Lee Kuan Yew (1923 – 2015) was the 1st prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. In the very short list of public figures I admire, LKY stands at the very top.
Though he led a very tiny city-state (he liked to say that Singapore was only 224 square miles at low tide) his ideas had an impact on the world at large. He guided Deng Xiaoping formulate post-Mao China’s policies and therefore helped lift many hundreds of millions of people out of dire poverty.
I never get sentimental at the passing of public figures. In fact, I quietly celebrate the passing of most world leaders because they end up doing more harm than good. It comes naturally to me since I am a sworn enemy of the state. But I could not help becoming misty-eyed at LKY’s passing in March 2015.
Nobody is perfect but LKY was the least flawed of them all. He had the wisdom of a Confucian master, the grasp of realpolitik of a Machiavelli, the knowledge of history of a Gibbon, the understanding of economics of a Ricardo. I could go on but I am not skilled enough to express how much I admire LKY. Continue reading “Lee Kuan Yew at the Kennedy School”
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