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Severe punishments even for petty crimes. Sounds harsh, but yet it's one of the safest places in the world. Does that mean pacifying criminals doesn't actually work?
Well, would I really have a choice? It's not like someone comes around and asks each and every one of us if we are ok with the laws. These laws are put into effect, and we are all effectively told, "if you don't like it, you can leave".
So would I accept it? Sure. Do I think it's necessary or even desirable? No. Just enforce the laws we have now and reserve severe punishments for violent offenders. And most importantly, ensure that the people have the means and rights necessary to defend themselves from the criminal element that exists in every society. Do they have the right to own a firearm in Singapore? I tend to think not.
Singapore's laws fit its unique situation, and don't necessarily fit a vast country of 50 semi-independent states like the USA. Singapore is a city state, densely populated with most residents in large multi-story apartment / condo dwellings and very tropical temperatures year-round. I mention the tropical part, because many of their laws have to do with maintaining sanitary conditions to avoid spread of disease (a big concern in dense tropical places). This is the reason for the fines for spitting or for using chewing gum - there is no discarded chewing gum stuck on the sidewalk or streets that could hold germs.
If you haven't visited Singapore, it is hard to understand all of the reasoning behind the laws. Singapore is a free country where citizens can come and go as they please, so yes, they have a choice in the matter.
It is pleasant to walk around in Singapore after dark without a worry in the world about your personal safety or if you are in a safe neighborhood. You see men and women of all ages walking after dark, as it is more pleasant that walking around in the heat of the day. You also see boys and girls, some of them pre-teens, walking in the dark alone or with some friends, often going from one location to another in their neighborhood. People are simply not worried about their kids being harmed by a stranger.
Singapore's laws fit its unique situation, and don't necessarily fit a vast country of 50 semi-independent states like the USA. Singapore is a city state, densely populated with most residents in large multi-story apartment / condo dwellings and very tropical temperatures year-round. I mention the tropical part, because many of their laws have to do with maintaining sanitary conditions to avoid spread of disease (a big concern in dense tropical places). This is the reason for the fines for spitting or for using chewing gum - there is no discarded chewing gum stuck on the sidewalk or streets that could hold germs.
If you haven't visited Singapore, it is hard to understand all of the reasoning behind the laws. Singapore is a free country where citizens can come and go as they please, so yes, they have a choice in the matter.
It is pleasant to walk around in Singapore after dark without a worry in the world about your personal safety or if you are in a safe neighborhood. You see men and women of all ages walking after dark, as it is more pleasant that walking around in the heat of the day. You also see boys and girls, some of them pre-teens, walking in the dark alone or with some friends, often going from one location to another in their neighborhood. People are simply not worried about their kids being harmed by a stranger.
thank you for a well thought out intelligent response. Americans tend to look at other countries and believe what works there will seamlessly work here. i never understood the logic. if you want Swedish healthcare, move to Sweden.
Singapore's laws fit its unique situation, and don't necessarily fit a vast country of 50 semi-independent states like the USA. Singapore is a city state, densely populated with most residents in large multi-story apartment / condo dwellings and very tropical temperatures year-round. I mention the tropical part, because many of their laws have to do with maintaining sanitary conditions to avoid spread of disease (a big concern in dense tropical places). This is the reason for the fines for spitting or for using chewing gum - there is no discarded chewing gum stuck on the sidewalk or streets that could hold germs.
If you haven't visited Singapore, it is hard to understand all of the reasoning behind the laws. Singapore is a free country where citizens can come and go as they please, so yes, they have a choice in the matter.
It is pleasant to walk around in Singapore after dark without a worry in the world about your personal safety or if you are in a safe neighborhood. You see men and women of all ages walking after dark, as it is more pleasant that walking around in the heat of the day. You also see boys and girls, some of them pre-teens, walking in the dark alone or with some friends, often going from one location to another in their neighborhood. People are simply not worried about their kids being harmed by a stranger.
I expect a very, very large part of the success is swift and sure consequences for the bad actors. There is no logical reason this couldn't be applied here.
I would accept them. I have been to Singapore and you would think it has some authoritarian feel to it. It doesn't. As somebody said you can walk anywhere anytime of night and the streets and subway are perfectly clean. You could eat off the floor of the trains.
So throwing a cigarette butt gets you in trouble... well the thing is they have smoking corners everywhere that are again maintained, so as a smoker I thought it would be dreadful but they cater to everybody. You can drink where you want because you won't be able to use drinking as an excuse if you do stupid crap. No littering,.. again there are trash receptacles everywhere. Why would you? Prostitution is regulated so if you want adult fun it is there but in just one place. In some ways Singapore seems a bit more free than the USA at least for a visitor.
Drugs is where the USA would have trouble. Singapore style law enforcement would be unprecedented in its first decade. They do not tolerate people roaming the streets bothering people and being of no value to society. Gun nuts would hate it but they don't have shootings. Singapore takes it a little too far with the caning and hangings. I would prefer something like Tokyo where the consequences are severe for crime but not barbaric.
You steal a pack of gum or anything in Tokyo you go to jail for real for a lengthy time. Though it could be said Tokyo is a bit more gritty than Singapore and you do see homeless people. However if they are a nuisance or do anyth8ng serious they are removed. The two things in common is they are not filled with junkies and guns. If you can get rid of that then everything else seems to follow. The police tend to be professional and courteous unless you are being a douchebag or did something really bad.
Americans care more about their personal rights and are selfish and less civic minded. Many Americans are just too fried in the head to have any respect for society at large. Asians tend to put society ahead of individuals. That is what it takes to live in urban areas in a peaceful manner. American people completely lack this sense of trying to fit in together. If the USA had Singapore style laws it would be a blood bath for one generation. After that you would have clean trains safe gun free cities and a population that respects one another and laws enforced if they don't.
I love the country but America is full of selfish low class losers. There is nowhere on the planet that matches it in this regard. Not any civilized place anyway. There is no sense of harmony in this nation and that is what is lacking and why any kind of laws might not work. A good deal of our population are lunatics with nothing to lose anyway. Also in Asian places a big deterrent is not bringing shame on your family or household. For many Americans this doesn't matter.
If Americans would spontaneously evolve by a few hundred years they would become prepared to accept basic common sense laws that are for the good of the whole of society. We aren't even close yet.
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We are a different population than Singapore people. We are a country descended from those who left all their possessions behind, and struck out on boats risking all for freedom and a chance at prosperity, risk be damned. And then once we got here, after a generation or two we struck out into the dangerous of the westward ho movement in conestoga wagons, leaving all their possessions behind, again, risk be damned. Being willing to take on the native peoples that populated the otherwise unpopulated prairies.
We are also descendants of those native tribes, who ruled the prairies as nomads.
Those ancestors of us who came more recently, ALSO left all their possessions behind, got on planes or travelled here on boats, or foot, risk be damned, for a chance at prosperity and freedom.
So no. We're not a people where all of us will stack nicely into tall condos, and refrain from spitting. And sit with our hands folded nicely in our laps.
We are a different population than Singapore people. We are a country descended from those who left all their possessions behind, and struck out on boats risking all for freedom and a chance at prosperity, risk be damned. And then once we got here, after a generation or two we struck out into the dangerous of the westward ho movement in conestoga wagons, leaving all their possessions behind, again, risk be damned. Being willing to take on the native peoples that populated the otherwise unpopulated prairies.
We are also descendants of those native tribes, who ruled the prairies as nomads.
Those ancestors of us who came more recently, ALSO left all their possessions behind, got on planes or travelled here on boats, or foot, risk be damned, for a chance at prosperity and freedom.
So no. We're not a people where all of us will stack nicely into tall condos, and refrain from spitting. And sit without hands folded nicely in our laps.
Weird, my family behaves like that in public. It’s not that hard to be respectful and civil.
I am for cutting the fingers off of shoplifters on live TV for everyone to see.
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