China is a vast, disparate country; there is no alternative to strong central power.
Lee Kuan YewRead
The ultimate test of the value of a political system is whether it helps that society to establish conditions which improve the standard of living for the majority of its people.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A political system's worth is determined by its ability to improve the living conditions of the majority.
This quote emphasizes that the true measure of any political system lies in its effectiveness at creating a better quality of life for the majority of its citizens. It suggests that policies and governance should prioritize the welfare of the general population rather than serving the interests of a select few, highlighting the importance of social and economic development as key indicators of a successful political framework.
Themes
Political SystemStandard Of LivingSocietyGovernanceMajority
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about societal progress, one might quote this to stress the importance of effective governance.
More from Lee Kuan Yew
All quotes →I can feel the gradual decline of energy and vitality. And I mean generally, every year, when you know you are not on the same level as last year. But that's life.
Lee Kuan YewRead
Political reform need not go hand in hand with economic liberalization.. I hold unconventional views about this.. I do not believe if you are a libertarian, full of diverse opinions, full of competing ideas in the market place, full of sound and fury, therefore you will succeed.
Lee Kuan YewRead
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.
Lee Kuan YewRead
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.
Lee Kuan YewRead
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.
Lee Kuan YewRead
Similar quotes
When you've spent half your political life dealing with humdrum issues like the environment, it's exciting to have a real crisis on your hands.
Margaret ThatcherRead
There are lots of countries that are having these kinds of internal civil wars in other parts of the world and nobody is talking about intervening.
Colin PowellRead
I'm not saying Obama is right on everything. Of course not. He may be wrong on a number of things. But what I do know is that he behaves like a very, very sane man almost all the time.
John CleeseRead
The countries of Europe are too small to guarantee their peoples the necessary prosperity and social development. The European states must constitute themselves into a federation.
Jean MonnetRead
The American people abhor a vacuum.
Theodore RooseveltRead
There also exists another alliance - at first glance a strange one, a surprising one - but if you think about it, in fact, one which is well grounded and easy to understand. This is the alliance between our Communist leaders and your capitalists. This alliance is not new. ... We observe continuous and steady support by the businessmen of the West of the Soviet Communist leaders.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynRead