China is a vast, disparate country; there is no alternative to strong central power.
Lee Kuan YewRead
The ideas of individual supremacy and the right of free expression, when carried to excess, have not worked. They have made it difficult to keep America society cohesive. Asia can see it is not working.. In America itself, there is widespread crime and violence, old people feel forgotten, families are falling apart. And the media attacks the integrity and character of your leaders with impunity, drags down all those in authority and blames everyone but itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Excessive emphasis on individualism and free expression can lead to societal issues like crime and family breakdown.
Lee Kuan Yew highlights the negative consequences of prioritizing individual supremacy and unrestrained free expression in America. He argues that such extremes have significantly contributed to social disintegration, marked by rising crime, neglect of vulnerable populations like the elderly, and the erosion of family structures, while casting blame on the media for undermining trust in leadership.
Themes
IndividualismFree ExpressionSocietyCrimeFamiliesMediaLeadership
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on societal values, one might reference this quote to highlight the need for balance between individual rights and community responsibilities.
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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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