It sounds insane to you because you’re used to the filth we live in and don’t even see the decay that’s all around us anymore. Crime and violence are normal in our world and a government that won’t tolerate it is a foreign concept.
They seem pretty far from the Scandinavian countries.
Besides, I'd find it hard to trust any results from a totalitarian country.
> It sounds insane to you because you’re used to the filth we live in and don’t even see the decay that’s all around us anymore. Crime and violence are normal in our world and a government that won’t tolerate it is a foreign concept.
There are plenty of civilized countries with low crime rates that are not totalitarian.
As for crime, European and American crime is dramatically higher. Europe has literal “no go zones”. Can you imagine that? That in your country there are places your government can’t ensure safety? That it is effectively ruled by a 3rd party?
That’s Europe and America. Singapore doesn’t have that problem.
Euros are very arrogant and Americans are chauvinists though so it’s hard to see.
Suicide was decriminalised in Singapore with the passing of the Criminal Law Reform Bill on 6 May 2019.
Before that, Section 309 of the Penal Code stated that "Whoever attempts to commit suicide, and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both."[13] The section was rarely enforced, between 2013 and 2015, only 0.6% of reported cases was brought to court.[
Makes you really think about executing your idea successfully. And also probably no point i hoping for suicide prevention hotline.
That's deplorable.
Suicide rate doesn't measure anything except suicide rate. The happiness index and other studies are very thorough in what they measure, and choose things common to all cultures.
Bizarre to be defending a totalitarian regime because you have no crime. I guess you really think the means justify the ends, maybe because you don't realize the level of compromise.
whats with this reddit-tier hyperbole? These comments are seriously out of touch, it comes off as trolling.
They charge people coming into their country if they have weed in their system (or their law allows them to and it seems they enforce it enough that countries warn their citizens), breaking no law in their country, and quite likely adhering to the law in their country of origin.
They make suicide illegal and PUNISH peoples attempts at it.
You don't think those two points alone (without even bothing to list additional obscene laws) are INSANE? Do you really want to defend them?
Singaporean law forbids their citizens and residents from using drugs in other countries. So if a Singapore resident goes to Amsterdam or Portland and smokes a joint there, they are complying with local laws but still breaking Singaporean laws. Laws with this sort of extraterritorial jurisdiction aren't without precedent. Particularly, other countries, like the US, UK and many others, have similar laws concerning some forms of sex tourism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterritorial_jurisdiction
> Just because it might be a very pleasant place to live doesn't mean it isn't also totalitarian.
With that I agree, but I think a better word to describe Singapore is 'authoritarian.' Totalitarianism is an extreme form of authoritarianism, in which the government exercises a near total control over every aspect of your life. Singapore regulates many aspects of their citizens lives, as do all functional governments to at least some degree, but I think it falls short of totalitarianism.
The problem is with that law being applied to non-residents. If Singapore wants to police it's citizens lik that, it's fine.
But to arrest a Canadian because they smoked weed a couple of days before arriving at Singpore customs, where it's legal in Montreal where they were?
> With that I agree, but I think a better word to describe Singapore is 'authoritarian.'
Another user pointed that out and I agree entirely. I exaggerated/resorted to hyperbole more than intended.
Re sucide: you should probably fact check that, because the criminality of suicide was recently repealed in Singapore.
But even if it wasnt, I find your stance hyperbolic considering lots of countries still criminalize suicide. Places in the U.S. considered suicide criminal all the way up to the 90s.
I'm not dictating, I'm disaproving.
Sovereign nations can indeed have whatever laws they want, and I don't have to go there but I can continue to speak out against bad and unjust laws as I see it.
> I find your stance hyperbolic considering lots of countries still criminalize suicide.
If that's true, that's ignorance on my part.
Don't go to Singapore if you like drugs. How hard can that be? I've been not going to Singapore my entire life.
That's not a bad analogy, except many countries won't let you in if you have a felony on your record. That isn't that unusual.
Singapore is going to arrest people for breaking no rule in their home country, and not for breaking any rules within the country, but simply for showing up at the door because you smoked weed before the 21 hour flight?
I mean, you're right I won't go because I think it's a crappy country, but that doesn't mean I still can't disprove I want to work towards a world where no country has shitty laws like that..
assuming that what you value is the only right option - who's the chauvinist here?
And yes, democracy can be authoritarian as well. The problem is that if the government controls public discourse to a sufficient extent, any democracy becomes a sham no matter how fair elections themselves are.
Is an authoritarian Brave New World ok as long as people living in it are reportedly happy?
People who live in countries were you get executed on a whim tend to say that.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/01/13/singapore-tightening-scr...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/opinion/fake-news-law-sin...
The impression one gets by being there is that it’s a plasticised city inhabited by consumer drones. They also cane people for misdemeanours. Oh, and the migrant workers (on which their whole economy relies) routinely work 18h/day.
There are billions of people who would love to live there.
If you don't ruffle any feathers and you have a well-paid job your life in Singapore would probably be pretty fine. However 30C year round might be a little bit repetitive.
Now we're back in the states we hit the vape quite often but didn't need it in SG. No place has everything.
"Custom officers can subject travellers to a drug screening test at the point of entry to Singapore. If you test positive for drugs, you can be arrested and prosecuted, even if the drugs were consumed prior to your arrival in the country."
That's insanity.