Improving your country's reputation for fun and profit

"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." - George Bernard Shaw

***

A: it's easy to say that we should tell the youths to be more politically stirred, so to speak. But messages are being sent out by the media and the government to the opposite effect. The recent arrest of Alan Shadrake for writing a book about our capital punishment law is a possible example. though it may not be an in-your-face kind of political warning, we shouldn't downplay the psychological effects of such reactions. If we really think political participation is important, the first step is to send out a clear message that all kinds of opinions, put in a civil manner, are welcome on the table.

B: The recent arrest of Shadrake is a result of the contents of his book, and it targets action of a very specific nature: criminal defamation.

The sad fact is that many people cannot tell truth from fiction, which is why Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code attracted so many followers despite it being a completely fictitious book. The damage to the Church and Christian community was incredible, and despite the efforts of many churches around the world trying to debunk the myths, even a sizeable portion of Christians had their faith shaken badly.

Alan Shandrake's book makes a mockery of the Singapore Judiciary, and damages the reputation of Singapore as a whole. If you think this is not worth sending someone to jail for, here's some food for thought:

One of Singapore's main attraction that distinguishes this tiny dot from many larger countries is it's fair justice system. Foreign companies, MNCs, RnD firms etc choose to set up shop here because they have faith in the judiciary. Why not our neighbours, which have much cheaper land and resources close at hand? Because these companies believe in the Singaporean reputation. That if they set up shop here, they (for lack of a better word) won't get screwed over.

Do you work for (or intend to work for) an international firm? Without this business reputation, do you think the HQ in NYC, London or Beijing would even consider setting up their regional HQ, their research laboratory or their banking facilities right here on this tiny island?

Damaging the reputation of Singapore is not just a political matter. It is also an economic matter, and it threatens the jobs and livelihood of every Singaporean.

A: I appreciate your comments. Firstly I would like to make it clear that I have not read the book written by Shadrake nor have access to insider info regarding his arrest. The point I was making was that we cannot, as a society, expect active political participation without dissent surfacing somewhere or the other. I used Shadrake's arrest as an example to illustrate the possible psychological repercussions on the wider population regarding active dissent. It was not an attempt to question the validity of his arrest, a point which you have so lucidly defended here.

B: Perhaps my focus was skewed towards the reason of the arrest and less towards answering your comment on the effects of the arrest.

As mentioned in my earlier post, Shandrake's arrest targets a very specific type of action, and sends out a negative signal for that particular action: criminal defamation. It is NOT a negative signal against political dissent as a whole. Rather, it is targetted at a very specific type of political dissent which is destructive rather than constructive.

A parallel example would be the caning of the graffiti artist Lloyld Alexander. The signal is NOT that graffiti art is a crime, but rather, the specific nature of how he presented his art: vandalism.

Hope this clarifies my position. :)

C: Have you read the book? Why do you describe Shadrake's political dissent as being "destructive rather than constructive"?

B: I am describing the specific style of his political dissent (criminal defamation) as destructive. You might disagree perhaps, but I certainly believe there are better ways to do things.

Taiwanese politics for example, is a system that has taken destructive politicking to new heights, with rival political magazines posting nude and lewd pictures of politicians for the amusement of the population. They also have some of the coolest fistfights and brawls within their Chambers. ;)

Me: Great idea!

Nigeria can shed its reputation as the world's most corrupt place by suing anyone who claims that it is a corrupt place.

Many companies would then want to invest in Nigeria, which would lead to higher economic growth for Nigeria.