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Disneyland with Death Penalty

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Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#201

Post by AdmiralAsshat »

aschismatic wrote: post #156
andrepd wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of my favourite Kobo features ;)

Can you elaborate on the feature you're referencing? I'm currently looking at getting a new e-reader and am specifically debating between the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kobo Libra 2.

Kobo has direct integration with Pocket, so as long as you sign into your Pocket account from your Kobo, you can download, read, or archive articles directly on the Kobo. You don't need to do the wonky workaround like emailing the Pocket article to your Kindle to get it to show up.

See below:

https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017763753-Use-the...

Kobo also has first-class integration with Overdrive/Libby for borrowing digital library books.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#202

Post by thematrixturtle »

cromulent wrote: post #13

Last time I was there (around 2005) the newspaper reports of FDWs (Foreign Domestic Workers) falling to their deaths whilst cleaning the outside of highrise windows without safety equipment were very disturbing. Seems it is still happening. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/average-of-12-people-...

A significant fraction of those deaths is intentional suicides. Although if anything this is even more disturbing.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#203

Post by jdeamattson »

I seem to remember that William Gibson spent a few days in Singapore and like most Western visitors to non-Western countries was able to plumb its depths and grok it fully in that time.

Even in 1993 — which was my first visit to Singapore — you could easily find many of the things he bemoaned missing.

It sounds like he stayed in a hotel in Orchard and limited his exposure to what he could see there and in the CBD (Central Business District).

He made zero effort, it appears, to go into the heartlands or to visit Tiong Bahru or the various heritage areas.

To me it is just one more example of the White Westerner visiting the "exotic land", and becoming an instant expert.

Oh, and that running off and catching the next flight out of town. I highly doubt that in those days you would just jump on a plane without a little pre-planning.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#204

Post by rayiner »

aerostable_slug wrote: post #97
rayiner wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s quite remarkable to me that the concept of “universal human rights” has made the jump from its Judeo-Christian origin—where there is a universal God to which to ascribe these universal rights—to secular thought. I don’t expect “universal human rights” are anything that would show up in an autopsy or other empirical investigation? Where do these “universal human rights” come from? Who decides what they are? It’s…

Natural law does not depend upon religious orthodoxy, though it is often associated with it. One can defend natural rights from the perspective of being inherent in our existence as rational beings rather than Sky-King's (Sky-Kingses' for the polytheistic?) decree. Further, large numbers of people with at least some theistic leanings were/are nevertheless adherents to legal positivism, which explains how you can have…

> One can defend natural rights from the perspective of being inherent in our existence as rational beings rather than Sky-King's (Sky-Kingses' for the polytheistic?) decree.

That’s just creating a religion, complete with supernatural assertions—things that are “inherent our existence” but can’t be established empirically—without copping to it.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#205

Post by Ferrotin »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #154
Ferrotin wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The U.S. also limits foreign control of its media.

> The government banning _Wired_ because it contained a critical article immediately confirms so much of the criticism. and then > The U.S. also limits foreign control of its media. Beyond an attempt at a what aboutism, I'm not sure how these two statements are really connected. Just because Xinhua can't purchase Foxnews (which is ironically controlled by an Australian), the USA government lacks the legal power to ba…

Wired is foreign media in Singapore.

This isn’t what-about-ism — I am defending Singapore’s practice of banning foreign media that decides to have a say in how the country should be run.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#206

Post by rayiner »

anigbrowl wrote: post #109
rayiner wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s quite remarkable to me that the concept of “universal human rights” has made the jump from its Judeo-Christian origin—where there is a universal God to which to ascribe these universal rights—to secular thought. I don’t expect “universal human rights” are anything that would show up in an autopsy or other empirical investigation? Where do these “universal human rights” come from? Who decides what they are? It’s…

I dare you to make this same argument in the context of the 2nd Amendment and see how well it goes down with your conservative friends.

The mainstream conservative argument for the second amendment would be that it reflects our history and tradition; our forefathers adopted the second amendment based on their experience building a free society and it’s the law of the land until the proper procedures are followed to change it. But I don’t think I’d rile up any conservatives if I pointed out that say Japan has a different history and tradition, and that it’s not a violation of any “universal human rights” for them to restrict firearms ownership. They might assert that our way is better than the Japanese way, but few would deny that the Japanese have the right and the prerogative to restrict firearms ownership if that’s what they choose to do.

That is not to say that conservatives don’t believe in “universal human rights”—for example those who believe that a society can’t permit abortion because it violates the right to life. But conservatives don’t deny that they believe in a God we can’t see that makes rules for the world.

“Universal human rights” tends to reflect in practice the individualistic quasi-religious beliefs of European-descended liberals. In an international context it functions as a form of cultural supremacy by people who claim to reject such ideas. But isn’t it curious how on everything from the nature of marriage, to familial obligation, to sexual morality, to criminal justice, to when it’s okay to extinguish nascent human life, societies run by white people have figured out the correct “universal” answer while Bangladeshis, Nigerians, and apparently even Singaporeans have got it all wrong? This is a harder road to hoe for people who claim not to believe that their society is chosen by God to be a shining city on a hill.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#207

Post by aschismatic »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #201
aschismatic wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate on the feature you're referencing? I'm currently looking at getting a new e-reader and am specifically debating between the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kobo Libra 2.

Kobo has direct integration with Pocket, so as long as you sign into your Pocket account from your Kobo, you can download, read, or archive articles directly on the Kobo. You don't need to do the wonky workaround like emailing the Pocket article to your Kindle to get it to show up. See below: https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017763753-Use-the... Kobo also has first-class integration with Overdrive/Libby for…

Oooh that's really neat, thank you!

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#208

Post by licebmi__at__ »

DubiousPusher wrote: post #165
deltree7 wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Singapore's criticism will always come from 'White Educated Liberals'. If you are earning a comfortable 6 figure salary in a developed nation, living in an extremely safe neighborhood with access to great education and healthcare, you kind assume all those things are easy and the only thing that matters is food/music diversity and counter-culture. For the rest of 7,950,000,000 people on earth, any country that provid…

I don't think this is a fair observation. I grew up in poverty in the U.S. and even in those days I found the stories of Singapore's authoritarian oppression disturbing. Would I have traded my chilly and mouldering aluminum sides trailer for a clean Singaporean public works apartment and a jackboot hovering around my ass? I'm not sure I would. Now, I'm not sure it was as bad as the stories made it sound. Let's be rea…

Not trying to diminish your experience, but you might want to put in balance that a lot of people in the south of US actually risk their lives crossing the border for a chance of living in US poverty.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#209

Post by brnt »

rayiner wrote: post #162
brnt wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Singapore's repression isn't exactly a secret, and if freedom is not a purpose to use your wealth for, then I don't see the point of wealth. Counterculture is healthy and natural for many reasons, and its absence is a concerning indicator for any nation.

This is a very western viewpoint! For most Asian societies, “freedom” is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Some level of counterculture is inevitable and must be tolerated. But folks in Tokyo, for example, wouldn’t be happier if their society were more like NYC!

Human rights are not Western, they are universal. Don't eat the propaganda so willingly.

Re: Disneyland with Death Penalty

#210

Post by brnt »

rayiner wrote: post #164
pessimizer wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Repression is a set of vicious laws that strictly punish people who step out of line, not a vibe. It's alright to enjoy a repressive culture, but odds are it because the laws are directed at people who are not you, to keep them from bothering you. That's why a good sign of repression is presidents-for-life and political dynasties. You didn't need the laws unless you had a population who wanted to do the things.

The laws exist to keep the minority of counter culture people from disrupting the orderly society enjoyed by the majority. Elevating the “rights” of the minority over the comfort of the majority is not a universal value.

Protecting minorities from the majority is precisely what democracy is about. Might is not right!
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