Whither democracy.

Speakers Cornered is an interesting documentary, and rather better (in my humble opinion anyway) than One Nation Under Lee. The latter tells, sometimes positively shouts and screams, about how bad the situation is. The former shows exactly how ham-fisted the Government can get when dealing with dissent.
It feels a little absurd, really. Surreal, too. Watching a policewoman argue with one of the protesters about ... wait, what are they arguing over? First it was the latter trying to march and the former stopping her ... then the policewoman insisting to the protestor that the huge cordon of 10 policewomen around her was 'only for your safety, to make sure no one gets hurt' ... then "can I see your warrant card?' 'Wait' 'I demand to see your warrant card' 'If I let you see my warrant card can you promise that ... ' 'No. I just want you to show me your warrant card.' 'Okay I will. Later.' ... then the whole thing repeats itself ad infinitum. After a while it's not too hard to conclude who is making more sense, the dissenting protester who's making perfectly rational arguments or the policewoman acting in the name of order who is really just stubbornly following instructions. But of course, she's acting in the name of Order. Order always Wins in this Most Serene Republic.
Never mind. The whole episode is, as mentioned above, rather absurd and surreal. Come to think of it, perhaps ONUL exposed more of what really makes up Singapore's democracy deficit---the rampant use of the ISD in earlier decades to decimate the effective opposition. Now that no longer happens---but who's to tell what the Government will do if similarly effective opposition arises again? But, then again, what are the odds of that happening. Oh well. The deficit has solidified and caked up and become a sticky, obstinate mass that sticks to the innards of the system. It's going to take a long time to get out ... and meanwhile the Government can plenty afford to relax a bit and "open up".
So, really, no, Singapore isn't really a democracy. The PAP exercises way too much control over the whole system for that sort of statement to be credible; and some of the things that PM Lee has said---first Sr. and then Jr., both of them---quite flagrantly violate the spirit of democracy. The place is run more like Plato's Republic with its oligarchy---yes it's partially heriditary too, haven't you noticed?---and a moderately impressive veneer of enfranchisement. 'Democracy' as the Government reads it is not the rule of the people, but the rule of the Government who may listen to the people. And nothwithstanding all the talk about opening up and political reform, it's going to stay that way. Unto eternity, or when the Serenissima falls.