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Taiwan was autocratic until merely a generation ago (and holds the questionable achievement for the longest sustained period of martial law by any government),

Taiwan was autocratic until merely a generation ago (and holds the questionable achievement for the longest sustained period of martial law by any government), in South Korea half of its democratic elected heads of state are in prison, and Japan has been governed virtually by the same party since the post-war era. They have the rule of law, they have elections, all of those countries are characterized by, in reality, a very monocultural, depolitized, bureaucratic system of government. Live in Singapore in reality is no more or less 'democratic' than live in Japan or Taiwan or SK.

BeFlatXIII 5y ago
> half of its democratically-elected heads of state are in prison Are they the Illinois of SE Asia? For that matter, if the US laws on insider trading applied to congresspeople, half of our elected representatives would rightfully be behind bars, too.
teachrdan 5y ago
> Live in Singapore in reality is no more or less 'democratic' than live in Japan or Taiwan or SK. I think this is a false equivalence. TFA mentions a democracy activist who was imprisoned for 21 days because of a small, non violent protest on a subway. He had been previously arrested for criticizing the judiciary in Singapore. Unless I'm mistaken, you would not be arrested for either of these acts in South Korea or Japan. They are both imperfect, but in some important ways more free.
- Barrin92 5y ago
  activist arrests happen in South Korea as well. The country has a national security law that gives the government rights to take action against anything perceived as 'anti-government' action. Advocacy of communism or voicing recognition of the North is illegal and every so often lands people in jail https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30808950 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30808950
- coldtea 5y ago
  >I think this is a false equivalence. TFA mentions a democracy activist who was imprisoned for 21 days because of a small, non violent protest on a subway Things like that, and worse, have happened time and again in the US too...
mediumdeviation 5y ago
> Live in Singapore in reality is no more or less 'democratic' than live in Japan or Taiwan or SK. You absolutely will not be arrested for holding up signs outside government buildings[1], or questioned by the police for reading a book on the train as a protest[2]. You would not be sued to bankruptcy for making what would be considered political speech in these other countries. Or just about anything on this list https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1174024357443600384?s=21 https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1174024357443600384?s=21. Singapore is absolutely less democratic - there's no need for scare quotes. [1]: https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1353999081287245824?s=19 https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1353999081287245824?s=19 [2]: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/police-question-one-man-allegedly-involved-recent-mrt-protest https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/police-question-one-ma...

BeFlatXIII 5y ago

> half of its democratically-elected heads of state are in prison Are they the Illinois of SE Asia? For that matter, if the US laws on insider trading applied to congresspeople, half of our elected representatives would rightfully be behind bars, too.

teachrdan 5y ago

> Live in Singapore in reality is no more or less 'democratic' than live in Japan or Taiwan or SK. I think this is a false equivalence. TFA mentions a democracy activist who was imprisoned for 21 days because of a small, non violent protest on a subway. He had been previously arrested for criticizing the judiciary in Singapore. Unless I'm mistaken, you would not be arrested for either of these acts in South Korea or Japan. They are both imperfect, but in some important ways more free.

Barrin92 5y ago
activist arrests happen in South Korea as well. The country has a national security law that gives the government rights to take action against anything perceived as 'anti-government' action. Advocacy of communism or voicing recognition of the North is illegal and every so often lands people in jail https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30808950 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30808950
coldtea 5y ago
>I think this is a false equivalence. TFA mentions a democracy activist who was imprisoned for 21 days because of a small, non violent protest on a subway Things like that, and worse, have happened time and again in the US too...

mediumdeviation 5y ago

> Live in Singapore in reality is no more or less 'democratic' than live in Japan or Taiwan or SK. You absolutely will not be arrested for holding up signs outside government buildings[1], or questioned by the police for reading a book on the train as a protest[2]. You would not be sued to bankruptcy for making what would be considered political speech in these other countries. Or just about anything on this list https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1174024357443600384?s=21 https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1174024357443600384?s=21. Singapore is absolutely less democratic - there's no need for scare quotes. [1]: https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1353999081287245824?s=19 https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1353999081287245824?s=19 [2]: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/police-question-one-man-allegedly-involved-recent-mrt-protest https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/police-question-one-ma...