Singapore ranked least corrupt country in Asia, and probably least freedom as well - Polidicks

[quote]SINGAPORE: Transparency International's 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index has ranked Singapore as the fifth least corrupt country in the world, coming behind Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Sweden. This is the same ranking the international anti-corruption watchdog gave Singapore in 2011. Singapore is also the least corrupt in Asia, ahead of Japan which ranks 17th and South Korea which ranks 45th. Singapore was also ranked best for Asia in 2011. UK shares 17th spot in this year's ranking, while the US is in 18th position. The 2012 index ranked 176 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The index assigns scores between one and 100 to countries, with 1 being highly corrupt and 100 clean. [/quote] [url]http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1241258/1/.html?cid=FBSG[/url]

Singapore should look up to Asian beacons of freedom such as Iran or North Korea.

[QUOTE=mac338;38726324]Singapore should look up to Asian beacons of freedom such as Iran or North Korea.[/QUOTE] Well we are not that harsh but it is quite true. We have RIDICULOUS laws like the Chewing gum ban, the protest permit requirement just to hold protest and death penalty for TRAFFICKING small amount of drugs(In my opinion, drug traffickers should just be given long term imprisonment instead of death because death sets them free from life punishment)

[QUOTE=BCell;38726490]Well we are not that harsh but it is quite true. We have RIDICULOUS laws like the Chewing gum ban, the protest permit requirement just to hold protest and death penalty for TRAFFICKING small amount of drugs(In my opinion, drug traffickers should just be given long term imprisonment instead of death because death sets them free from life punishment)[/QUOTE] Or they shouldn't be punished at all because drug laws are ridiculous.

[QUOTE=gamefreek76;38726693]Or they shouldn't be punished at all because drug laws are ridiculous.[/QUOTE] Are you one of those people who trusts natural selection to kill off drug users?

[QUOTE=Nitro836;38726734]Are you one of those people who trusts natural selection to kill off drug users?[/QUOTE] No, one of those people that believes adults should be able to decide for themselves.

[QUOTE=aydin690;38726796]No, one of those people that believes adults should be able to decide for themselves.[/QUOTE] Well they can't, at least not when it comes to highly addictive substances

Wouldn't it be funny if Transparency International wound up being corrupt? I'm honestly surprised that a country that requires citizens to protest in a tiny, cordoned off area is the least corrupt in Asia.

[QUOTE=mugofdoom;38726877]I'm honestly surprised that a country that requires citizens to protest in a tiny, cordoned off area is the least corrupt in Asia.[/QUOTE] Take away South Korea and Japan, and what you're left with is not exactly corruption-free capital of the world. :v:

[QUOTE=Laserbeams;38726816]Well they can't, at least not when it comes to highly addictive substances[/QUOTE] like nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine?

[QUOTE=yawmwen;38726931]like nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine?[/QUOTE] Yes. Of course making stuff illegal doesn't solve anything, but the world would be at least somewhat better if noone used drugs.

[QUOTE=Laserbeams;38726972]Yes. Of course making stuff illegal doesn't solve anything, but the world would be at least somewhat better if noone used drugs.[/QUOTE] No, it wouldn't?

[QUOTE=Laserbeams;38726972]Yes. Of course making stuff illegal doesn't solve anything, but the world would be at least somewhat better if noone used drugs.[/QUOTE] thats a hard thing to say. some people get great benefit from taking drugs.

[QUOTE=Laserbeams;38726972]Yes. Of course making stuff illegal doesn't solve anything, but the world would be at least somewhat better if noone used drugs.[/QUOTE] and with a little sprinkle of imagination and a metric fuck-gallon of magic, this pipe-dream could be a reality!

[QUOTE=yawmwen;38727005]thats a hard thing to say. some people get great benefit from taking drugs.[/QUOTE] I'd rather not argue about this, this has been discussed countless times, and it's not what this thread is about anyway. People who are sick and need the drugs as medicine or painkillers should be able to get them prescribed, but I am very much against having stuff like heroin freely available. Stuff that's not very addictive is okay, though, I guess

[QUOTE=yawmwen;38726931]like nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine?[/QUOTE] Are you seriously implying that because caffeine is legal, crystal meth and heroin should be?

[QUOTE=mugofdoom;38726877]Wouldn't it be funny if Transparency International wound up being corrupt? I'm honestly surprised that a country that requires citizens to protest in a tiny, cordoned off area is the least corrupt in Asia.[/QUOTE] Corruption just means people in the government are not open to being swayed by money or power from external sources. You could have the most totalitarian government to ever exist, but if no-one in it ever takes bribes, always declares conflicts of interest, etc., it wouldn't be corrupt.

[QUOTE=catbarf;38727108]Are you seriously implying that because caffeine is legal, crystal meth and heroin should be?[/QUOTE] actually meth and heroin [i]are[/i] legal as controlled substances.

Singapore is a model for a successful city-state.

my point is basically that the way we decide what should be legal or illegal is not based on any actual objective harm that a drug can cause. we ban drugs arbitrarily.

[QUOTE=Camundongo;38727161]Corruption just means people in the government are not open to being swayed by money or power from external sources. You could have the most totalitarian government to ever exist, but if no-one in it ever takes bribes, always declares conflicts of interest, etc., it wouldn't be corrupt.[/QUOTE] Yeah that's true. It just doesn't seem like that would be the case. Singapore is a very odd country.

[QUOTE=mugofdoom;38726877]Wouldn't it be funny if Transparency International wound up being corrupt? I'm honestly surprised that a country that requires citizens to protest in a tiny, cordoned off area is the least corrupt in Asia.[/QUOTE] Maybe try to learn Singaporean history? This "least corrupt but least free" thing is Lee Kuan Yew's legacy.

Finland in second place, huh? Well our politicians fuck things up without having to lie about them so I guess it's something.