I don’t know all that much about Singapore’s political system, and I suspect that while I’m here, at least, I’m better off keeping it that way.
Here’s an example of a hard-hitting local news story: On Wednesday night there were investigative reports on two different channels about a pet shelter in the suburbs where anonymous tipsters were alleging that for several days a large number of cats had gone unfed. There was a lot of footage of cats, and lots of interview footage of the woman who runs the shelter shrilly defending herself. “Sure, times are tough, but I fed the cats this morning! I skipped lunch so I could afford to feed them!” Last night, there was a follow-up report: Animal welfare officers have visited the shelter, examined the cats, and declare them to be just fine.
The one thing that’s abundantly clear here is that a large amount of the government’s political power is wielded in obsessive pursuit of convenience. Escalators, footbridges, maps, and timetables abound. “We apologize for any inconvenience caused” might as well be the national motto — I see it on 10 signs a day.
Pictured above: Temporary concrete sidewalk installed (in the absolute middle of nowhere) to avoid the danger of muddy shoes. Below: Elaborate street-crossing and rain-avoidance systems, plus fancy MRT station photos.
