"Singapore, capital of the world"

The other day, The Interpreter pointed us to Edward Carr’s proposal of Singapore as “capital of the world”.

“As the age of empire fades,” he argues, “the world needs a federal capital”, and there’s a little vote going on, with Singapore set up to rival contenders such as New York, Beijing, etc.

It’s an amusing piece, written tongue in cheek, so I don’t want to get too much on my high horse. But it’s hard not to get annoyed with this kind of thing:

"Singapore’s sterility and fussy outlook might not be what you’d choose for a weekend break, any more than you’d bother with Canberra on a trip to Australia. But order and efficiency are pluses when it comes to helping the world go round. The lesson from federal states is that you don’t choose a capital for fun – that’s what you want from your home town. You want a capital where you can get things done."

It’s a neat literary trick to be able to sneer at something while praising it. At least it’s a different way of dishing up that old, old chestnut – Singapore: efficient, dull, bland.

But the repackaging is still a distortion, on many counts, and seems to just perpetuate a stereotype.

People clearly do choose Singapore for the equivalent of a weekend break. Even pre-casino, and even in the thick of the financial crisis, a multi-billion-dollar tourist sector was indicating that plenty of people were finding something to lure them out of the famous airport. Tourist arrivals last year soared.

I’m not sure how you measure the “fun” that is not supposed to be a criterion in choosing a capital, but watching Singaporeans at play, I certainly don’t get the impression they’re not enjoying themselves. And their capacity (by and large) to enjoy themselves without turning their city into a scary and intimidating place for others as soon as night falls seems to have its merits.

Mr Carr's bow to order and efficiency is good – they are, after all, not to be taken for granted given all the fates that could have overtaken Singapore after independence. But recent signals of discontent with the ruling party show that people are faulting the government’s efficiency in many aspects, especially in terms of managing demographic change and redistributing income. Singaporeans seem to be signalling they want a more responsive, perhaps more humble type of efficiency – although it’s unlikely the “new normal” wants to trade in that efficiency for disorder.

As for comparisons with Canberra – well, I just don’t know where to start…

It's a light-hearted contest, and I'm already regretting taking umbrage, but I just can't help feeling that stereotypes are dangerous, however lightly meant.