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Comment by tpmx | Hacker News Reader

The strangest thing; I found this one interesting comment in this thread with a large subtree of comments that was somehow so downvoted that it became hidden:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37356809

I wonder what caused that.

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Good concept, improper expression. It may be interesting to relate the visually bright aspect of Singapore to the perception of unnatural, stressful, unconvincing feeling it may give, as «if the feeling of being on antidepressants was a city» (as per the poster), but the note expressed as it was seems too disconnected from the submission.

"Barcelona, the skyline": "Organized in view of proper flow" vs "Makes you forget the traffic" vs "Ah yea but the traffic".

Discussions about "life in Singapore" can be, I concour, very interesting (some of us have this dream of the champion city) - just not anywhere and anyway. So, it is normal that some people will go "what is this here" on an imperfect post. I don't see why you call it t«he strangest thing» and what is there to «wonder».

Update: downvoter explain yourself.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons but Singapore constructed to be a nationalistic/patriotic country. Children are made to sing the National anthem and recite the National pledge every morning in school, sent to participate in the National Parade at least once in their lives, constantly reminded of the fragility of the Nation from foreign influences (Total Defence), all males are conscripted into what is called National Service for a period of two years. Coupled with the lack of civil and political liberties, resulting in the infantilization of the citizens, even justified criticism of the country is often considered as an attack on the country and/or their identity. The conflation of the state with the government with the one-party authoritarian system makes that even worse. [0]

[0] https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/politi...

Than you for the suggestion of Singapore: Identity, Brand, Power from Kenneth Paul Tan, and your note is interesting,

but I doubt that post got primarily downvoted by nationalists :)

You’re welcome. He is among those whom I consider scholar-in-exile, scholars who were forced out of the local academia for politically motivated reasons (writing against the authoritarian government). Cherian George being the most well-known of them. [0]

My other recommendations would be Jothie Rajah’s Authoritarian Rule of Law [1] and Sergei Guriev & Daniel Treisman‘s Spin Dictators [2].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherian_George#Academic_career

[1] https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/authoritarian-rule-of-l...

[2] https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691211411/sp...

I lived there for 3 years & this summed it up perfectly. Under the shiny surface is an unpleasant authoritarian nanny state run by an oligarchy.

It's nice if youre there for a week on vacation or on are an executive on an expat package but theres a rot underneath.

Don't think it has worked though. People in generally don't seem to give a shit. Everyone is worried about day to day stuff - the price and availability of housing (getting kind of stupid now), inflation, job security, trouble with neighbors, ... etc.

Personally, the only good thing about Singapore is its relatively good governance - which covers a lot but it's not perfect; e.g. housing.

For me, remove that and its just an island in the Pacific.

If I'm supposed to be feeling some sort of patriotic zeal, it hasn't happened yet. But maybe that's because I'm a bitter old man living in a rented one room flat who is now really feeling the apparent temperature of 32C at 09:45pm.

> Coupled with the lack of civil and political liberties, resulting in the infantilization of the citizens, even justified criticism of the country is often considered as an attack on the country and/or their identity.

When you write things like this, you sound like you are saying something along the lines of “stupid [Singaporeans], they are too brainwashed to understand why I’m right!”.

Did it ever occur to you that the reason why so many Singaporeans disagree with your “justified criticism” is that they actually do understand what their country is like and they want it that way?

An admin caused that, most likely to prevent a political flame war.

Something about Singapore really triggers us, the descendents of the old empire.

HN is far more censored and moderated than it appears.

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