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Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

nytimes.com

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Re: Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

#3

Singapore is an incredible state and I enjoy every stay there, but the principle where "the good of society [takes] precedence over individual rights" has its scary downsides: http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/07/29/the-social-laboratory/

Lee did good and bad: he successfully set up a stable productive state, but to get there economized certain liberties that seem fundamental. The problem is that Singapore remains stable and successful, becoming the role model for developing autocratic countries like China.

Re: Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

#4

Singapore is an incredible state and I enjoy every stay there, but the principle where "the good of society [takes] precedence over individual rights" has its scary downsides: http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/07/29/the-social-laboratory/

Lee did good and bad: he successfully set up a stable productive state, but to get there economized certain liberties that seem fundamental. The problem is that Singapore remains stable and successful, becoming the role model for developing autocratic countries like China.

Why is that a problem?

Re: Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

#5
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lee did good and bad: he successfully set up a stable productive state, but to get there economized certain liberties that seem fundamental. The problem is that Singapore remains stable and successful, becoming the role model for developing autocratic countries like China.

Why is that a problem?

It is scary; the model creates welfare but does restrict freedom somewhat more than many people like.

Re: Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

#6

Singapore is an incredible state and I enjoy every stay there, but the principle where "the good of society [takes] precedence over individual rights" has its scary downsides: http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/07/29/the-social-laboratory/

The Singapore he created is a testament to his philosophy of pragmatism over idealism. No doubt there are serious downsides to this approach, but as a citizen of the bureaucratic and populist EU I can't help but admire what it has achieved in just a few decades.

Re: Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

#7
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lee did good and bad: he successfully set up a stable productive state, but to get there economized certain liberties that seem fundamental. The problem is that Singapore remains stable and successful, becoming the role model for developing autocratic countries like China.

Why is that a problem?

Go to Singapore and see how the immigrant laborers from South Asia live, how the native Malays live, and then how the ethnic Chinese and Western expats live. It's a highly stratified society where money makes the rules.

Re: Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

#9
post #8

Lets not forget that Singapore executes a higher percentage of its population than any other country on earth and canes people slicing into flesh.

I thought they mostly executed foreigners getting caught running drugs through the airport?

Re: Lee Kuan Yew, Founding Father and First Premier of Singapore, Dies at 91

#10
For all his shortcomings, LKY has shown the world how well a tiny city-state can do economically with geopolitical leverage and strategic thinking. Especially when it comes to diplomacy vis-a-vis the West, most Asian political leaders are confused (and confusing) at best and belittled (and bewildering) at worst, but no leader of the West fucked with LKY in his prime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VexrmTacOAA

Once in awhile, I watch that footage of Meet the Press to remind myself what a sharp political leader he was. RIP the benevolent dictator.

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