In early March, Taylor Swift began the first of her six-night residency playing her critically acclaimed Eras Tour in Singapore. The city-state was one of only two countries in Asia hosting the popstar on the international leg of her tour, due to a deal struck by the Singaporean government and Swift regarding the Eras Tour. […]
Tag: Singapore
Southeast Asia is Never Getting Back Together, Like Ever
Taylor Swift’s breakups have always been displayed on the world arena, with the usual formula of news outlets releasing every detail about her relationship online and Taylor announcing a new song about it. Her most recent breakup however, defied the status quo that the Swifties have come to expect: her breakup was transnational, political, and […]
The Little Red Dot’s Solution to the Environmental Crisis
In 1798, economist Thomas Malthus proposed his theory of the Earth’s carrying capacity. Taking into consideration various environmental factors, he posited that humans will eventually exhaust Earth’s finite supply of natural resources, placing a hard cap on human population growth. In the modern context, the dire state of climate change is the primary culprit for […]
Migrant Workers Were Forgotten During Singapore’s Coronavirus Crisis
“Given Singapore’s land constraints, dormitories are a practical way to housing our migrant workers. This is unlikely to change. What will need to change however are the specifications as well as the management of the dormitories including the daily living habits of the dormitory residents……” said Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Manpower during a session […]
The Art of State Engineering
Under the guise of development and democracy, state architecture is being used to conceal the centralization of power in both Malaysia and Singapore as leaders grapple with how to literally engineer the perfect, coordinated society. How does one engineer a harmonious state? Singapore’s People’s Action Party (P.A.P.) and Malaysia’s U.M.N.O. Party will argue that you […]
Smart Nation, Smarter Nation Building
When mentioned, Singapore conjures up the image of the perfect city. Unbelievably clean and safe, the tiny island nation is known as the Little Red Dot to all those who hold it close to their hearts. With subsidized housing, free education, and great social security, it is no surprise that Singaporeans are fiercely patriotic and […]
Behind the Scenes of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
Within its first 9 days of release, Crazy Rich Asians made $50 million dollars. Tickets sales were surging due to its diverse cast and plot. Critics, actors, movie buffs, and movie watchers all across the world were praising this movie for achieving not only success in the box office but also in representation. However, while […]
Crossroads Blues
Crossroads Blues In 1965, the city of Singapore was kicked out of Malaysia. It was poor and isolated, with an economy wholly subsidized by Britain’s Royal Navy. To the north, Malay extremists threatened to instigate a coup and regain the island. To the south, the Indonesian military toppled the pro-communist government, killing millions and threatening […]
Singapore’s Challenge to Democracy
Henry Kissinger, the great American statesman of the 70’s, once wrote, “One of the asymmetries of history, is the lack of correspondence between the abilities of some leaders and the power of their countries.” But whom was Kissinger bestowing this rather grandiose compliment to? It was Lee Kuan Yew, a close confidant and friend of […]
The AIIB: China’s Economic Evolution
According to the International Monetary Foundation (IMF), the economies of the Asia-Pacific region are growing rapidly, and are expected to account for almost half of global GDP by 2030. However, sustainable, long-term economic growth requires a sound infrastructure network to facilitate the transportation of ideas and goods in the increasingly connected global economy, yet the […]