I'd suggest that there's some pretty important freedoms available in Singapore, vis a vis, say, the USA...
- freedom from drugged up crazies
- freedom from gun toting crazies
- freedom from crushing poverty
- freedom from rednecks
Rather than focus on state imposed conformity, it might be more illustrative to consider the cultural aspect involved, that people have a sense of community.
-tsaint
Hmm...that might be a problem if it were widespread and constant. But I think it's more the exception than the rule in most places in the United States. At any rate I wouldn't consider it a big enough and constant problem that I'd be willing to bring in a 24X7 police state just to avoid the possibility it might. Some cures are worse than the maladies they profess to address. And that's assuming such things actually are widespread and constant problems. From where I sit they seem much more like sporadic and occasional incidents.
Conformity is also not the same thing as community. Nor does a 'sense of community' automatically means it's for the good. Prison guards and death squads have a sense of community purpose and belonging by nature of the fact members share the same occupation and immediate goals. Same goes for most hate groups, totalitarian governmental political parties - as well as the most humanitarian of relief agencies and public philanthropies.
'Sense of community' is just another manifestation of groupthink. And as such it's neutral. It doesn't automatically bring with it anything that's intrinsically good or evil. It's just one more mind tool that can be employed for either good or ill, depending on the intentions and mores of the community in question.
William Gibson
is a little over the top with his essay in places. But I think at the core of it he's onto something: Don't be too taken in by appearances.
For my part, I'd rather take my chances
here. But to each his/her own.
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