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We have to lock up people, without trial, whether they are communists, whether they are language chauvinists, whether they are religious extremists. If you don’t do that, the country would be in ruins.
Lee Kuan Yew
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the necessity of maintaining order and security in a nation, even if it requires controversial decisions regarding civil liberties.

In this quote, Lee Kuan Yew advocates for strict security measures to ensure national stability. He argues that certain groups, such as communists, language chauvinists, or religious extremists, pose a potential threat to society, and in times of unrest, extraordinary measures, including detention without trial, may be justified to protect the greater good and prevent chaos. This perspective raises important questions about the balance between security and individual rights.

Themes

SecurityLeadershipOrderProtectionCivil Liberties

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about national security measures.

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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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America's greatest long-term influence on China comes from playing host to the thousands of students who come from China each year, some of the ablest Chinese scholars and scientists. They will be the most powerful agents for change in China.
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