aren't the ones you'd write home about - Laos, Burma, etc. So moral relativism and "well, okay, they're healthy, safe, prosperous, long lived, developed, international, and educated - but do they do what really matters?!" - yeah, I don't think that one applies here. Singapore is hands down the cleanest, safest, overall nicest country in Southeast Asia. The people are friendly, polite, and courteous. Maybe a little bit too much deference to authority, but there's no any really creative hyper-individualistic societies anywhere else in SE Asia, and there are some interesting thinkers and researchers in Singapore anyways. There's also some decent culture and interesting things going on, excellent local cuisine, decent and friendly nightlife - it's pretty easy to make friends there, the culture is warm enough, and they've got the Confucian-descended ideals about taking care of your family and all that, which I quite respect and think is one of the biggest things missing from the West right now. Really, Singapore is a very nice and wonderful place.