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Singapore, elections, democracy: Hope and radical love


Singapore goes to vote today. 

People, academics included, who read my critical writings on Singapore and dictatorshop, are often perplexed by my love for Singapore. I often say, as an itinerant migrant, Singapore will always be in my heart, as a very special place.

What makes it so very special is that in the face of the dicatorship and its methods of control, bullying and repression, so many opposition politicians, activists, community members at the margins, migrant workers, everyday Singaporeans work toward change, toward the imaginary of a democracy rooted in people's participation. In spite of the huge cost they have to pay with their lives, so many brave activist friends stand up, with their heads held high and with great moral clarity.

If the "Singapore model" is the model for authoritarian governance exported across the globe, Singapore-based activism and struggles for democracy offer templates for democratic struggles across the globe.

There indeed is so much for global activism to learn from the resilience, courage, and strength of activism in Singapore.

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