By LM — America loves to play the role of global watchdog, criticizing and lecturing other countries, but they really need to take a long hard look in the mirror before casting stones at others. In a recent article in the New York Times, the author takes a harsh stance on Singapore’s institutions, accusing them of being corrupt and incapable. However, it is important to ask: what right does this author have to criticize Singapore?
How can America criticize our country, when its own democracy is a mess?
The truth is that America, with its cancel culture and political correctness fascism, has no moral authority to lecture other countries on good governance. This creates an environment where freedom of speech and expression is limited, and this undermines the very principles that America claims to uphold.
Neither it can criticize the potential for systemic corruption or a descent into a brutal police state. Because when it comes to the issue of corruption, America itself has legalized bribery into a sophisticated art form. This is because the United States allows for the unrestricted flow of money into a political campaign. It leads to an alarming level of influence by wealthy donors and special interest groups. This results in politicians passing laws that favor these donors at the expense of the general public, effectively legalizing bribery in the political process.
America is a less effective democracy with more corruption and generally more brutal law enforcement than Singapore.
According to the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, Singapore ranks as the 4th least corrupt country in the world, while the United States comes in at 25th place. According to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2020, Singapore ranks 12th out of 128 countries in terms of adherence to the rule of law, while the US ranks 20th. This suggests that Singapore has a relatively strong legal system compared to the US.
Similarly, when it comes to police brutality, the United States has a long and troubling history. In 2020 alone, there were over 1,000 fatal police shootings in the United States. On the other hand, Singapore’s police force has a reputation for being highly efficient and effective, with relatively low levels of corruption. According to the 2021 World Internal Security and Police Index, which measures the performance of police forces across 127 countries, Singapore’s police force is ranked 2nd in the world, after Finland. The index takes into account a range of factors, including effectiveness, safety and security, and legitimacy and transparency.
It is hypocritical for the United States to criticize other countries when it has so many issues of its own to address. As the saying goes, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” The United States should focus on improving its own governance and law enforcement before casting judgment on other countries.
