Did Singapore go wrong in its quest for food security?
This is interesting, but the idea of self-sufficiency in food only occurs when free trade is a problem.
Trumpism and protectionism restrict free trade.
Singapore has a higher GDP per capita than the US and can afford to buy its food. The more interesting things about Singapore include:
1. State ownership of infrastructure: oil and gas supply, electricity generation and distribution, the port, airport and airline. It is the only country in the world where state ownership is efficient. This is due to comparing each element of activity to the best in the world as a baseline and not allowing unions to delay the process or get excessive benefits. The union system is called Triparetism. Instead of the adversarial relationship between labor and management seen in many Western nations, Singapore's system relies on a symbiotic partnership between the government, employers, and a single national labor federation. This heavily regulated approach prioritizes national economic competitiveness and industrial harmony over public labor disputes.
2. The state controls the pension/social security system. All citizens pay in. The money is wisely invested. Each person's fund is separate. Sickness, unemployment and health benefits come from his or her fund. This eliminates malingering.
3. State Housing - The apartment blocs are everywhere. People buy them and there are restrictions on how resale takes place. A key element is that each block has a mix of races to encourage integration.
4. Education is integrated - all the local languages + English are compulsory subjects. Singlish became the common language. This is great for international trade, as is the Mandarin.
5. The armed forces, have the latest fighters and military equipment. All male citizens participate and are trained. Potential Enemies are Malaysia, which controls water supply and Indonesia.
6. Immigration. This strictly controlled. Singapore is not a signatory of the international human rights legislation. Illegals are deported immediately without any legal process.
7.Drugs and crime. I remember well flights inbound. They announce, "We remind all passengers that the penalty for importing drugs is death. Welcome to Singapore.' The death penalty and corpora; punishment are both used. There is little crime in Singapore which is possibly the safest place in the world. The judiciary is well paid and efficient. The accused can be tried, appeal, and sentence is carried out in a month.
8. Corruption. There are strict anticorruption laws and investigations. They are enforced and there is little corruption.
9. All this is made possible because a single party has dominated the legislature since independence. This allows for decisive and strong government. There are small opposition parties. Some of these things could be implemented in other democracies, but many are too corrupt and/or divided to pass the necessary laws.
The culture of Singapore is unique and is unlikely to be replicated.
