[Johnny Au]

I'm sure Kim Jong Un, Xi Jiping, Philippines strongman Richard Duterte and recently pardoned Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio would agree!

Duterte's given name is Rodrigo, not Richard. It's close though.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Hmm...Singapore's MRT is pretty what you typically expect from Asian subway systems..

Ok.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I’ll post some other Singapore pics. For now, I made a point of this morning going to the 8am service at Saint Andrew’s Anglican Cathedal. It was a wonderful experience. The closing hymn of Shine Jesus Shine was very good, and had me belting out like the others. I always try to find Anglican churches on my travels, including those in Atlantic Canada, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Manhattan, etc. as a small connection to my Anglican Church in downtown east, and I love British imperial history, for all its flaws.

 

[Northern Light]

And perhaps the children shot at a Toronto playground recently, and the children murdered on the Danforth - had they survived - might agree that we have a growing crime problem in this city that is uncontained by our criminal justice system.

Might I point out that Toronto is among the very safest cities in the developed world.

Not only by North or South American standards, but when comparing w/Europe and much of Asia.

Further that there is no evidence whatever that corporal punishment results in lower levels of crime or greater self-discipline.

Have a look at this:

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-...onto-singapore-zurich-hong-kong-a8000721.html

Yes Singapore has modestly higher social order/cleanliness and somewhat lower crime. But it achieves that for reasons we either could not, or would not. High social cohesion, in part, due to being monocultural, and an authoritarian state.

 

[TheKingEast]

You are comparing Toronto/Canada to autocratic single-party states. Are you really wondering aloud how autocratic states keep the streets clean and crime-free? I think the answer is quite obvious to most

Plus, I like some grime, especially good graffiti.

 

[Johnny Au]

Plus, I like some grime, especially good graffiti.

You will never find street art like in Queen West (made famous by Rick Mercer passing by them in almost every episode) in Singapore.

Oh, and Singaporeans get caned for doing unauthorized street art.

Even watching certain films or television shows, listening to certain music, and playing certain video games would lead to caning in Singapore and Malaysia, especially given the large libraries of banned media in both countries, especially the latter.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

And perhaps the children shot at a Toronto playground recently, and the children murdered on the Danforth - had they survived - might agree that we have a growing crime problem in this city that is uncontained by our criminal justice system.

Well, scratch our current premier if that's the system you're after; his behaviour probably wouldn't have cut it in council either.

AoD

 

[pman]

Well, scratch our current premier if that's the system you're after; his behaviour probably wouldn't have cut it in council either.

AoD

Another reason to learn from Singapore.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Another reason to learn from Singapore.

As much as I prefer that particular outcome, I don't think anyone would say that a defacto one-party state is on the menu here. Also, governing a city state barely larger than Toronto with all powers vested in a sovereign nation state is a little different from a municipality with no independent authority; or a province with dramatically divergent interests - to say nothing of the country.

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

He should try to find a pack of gum to chew and find out.

AoD

Single clip or automatic?

 

[steveintoronto]

Plus, I like some grime, especially good graffiti.

The most interesting children and animals (I'll talk dogs in this instance) are far from perfect. It's the imperfection that produces character and individualism, not conformity to a 'perfect norm'.

If a child or dog is 'perfect'...there's something wrong.

 

[TrickyRicky]

I’ve never been so can’t comment from experience but similar to Johnny Au’s comment I heard that most of the population lives in government housing blocks which is an interesting urban case study.

Regarding crime we all are aware at least superficially of Singapore’s take on narcotics, political cartoons etc. But I thought I read somewhere that criminal syndicates somehow operate there or out of there which is interesting if true as a contrast.

 

[steveintoronto]

Regarding crime we all are aware at least superficially of Singapore’s take on narcotics, political cartoons etc. But I thought I read somewhere that criminal syndicates somehow operate there or out of there which is interesting if true as a contrast.

Singapore’s state-backed corporate heavyweights – collectively known as “Singapore Inc” – will face tough questions in 2018 on their commitment to the Lion City’s vaunted anti-corruption ethos, observers say, as a shocked public comes to grips with a graft scandal that has engulfed oil rig builder Keppel Corp.

One political observer went as far as to describe 2017 as “annus horribilis” for the city state’s corporate sector. That sentiment echoed the hand-wringing among government critics that followed last week’s announcement by US prosecutors that Keppel’s offshore and marine arm, Keppel O&M, agreed to pay a US$422 million settlement to avoid a criminal trial for bribing Brazilian officials.

Keppel O&M, according to court documents released by the US justice department, engaged in a scheme between 2001 and 2014 to pay US$55 million in bribes to win 13 contracts with Petrobas and Sete Brasil – two Brazilian oil companies deeply mired in the country’s wide-ranging Operation Car Wash graft scandal. Keppel O&M is the world’s biggest builder of oil rigs.

The US$55 million topped the nearly US$19 million in bribes that were involved at a scandal at state-linked shipbuilder Singapore Technologies Marine, making it the biggest corruption case to hit one of the so-called Singapore Inc companies linked to state sovereign wealth firm Temasek Holdings.

The earlier case – which culminated this year with seven people including the company’s former president being jailed – had already raised worries over whether the Lion City was slipping in its intolerance for graft.

Sons, mothers, money and memory: theories about the Lee Kuan Yew family feud
The country’s squeaky clean image, buttressed by its high rankings in international anti-corruption indices, also took a beating when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in July was forced to emphatically refute allegations of nepotism and abuse of power levelled by his own siblings.
[...]

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/poli...bes-politicians-what-happened-clean-singapore

I blame the lack of chewing gum...

 

[DSC]

Singapore to end ban on gay sex​

377A: Singapore to end ban on gay sex

The repeal of a colonial-era law will effectively legalise homosexuality in the conservative state.

www.bbc.com

 

[mettle]

when I went to Singapore, the first thing my taxi driver said to me, "it's a fine city; there are fines for everything." I dunno if it's a old joke amongst the people, but I laughed.