[distances]

Is the safety and honesty embedded in the culture now? That's how Nordic countries keep things straight -- not by police force, and they're indeed some of the leanest police forces in the world. I'm basically wondering if you could change Singapore to a Nordic style democracy and keep the upsides you speak of just by the force of culture?

[9nGQluzmnq3M]

Singapore has lot more underlying tensions than a Nordic country: massive wealth inequality, different races with different languages and religions, a huge barely-human migrant worker underclass, etc. The ruling party uses this as an convenient excuse to justify everything they do, but there's a grain of truth to it as well.

That said, yes, I think safety and honesty are fairly embedded. Yesterday, the case of somebody trying to bribe a condo rentacop to overlook their (illegal) AirBnB guest made the news: the guard refused the $50, reported the bribery attempt to the police, and the offender was sent to jail for a week:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pacific-mansi...

In most neighboring countries, if this kind of thing made headlines, the news would have nothing else.

[matt4077]

I do hope the “barely-human underclass” is supposed to be a characterization of the government’s beliefs, and not your own.

[garmaine]

What you describe is Japan.

[TomMarius]

What are the real, practical differences between Nordic style democracy and parliamentary democracy that is in central European countries?

[garmaine]

He is talking about culture, not governance.

[distances]

Exactly -- Nordic countries are among the safest, most honest places, but by culture instead of by control. I was wondering if long enough control would turn into a culture, and the dictatorian control could be eventually abolished.