In life, Lee Kuan Yew’s sole concern was to be feared by his countrymen. He was so spectacularly successful in this pursuit that by the time of his death, he was left with no cohorts, only minions.
He will be remembered as an accomplished dictator who maintained a veneer of democracy and the grand illusion of the rule of law to his very last breath. Such was his achievement that dictators elsewhere viewed his system of control with envy.
But this ‘Singapore Model’ is made possible only because of the particularity of Singapore: a strategically placed island city state, with unique geographical attributes such as a natural port, blessed with a diligent and industrious population, surrounded by resource-rich countries. It is not a model which can be easily replicated elsewhere, nor should it be.
Another undoubted accomplishment of the man was his ability to propagate the myth that he alone was the founding father of Singapore. That myth may soon unravel with his passing.
Read more here: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/292884
Tan Wah Piow | Lee Kuan Yew’s death will set the people free
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COMMENT Dictators elsewhere viewed his system of control with envy.
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