In politics and economics, the East Asian and Southeast Asian countries do generally have a limited originality. Philosophically and culturally, legalism and Confucianism play a vital role in many nations within the region, but socialism, capitalism and liberal democracy are completely Western inventions. Not to mention the whole spectrum of technology and innovation, borrowed from the West in the name of globalization (or pragmatics). Nowadays, prominent research in science at for instance The University of Tokyo occurs, but its larger framework does unhesitatingly stem from Western institutions.
With that said, there are still some lessons to be learned from figures within modern Asian politics. Lee Kuan Yew (1923-2015)—the former, long-lasting Singaporean prime minister who served his country for several decades—was such a persona. His most important book, From Third World to First (2000), as well as other discourses of Lee, are valuable sources of information that contain strategies and words of wisdom that can be useful in the West today.
1. Leave useless ideologies behind
Lee was a overtly convinced communist in his youth and as he entered politics. Since his rise of power in the emerging city-state in the 1960s, he shifted towards a more pragmatic and rational political-economic model based on a blend of Western market economy and institutions (British in particular), semi-authoritarianism, and a light version of Confucianism. The latter was believed to keep families united and welfare expenditures low.
The lesson to learn here is to distinguish the upsides from the downsides of Western and Asian culture and thus absorb the components that are valuable, while simultaneously discard the useless elements of whatever kind. Of course Singapore’s particular version of a nanny state is problematic, but still it is preferable to many Western nations that preach unrestricted decadence and political correctness.
Western institutions and science are in almost every thinkable respect materially superior to any pre-modern Asian society, but some of the baggage from the 20th century West—such as socialism and left-liberalism—have no place today or tomorrow. The same kind of discernment has to be carried through whenever Western societies are transformed into more fertile ways of life.
2. Push-pull in international relations
Singapore is indeed a small and largely powerless country and hardly of any significance for American policies and politics. Still the leadership of Lee can serve as a symbol of constructive push-pull strategies regarding international relations (geo-political game).
Lee stresses that Singapore, as a small city-state, had to be careful and not upset powerful nations such as the U.S. or China, and always strive to keep Malaysia enough satisfied (whether or not they would otherwise encourage new race riots between ethnic Malays and Chinese, or cut off the water supply).
Still it had to show strength and courage during critical moments, such as when two Indonesian marine soldiers were executed in 1968 in the aftermath of the MacDonald House Bombing in 1965. Indonesia is a powerful country in comparison to small Singapore, but Lee asserts that it was important to show the region that signs of confidence and strength matter.
”Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him. Or give it up. This is not a game of cards.” – Lee Kuan Yew
The lesson here is that any nation and its main leader has to push-pull in ways that benefit the country both short-term and more long-term wise. The U.S. should avoid confrontations with China and Russia, and even smaller nations, but still set examples whenever its interests really are threatened from an international point of view. The leadership itself sends proper signals to other states and their leaders on how a balanced approach on international relations can be fortified.
3. Use global institutions for the benefit of the home country
Globalization and its political-economic underpinning, globalism, is indeed a complex of multi-layered mechanisms. Whether or not one wishes only a light version of globalization (or a light version of protectionism for that matter) or to immerse these processes, it is always of chief importance to direct them to national interests.
Currently globalization benefits many Western societies (constructive trade agreements, innovations in technology and science, agreements on international policies), while simultaneously hurting them (large-scale migration, intranational income inequality, companies and corporations leaving the U.S. and Europe for emerging markets, etc.).
Singapore is a typical example of how a nation has pretty much only benefited from globalization. This fact, of course, makes it fragile whenever unwanted global or even regional changes eventually occur, but the point is that at least during the country’s massive main development, it has used global/Western institutions and knowledge in order to accumulate wealth and increase prosperity.
For instance, both Lee and his eldest son—current Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong—studied at Cambridge University in the UK. Today Singapore is one of the major nations in science and mathematics.
This is not the same as to stress that Western states in any way should use global mechanisms in order to hurt other nations that do not pose any direct threat, but rather to avoid the perils of globalization and perhaps also try make it less extensive in time and space, while simultaneously find ways to benefit from it, regardless of its current magnitude.
4. Be aware of the inherent risks of a multiethnic society
1964 brimmed with life-threatening race riots in Singapore, at that time a part of Malaysia. Ethnic and Muslim Malays—with a view of themselves as the regionally dominant group who ought to be granted special treatments—gathered and eventually attacked a lot of ethnic Chinese in Singapore.
Since then, Lee has struggled to maintain multicultural order through keeping demographics and different ethnic groups—Malays in particular—in check by means of both lenience and consistent policies. Somewhat forced tolerance toward minorities is palpable in Singapore, but also the chief significance of cooperation and individual responsibility.
It is not that difficult to find a parallel to the U.S. and other Western nations that currently struggle with the perils of large and unpleasant doses of cultural and ethnic heterogeneity. Just as Chinese is the dominant group in Singapore, whites constitute the majority (although decreasing) group in the U.S.
Scholars such as Frank Salter and Tatu Vanhanen have shown that ethnic heterogeneity do matter a lot with regard to social stability, economic development and the dominant population’s will to pay welfare to other members of a society. But while Lee—rarely restricted by political correctness—consistently tried to keep demographics in check, his goal was to keep the share of ethnic Chinese at about a 75% rate. Most Western leaders are letting the majority groups shrink in numbers.
Any serious leadership must take demographics and cultural differences into account, while at the same time avoid chauvinistic attitudes and policies for the sake of both the whole and the main parts that make up a country. Immigration policies ought to be primarily beneficial for the host nation.
”I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.” – Lee Kuan Yew
5. Investment in aesthetic improvement
Singapore may be primarily known as a highly modern and urban metropolitan area, with tall skyscrapers as its backdrop. However, Lee has actually made it into one of the world’s leading “garden states,” linked to a process of greenery which was initiated in the 1960s, with gradual improvements made visible in every decade ever since. Singapore is now even to be regarded as a “city within a garden,” according to some views.
Aesthethics are valuable and one of the major aspects of any civilization. There is always room for improvement and small yet fruitful changes. Lee did also make this sententious statement in 1995, ”I have always believed that a blighted urban landscape, a concrete jungle destroys the human spirit. We need the greenery of nature to lift our spirits.”
Aesthethic improvement of this sort does have a instrumental value for the country’s economy, and for its inhabitants who can live in a more pleasant environment.
Read More: Singapore’s Society Promotes The Decline Of The Modern Man
The buildings at the front look to me as healthy body cells, whereas the the sky scrapers at the back look like cancer cells.
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/voicemap.me/public/cities/images/000/000/002/original/Singapore-Chinatown.jpg
Modern man destroys more when he builds than when he destroys.
In Singapore you step out of line you’re in big trouble. They execute drug dealers. If you commit a crime and you possess a firearm, even if you don’t use it, they execute you. On the spot fine for chewing gum. Fine for not flushing the toilet (honestly). Last time I was there an Aussie was accused by a Singapore Airlines Stewardess of putting his hand up her skirt. 12 strokes of the cane and jail time. So think twice about messing with the women there. Nice place but you better conform boy.
Agree with everything except the part about messing with the women. Higher quality and easier to game than lots of places in the west. No obesity and no feminism. Its confusing because magazines like cosmo are censored. But that just causes the women to rebel more, and fooling around with westerner is preferred way to rebel against controlling asian father figure. You got to be really beta to fuck it up. But the free speech thing is the biggest risk, it goes beyond spoken and written word, they think they can read minds there, some goon in a uniform will follow you around the shopping mall because you look different. lol
Or really drunk. Remember the western kid who got caned for spraying some graffiti? Generally a bad idea to get on the wrong side of the law anywhere in the Orient – usually judge only court with a strong bias for a local against a westerner. But they are especially harsh there.
I’ve been caned harder in systema training and I paid for it (we use whips and sticks for therapy in addition to weapons)
And if you peddle any illegal drugs there, you’re dead and will be lucky if you ever see the light of day again.
He deserved it that tlittle “c***.”
We’ve got new bridges in town here with graffitti. I’d like to see their hands broken with ball pein hammers then we’d not have that problem again..
Anyone remember Michael Fay and what a big deal his punishment was in the 90’s? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_P._Fay
Hey a native Malaysian here. Singapore’s meteoric rise to success is a sore point for the dominant ethnic Malays. If in the US you have Affirmative Action for the minorities, in Malaysia you have AA for the majority Malays. Let that sink in for a moment 🙂
The darkest period in Malaysia history is on 13 Mei 1969. Google “Peristiwa 13 Mei” and you can learn a lot on the events that preceded the most violent race riots in Malaysian history.
The Commie Chinkos aspire to make Malaysia a vassal state of Mother China. The Communist terrorist was led by one Chin Peng.
After the Commie guerrillas were shut out and routed by the Malaysian army with the help of British officers, Chin Peng lived and died in exile in Southern Thailand. But the remnants of Communist ideology is still carried forward by Democratic Action Party(DAP).
So in 1969, the DAP managed to make some inroads in the Malaysian constituency. And than the Chinese got arrogant. They openly mocked the majority Malays and wreaked havoc on the streets. You see Malays are devout Muslims. And that is the main reason why atheistic Communism was never a trend among the religious Malays. They loathe the Commies with every inch of their hearts. Also the Communist atrocities during Malayan Emergency Period(known as Martial Law in US) is still fresh in their minds. Also Google “Peristiwa Bukit Kepong”
So the majority Malays felt threatened by the hostile Commie Chinkos and thus the race riots began. With the Malays in majority and the Chinese in minority, you can already guess which race was at the receiving end 🙂
Since then the DAP has reinvented themselves as Socialist, just like their Western Commie Comrades. In the last election the Chinese overwhelmingly voted for the opposition DAP. The ruling National Front(or Barisan Nasional in Malay) has been in power since Malaysian Independence in 1957. They are heavily backed by the Malay-Muslims. As a Malaysian I can sense another race riots on the cards.
No I’m not exaggerating. Recently the DAP minions have openly stated their contempt for religious Muslims. If there is one thing you should know about Malays, is that they will tolerate everything but God forbid you insult their religion or Sultans, then they will show no mercy.
So for the next General Election slated for early 2017, the opposition will be led by the Chinese against the ruling Malay backed National Front. I for one will enjoy the epic showdown with a popcorn in my hands.
Ever since the British after the Malayan Emergency decided to encourage the Malaysian constitution to have Islam as the official religion versus a secular outlook, there were bound to be problems. Lately they’ve encouraged more Islamic immigration from places even sketchier. It’ll get worse before it gets better in terms of extremism. Singapore was wise to decline an invitation to that party and forge their own path.
The ethnic Malays effectively enjoy AA which gets more favorable to them every year. The native Chinese are sick of it and leave whenever they can. Funny thing is, Malay ethnicity is not limited to one specific race – there are variances. I don’t know how they figure out who’s Malay and who isn’t but it sucks not to be one over there.
I especially concur with your last sentence. But there is just one mistake in your post. You wrote=
“Malaysian constitution to have Islam as the official language”
Islam as official religion brother. There is no Islamic language(Arab is the language of Quran tho)
Yup the current Malaysian government are very keen about problems faced by their Islamic brethren in Myanmar(Rohingya), Palestine and Syria. But they just can be bothered about problems faced by non Muslims here in Malaysia.
In their zest to make Malaysia an Islamic country, they have began importing Third World rats from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar. The Malaysian ministers are bending over backwards to provide Identification Card (IC) to the new Islamic addition into my country.
Ironically, the politicians will harp about Ketuanan Melayu(Malay Supremacy) at any given chance. But the current PM and Deputy PM of Malaysia are ethnic Bugis. So are Sultans of Johor and Selangor. In fact the Indians who converted to Islam (Mamaks) also consider themselves as Malay.
The level of cognitive dissonance among Muslims in my country is a good fodder for hilarity.
Fixed error, thanks. Don’t know what I was thinking. I am guessing by your comments that you’re Malay Chinese and at the receiving end of Bumiputera?
For those who don’t know what that is, it’s the AA for the majority bordering on mild Apartheid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumiputera_(Malaysia)
Thankfully I’m not a Chinese. If I were I wouldn’t have framed the sentence that way with a smiley at the end. I can tell you more but not here obviously. Here’s my junk email address [email protected]. Get in touch, mate and I’ll reply with my actual Gmail account.
And also you’re very generous by saying AA in Malaysia is mild Apartheid. If the Apartheid government officials were alive today I’m sure even they will blush at the unimpeded racism by the Malay Muslims.
sent
Eye candy for as far as the eye can see in many places in Singapore. Since it is usually always warm if not hot, the women tend to wear short flowing skirts. Although they don’t know how to use sidewalks or hallways appropriately in Singapore. Usually in most western countries people tend to walk on one side or the other going in a certain direction. In Singapore it’s just a mass mob of people smashing into each other. If you’re looking to pick up women you need to differentiate between the immigrants and the natives. Native Singaporeans usually have a lot more decorum, and their women tend to be taller.
True about them bumbling around – even worse now with the omnipresence of smartphones. As for day gaming the locals, you’ve probably already found out they are socially retarded.
There is no “on the spot fine for chewing gum,” and you can bring some in for yourself to chew. It is not for sale locally, however.
Glad to hear that Aussie was beaten – he’s a fucking idiot. We should have similar punishments in the west.
That has changed. I spent a lot of time there round ’97 helping Brit banks diversify their operations from Hong Kong. You certainly could get an on the spot fine then. One of my colleagues was even fined for sucking a mint – the cop insisted it was chewing gum and he’d swallowed it.
The biggest problem with Singapore is that in comparison to other countries in the region is is a bit sterile and boring. If you like upmarket shopping malls it’s great. But if that’s all your after why travel at all?
Wow, I’ve chewed gum over there in public in the not too distant past and had no problems, but then again I don’t chew gum often as it looks retarded. It’s good for getting rid of morning breath, though.
I’ll have to make an extra effort to find a cop next time I’m there and chew in front of him to see what he does.
Are you sure your pal was not also being a drunk ang mo down at Boat Que at 2:00 AM? That and four floors are usually where shit starts for foreigners acting out.
Some omega male mod with no balls deleted a comment that revealed too much about sarong party girls. ROK aint what it used to be. You can delete a comment but you can’t delete the internet.
I will just leave this here: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/us-rape-advocate-cancels-singapore-meet
“A petition calling for Mr Valizadeh to be banned from Britain has surpassed 55,000 signatures. In Singapore, a similar petition against the meet-up has garnered more than 300.”
Just 300? Fekkin gold.
The author did the deleting, perhaps? SPGs hardly exist anymore anyway.
Fuck off with your policing of speech. How very singaporean.
http://www.maskmagazine.com/the-control-issue/life/how-to-be-sarong-party-girl
I don’t know why anyone would delete a book review like that, one that supposedly “reveals too much” as it’s pretty tame.
I’ve seen that book around lately (kind of a chick book, really), and after reading that article it sounds like the author is talking about what Singapore was maybe ten years ago. The “rich ang mo’s” don’t exist the way they used to and the white guys there now are decidedly less well paid, mostly. Even SPGs aren’t as ubiquitous and stereotypically identifiable as they once were during the heyday of expat packages.
ROK got banned from singapore for controversial speech but then engages in censorship itself on trivial shit. That blue pill conditioning is difficult for some men to reverse.
Confession time?
Career Navy. I have walked on five continents and even visited Singapore (Lion City) twice. I could tell you my “Hong Kong Flu” story but …
Anyway, I honestly thought his name was a joke. I was even a bit disgusted about it.
Leak On You.
Sorry, but I really thought someone made up that name as a bad “Asian Name” joke.
The thing about communism/socialism/liberalism is that it is the antithesis of manhood. The nanny state is supposed to take away a persons ability to fail, which takes away the concept of self-determination. The numerous laws, intended to keep you safe (how well does that work) destroys the ability for risk taking. Feminism, gay marriage, and the like destroy the family. With money being doled out from the government, it destroys the benefits of work and self improvement. No wonder that Godlessness is a prerequisite for these jokers.
Singapore has freedom of religion even blue pill mormon tradcons.
Did I say anything about Singapore?
Communism/ Socialism/ Related-lism. Yes. It’s a retarded philosophy of trying to remake reality like some false god as opposed to understanding the naked objective laws that govern reality. It’s as if their new world has to check the box marked ‘makes me feel good every time’ in order to function. And when the real world deviates from that condition…..
Singapore… as a model for anything?
Just another cesspool benefitting off globalism, hordes if disarmed sheep fed on rice and carbs.
No thanks.
It’s time to go back to saying that America is the best nation on earth (and maybe Europe will follow if they have any of the blood of their ancient knights left) and say to hell with these other places.
And if this is how a nation is “built”, then real men have been away far too long. To Lee’s credit, he’s not politically correct, and that’s a good thing. He would have better served humanity doing something more important.
Singapore – nice place to visit just to say you did. But as my late great dad would say “Fuck ’em”.
your dad was a beta phaggot male redneck white trash cracker who raised a worthless son
Better some blokes don’t make it to south east asia. More banging babes for those who aren’t socially handicapped. lulz
“Just another cesspool benefitting off globalism, hordes if disarmed sheep fed on rice and carbs.”
Hey, if you can’t beat the system, might as well play it to your advantage.
“Just another cesspool benefitting off globalism, hordes if disarmed sheep fed on rice and carbs.”
Hey, if you can’t beat the system, might as well play it to your advantage.
Thanks for showing us your idiocy. The day you build a country against all odds, from nothing and raise it to 1st world status without millions of sq km and huge armies made up of millions of men, that day you can talk.
Rice is just another type of grain, you moron. All those carbs but they’re not as fat and stupid as murkinz to vote for 0bozo and let the bankers rob them blind.
“Singapore… as a model for anything?”
I like to think Singapore is proof you can’t have a multicultural democratic nation without an iron fist to go along with it.
Too many idiots in America (on Left and Right) believe in Magic Dirt: that the 3rd world will magically transform into hard-working Americans (when ‘American’ values are pretty much just the values of the majority English Protestant settlers) when they touch American soil.
“I like to think Singapore is proof you can’t have a multicultural democratic nation without an iron fist to go along with it.”
Yeah. My thoughts exactly. Been to Singapore many times. Each ethnic group sticks to its own there. The gubment works hard to keep the lid on ethnic friction.
Native Singaporean here. Each ethnic group sticks to its own? Nope. Interracial marriages are common, grps of friends made up of different ethinicities are dime a dozen and parties, events etc where all the races come to mingle and mix are very common. The notion that most people here in Singapore stick to their own could not he further frm the truth.
Fair enough. I’ve observed differently. For example I’ve never, ever seen a Chinese-Indian couple or anyone who looked mixed Chinese-Indian. In the mall clusters of people are nearly always of the same ethnicity. Same for bars and restaurants. Workplaces are quite integrated though.
But again I’m just a regular visitor not a resident. My samples may not be indicative of reality.
If it makes a diff, i hv tons of expat friends, compromising of Brits, Aussies and Europeans.
“hordes if disarmed sheep fed on rice and carbs”
Yeah, that realization is dawning on me, too.
Honestly, the more time I spend in Asia, the more I realize that even the “success stories” over here are overrated AF. I think it’ll be better in a couple of generations when their old folk start dying off and there are more resources per capita available for the young. They have a serious overpopulation issue right now.
So, they create ‘economic growth’ by putting things in ever-smaller packages, selling it at a higher price per unit.
For instance, I live in a place where you can eat out for about $2-3 USD.
But it’s a shit meal. Old pork near the end of its shelf life, rice, and some cabbage. Maybe a bit of tofu. Spiced enough that you can’t tell taste the low quality quite as much.
Meanwhile, if you want quality stuff — say, some grass fed beef (or any high quality meat), lots of green, leafy vegetables, fruit, etc, it costs 1.5-5x as much.
Restaurants are cheap, quality ingredients are expensive. That’s the way it is over here.
Of course, there are some big advantages — cheap, high quality health care, lower rent, etc.
Overall, though, I think that mid-sized US cities are better opportunities for geographic arbitrage unless you’re independently wealthy and can buy a South American villa or something.
You did make a good point about quality ingredients being even more expensive there, but everyday ingredients were more affordable, at least in China. Whey protein and organic foods probably cost 150% or more.
Thank you for such an article. In the west his leadership has been underrated, mainly due to his style, the antithesis of the western modern political scene. The only bad thing about him is that his attitudes towards women were very naÏve and he thought he could bend human nature to the needs of the nation, marrying off college educated arrogant women who were of no use to anyone who wanted to build family in the traditional sense, thinking that studies=high IQ = assortative mating= smart children, ideas that he shared in his writings and in his book “From third to first world”. In the long run however Singapore is unlikely to be sustainable, its birthrate is one of the lowest in the world, has no more surface and has to perform expensive land reclamations in order to build more infrastructure and the competition in its niche (transshipment, logistics) is fierce. Its trump cards so far has been the rule of law and a favorable international environment. We’ll have to wait and see.
But if I were to be prime minister of president or even MP in some nation, his writings would be among the first ones on the list of “important reading for any political leader”.
“The best country on earth” is the one where a man can be more productive and get more babes that he is attracted to. Patriotism gives us warm fuzzies, but if greener pastures exist abroad, then take advantage of them while you can.
I cannot say that America is the best country to be in for me, but I love having the passport.
Out of curiosity, what’s your own personal best country on Earth?
At this point in my life, I’d have to say China.
An overly authoritarian cultural desert that is overpriced and boring.Economically Singapore is an amazing success story, but I never liked it there.
My main problems with Singapore were that it was so boring when I visited in 96 and that pitcher of beer cost $21 in 1996???
Was at an outdoor patio, beatiful setting, and it closed at 11PM..
Maybe less staid now…
Other than that good cheap food at the Hawker Centres and a nice orderly place…
Singapore airlines has only hot young stewardesses so that’s a tick in the “good” section of the survey..
One thing I realy like about Singapore is the mandatory saving that covers healthcare and allows you to buy a home mostly condos…
Here in Canada it seems my hard work pays for people, I use the term loosely, like the “homeless”, welfarians, or lazy Syrian refugees that I’d rather exterminate and or deport.
In Singapore you pay your own way..
On the whole good system IMO..
Lee Kwan Yew was woke. He said in an interview with Charlie Rose “Multiculturalism will be the downfall of America.” And:
Charlie Rose: “And immigrants has [sic] been America’s strength.”
Lee Kuan Yew: “Absolutely … But, mind you, immigration of the highly intelligent and highly hard-working, very hard-working people. If you get immigration from the fruit-pickers [chuckles for several seconds at the idea], you may not get very far!”
Singapore officials openly state their goal to maintain the ethnic balance of Singapore at 75% Chinese, the rest Indian and Malay. No one calls them racists.
Is it a coincidence that the star of Southeast Asia is majority ethnic Chinese? I think not.
Guy was right on. We’ll pay for our idiocy in trying to weave a “rich tapestry” of shit in the US:
“Lee warns about the growing risk of America’s losing its “self-help culture” and going “the ideological direction of Europe.” If it continues that slide, he says bluntly, “the U.S. will be done for.” He also gives U.S. immigration practices a failing grade, declaring that “multiculturalism will destroy America.” The key question is: “do you make the Hispanics Anglo-Saxons in culture or do they make you more Latin American in culture?””
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/02/13/singapores-lee-kuan-yew-talks-americas-strangths-and-weaknesses/#409b0a557126
Yeah. LKY understood there’s no such thing as “magic dirt.”
Native Singaporean here. Multiculturalism works here actually, young nation with lots of social engineering. Officially there are four main races, languages and religions. People of different ethinicities get along well here and we pride ourselves on that.
The irony of LKY’s statement abt bringing the right sort of immigrant is huge considering how his son and the PAP are doing just the opposite of that, bringing largely unqualified people who dont integrate.
“Multiculturalism works here actually…”
Yes, it does. People seem to get along fine.
On the other hand, I see zero race-mixing (outside of Euro-Chinese) and nearly zero mixed social groups in Singapore. I get the feeling a Chinese mother would have a heart attack if her daughter or son brought home an Indian or Malay. Singaporeans don’t practice that sort of “multiculturalism.” There’s no “Malay lives matter” movement either (it would be crushed in a heartbeat).
I agree that multiculturalism can “work” with the caveat that there is a dominant race/ethnic group at ~80%. If Chinese ethnics in SG dipped below 50%, for example, things would not work as well because the groups would start naked competition with each other. The Chinese Singaporeans would *never* let that happen.
[I speak as a long time expat in SE Asia and frequent visitor to Singapore. Yes, I’m ethnically European.]
There’s no such movement becos despite the obvious bias or mistrust the the local malays/muslims, we still live well, far better than the rest in the region. And chonese malay marriages are more common than you think.
“The irony of LKY’s statement abt bringing the right sort of immigrant is huge considering how his son and the PAP are doing just that, bringing largely unqualified people who dont integrate.”
By “unqualified and don’t integrate” do you mean “ethnically not Chinese?” My bet is yes. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I would feel the same way if I were you.
Only European ethnics are not allowed to preserve their ethnic majorities.
Actually no, im nt Chinese btw. The Western expats we bring in are almost always qualified, the only trouble they give seem to be drunken brawls with locals, with a slight “we are better than you attitude”. Some, not all are like that obviously. When i say unqualified im talking abt the PRCs, etc who dont even speak a of lick of English, are then made to work at the airport or the tons of Indian nationals with fake degrees.
No. 4 is a lesson the United States and Europe would do well to note.
He knew what he was talking about when it came to politics. He remarked that if everyone votes in the same political party, the next step is divisions within that party along ethnic lines. We are seeing this in California now, where nearly everybody is a Democrat, yet they vote along ethnic lines – hispanic, black, asian, etc.
It remains to be seen if the younger generations of Singaporeans will realize what a special place he created in Asia. Unfortunately, they are often a bit lazy, entitled and soft. Should they lean too far towards SJW tendencies and apply leftist solutions to politics (and, particularly, the requirement of National Service and immigration) they will ruin what LKW created in short order.
meh. People in SG cant even use the toilet without proper instructions. You might go there to work but dont really want to live there.
I love Singapore. I was there in 1989. Beautiful city, Lovely women.
An Australian friend of mine has worked and lived in Australia.
Their healthcare system is such that a standard visit to the doctor for a cold will cost you a few hundred dollars ($Au.)
Make of that what you will.