I think this is pretty valid, but I'd couch this in terms of citizens vs non-citizens. I knew and/or interacted with a lot of working-class/poor citizens and life seemed better for them there than in many countries. There are policies and universal safety nets that make it happen, with regard to housing, jobs, medical care, etc. For poor or working-class non-citizens, it's probably much bleaker.

Well lower class experience is terrible in its own unique ways whether in India/US/Singapore or any place else.

> These people have no rights and any protesting ends them up in Changi or shipped back somewhere else.

Presumably they would have rights in their own countries. Since they left those should tell something about practical value of rights when one is just trying to survive while being poor.

As opposed to migrant Mexican workers in the US, for example?

I'm not comparing and contrasting countries.

Just pointing out that he was an upper class non-citizen and his experience is very different from a lower class non-citizen because of that.

As compared? Absolutely!

A migrant Mexican worker has full access to the US courts, labor laws protect them, etc.

Migrant workers in Singapore are simply discarded if troublesome. Even though the population of 90%+ vaccinated (for months), migrant workers in Singapore have been confined to their dormitories (when not working) for almost 2 years now.

Pretty regularly trucks with workers in the back with get into accidents and a number will die. Government says “to expensive to make companies transport them in buses”.

There are literally two different systems for Singaporeans and foreigners.

You are describing an almost global phenomena and attributing it solely to Singapore.

Most places have some source of cheap labor that is exploited.