China is a vast, disparate country; there is no alternative to strong central power.
Lee Kuan YewRead
I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn't be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters - who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of government intervention in personal lives for the sake of societal progress.
Lee Kuan Yew's quote reflects his belief that active governmental involvement in the minutiae of citizens' lives is necessary to ensure economic advancement and social order. He expresses no regrets for such interference, suggesting that without regulation and oversight, society would not achieve the collective good or progress. This perspective raises questions about the balance between individual freedoms and societal welfare.
Themes
InterventionGovernmentProgressSocietyEconomics
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of government in economic growth, one might reference this quote to highlight the necessity of intervention.
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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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