Quote (ferdia @ 9 Mar 2023 17:56)
^Hamsterbaby you might have seen this in the news, any view ?
Georgia's ruling party has said it will withdraw a controversial draft law, in the face of mass protests and widespread international criticism. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Tbilisi this week in anger as a Russian-style law began its passage through parliament. Under the bill, non-government groups and media would be targeted if they take over 20% of funding from abroad. The main ruling party said it was pulling the bill "unconditionally". Describing itself as a party of government responsible to all members of society, Georgian Dream referred to the need to reduce "confrontation" in society.
Georgia has applied for candidate status of the European Union and sought to join Nato. EU officials had condemned the draft legislation as incompatible with EU values.
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just conscious of information you previously provided to the effect ~ The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021, or Fica, is a statute of the Parliament of Singapore. Enacted in 2021, it seeks to "protect the public interest by counteracting acts of foreign interference". The Bill was introduced on 13 September 2021 and passed on 4 October 2021.
My own view is every country needs some form of rule/register like this to prevent foreign interference (which is what we see rampant throughout the world today) but that it is obviously quite tricky to word and implement, for the obvious reasons (foreign actors would not be happy with it and some governments run the risk of infringing on people civil liberties). Pretty sure Italy does not have such a law. Some one spare a thought for the poor Italians...
Your view is correct. As a matter of fact before Fica , Lee Kuan Yew already made such laws and warnings as early as 1970s
read here
https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/26/archives/singapore-leader-threatens-press-lee-says-those-who-print-unfit.htmlThe mass protest in Georgia only shows one thing truly. That " Western " interference , led by a few bigwigs, not all Western but lets just put it as western for now, have already entrenched itself into domestic politics in Georgia.
Such laws should be in place because this doesn't only protect Georgia from foreign interference from US " Led " West , it is also protecting the country from Putin's Russia and if you want to go as far, it will also protect Georgia from Sino influence in media from the East ( I don't think China bother doing that really ).
Similarly speaking I believe there is a law in the USA that you cannot own mass media i.e Newspapers etc etc if you are not an
American Citizen see Rupert Murdoch.
We have seen NGOs like NED and other Pro "Western" democracy groups and what kind of effect they can have on local and domestic politics.
Having lived in Hong Kong for the past 13 years and as you would have read about , all those massive protest are a huge proof of how sinister it can be.
These are things I will never or have yet to experienced in Singapore due to the laws in places.
Lee Kuan Yew said this.
The Muslim problem can only be solved by the Muslims.
In that sense.
The Chinese, The Russians, The Ukrainians , The whatever country you put into the bracket can only be solved effectively by themselves.
More often than not, a foreign intervention will only put it into a chaos and a dark abyss that is difficult for any country to climb out of it.
If a country depends on a foreign actor to solve their problems, they will be beholden to them in future when needed and called upon.
In such situations , that particular country and her citizens might become cannon folders or their resources being unfairly exhausted when time comes.
A