True to form, when the Wall Street Journal asked several 2oth century luminaries to pick the most influential invention of the millenium, Lee named the air-conditioner.
'Air-conditioned' seems to be the perfect metaphor for Singapore: everthing is so convenient, so organized and economically vibrant, 'the perfect temperature'. On the other hand everyone has to cede a whole chunk of their individual will and freedom to the government, submit to 'central control'.
Let's see... what can't one so in Singpore without a permit:
- Protest or conducting any public assembly of 5 or more people. Being at the forefront of 'e-government', at least it's easy to apply electronically from the police. For artistic permits the minstry vets the script/synopsis for the performance - sometimes decision can be a bit arbitrary.
- Form a society. Look at the trouble this GLBT group went though.
I guess despite this, life here is food enough. Kinda like living with your strict parents - every comfort is provided for, but they insist on you doing things their way, with their own rules. Any of course, they thing they know what's best for you - and a lot of times you don't.
Only you're not a teenager anymore and it's not your parent's house you live in but your own country/homeland.
PS: Call them autocratic if you like [and I kinda do], but I do feel the people who run this country sincerely (whatever their methods or silly ways) care about its future. Which is more than what you can say for Thailand - don't get me started about Thaksin and Suriya.
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