Free speech is a wonderful thing. For example, one can post a You Tube video that excoriates one of the largest corporations in the world. You can judge for yourself whether the charges are accurate. ExxonMobil received a cease-and-desist order to prevent this advertisement from being broadcast during the State of the Union Address.
One of the most persecuted groups in the world are the Hazara Shia in Pakistan. Over the last few months the program of extermination has accelerated and little has been done to protect them. It would be very difficult to intervene in Pakistan to carry out some form of humanitarian intervention, so there is little outsiders can do other than to bring attention to this tragedy.
Attitudes toward immigrants in the world have turned decidedly negative over the last ten years. There was a large protest in Singapore against new government policies. What makes the protest so remarkable is that Singapore very rarely has political protests of any kind.
World Politics News 
What is even more remarkable is that the news coverage regarding the protest rarely paint the accurate picture of the basis for the protest. It is easy to detect an almost xenophobic and/or nativist Singapore, but what most of the news reportage failed to highlight is that the “immigrants” whom we supposedly “blame ..for rises in property prices” are wealthy foreigners who, through under-the-rug-swept policies, are given priority and even discounts to purchase prime properties while most locals struggle to get housing. Applying for a flat in Singapore requires many, many requirements. You have to be married, or aged 35 older, have substantial CPF (our equivalent of I believe, the Social Security). Meanwhile, if you are single and below 35, rent is not an option, unless you are supremely wealthy. Yet, the govt puzzle over our low birth rate.
I feel the need to point out this little fact because when we read “immigrants” we may think of those in search of a brighter future – and most of these articles read as if we are a group of selfish people determined *not* to share the comforts that Singapore has to offer which is simply not true. I have grown up with people from all over, and everything has been fine and dandy until the govt decided that, “Hey, let’s make it a playground for the rich.” This part of the deal is of course, not made explicit, but such is the case. When the govt say “welcome immigrants ” it’s more like, let’s attract all the 1% from all over the world. One of the Members of Parliament, Amy Khor actually suggested that Singaporeans who are not happy (i.e. anyone not in the upper-income bracket) can essentially, “pack up and leave Singapore.” Singapore’s new policy on immigration is a form of gentrification, and the the world needs to know about that.
LikeLike
Thanks for the insight–no where in the article was this type of information provided. We always need to keep looking for information that the media might not be willing or careful enough to supply.
LikeLike