Basket.

My page literally vanished for some hours in the afternoon... seems to be functioning fine now, though. The vagaries of technology.

It's been a rather routine, stay-home day (partly because, of course, all my best companions are at work or in camp, which is one disadvantage I can think of about being let out mid-week). I went for a haircut and stopped by the library, where I got some local literature (including my literary guilty pleasure, one of the poorly-written volumes of the Nightmares series, supposedly edited although I see no evidence to the effect, by a certain OOPS I THINK IT MAY BE LIBEL TO NAME HIM SHIT. But his publications are ubiquitous, so I think some of you may know who this is). I also got a couple of Alan Moore graphic novels, the first I'm going to read in a very long time.

Speaking of libel and blogs, there has been quite a flurry in recent weeks over how certain bloggers are getting themselves into deep shit by criticising particular organisations of personalities on their own webspaces. As usual, I tend to think it is a huge fuss over nothing. But this is Singapore, the land where most people have an enormous tendency to overreact, and where some people have an equally vast intolerance for dissenting opinions. I would not expect such people to change their attitudes anytime soon; rather than get a heart and/or a sense of humour, they would threaten legal action upon those whose only crime was to speak their minds, and who are virtually defenceless before their array of lawyers and statutes.

I do not know what satisfaction lies in crushing a puny foe. I wonder how orgasmic pleasure can be derived from seeing an opponent so obviously inferior meekly issue a statement retracting all comments (despite the fact that they largely can only pass for libel by the vaguest of definitions) and profferring a sincere apology to the almighty offended party, the organisation he heads and the paving stones of his driveway. Because the way they keep doing it, it seems as though that is exactly what they are gaining.

To make things even more laughable, the government recently called upon the young to "speak their minds". Some of the young answered the call, and this is what they got. "Speak your mind, but we will sue the pants off your candyass if you do" seems to be the message. Okay... it's not like we aren't used to things like that coming down from above - "Let us cultivate creativity, but do it within strict guidelines" can sum up MOE's Project Work initiative, for instance.

As usual, there have been those smart enough to point this out. As usual, authority has its sycophants, who write to the Forum Page claiming that all this nonsense about freedom of speech and speaking one's mind must be done within accepted guidelines and regulations, set of course by the government. These young upstarts, how dare they actually have informed opinions of their own, let alone express them? The sheer temerity!

Singapore is no police state, but this country must have one of the most pervasive and omnipotent governments in the world. A good job in the civil service is commonly considered the pinnacle of achievement for any bright young Singaporean, and the most prestigious of scholarships in the country are provided by a small number of government organisations. This all occurs even as the military exerts a sometimes not-too-subtle influence on the daily lives of each and every one of us (and a distinctly un-subtle influence for two years on the male half of the population) and the ISD lurks in the background. No one bats an eyelid at military parades - from SAF Day to the NDP mobile column that showcases our latest killer hardware. Armed soldiers at the airport are as much part of the usual scenery as potted plants. The Internal Security Act remains, a monolithic statute designed to combat an insurgency that ended nearly fifty years ago. The SAF still prepares to combat a leftist insurgency, although it has not trained its troops in riot control since the 1970s.

But perhaps I digressed in commenting on Big Government in Singapore. My point is that the government really should stop calling for this and that, then showing their insincerity in the most blatant way possible by their actions afterward. If they truly want to let the people go, do it. I do not see what they have to fear. Even with completely free elections, the PAP is in no danger or even losing an overwhelming majority, let alone a simple majority. And do you think the average person on the street is given to standing on bloodied barricades and crying for freedom over the slain bodies of his comrades? But if they don't, don't say anything. I don't see what is so hard about that.