China is a vast, disparate country; there is no alternative to strong central power.
Lee Kuan YewRead
With few exceptions, democracy has not brought good government to new developing countries. What Asians value may not necessarily be what Americans or Europeans value. Westerners value the freedoms and liberties of the individual. As an Asian of Chinese cultural backround, my values are for a government which is honest, effective and efficient.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Democracy may not meet the needs of developing nations as their values differ from those of the West.
Lee Kuan Yew highlights the disparity in values between Western countries, which prioritize individual freedoms, and many Asian cultures, which may seek governance characterized by honesty, effectiveness, and efficiency. He reflects on how the implementation of democratic systems in newly developed nations might not align with their cultural values or result in effective governance.
Themes
DemocracyGovernmentValuesCultural DifferencesLeadershipEfficiency
In practice
Example use cases
During a political discussion about governance models in developing nations.
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The human being is an unequal creature. That is a fact. And we start off with the proposition. All the great religions, all the great movements, all the great political ideology, say let us make the human being as equal as possible. In fact, he is not equal, never will be.
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They say, oh, let’s have multiparty politics. Let’s have different parties change and be in charge of the Government. Is it that simple? You vote in a Division Three government, not a Division One government, and the whole economy will just subside within three, four years. Finished.
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