I'm actually somewhat supporting the banning of chewing gums in Singapore, because I won't have to worry stepping/sitting on gums someone else chewed. I remember numerous times I sat on gum before it was banned.

The story for Melbourne don't seem to be happening in places like Sydney, or the city of Fremantle, where as of what I see was clean, free of gums.

I guess social responsibility attitudes differ in different areas around the world; kinda like the "monkey see, monkey do" effect.

I'm fine with the ban. It's kinda amusing to see people making such a big deal outta it, after so many years. Controlling peoples' choices has worse effects then having your chewing gum banned...like hearing one sided stories from media and papers. Shouldn't people focus on those instead?

Besides, I think freedom of choice is some illusory term conjured by society, just cuz we're so deprived of it by "living in a society". It's a paradox that exist in every society...melbourne no less.

I think anonymous is right about this being a case of different social responsibility attitutes. It would also be a better point of attack. Japan has no ban on chewing gums yet it is so much cleaner than Singapore. But I suppose coming up with laws are easier than cultivating a culture....in that case...ban away!

Taking your comparison with Japan... civil liberties there are paradoxically more open and less open at the same time. Less rules perhaps but definitely more social pressure on conformism. But Japan is really home of many perversities as well.

Personal freedom has to balance with social freedom. A mark of a great person is someone who can accomodate different sets of viewpoints, so the mark of a great society is probably one where they can walk the line between the two.

The ban on chewing gum is symptomatic of much that is wrong with Singapore. In more enlightened countries, the freedom to chew gum is taken for granted.

It's like if someone told you there were countries where you had to pay for ALL public toilets.

to each his own. enlightened countries squander time trying to get different parties and peoples to work together. one opinion might not be a bad thing if its the right one
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`Israel has five million people, six million entrepreneurs, and fifteen million opinions. Singapore has five million people, six entrepreneurs, and one opinion`

"Israel has five million people, six million entrepreneurs, and fifteen million opinions. Singapore has five million people, six entrepreneurs, and one opinion"

Israel is also in the middle of an armed conflict that has waged on since 1948. (Before that, there was also conflict, but the country was called Palestine.) Singapore is in comparison a peaceful country. You are afraid to take a bus in Israel.

And why? Because we understand the importance of not pissing off our muslims. You sure you want to live in Israel?

What does that have to do with entrepreneurs and opinions? To not piss off Muslims, we have to suppressing freedom of thought and discourage entrepreneurship?!

If conditions are mutually exclusive, I'd rather not piss the Muslims off. But that's not the case anyway. Freedom of thought is what a lot of people think they own rights to, but try questioning if it's even there in the first place...

freedom of thought, like monogamy are social constructs that may not always be feasible in this day and age. taken to extremes, it would only lead to anarchy
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`It is to secure our rights that we resort to government at all` Thomas Jefferson

I rest my case
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`In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes`

"It's like if someone told you there were countries where you had to pay for ALL public toilets."

Guess you've never been to Venice?

I live in the Netherlands. I had to pay for the toilet today even after paying €12,50 for Keukenhof. Bloody hell.

perhaps if the king were given absolute power under the constitution, he could have done something about this toll
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`The king is immune, the ministers are responsible`

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I'm in Melbourne now and I can tell you that the Singapore transport system is definitely cleaner - and anyway it's a real longshot to let chewing gum be a the poster boy for freedom and democracy. It's not as if tanks are rolling over Wrigley's sales reps.

I agree with Joy. Criticise Singapore on other more pertinent issues please - stuff like the ISA and laws against freedom of assembly; but the ban on chewing gum?!? It just sludges the doco's rep into gross sensationalism.

on a nonrelated note, that bit where it flashes like mad near the beginning could virtually trigger epilepsy *ouch*

an amusing watch, if nothing else :)

Trackback from Born on Ninth of August - The Things we Do:

We stick used bubble gums under bus seats, cinema seats, railing and all sorts of places. So they ban chewing gum....

Hi,
I am the director and I welcome your comments at my website:
http://finaldestiny.tv/forum/forumscript.pl?onderwerp=Bubble,%20Bubble,%20Toil%20and%20Trouble&todo=BekijkOnderwerp

The purpose of using chewing gum in the documentary was to examine government control simply and blatantly. Whilst chewing gum may not be a pertinent issue, it is a controversial issue nevertheless - one which audiences outside of Singapore would be shocked at.

Hi, I am the Director of this movie.

Please visit my website at - http://finaldestiny.tv
To express your opinion go to - http://talk.finaldestiny.tv

gum dung we can all see. spit works are not so obvious. the ban is no genius.but the not so obvious like "spit" is far more contagious and deadly . first world nation/ government or not, the daily spin on toilet rolls will take its toll sooner or later.

bah. this exclusive toilet papers are not cheap somemore!

I am waiting for the day when the Government deem most Singaporeans as mature enough to dispose of chewing gum properly and thus lift the ban. Then, the moment someone spits a chewing gum or stick it on seats etc...whether it be a child, an elderly or even the Singapore idol, they will be publicly chided by gum-loving angry mobs who are afraid that the ban will be reinstated.

Am I too optimistic? I only hope that if this ban will ever be lifted in Singapore, it will be before I have lost all my teeth.

huy