A post on sg_ljers:

"I hear some Singaporeans complain about how the country is too restricted; it doesn't allow for freedom of speech or action (or human rights). I've also heard complaints that the government doesn't help its people by giving them money, etc. I thought so too, when I living back home, but my views have changed after having been in Australia for a few months now.

Many repercussions come with freedom (Australians see it as human rights; the right citizens have to do what they want), taking Australia as an example.

1) They do not have a protect your property act as Singapore does. This means that because there is freedom for everyone, anyone is allowed to be at any place at any given time. It also means, however, that if a burglar breaks into your house and you try to defend your property and self by beating the fellow up, you can be sued in the court of law. (Imagine that, being sued for trying to protect your family)

2) Drug addicts roam the streets because of the absence of the death penalty. People aren't afraid to do drugs, because even if they get caught, the police give them simply a slap on their wrist and they're allowed out again. Even worse, if, for example, I'm carrying drugs with me, and a police officer realises it. If I eat the drug, then I cannot be charged. A lot of people on drugs get desperate to have more, and they turn to crime. Which is why you can get mugged on the street at 10pm.

3) The tax system works as such here. Working citizens are charged a maximum of 48% off their salary, and this tax goes into helping the people who need money. If you are a single parent, you get money from the government every month. Basically, you get money from the government your entire life. The amount you make if you work (minus the tax the government takes) would equivalent to the amount the government would give you. So, most mindsets are: If the government is going to pay me, why should I work? So of course, with many people not working, taxes just get higher.

4) Strikes happen here very often, because the people have freedom to do what they want. So if they are unhappy with anything (it could be the fact that the company has not provided construction workers shelter from the rain), they can refuse to work. Because of this, trams don't come, etc. Everything gets delayed.

5) It's certain death to walk the streets on your own late in the night.

Singapore is safe, because of the harsh laws. We can afford to still be out at 3am. You don't have large taxes off your salary, and you get it back through CPF, which is a supply of money for old age. The list goes on.

If there was freedom in the media, if journalists, columnists, anyone, was allowed to write about everything they wanted, including racial and religious slurs, what would happen? People would get offended, and there'll be a repeat of the racial riots. We haven't been through that, our younger generation, and we wouldn't understand the horror. But my grandfather would tell you that he wouldn't want to go through that again. Blood on the streets isn't worth any form of free speech.

Because we live in a society such as ours, where there have to be drawn boundaries, the government has no choice but to control the media. Because Singapore is so small, if fighting erupts, a lot of people will get hurt. As what would happen if the media goes against the government? I mean, as a journalist once said, the media doesn't tell us what to think, but it is very successful in telling us what to think about. People would be stirred, they would rise up, go on strike even. Could a little dot we call home survive a breakdown? Surely not, I know our economy wouldn't survive it.

(As to why the media didn't do a fair coverage of the elections, I cannot argue against)

I'm not saying Singapore is perfect, because we all know that we're not even there, but I'm saying that our system works. The government has tried to strike a balance between freedom and chaos. So maybe what Lee Kuan Yew said was correct – travel the world and you'll begin to appreciate Singapore. So, freedom, but at what cost?"

***

The comments thread is full of indignant responses, but an eerily appropriate tidbit I found somewhere:

"The bird noticed the open window. But although the bird would occasionally sit on its windowsill or even venture out for a short spin in the fresh air while THE OWNER was at work, she would not leave. Because she hadn't lived without THE OWNER in over seven years, she was afraid to fly away. And because the bird had lived in a pet store before living with THE OWNER, she was afraid to fly away. And because THE OWNER had shouted and yelled at her so much, and called her stupid so much, the bird was convinced that he was right, and she was afraid to fly away. And because she had been so isolated from other birds and felt so alone, especially when living with THE OWNER, she was afraid to fly away. And even though the bird did not live in a metal birdcage, she did live in a huge house that was very different than the world outside the window. The bird lived in a cage of fear. The bird never allowed THE OWNER to find out that she knew of the open window and THE OWNER continued to scream and shout at the bird."