Commentary
China, Singapore and the mad chase of convenience
Modern societies have become masters at eliminating friction. Has that numbed our senses in some ways?
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Modern life is essentially a giant project to eliminate friction. Singapore and China, especially, have been spectacularly successful at doing that, although in very different ways.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
For much of human history, daily life was bothersome. You carried water, hunted and foraged for your own food, repaired things and walked long distances.
Modern life, by contrast, is essentially a giant project to eliminate friction. Singapore and China, especially, have been spectacularly successful at doing that, although in very different ways.
