4 ms·
I joined because I'm frankly a little amused by some of these comments. More totalitarian: how do you quantify that? I was born and brought up in Singapore an
by skinnylatte 12y ago
I joined because I'm frankly a little amused by some of these comments.
More totalitarian: how do you quantify that?
I was born and brought up in Singapore and do business in all those countries (tech startup). That sentiment is alien (and not just because I'm Singaporean), it's because Malaysia for example is more totalitarian and is also on the way to becoming a failed state economically and socially. You seem to be reasonably well-versed in the cultural aspects of those countries, but how much of the political institutions do you know — to back up such a claim, anyway? Have you seen Thailand and the junta lately?
- jpatokal 12y agoDictionary definition: "Totalitarianism is a political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible." Singapore is pretty much the poster boy for this. Malaysia certainly has aspirations to be as totalitarian as Singapore; however, the government is too incompetent and consumed with in-fighting to actually accomplish it. Thailand is just a garden-variety military dictatorship, the junta hold the levers of power but doesn't really appear to know what to do with them.
- contingencies 12y agoWhat a surprise that you are Singaporean, lah.
- sleepyhead 12y agoStand back people - expert coming through - this guy knows the local lingo.
- skinnylatte 12y agoWhat a surprise that you're an American who believes that your visits to such locations give you the divine right to tell us off (looking at your ignorant comments in the other threads). And that you would use 'lah' inappropriately.
- contingencies 12y agoMore baseless personal attacks. I'm neither American nor ignorant, and non-Singaporeans can surely see that. I am however deeply troubled by the assertion that my use of 'lah' may have been judged inappropriate! Singlish is clearly both stylish and useful, and has a definitively bright future in brainwashing, lah. Keep the language pure, latte. Live life on the edge: have another coffee. Political opposition indeed. More like forcibly conscripted psychological operations government mouthpiece.
- skinnylatte 12y agoI'm troubled by your continued assertion that only your thoughts on Singapore count, more than that of any Singaporeans. And that only you get to make personal attacks on anybody. Your thoughts are so clever and I am so intimidated. I must surely be wrong.
- tragic_requiem 12y agoSurely they can bob! Ooh! I want to share interesting but humourous anecdotes too! Tell us where you're from. Wait. Never mind. I went to wherever you're from 346 times since 1964, did my political science PhD dissertation on wherever you're from, and in my most recent visit had meals with political cognoscenti from wherever you're from and we discussed the impact of global warming on the long term survival of low lying island nations while taking in cosi fan tutte at the local opera house. Oh, and they privately confessed to me that wherever you're from is shit. Hey bob, don't be contrary. My first-hand account is as backed up as yours, and any person who is not from wherever you're from can SURELY see that (this logic is impenetrable, since if they are not from wherever you're from, they must be the last word on the situation wherever you're from). Cheers bob!
- doppp 12y agoJust like how you were troubled by her being a 7 karma point naysayer.
- tragic_requiem 12y agoHe got offended because someone took the piss at Martin Luther King. What a surprise that he's black, lah.