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Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

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Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#171

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Genuine question: is there any proof for organ harvesting of Uighurs yet? A quick Google search on "Uyghur organ harvesting" leads to me tabloid sources and calls for investigations. Uighurs are Turkic people who are genetically different from ethnic Chinese. Transplant recipients must have similar genes in their immune systems to those of the donor. Otherwise, the body will reject the organ. This is also why blacks…

* https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/China_hidden_cam... * https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/06/18/china-kil...

The articles do not offer much in the way of evidences. This is understandable since the authoritarian nature of China makes it hard to gather any evidence in the first place. I remain skeptical over the fact that Uighurs (Caucasians) and ethnic Chinese (East Asians) are genetically different and the recipient's body is very likely to reject the organ.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#172

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If a population vote the same party in every election cycle, does that mean the elections are pointless? Or are you suggesting the elections are marred by fraud? It has to be one of these two.

It is possible that SK PAP politicians are just damn good at their jobs -- The modern history of Singapore does seem to suggest this. But it's also possible that no viable oppositions are allowed to organize effectively enough to compete fairly. My personal yardstick for judging a healthy and mature democracy is counting how many times political power has changed hands without violence -- Singapore is yet to score af…

It's a mix. PAP are quite competent and has improved lifes greatly. On the hand there is the GRC concept that screw opposition. GRC are constitutcies which are worth multiple parliament seats. Only one was won by opposition and that was by a razor thin margin. GRC also make gerymendering easier and less obvious.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#173
post #145

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Most Chinese Muslims are not Uyghur. The Chinese government doesn't care about its citizens being Muslim per se. The issues are actually quite different - separatism and a string terrorist attacks that caused a government crackdown.

The fact that it's ethnic, and not religious discrimination makes it even worse.

You're on your own on that one. Religious discrimination is just as bad. And even if you disagree, plenty of basically ethnic has been justified by superfluous religious differences.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#174
post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most Chinese Muslims are not Uyghur. The Chinese government doesn't care about its citizens being Muslim per se. The issues are actually quite different - separatism and a string terrorist attacks that caused a government crackdown.

The fact that it's ethnic, and not religious discrimination makes it even worse.

I don't know exactly what it's based on. It could be based on what websites people visit, or whether they attend mosques the government considers to be radical. The reporting on the issue leaves much to be desired.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#175
post #148

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The „watchful eye“ part sounds disturbing. I‘ve been to Singapore and it‘s a very impressive place. But it‘s also very sterile imo. Sure there is awesome street food and culture in general to a degree. But i kept missing the borderline stuff there. I like to live in a place where people are allowed to make mistakes, even criminal ones in some cases, and not have their live be over Immediately. That sounds weird to so…

You like to live in a place with crime, there's plenty of places to choose from. People should also have the right to live in a place where they won't mug you or rape you.

Or invent Uber.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#176

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Is the safety and honesty embedded in the culture now? That's how Nordic countries keep things straight -- not by police force, and they're indeed some of the leanest police forces in the world. I'm basically wondering if you could change Singapore to a Nordic style democracy and keep the upsides you speak of just by the force of culture?

Singapore has lot more underlying tensions than a Nordic country: massive wealth inequality, different races with different languages and religions, a huge barely-human migrant worker underclass, etc. The ruling party uses this as an convenient excuse to justify everything they do, but there's a grain of truth to it as well. That said, yes, I think safety and honesty are fairly embedded. Yesterday, the case of somebo…

I do hope the “barely-human underclass” is supposed to be a characterization of the government’s beliefs, and not your own.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the safety and honesty embedded in the culture now? That's how Nordic countries keep things straight -- not by police force, and they're indeed some of the leanest police forces in the world. I'm basically wondering if you could change Singapore to a Nordic style democracy and keep the upsides you speak of just by the force of culture?

What are the real, practical differences between Nordic style democracy and parliamentary democracy that is in central European countries?

He is talking about culture, not governance.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#178

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As an US expat living in SG, I would say yes. Singapore is the first place where I actually began to question whether democracy was the absolute way. Democracy was how I was raised. Overall, I still believe it is the way long term, but what can you do when you have a single, unified government that cares for its people is simply amazing. Safest in the world, hands down. This can be felt in every day life. I hold tabl…

Is the safety and honesty embedded in the culture now? That's how Nordic countries keep things straight -- not by police force, and they're indeed some of the leanest police forces in the world. I'm basically wondering if you could change Singapore to a Nordic style democracy and keep the upsides you speak of just by the force of culture?

What you describe is Japan.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's a military dictatorship when the military controls the country, which is fairly obviously not the case in Singapore.

Not needing to exercise one's power =/= not being in control of things.

In Singapore, it's the prime minister who calls the shots. Period.

Re: Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under new fake news law

#180
post #51

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I'm not sure Singapore's government falls under a military dictatorship by any means. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Singapore

I'll counter your wikipedia link with one of my own. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regimes Not seeking to discredit the ruling party. What they've done with Singapore is nothing short of a miracle. But the fact is that they're still backed up by a ridiculously strong army, and the opposition party exists just so they can say there is one (but is frequently bullied regardless).

Singapore is classified as changing from civilian dictatorship to military dictatorship in 2004 in the source data [0] for that article because the newly elected Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was a brigadier general until 1984. So it's for purely formal reasons, not because there was a military takeover.

Note that by this measure, there can be "military democracies", such as the U.S. during 55 years (in 1946-2008) where the president was ex-military (e.g. Bush).

[0] https://sites.google.com/site/joseantoniocheibub/datasets/de...

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