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.
India got a whole bunch of numbskulls as its leaders — starting with MK Gandhi and his idiotic followers. Gandhi is the fountainhead of India’s miserable poverty. Out of that sprang Nehru and the rest of the unmentionables.
India’s leaders have been unlettered, ignorant fools who knew nothing about history, philosophy, political science, economics, science — or anything of any value. Nothing.
The two exceptions were PV Narasimha Rao, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee; the others were absolute retards. The most corrupt of the bunch was Dr. Manmohan Singh. He was appointed as the prime minister because he was a corrupt SOB.
Had India had an LKY to guide its destiny after 1947, I am certain that India would have been a developed country in 50 years. If only, lord, if only!
About five years ago I came across a talk by Lee Kuan Yew at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government delivered in October 2000. I have an audio-only version on my phone which I listen to often. It uplifts my spirits. It’s a prepared speech which he reads, following which there’s a question-answer session. That too is worth listening to.
In the speech, LKY explains how he was able to avoid the disastrous policies of newly independent nations. He learnt it primarily from the retard Nehru. Of course he did not actually use the word retard but he did not have to because it is clearly implied in the context.
The speech has aged wonderfully. Delivered nearly 26 years ago, now we can judge how accurate LKY was. With that, here’s the address on YouTube titled, “For Third World Leaders: Hope or Despair?”
Time for our musical coda. Floe from Glassworks (1981) by Philip Glass (b. 1937) performed and orchestrated by Brett William Dietz, Associate Professor of Percussion, Louisiana State University.
Thank you, goodnight and may your god go with you.
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 