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Is the safety and honesty embedded in the culture now? That's how Nordic countries keep things straight -- not by police force, and they're indeed some of the l

Is the safety and honesty embedded in the culture now? That's how Nordic countries keep things straight -- not by police force, and they're indeed some of the leanest police forces in the world. I'm basically wondering if you could change Singapore to a Nordic style democracy and keep the upsides you speak of just by the force of culture?

9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
Singapore has lot more underlying tensions than a Nordic country: massive wealth inequality, different races with different languages and religions, a huge barely-human migrant worker underclass, etc. The ruling party uses this as an convenient excuse to justify everything they do, but there's a grain of truth to it as well. That said, yes, I think safety and honesty are fairly embedded. Yesterday, the case of somebody trying to bribe a condo rentacop to overlook their (illegal) AirBnB guest made the news: the guard refused the $50, reported the bribery attempt to the police, and the offender was sent to jail for a week: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pacific-mansion-condo-tenant-jailed-bribe-security-guard-airbnb-12133824 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pacific-mansi... In most neighboring countries, if this kind of thing made headlines, the news would have nothing else.
- matt4077 7y ago
  I do hope the “barely-human underclass” is supposed to be a characterization of the government’s beliefs, and not your own.
TomMarius 7y ago
What are the real, practical differences between Nordic style democracy and parliamentary democracy that is in central European countries?
- garmaine 7y ago
  He is talking about culture, not governance.
  - distances 7y ago
    Exactly -- Nordic countries are among the safest, most honest places, but by culture instead of by control. I was wondering if long enough control would turn into a culture, and the dictatorian control could be eventually abolished.
garmaine 7y ago
What you describe is Japan.

9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago

Singapore has lot more underlying tensions than a Nordic country: massive wealth inequality, different races with different languages and religions, a huge barely-human migrant worker underclass, etc. The ruling party uses this as an convenient excuse to justify everything they do, but there's a grain of truth to it as well. That said, yes, I think safety and honesty are fairly embedded. Yesterday, the case of somebody trying to bribe a condo rentacop to overlook their (illegal) AirBnB guest made the news: the guard refused the $50, reported the bribery attempt to the police, and the offender was sent to jail for a week: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pacific-mansion-condo-tenant-jailed-bribe-security-guard-airbnb-12133824 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pacific-mansi... In most neighboring countries, if this kind of thing made headlines, the news would have nothing else.

matt4077 7y ago
I do hope the “barely-human underclass” is supposed to be a characterization of the government’s beliefs, and not your own.

TomMarius 7y ago

What are the real, practical differences between Nordic style democracy and parliamentary democracy that is in central European countries?

garmaine 7y ago
He is talking about culture, not governance.
- distances 7y ago
  Exactly -- Nordic countries are among the safest, most honest places, but by culture instead of by control. I was wondering if long enough control would turn into a culture, and the dictatorian control could be eventually abolished.

garmaine 7y ago

What you describe is Japan.