<story><title>Singapore Is Taking the ‘Smart City’ to a New Level</title><url>http://www.wsj.com/articles/singapore-is-taking-the-smart-city-to-a-whole-new-level-1461550026</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>rfreytag</author><text>&amp;gt; “The big, big elephant in the room is protection of privacy and ensuring security,” says Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s foreign affairs minister and minister-in-charge of Smart Nation.&lt;p&gt;The idea that Singapore will protect the privacy of its citizens (or their access to information) is not credible in light of:&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.economist.com&amp;#x2F;blogs&amp;#x2F;banyan&amp;#x2F;2013&amp;#x2F;06&amp;#x2F;regulating-singapores-internet&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.economist.com&amp;#x2F;blogs&amp;#x2F;banyan&amp;#x2F;2013&amp;#x2F;06&amp;#x2F;regulating-sin...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;and&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;sg.news.yahoo.com&amp;#x2F;-smart-nation--singapore-will-be-watching-you-105712193.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;sg.news.yahoo.com&amp;#x2F;-smart-nation--singapore-will-be-w...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;The ruling party uses power to eliminate opposition:&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.csmonitor.com&amp;#x2F;1990&amp;#x2F;0731&amp;#x2F;eross.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.csmonitor.com&amp;#x2F;1990&amp;#x2F;0731&amp;#x2F;eross.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;and&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.questia.com&amp;#x2F;newspaper&amp;#x2F;1P2-33363045&amp;#x2F;suppression-in-singapore-the-government-restricts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.questia.com&amp;#x2F;newspaper&amp;#x2F;1P2-33363045&amp;#x2F;suppression-i...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many, many other examples can be found with minimal searching.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>altern8tif</author><text>Bottom line is: Singapore is not for everyone.  If you&amp;#x27;re willing to give up some civil liberties for an efficiently-run nation where you can generally walk around without fear of getting stabbed or robbed, then it&amp;#x27;s the perfect place for you.</text></comment>
<story><title>Singapore Is Taking the ‘Smart City’ to a New Level</title><url>http://www.wsj.com/articles/singapore-is-taking-the-smart-city-to-a-whole-new-level-1461550026</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>rfreytag</author><text>&amp;gt; “The big, big elephant in the room is protection of privacy and ensuring security,” says Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s foreign affairs minister and minister-in-charge of Smart Nation.&lt;p&gt;The idea that Singapore will protect the privacy of its citizens (or their access to information) is not credible in light of:&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.economist.com&amp;#x2F;blogs&amp;#x2F;banyan&amp;#x2F;2013&amp;#x2F;06&amp;#x2F;regulating-singapores-internet&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.economist.com&amp;#x2F;blogs&amp;#x2F;banyan&amp;#x2F;2013&amp;#x2F;06&amp;#x2F;regulating-sin...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;and&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;sg.news.yahoo.com&amp;#x2F;-smart-nation--singapore-will-be-watching-you-105712193.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;sg.news.yahoo.com&amp;#x2F;-smart-nation--singapore-will-be-w...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;The ruling party uses power to eliminate opposition:&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.csmonitor.com&amp;#x2F;1990&amp;#x2F;0731&amp;#x2F;eross.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.csmonitor.com&amp;#x2F;1990&amp;#x2F;0731&amp;#x2F;eross.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;and&lt;p&gt;* &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.questia.com&amp;#x2F;newspaper&amp;#x2F;1P2-33363045&amp;#x2F;suppression-in-singapore-the-government-restricts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.questia.com&amp;#x2F;newspaper&amp;#x2F;1P2-33363045&amp;#x2F;suppression-i...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many, many other examples can be found with minimal searching.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>toni</author><text>Also a recent must-see documentary about Singapore repressive ruling party is Jason Soo&amp;#x27;s &amp;quot;1987: Untracing the Conspiracy&amp;quot;[1]&lt;p&gt;[1] &lt;a href=&quot;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.theonlinecitizen.com&amp;#x2F;2016&amp;#x2F;04&amp;#x2F;interview-jason-soo-director-1987-untracing-conspiracy&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.theonlinecitizen.com&amp;#x2F;2016&amp;#x2F;04&amp;#x2F;interview-jason-soo-...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;In 1987, 22 people were arrested under Singapore’s Internal Security Act (ISA) in a security exercise known as Operation Spectrum.&lt;p&gt;Accused of being involved in a Marxist conspiracy to establish a communist state, many detainees were tortured and then coerced into implicating themselves and their friends on public television.&amp;quot;</text></comment>