An opinion piece from a
Washington Post columnist on Wednesday praised Singapore‘s
public policy achievements, citing the country as a shining example
the United States could learn from.
The writer, Matt Miller, is a fan of
Singapore’s “benevolent dictatorship”, and listed several areas
which impressed him in spite of the island nation’s anti-gay laws
and denial of press and assembly freedom.
Citing Singapore as a “policy wonk’s paradise”, the weekly
columnist on economic and other domestic policy issues highlighted
Singapore’s stunning economic development and also former prime
minister Lee Kuan Yew’s enforcement of anti-corruption
practices.
Singapore’s transport system also impressed Miller. Apart from
running “the world’s best airline” (Singapore Airlines), the city
state, he said, also boasts gorgeous subways, electronic road
pricing that is “every wonk’s dream”, and ample parking spaces in
the city.
On the issue of housing, Miller states that in the U.S., “public
housing means ghetto”. However, praising Singapore’s national
strategy of helping locals own their own homes, he cited that 80
per cent of people live in public housing and almost everyone owns
their homes.
Miller also highlighted Singapore’s fiscal strength, praising the
Central Provident Fund model, stating that it helps build up
financial assets that can be used to assist locals in buying homes,
covering medical expenses and preparing for retirement.
While admitting that “Singapore is hardly perfect”, with its
long-ruling People’s Action Party getting too complacent and out of
touch, Miller provided his readers with the biggest take away from
his column:
“While Americans fight endlessly about “big government” vs. “small
government” yet do nothing to meet our biggest challenges,
Singapore has ignored ideological claptrap and focused relentlessly
on what works… Singapore thus stands as the leading modern example
of how government as pragmatic problem-solver can dramatically
improve people’s lives.”
Do you agree with the points
raised by Matt Miller in praising the Singapore model?
Respond to the poll at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/poll--is-singapore-a-model-for-other-countries-.html
+1 to Anti gay laws. Everything else is a mistake not to be
repeated.
