Something that scares me about Singapore is not the state per se, but the personal invitations from members of society asking the state to intervene in the everyday, minuscule private matters (the 20 people who lodged the police report against Amos Yee, I’m thinking of you). It scares me because:

1. I suspect the PAP doesn’t even necessarily want to do all of these things.
2. Can’t we have some space where some things plays itself out, allowing interesting new and creative things to emerge, rather than being directed from the get-go?
3. I find it scary to think that everyday matters are constantly being monitored by the state, or people who are willing to report you to the state.
4. It somewhat represents an abdication of responsibility on our part.
5. It resorts to what I think is a hugely depersonalized (and therefore inappropriate) tool – the state – to resolve some of these problems for us.

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~ by moz on October 1, 2015.