About Censorship

I don't really enjoy writing about political satire but this one really hits home.

Source:
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/09/ntu-censors-campus-news-coverage-of-chee-soon-juan-visit/

Not writing much about the above article but it reflects my views on what is still very lacking in the way Singapore is managed; or at least, how Singaporeans are managed.

I firmly believe that a lot of what has been done or laws passed by the government back home is valid and makes sense, especially for a small country like ours. Constant government changes and frequent policy blockages can be harmful.

Of course there are lots of Singaporeans outside of Singapore (myself included), and many of them have had a taste of how the rest of the western world live. The types of governments and laws/policies are stark contrasts to what we can find back home.

I hear a lot of badmouthing from Singaporeans when some news from home arrives here on foreign shores but how much do these people really know when it comes to the day-ins and day-outs of what is happening back home anymore? We are here, outside for most of our daily lives. We hear bits and pieces of news and the all-too-natural thing for us to do is to just point the finger at the ruling govt party.

There are still things lacking in the way information has been disseminated to the public of course. That's mostly the reason for this post.
Freedom of Information.
Something that is still lacking. Why still treat this generation of Singaporeans with a lack of faith in their common sense? We can think and analyse and have a level of common sense when it comes to news available to us.
Why the censorship?
We'll find the censored information on the Internet anyways.
Wouldn't the powers-that-be in Singapore gain more supporters if they had a higher level of "openness" when it comes to media and the news?
I know I would.

Is it just me or are there double standards?

What I am referring to is the amount of "awards" given to 2 different sets of athletes in 2 different types of Olympic events. This is in relation to Singapore of course.

In the first instance, we have a couple of Table Tennis players given all the spotlight and even the promise of up to $1.5 million if they bring home a Gold Medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As we all know, they did not and brought home the Silver Medal. All is good of course, and the team earned $750K as an award.
Source:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/376756/1/.html
http://nbnl.globalwhelming.com/2008/08/15/the-most-important-match-for-singapore-in-beijing-olympics-2008-table-tennis-female-team-semi-final/

Then we have the next instance, another pair of Athletes competed in the Paralympics and brought home 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals (at least). Now...they are awarded State Medals and $100K for the Gold and $25K for the Bronze.
Source:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/376954/1/.html

See where I am getting at?
Why the double standard?
Why the focus on one sport and not the others?
Why aren't the rewards uniform across the board for Athletes?
I sure hope it's not because of the differences of the Olympics and the Paralympics.
Athletes should be treated the same no?

What do you think?

(If I am wrong with my info...please let me know too)