Doubting Thomas

Freedom from the press

Yesterday Thomas praised the government of Singapore for good governance in "Singapore and Katrina." Like Dowd, Krugman, Herbert and Rich, Thomas now believes his role is to provide or amplify talking points for the Democratic Party. He believes that the United States has lost its way and, too often, doesn't get the best people into government. Funny he didn't complain about making a trade lawyer the president's National Security Advisor but he complains:

There is something troublingly self-indulgent and slothful about America today - something that Katrina highlighted and that people who live in countries where the laws of gravity still apply really noticed. It has rattled them - like watching a parent melt down.

More Columns by Thomas L. Friedman That is certainly the sense I got after observing the Katrina debacle from half a world away here in Singapore - a city-state that, if it believes in anything, believes in good governance. It may roll up the sidewalks pretty early here, and it may even fine you if you spit out your gum, but if you had to choose anywhere in Asia you would want to be caught in a typhoon, it would be Singapore. Trust me, the head of Civil Defense here is not simply someone's college roommate.

There is, however, one thing Thomas didn't tell us about Singapore. He might find it difficult to criticize the government there. Singapore's government has a law called the "Newspaper and printing presses act" that calls for the licensing of local media. Foreign media companies though aren't necessarily free from the strictures of this act as a paper covering domestic politics may be declared local and therefore subject to the same restrictions as local Singaporean paper. (See 24 (1)) So if a paper runs afoul of the well run government of Singapore (as has happened in the past) the paper may find itself efficiently restricted.

It's really touching to read Thomas promoting a government that could legally curtail the freedom of the press. Yes the government of Singapore appears to have the ability to declare its freedom from the press. His self sacrifice - willing to forego an element of freedom in exchange for good government - is truly noble.

Posted by SoccerDad at September 15, 2005 05:23 AM | TrackBack