It's No Libertarian Paradise

When I think of Singapore, I inevitably remember the case of that American boy who was sentenced to a caning in 1994 for stealing some road signs and for vandalism he denied committing. That ruling put the area in the spotlight for a while. Articles discussed its spotlessness and negligible crime rate, characteristics that residents of big U.S. cities might view longingly. But ... (and there's always a "but," isn't there?) that comes at a price. The independent watchdog organization Freedom House lists Singapore as "partly free." One resident sums it up this way: "If you keep to yourself, life is very comfortable here. But if self-expression is important, you will be stymied at every turn": http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/05/the-price-of-life-in-singapore-city-of-rules-its-a-faustian-deal