ABSTRACT
Singapore calls itself “an intelligent island,” in an archipelago of presumably lessintelligent places. But keeping one step ahead in the intelligence game can no longer defend against the ravages of global capitalism. In the aftermath of the so-called Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 “New Singapore” must incorporate new spaces of calculation, as well as mobilize more foreign experts to spark new dynamics of intellectual growth. Thus, at a national day rally, the prime minister proclaimed:
Today, wealth is generated by new ideas, more than by improving the ideas of others . . . That is why we have to bring in multi-national talent, like the way we have brought in MNCs [multinational corporations]. Like MNCs, multi-national talent, or MNTs, will bring in new expertise, fresh ideas and global connections and perspectives. I believe that they will produce lasting benefits for Singapore.1
