Singapore is world's least emotional country

[Backwards Observer]

May you live in uninteresting times.


What Singapore's Leaders May Not Know - Gallup - 21.11.2012


Singapore Ranks Least Emotional - Gallup -21.11.2012

[Dayuhan]

Over here we ranked most emotional. Would you care to trade a wee bit of prosperity for a boatload of emotion?

[Backwards Observer]

Over here we ranked most emotional. Would you care to trade a wee bit of prosperity for a boatload of emotion?

Would like to assist, but find the hysterical tone of your proposal confusing.

[Backwards Observer]

The Hakka walled village may be seen as roughly analagous to the underlying architecture envisaged by Singapore's founding statesmen. Loosely speaking, the traditional Hakka family could be described as a commercially militarised patriarchy, (everyone works, no one quits), run along defensive lines. This comparison clearly has its limits and is meant only to convey an impression formed by the author of this post.

Hakka walled villages can be constructed from brick, stone, or rammed earth, with the last being the most common. The external wall is typically 1 metre in thickness and the entire building could be up to three or four stories in height. Often turrets were also built to extend the range of defensive power and to cover otherwise indefensible points. Battlements were also constructed on the top floor for muskets. The gate was the most vulnerable point and it was usually reinforced with stone and covered with iron. A number of smaller gates followed, in case the outer one was breached. With the exception of a few excessively large forts, Hakka houses usually only had one entrance. The round shape of the walls, which became popular in later stages, added to the defensive value of the fortifications and reduced the firepower of artillery against it. A Hakka fort could withstand a protracted siege, since it was well stocked with grains and had an internal source of water. They often also had their own sophisticated sewage systems. (Hakka Walled Village - wikipedia)

Hakka Walled Village - Wikipedia

Fujian Tulou - unesco

Hakka Village - Flickr

Longyan Hakka Homes - uchinatravel.com

[Backwards Observer]

Of possible interest.

'Singapore Lessons for Chinese Leaders' by Michael Spence

China is at a crucial point today, as it was in 1978, when the market reforms launched by Deng Xiaoping opened its economy to the world – and as it was again in the early 1990’s, when Deng’s famous “southern tour” reaffirmed the country’s development path. Throughout this time, examples and lessons from other countries have been important. Deng was reportedly substantially influenced by an early visit to Singapore, where accelerated growth and prosperity had come decades earlier. Understanding other developing countries’ successes and shortcomings has been – and remains – an important part of China’s approach to formulating its growth strategy.

Singapore Lessons for Chinese Leaders - Gulf Times - 20.11.2012

[Backwards Observer]

What appears to be satire.

Philippines Is World’s Most Emotional Country, While Neighboring Singapore Doesn’t Feel Much of Anything Anymore by Juli Weiner

According to several maps, the world’s most emotional country and the world’s least emotional country are in shocking geographic proximity to each other, separated only by the South China Sea. Is this body of water the cause of the pathos disparity? In other words, is the South China Sea gas-lighting the Philippines and being totally normal to Singapore? In an attempt to solve this troubling psychodrama, we sat the three of them down for group therapy.

Philippines Is World’s Most Emotional Country, While Neighboring Singapore Doesn’t Feel Much of Anything Anymore - Vanity Fair - 11.29.2012

[Backwards Observer]

Updated link for article in post #6.

Reforming One Party Rule in China - President Xi's Singapore Lessons - Michael Spence - Project Syndicate - 11.19.2012