You keep saying "free speech." I don't think that means what you think it means.

Recently, I was interested to read the lead editorial in the Wall Street Journal explaining about a legal suit that Singapore won against them.

Let us begin with an apology to our readers in Asia. Unless they are online, they will not see this editorial. For legal reasons, we are refraining from publishing it in The Wall Street Journal Asia, which circulates in Singapore.

Our subject is free speech and the rule of law in the Southeast Asian city-state -- something on which the international press and Singapore's government have often clashed. We can't say which side would prevail if the Singapore public could hear an open debate, but the fact is that we know of no foreign publication that has ever won in a Singapore court of law. Virtually every Western publication that circulates in the city-state has faced a lawsuit, or the threat of one. ...

Click through above to read it all. Clearly, Singapore has a different understanding of "free speech" than we have here in America.

Then this morning I outright laughed out loud reading this letter from no less a dignitary than the Ambassador of Singapore to the United States. He says a lot ... repeatedly ... but here's the money quote.

... We do not fear or stifle criticism of our policies. But we will not allow our judiciary to be denigrated under the pretense of free speech. ...