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I was raped once, long ago. So I have read quite a great deal on the subject, among other things that to my mind are pertinent but not worth going into here. W

by Mz 9y ago

I was raped once, long ago. So I have read quite a great deal on the subject, among other things that to my mind are pertinent but not worth going into here. Without knowing anything more about the two countries than what you have said, my assumption would be that rape is much more underreported in Singapore rather than being less common. The definition of rape hinges on the detail of consent. An awful lot of people are raped in a non-violent way by people they know. This often occurs after consuming alcohol or other drugs. For example, date rape on college campuses (U.S.) almost always involves alcohol. In such cases, the victims may feel confused as to whether or not it really was rape. There is also the detail that people will cover up crimes if they don't agree with the law or they feel that the punishment is excessive for the crime involved. Victims also will cover up that they were raped and not report it in order to protect their own reputation. The victims of rape often feel ashamed, are often accused of "asking for it" based on how they were dressed, etc. What you describe (as punishment for even minor crimes in Singapore) is basically psychological and physical torture. I seriously doubt that a culture that officially embraces that is one where people all get along so beautifully that rape has practically gone extinct. An atmosphere of fear and loathing is highly unlikely to foster some sort of Utopian outcome.

tuna-piano 9y ago
Thanks for sharing. I think you're likely right about differences in measurement between the two countries. That said - Singapore still has lower murder rates than Norway (something I assume is more easily measured). This could be cultural and not due to the justice system, but I think it's still worth pointing out that the super-harsh method happens in the developed world today, whereas the article just talked about the hotel/education Norwegian method.
- Mz 9y ago
  From what I have read, investment in family, children and education goes a lot further to reduce crime than harsher prison sentences and the like. I have seen it said that every dollar spent on preschool saves multiple dollars years down the road on prisons. The two cultures are undoubtedly different in many different metrics. It is incredibly hard to compare two different cultures in a way that yields specific meaningful conclusions for a single metric. Each difference has multiple different implications. Teasing apart the complex web of differences is vastly harder than most comments in internet discussion seem to appreciate. Best.

by Mz 9y ago

tuna-piano 9y ago

Thanks for sharing. I think you're likely right about differences in measurement between the two countries. That said - Singapore still has lower murder rates than Norway (something I assume is more easily measured). This could be cultural and not due to the justice system, but I think it's still worth pointing out that the super-harsh method happens in the developed world today, whereas the article just talked about the hotel/education Norwegian method.

Mz 9y ago
From what I have read, investment in family, children and education goes a lot further to reduce crime than harsher prison sentences and the like. I have seen it said that every dollar spent on preschool saves multiple dollars years down the road on prisons. The two cultures are undoubtedly different in many different metrics. It is incredibly hard to compare two different cultures in a way that yields specific meaningful conclusions for a single metric. Each difference has multiple different implications. Teasing apart the complex web of differences is vastly harder than most comments in internet discussion seem to appreciate. Best.