The rules on protest certainly seem pretty close for both the UK and Singapore, as do the rules on libel. And I'm not a fan of either one in either country. Th

The rules on protest certainly seem pretty close for both the UK and Singapore, as do the rules on libel. And I'm not a fan of either one in either country. This is not even counting the frankly brutal treatment that has been doled out to British and American protesters in the last 5 years (take the death of Ian Tomlinson, or the OWS beatings for example). While Singapore's rules might be a bit more restrictive, I still think the idea that it pushes them over the invisible line from "democracy" to "police state" is pretty ridiculous. >And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_defamation_law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_defamation_law this law is considered an impediment to free speech in most modern world and is not practiced much in the US Definitely. Still doesn't invalidate Britain's status as a democracy, however.