What's next? Toilet Paper.

it's actually just westminster council who are suggesting this gum tax...

I can see it now: the traffic wardens will be authorized to perform random searches in Westminster looking for untaxed gum. Tourists will be obliged to declare gum in their possession (including gum being chewed at the time) upon entry to the country and pay a special import duty on amount exceeding a certain minimum determined to be 'for personal use only.' Spitting out gum will be declared an 'act of terrorism' so that arresting gum offenders will improve the anti-terrorist arrest statistics. Too bad Monty Python went off the air so many years ago. They'd have a field day with this one.

We could learn from Singapore and ban chewing gum completely

Hm, yeah...but my mum used to sneak it in! They chew chillies instead.

Who needs Monty Python....We have ABCTales to splain it to the world now.

isn't it illegal in singapore to chew gum or something hang'em, wrigleys is just plain wrong...

...yes, it's illegal, martin...and they still have the death penalty too.

Proper thing.

Just came back from Singapore yesterday... if you want clean, efficient, lawlfulness, wealth, full employment, equality of opportunity, harmony between the religions and races... you would be hard put to fault the record of the government. And yes, people out and about are of a generally sunny disposition and there is little of that dank miserableness that is the forte of many cities in the UK. I still would not want to live there long term... I think they can now afford to loosen the reigns without losing too much of their gains. I found it shocking that they still have the death penalty... and not only for crimes of murder. I think drug dealing is a capital offence, then again, drugs are less of a problem there than anywhere else (who said somewhere that drugs uptake is of necessity linked to disillusionment with the capitalist system... Singapore disproves that entirely) On the downside in Singapore are the arts, or lack thereof. Religions of all descriptions are a growth industry as with increasing wealth and leisure people are increasingly grasping for meaning in their lives... funnily they approach this in a characteristically Singaporean sort of way with what they seem to ask for related to money, stature, career etc It was not uncommon to have highly charged charged business conversations with some highly effective people, interspersed with common superstitions of all sorts... takes some getting used to, I can tell you.

Yes they do have the death penalty, and some pretty severe corporal punishment ... but not for chewing gum. It's probably the only place in the world that's officially had to encourage people to have more fun, possibly to counter the declining birth rate. I loved Singapore on my brief visit, felt totally safe and very unlikely to catch nasty lurgies given the impeccable level of hygiene. The transport system was a dream, eating out was great. But it's probably not the best place to be a writer, and there's a certain lack of democracy which would be a scandal if everyone wasn't so deliriously happy with their chosen religion, secure job and rampant prosperity.

I agree, there is far too much trust in a government that by and large has brought them good... and Singapores founding father LKY (still tugging at the reigns from behind the scenes) has had a lot to do with that. There is always the danger that subsequent regimes will go astray (the temptations for corruption in such an economy must be overwhelming)... and what then for a populace that has been spoon fed all their thought? I passed by a 'Speakers Corner' somewhere.... and had to laugh when I was told speakers had to pre-register with the government.

SINGAPORE Freedom of expression continued to be curbed by restrictive legislation and by the effects of civil defamation suits against political opponents. Peaceful demonstrators also faced penalties. At least 24 Jehovah's Witnesses were imprisoned during the year. Death sentences continued to be imposed and at least two executions were known to have been carried out. Criminal offenders were sentenced to caning. Background The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) continued its domination of the political scene, winning 82 out of 84 parliamentary seats in elections in November. On the opening day of the election campaign the PAP's control was confirmed when opposition candidates contested only 29 of the seats. The small and poorly funded opposition parties complained that constituency changes and a range of regulations imposed by the PAP made it more difficult for them to win votes. The Parliamentary Elections Act was amended, curbing the use of the Internet for political campaigning and banning the publication of opinion polls during elections. Curbs on freedom of expression The threats of potentially ruinous civil defamation suits against opponents of the PAP continued to inhibit political life and engendered a climate of self-censorship. The Internal Security Act (ISA) and other restrictive legislation remained in place, thus continuing to allow for indefinite detention without trial and undermining the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Government controls imposed on the press and civil society organizations also curbed freedom of expression and were an obstacle to the independent monitoring of human rights. Two non-governmental civil society groups, the Think Centre and the Open Singapore Centre, were classified by the government as political associations, thereby making them ineligible for foreign funding and subjecting them to other restrictions. In April a law was passed empowering the government to restrict or suspend foreign broadcast services considered to be engaging in domestic politics. Foreign print media were already subject to similar restrictions. Curbs on freedom of assembly Fifteen members of the Falun Gong spiritual group were arrested for holding a vigil in memory of group members who had died in custody in China. In March seven of them were sentenced to four weeks in prison, reportedly for refusal to disperse during the vigil. Another eight were fined for holding a rally without a police permit. Under Singaporean law all assemblies of five or more people in public require a police permit. In early 2001, two activists from the Think Centre and the Open Singapore Centre were questioned by police in connection with a peaceful rally they had organized to mark international human rights day. Participants at the rally had called for greater political freedoms and abolition of the ISA. The activists had also planned a marathon run for human rights, but were refused a police permit. Opposition groups criticized the procedures for applying for permits as arbitrary and lacking in transparency. Civil defamation suits Opposition figures continued to face politically motivated civil defamation suits which carried the threat of financial ruin. While the government claimed that PAP leaders had a legitimate right to defend their reputation, there were grave concerns that their real motive was to silence selected opposition figures and remove them from public life. J.B. Jeyaretnam, aged 75, a vocal government critic and former leader of the opposition Workers' Party, was declared bankrupt in January after being one day late in paying an instalment of libel damages. The proceedings stemmed from a defamation payment awarded against him, as the editor of the Workers' Party newsletter, for allegedly defaming members of the ethnic Tamil community in an article written by a colleague in 1995. After losing his court appeal against the bankruptcy order in July, he was expelled from parliament, barred from practising as a lawyer and prevented from standing as a candidate or from taking any active part in the subsequent elections. He continued to face separate defamation suits lodged against him in 1997 by Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and other leading PAP members. In November, the Prime Minister and Senior Minister lodged a defamation suit against Chee Soon Juan, leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, after he publicly questioned them during the election campaign about a multi-billion dollar loan previously offered to former President Suharto of Indonesia. Chee Soon Juan apologized to the Ministers, but subsequently withdrew his apology and filed a suit against them for allegedly defaming him. Conscientious objectors At least 24 conscientious objectors to military service were imprisoned during the year. All were members of the banned Jehovah's Witnesses religious group. There was no alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors to military service. Detention without trial In December, 15 men were detained without trial under the ISA. They were accused by the authorities of having links to the al-Qa'ida network and of plotting to bomb the US embassy and other targets in Singapore. During the police investigation they were held incommunicado, raising concerns that they could be subjected to torture or ill-treatment. Death penalty The death penalty was mandatory for drug trafficking, murder, treason and certain firearms offences. At least two executions for drug trafficking were recorded but the true number was believed to be higher. Zulfikar Bin Mustaffah and Thiru Selvam were hanged in September for drug trafficking. Thiru Selvam was reportedly sentenced to death on the basis of the testimony of another man who had been found in possession of marijuana. The judge had reportedly offered Thiru Selvam a prison sentence if he confessed. Between 1991 and 2000, 340 people were hanged, giving Singapore probably one of the highest execution rates in the world, relative to its population. Cruel judicial punishment Caning, which constitutes cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, remained mandatory for some 30 crimes, including attempted murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, illegal immigration offences and vandalism. It was not known how many sentences were carried out during the year. Under the law, caning may be imposed on juvenile offenders.

Singapore, I've never been there, but I know that my newspaper had a serious long running issue with the Government over there back in the 90's. We were constantly at odds over freedom of the press and what we printed in our paper. They wanted to control what we said, we wouldn't let them. We were very critical of the Government at times and they took quite an issue with us. I'm still not sure if they like us or not, but the business of business is business and that is what we write about so I think it all works out in the wash.

I have a friend who has been refused entry into Singapore because of his activities against the suppression of freedom of speech etc in Malaysia/Indonesia. He is a former Methodist Minister. There are many factors which contribute to Singapore's success as a nation, wealth being the main one. Most base manual labour is carried out by temporary workers shipped in from neighbouring countries and living in shanty accommodation for the duration of the construction work. Freedom to practice your chosen religion is a good thing, although not if you are a Jehovah's witness, it would seem. The odd thing about Singapore is that most of its inhabitants do not originate there, it was originally a Malayan country. The melting pot of race and culture is unique, most from mainland China, many from India, many from Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Thailand... many from Europe, America,Scandinavia etc. This unique situation is conducive to tolerance, there is a lack of territorial claim. Family ties are often very strong in Singaporeans. I think this has something to do with social cohesion. However, the rise of evangelical religious practices to me suggests vulnerability in the younger generation. The pressure on young people to succeed is immense. When I was at school there, the attitude was that there were few more worthwhile professions than law and medicine. Students often demonstrated huge hyperactivity/giddiness due to overwork. Having fun was something that needed to be timetabled. Fear of the unknown and the fragility/smallness of the place gives the citizens, to me, a kind of manic quality. And Neil is right, campaigns are often run to encourage certain behaviours. An interesting place.

Hedley Lamarr: "What's that in your mouth?" Criminal: "Nuthin'" Hedley Lamarr: "Nuthin eh?" (aside) "Lyle" LYLE STEPS FORWARD AND PULLS SOMETHING FROM THE CRIMINAL'S MOUTH AND HOLDS IT UP. Lyle: "Gum!" Hedley Lamarr: "chewing gum in line eh? Well I hope you brought enough for everyone!" criminal: ".. I didn't know there was gonna be so many" HEDLEY PULLS GUN FROM WAISTCOAT AND SHOOTS THE CRIMINAL DEAD. Jim: (watching from back of queue) "Boy is he strict!"

If people insist on shitting in the streets, yes.

Gerry, Did you take a stroll through the famous 'four floors of whores' in Singapore? Strictly for educational purposes, of course. Mind you, I've never been to Singapore myself.

*suddenly considers Singapore as a viable holiday destination after reading Justyn's post*

No. Sadly missed that. Singaporeans will travel across town to a particular place that does a dish in a renowned way. They are such foodies. So on strong recommendation from a couple of Christians, we found ourselves in a street in China town, full of brothels, to a place that did a speciallly good 'chicken rice'. Red lanterns, lots of little motels (Not cheesy.. nothing in Singapore appears that way) and thinly disguised doorways labelled with 'The Association of Cooks of Singapore' and suchlike. Across the road, a karaoke bar called 'Talk Cock Sing Song'. The breast was particularly tender in the mouth.

justyn, a amte of mine used to work in singapore, he mentioned the flour floors of whores, apparently they are more expensive the higher floor you choose...

Is the Gum Tax on chewing gum or the gums in one's mouth? Presumably the former, but the VAT folks have no shame. OTOH, having lived in London for three years, I can say without hesitation that I have never seen so much chewing gum on the sidewalks of any city in my life. London really takes the prize in that category. If the Gum Tax is intended to pay for cleaning the sidewalks, then it is not quite as dumb as it sounds.

he also told me about the four floors, the flour floors of whores?

It was intended as a play on words Justyn (my post that is.)

It costs £150,000,000 per year to remove most of the gum thrown on the streets of Britain. As James says, the streets of Britain are a disgrace and something should be done about it. The proposal is for a 1p per packet tax to help pay for the clean-up. Personally I think people who just throw their garbage in the street are morons and SHOULD be reponsible for the removal. The 1p, it is estimated, will raise only £9,000,000, so I think the tax should be 20p. I also think there should be a tax on fags and soft drink cans for the same reason. Apparently the dropping of gum is supposedly being designated an offence that mat see the offender fined up to £90. GOOD!

Over here, there are laws requiring that you pick up your dogs poop.

Well I'm canvassing for a law making the owners eat the crap.

Does it go good with Louisiana Hot Sauce?

Wouldn't know Denver, I'm not that keen on the main dish. Strangely, in all my trips to the US I've never seen more than a dozen dogs. Three of those had four legs! I also didn't see many birds either, winged or legged.

Well, you were down south. They gotta eat.

what are you on about

That's why I always stick to the fish dishes.

Mmmmmm, poop fed catfish.

AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!

They are bottom feeders (hahahaha)...Fried Catfish....yum yum....

SHIT!

What? Did you pig out on Catfish that last trip up the Mississippi River? Tons of turds in that river...

No, I went for the cajun stuff on Bourbon St. Though there was probably some turd in there too. What the hell, everything we eat has been recycled a million times.

Something tells me George just became a Bulimic.

So, what happens if you tape buttered toast to the back of a catfish?

Would this be a cooked and on my plate catfish, or a live and turd eating one?

Take your pick, either way you get a fjish sandwich.

*fjish sandwich* And I thought my spelling was bad.

that's a silent "j" btw...

Silent J's Noisy J's All the same to me radio.

Yes Yes! I get it now. Bloody silent J's!