Free speech...Singapore style

Singapore is expected to hold general elections within a few weeks, so the government is taking steps to make sure things run smoothly...including attempting to muzzle the bloggers.

From the story:

Senior Minister of State for Information, Communication and the Arts Balaji Sadasivan said regulations governing the use of the Internet during elections would remain to prevent online debate from veering into "unreliable and dangerous discourse".

In remarks to parliament released late Monday, Sadasivan said bloggers could face prosecution if they consistently espoused a political line during election periods.

I think their efforts are a fool's quest - despite their best attempts at censorship, the internet discussion and electioneering will go on. Censoring or prosecuting one particular blogger will only guarantee more activity by others. It's like a line from Serenity: "You can't stop the signal, Mal, it's everywhere."

I think expansion of the internet spells doom for totalitarian governments. Much of the power of such governments relies on being able to control the flow of information and limit the opportunities of its citizens to meet and discuss public affairs. Absent that, such governments can only survive through brutal intimidation...to do otherwise is to risk a political fall to widespread rebellion. But even such repressive tactics are only delaying the regime's demise...the voices of the people will go out (remember, the signal is everywhere,) will be passed from internet post to internet post and will eventually result in an international outcry and pressure to reform.

In Singapore's case, I guess I can see the case for limiting slander and lies immediately before an election, but saying "Individual bloggers must not 'persistently propagate, promote or circulate political issues relating to Singapore,'" as the minister said, is going too far. It's like trying to eliminate idle discussion in the town square...it can't be done.

Better to let the internet police itself - falsehoods, distortions and slander are quickly run down and discarded in this digital town square, where reputation for accuracy is the going currency.