When I first picked up this book I wasn't expecting to finish reading it to be honest. I had leafed through LKY's previous books and hadn't had my interest sparked. His other books read like biographies, which I don't read very often. The most recent was one during my youth "Rogue Warrior" by Richard Marcinko, founder of SEAL Team 6. But I digress.
The format of the book is quite interesting as it is a series of interviews of a range of topics where LKY's opinion is sought. The interviews reveal to some extent his thought processes. Which I found fascinating and illuminating as information on his viewpoints for a range of esoteric topics was gained. One reviewer even asked if LKY believed in Feng Shui. Which was a rumour I heard flying around when I was younger: That Tang's and everything else was developed according to Feng Shui principles. Of course as I am older now. my bullshit detector has become a bit finer tuned. LKY of course rubbished the idea that any construction in Singapore was developed along those lines. Which is unsurprising.
What stands out in Hard Truths for Singapore is that LKY is very rational; pragmatic and very well informed. Especially when he started talking about International Politics and how it was an extension of tribal dealings; all tribes scrabbling for resources and their own interests. The compilers of the book at that point made a comment about how several of the younger journalists were bemused by that statement. He described international politics and relations as an arena where each actor seeks to dominate the other. Which is pretty much spot on how the world works. Individuals seek dominance within a society. Societies seek dominance against other societies. And countries seek dominance against other countries.
The journalist (aged 26) asked a follow up question and I paraphrase: Don't you think on the state to state level, the urge to dominate is is contained by international organizations and cooperation?
LKY's response was that if the journalist asked the same question at 46, he had learnt nothing. Which might be a bit of a put down, and not quite answering the question, but understandable. If one can ask such a question about International relations, then one has not done enough reading to debate adequately with someone of LKY's calibre.
Succinctly put, smaller countries have to abide by security council mandates, but when Security Council members or larger countries that have sufficient influence decide to act against such organizations there is not much to be done. Which is an accurate summation of the current state of world affairs. Hence Singapore's well developed military and economy so that the country cannot be easily taken advantage of by others. Other countries might promise that they only talk peace, but at the end of the day a country's security and safety is it's own responsibility and cannot count on anyone else for it. The International arena is an ever shifting place, and domestic politicians might use a convenient international punching bag as a way to deflect domestic criticism.
International developments and relations aside, the next thoughts were on Singapore on its founding.
Was the development of this place a given? Nothing in life is ever a given. It has to be worked for; and LKY was the leader of a group of extremely dedicated people who brought this place to where it is now. [One thing that is sometimes forgotten is the excellent people LKY had working for him as well. I forget it myself. The rest will be addressed in another book review. When I get around to reading that book. I think it is called "Men in White"]
To return to the given on the trade port status, development is never a given, even with resources. Nigeria would be an example of a resource rich country still rife with chaos. Yes, a lot more stable than some of its neighbours but the people can hardly say they live in an atmosphere of safety and security.
I could go on about how the various parts of the books were very illuminating but then it is easier just to make a recommendation to buy the book. His realist and rational view really impressed me. And the interview format which is inter-spaced between segments outlining the situation and topic really kept the topic from being dry.
Do I agree with all of his statements? Not so, an example would be his thought that smart people should only marry smart people. As they produce smart/smarter kids. A combination of the nature and nurture viewpoints for childhood development. Does this mean that a child from a lower economic background will never be as smart as another one from a higher economic background? Of course not, but the odds are higher for the child from the wealthier family. At the end of the day, it is the law of averages. Running a country rationally dictates you cannot skew the government one side or the other; to an extreme just to pander towards the exceptions. You have to to observe and research the average outcome for a given situation and try to make the most of it. At the end of the day we are all gamblers in the chaotic game of life. And betting on the average is a safer bet, than say wildcards.
What I find is that he does not stick to his ideas them out of blind belief but through his observations and the conclusions drawn from such. Which is admirable. Another thing to keep in mind is he is a leader who has come about since the 1960's. There are not many credible leaders from then who are still around influencing their countries today. Fidel Castro is the only example that springs to mind. Mahathir Mohamad (Prime Minister of Malaysia 1981-2003) was put forward as an example, but he only came into office in 1981. A different era again.
I would highly recommend this book even to non-Singaporeans. Keeping in mind what this country used to be 50 years ago [a trade port and mostly swamp] and where it is today [a trade port with no swamp. And a metropolis]. It certainly is a good read for those who need a introduction into world affairs as well as governance from a pragmatic and rational standpoint. In this case, the rational standpoint would be making sure the population are clothed, fed and housed. A more democratic person could argue that the "rational" standpoint for them would be freedom of speech. Those are issues that should be addressed in another post. For now, all I can say is that freedom of speech is all well and good. If you don't have stability, security or a means to live, it isn't much good.
TLDR: Good realistic; pragmatic view on world affairs and governance. Buy now if your viewpoint skews towards realism more than idealism.
++++
Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going
$40 SGD
Available now where Singapore books are available. [For Non-Singaporeans... Ask your Singaporean friend for a copy? Or Amazon.com Or ask your Library to buy a copy]
What stands out in Hard Truths for Singapore is that LKY is very rational; pragmatic and very well informed. Especially when he started talking about International Politics and how it was an extension of tribal dealings; all tribes scrabbling for resources and their own interests. The compilers of the book at that point made a comment about how several of the younger journalists were bemused by that statement. He described international politics and relations as an arena where each actor seeks to dominate the other. Which is pretty much spot on how the world works. Individuals seek dominance within a society. Societies seek dominance against other societies. And countries seek dominance against other countries.
The journalist (aged 26) asked a follow up question and I paraphrase: Don't you think on the state to state level, the urge to dominate is is contained by international organizations and cooperation?
LKY's response was that if the journalist asked the same question at 46, he had learnt nothing. Which might be a bit of a put down, and not quite answering the question, but understandable. If one can ask such a question about International relations, then one has not done enough reading to debate adequately with someone of LKY's calibre.
Succinctly put, smaller countries have to abide by security council mandates, but when Security Council members or larger countries that have sufficient influence decide to act against such organizations there is not much to be done. Which is an accurate summation of the current state of world affairs. Hence Singapore's well developed military and economy so that the country cannot be easily taken advantage of by others. Other countries might promise that they only talk peace, but at the end of the day a country's security and safety is it's own responsibility and cannot count on anyone else for it. The International arena is an ever shifting place, and domestic politicians might use a convenient international punching bag as a way to deflect domestic criticism.
International developments and relations aside, the next thoughts were on Singapore on its founding.
Was the development of this place a given? Nothing in life is ever a given. It has to be worked for; and LKY was the leader of a group of extremely dedicated people who brought this place to where it is now. [One thing that is sometimes forgotten is the excellent people LKY had working for him as well. I forget it myself. The rest will be addressed in another book review. When I get around to reading that book. I think it is called "Men in White"]
To return to the given on the trade port status, development is never a given, even with resources. Nigeria would be an example of a resource rich country still rife with chaos. Yes, a lot more stable than some of its neighbours but the people can hardly say they live in an atmosphere of safety and security.
I could go on about how the various parts of the books were very illuminating but then it is easier just to make a recommendation to buy the book. His realist and rational view really impressed me. And the interview format which is inter-spaced between segments outlining the situation and topic really kept the topic from being dry.
Do I agree with all of his statements? Not so, an example would be his thought that smart people should only marry smart people. As they produce smart/smarter kids. A combination of the nature and nurture viewpoints for childhood development. Does this mean that a child from a lower economic background will never be as smart as another one from a higher economic background? Of course not, but the odds are higher for the child from the wealthier family. At the end of the day, it is the law of averages. Running a country rationally dictates you cannot skew the government one side or the other; to an extreme just to pander towards the exceptions. You have to to observe and research the average outcome for a given situation and try to make the most of it. At the end of the day we are all gamblers in the chaotic game of life. And betting on the average is a safer bet, than say wildcards.
What I find is that he does not stick to his ideas them out of blind belief but through his observations and the conclusions drawn from such. Which is admirable. Another thing to keep in mind is he is a leader who has come about since the 1960's. There are not many credible leaders from then who are still around influencing their countries today. Fidel Castro is the only example that springs to mind. Mahathir Mohamad (Prime Minister of Malaysia 1981-2003) was put forward as an example, but he only came into office in 1981. A different era again.
I would highly recommend this book even to non-Singaporeans. Keeping in mind what this country used to be 50 years ago [a trade port and mostly swamp] and where it is today [a trade port with no swamp. And a metropolis]. It certainly is a good read for those who need a introduction into world affairs as well as governance from a pragmatic and rational standpoint. In this case, the rational standpoint would be making sure the population are clothed, fed and housed. A more democratic person could argue that the "rational" standpoint for them would be freedom of speech. Those are issues that should be addressed in another post. For now, all I can say is that freedom of speech is all well and good. If you don't have stability, security or a means to live, it isn't much good.
TLDR: Good realistic; pragmatic view on world affairs and governance. Buy now if your viewpoint skews towards realism more than idealism.
++++
Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going
$40 SGD
Available now where Singapore books are available. [For Non-Singaporeans... Ask your Singaporean friend for a copy? Or Amazon.com Or ask your Library to buy a copy]
I'm glad you decided to post something on Lee Kuan Yew, a political figure that is often forgotten about and not mentioned nearly often enough in my opinion in international politics given that he played an integral part in both Singapore domestic and international politics. The patriarchal head of Singapore for a long time, and may even still be. Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going, and Voodoo Child's review is welcomed. and at the ironic risk of reviewing a review, although this review won't be as considered as Voodoo Child's, it's a good encapsulation of what the book is about and has convinced me to pick up a copy. It is not factually loaded, rather a critique of his ideology. That is appreciated. Voodoo Child also has the advantage of comparison by having read other Lee Kuan Yew material. So as I'm about to conclude my comment by pronouncing my intention of rushing off to my local library/ or good book store to obtain a copy, I’m hit with the realisation that my local library probably won't have it. My Singaporean friends probably won't have it. With those free loan options exhausted, that leaves me with the only option of the not inexpensive trek through the online book jungle that is amazon.
ReplyDeleteI am glad the review has convinced you to pick up a copy. Considering that you have to navigate through Amazon to get it I hope you find it worth the money. Could your local library be persuaded to get a copy?
ReplyDeleteI would like to ask what you mean that the review isn't 'factually loaded'. This isn't a criticism, I am just unsure of what it means
Post a review when you get a copy. I'll link to it when it goes up. In the meantime, I wish you the best of luck with your search.