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Interesting that as #GE2020 
surges on, and PAP narratives get disrupted, we're seeing folks—in good & bad faith—downplay social media as illusory & misrepresentative.
A rambling thread on the strange, radical, illegible worlds of S'porean Twitter & Whatsapp:
surges on, and PAP narratives get disrupted, we're seeing folks—in good & bad faith—downplay social media as illusory & misrepresentative.A rambling thread on the strange, radical, illegible worlds of S'porean Twitter & Whatsapp:
For context, S’poreans swiftly adopted the internet in 1994. Popular online networks emerged (eg. Sintercom, soc.culture.singapore).
Anti-establishment critiques were common on these new frontiers. Counter-political ideas—domestic & transnational—circulated freely.
Anti-establishment critiques were common on these new frontiers. Counter-political ideas—domestic & transnational—circulated freely.
In 1995, fearing “falsehoods” & political dissent, former minister George Yeo hinted at what we may label today as the PAP internet brigade (IB).
In 2007, after GE2006, the “internet election”, the PAP began a secret "counter-insurgency" against online critiques.
In 2007, after GE2006, the “internet election”, the PAP began a secret "counter-insurgency" against online critiques.
Since GE2011, the PAP has also embraced social media.
On Facebook, the regime (and its allied medias, pundits, partisans) relays policies, cultivates personalities, engages constituents, confronts critics. The dark arts have been felt too. https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1277201394307485697
On Facebook, the regime (and its allied medias, pundits, partisans) relays policies, cultivates personalities, engages constituents, confronts critics. The dark arts have been felt too. https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1277201394307485697
Simply put, S’pore’s political establishment takes social media & the internet very seriously. The PAP has reportedly obsessed over systems that monitor online sentiment.
To be fair, this is standard for authoritarian regimes. They crave control & despise blindness.
To be fair, this is standard for authoritarian regimes. They crave control & despise blindness.
Strangely then, for #GE2020 so far, the PAP has been marginal on S’porean Twitter. Establishment agendas have been drowned by critique, while opposition campaigning celebrated.
PAP propaganda is visibly ratioed, fancammed, memed, refuted, satirized.
so far, the PAP has been marginal on S’porean Twitter. Establishment agendas have been drowned by critique, while opposition campaigning celebrated.PAP propaganda is visibly ratioed, fancammed, memed, refuted, satirized.
Now, S’porean Twitter has long championed a politics of social justice, anti-racism, socialism, feminism, and so forth. Folks here express these ideas in varying degrees of coherence.
This revolutionary, progressive, or leftist consciousness can be credited to several factors.
This revolutionary, progressive, or leftist consciousness can be credited to several factors.
First, it likely reflects the existing & evolving politics of the site’s mostly younger demos. But in S’pore, youth ≠dissent.
For example, your parents and their siblings will enter #GE2020 as also the generation that defied the PAP in the backlash of GE84, GE88, GE91, GE97.
For example, your parents and their siblings will enter #GE2020
as also the generation that defied the PAP in the backlash of GE84, GE88, GE91, GE97.
This connects to the second factor.
Historically, the dispossessed & underclasses have used Twitter to steer discourse & mobilize action (eg. Arab Spring, BLM).
It's why Malay, Indian, and Queer Twitters arguably produce much of the radical & critical politics here.
Historically, the dispossessed & underclasses have used Twitter to steer discourse & mobilize action (eg. Arab Spring, BLM).
It's why Malay, Indian, and Queer Twitters arguably produce much of the radical & critical politics here.
Third, Twitter's 280-character limit demands concision & clarity.
This feature undermines pro-establishment discourse, which is largely authoritarian & reactionary, and often delivered in word salads. https://twitter.com/ikansumbat/status/1270973896733233153
This feature undermines pro-establishment discourse, which is largely authoritarian & reactionary, and often delivered in word salads. https://twitter.com/ikansumbat/status/1270973896733233153
Last, unlike Facebook, interactive spaces on Twitter are extremely near & visible.
In view of all, folks can directly engage regime figures & aspirants. From Tan Chuan-Jin to dimestore edgelords, many have been confronted, ratioed, & dunked on. https://twitter.com/ikansumbat/status/1237692041871511552
In view of all, folks can directly engage regime figures & aspirants. From Tan Chuan-Jin to dimestore edgelords, many have been confronted, ratioed, & dunked on. https://twitter.com/ikansumbat/status/1237692041871511552
Now, Twitter isn't some radical political utopia. This is the land of Trumpism, and Twitter ecology is a double-edged sword.
But PAP authoritarians (and their fans) are rigid, snowflakey elitists. A Twitter trial by Minahs, Kpop & Mariah stans, and Marxists can be dispiriting.
But PAP authoritarians (and their fans) are rigid, snowflakey elitists. A Twitter trial by Minahs, Kpop & Mariah stans, and Marxists can be dispiriting.
The PAP’s marginal Twitter presence is also tied to the site’s low penetration rates, as compared to Facebook or Whatsapp.
The PAP can ignore Twitter for now. After all, the regime only began attending to Instagram recently.
The PAP can ignore Twitter for now. After all, the regime only began attending to Instagram recently.
There’re valid concerns about Twitter & social media (eg. cognitive biases, online manipulation, closed/open networks).
Moreover, unlike M'sian or USA Twitters, ours is still mild. This suggests our political docility & fear of state reprisal. We've yet to have our own Jaboukie.
Moreover, unlike M'sian or USA Twitters, ours is still mild. This suggests our political docility & fear of state reprisal. We've yet to have our own Jaboukie.
As Michel Foucault warned, "visibility is a trap".
But if S'porean Twitter is wary of the gaze of the state, then S'porean Whatsapp gives no fucks at all.
But if S'porean Twitter is wary of the gaze of the state, then S'porean Whatsapp gives no fucks at all.
In the past five years, folks across generations have carved out worlds upon worlds on Whatsapp—each with their own operating rules.
Along with its personalized entry points, the deep & sprawling diversity of S'porean Whatsapp shields it from PAP monitoring.
Along with its personalized entry points, the deep & sprawling diversity of S'porean Whatsapp shields it from PAP monitoring.
Entering #GE2020 , S'porean Whatsapp has been deemed the land of the mythical "silent majority".
Thus, younger folks are taking political content from Twitter or Reddit, and feeding it into their parents' Whatsapp networks.
, S'porean Whatsapp has been deemed the land of the mythical "silent majority".Thus, younger folks are taking political content from Twitter or Reddit, and feeding it into their parents' Whatsapp networks.
But your parents, aunts, uncles aren’t passive creatures. Political discourse—both pro-PAP & pro-Opposition—is strong on Whatsapp.
Perhaps reflecting older sensibilities, election talk on Whatsapp seems to come in strong moralizing & theological forms.
Perhaps reflecting older sensibilities, election talk on Whatsapp seems to come in strong moralizing & theological forms.
For example, Teochew Whatsapp is buzzing with an audio of an auntie cursing PAP politicians as "demons", uncaring of poor & old.
On Malay Whatsapp, critical politics reigns supreme, reflecting its users' historical dissent. Islamic-inflected anti-PAP tracts are common there.
On Malay Whatsapp, critical politics reigns supreme, reflecting its users' historical dissent. Islamic-inflected anti-PAP tracts are common there.
So what then?
Let’s be clear: as long as you're real, then your social media is real. It's precisely this agency of yours that compels governments & corporations to tame & manipulate social media.
Let’s be clear: as long as you're real, then your social media is real. It's precisely this agency of yours that compels governments & corporations to tame & manipulate social media.
And this is why S’porean Twitter & Whatsapp is so unusual in our history. They reveal a new age of mass political participation & dissent.
The escalating complexity & invisibility of our online worlds pose an existential threat to the PAP regime and its need to see all.
The escalating complexity & invisibility of our online worlds pose an existential threat to the PAP regime and its need to see all.
Think of the heavy lifting done by the accountability discourse of "this you?" on S'porean Twitter.
Think of folks on Facebook, open names & faces, testifying to the sociopathy & incompetence of PAP politicians.
These protests subvert S'pore's elitist, authoritarian order.
Think of folks on Facebook, open names & faces, testifying to the sociopathy & incompetence of PAP politicians.
These protests subvert S'pore's elitist, authoritarian order.
Yes, online conduct ≠voting behaviour. But that's a narrow conclusion.
What matters is that S'poreans can now build communities & consciousness away from PAP intervention. Lengthy but durable, these processes is where systemic change will come from. https://twitter.com/lmaokasturi/status/1277499894907854849
What matters is that S'poreans can now build communities & consciousness away from PAP intervention. Lengthy but durable, these processes is where systemic change will come from. https://twitter.com/lmaokasturi/status/1277499894907854849
Sidebar: We can't stress enough on how wonderfully unruly S'porean Whatsapp is.
If you're the PAP regime & its allied medias (both of whom are homogenous, incestuous groups), how do you decipher & monitor the chaotic, illegible, complex networks of S'porean Whatsapp? 1/3
If you're the PAP regime & its allied medias (both of whom are homogenous, incestuous groups), how do you decipher & monitor the chaotic, illegible, complex networks of S'porean Whatsapp? 1/3
Do you screenshoot & publish private convos? What about Whatsapp encryption, or the entry into closed group chats?
If you do, how do you learn their inhabitants' unique vernaculars & cultures? It gets harder if you're a Chinese operator & your targets are minority networks. 2/3
If you do, how do you learn their inhabitants' unique vernaculars & cultures? It gets harder if you're a Chinese operator & your targets are minority networks. 2/3
Aside from automated, remote surveillance, the only other forms of monitoring are on-scene, in-group informants & the panoptic fear of state violence.
Thus, we dare say that S'porean Whatsapp is something unseen in local history: an ungovernable realm.
(for now, at least) 3/3
Thus, we dare say that S'porean Whatsapp is something unseen in local history: an ungovernable realm.
(for now, at least) 3/3
We highly recommend this prescient journal article co-authored by @posthumandancer.
It covers S'pore's early political twitterati (eg. Mr Brown, Fake_PMLee), and the limits & freedoms of electronic democracy. https://twitter.com/posthumandancer/status/1278869394395852801
It covers S'pore's early political twitterati (eg. Mr Brown, Fake_PMLee), and the limits & freedoms of electronic democracy. https://twitter.com/posthumandancer/status/1278869394395852801
