Lee Kuan Yew Quotes About Democracy

Quotes about: Democracy

• With few exceptions, democracy has not brought good government to new developing countries. What Asians value may not necessarily be what Americans or Europeans value. Westerners value the freedoms and liberties of the individual. As an Asian of Chinese cultural backround, my values are for a government which is honest, effective and efficient.

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Country, Honesty, Freedom

  "Democracy, Human Rights and the Realities". Speech in Tokyo, www.theguardian.com. November 20, 1992.

• There is nothing to prevent you from pushing your propaganda, to push your programme out to the students or with the public at large…and if you can carry the ground, if you are right, you win. That’s democracy.

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Winning, Democracy, Pushing

• Now if democracy will not work for the Russians, a white Christian people, can we assume that it will naturally work with Asians?

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Christian, White, People

  "American Leaders Swooning Over Singapore’s Thuggish Founder Are Blind Politically, Not Just Morally" by Jim Sleeper, www.huffingtonpost.com. April 2, 2015.

• You’re talking about Rwanda or Bangladesh, or Cambodia, or the Philippines. They’ve got democracy, according to Freedom House. But have you got a civilised life to lead? People want economic development first and foremost. The leaders may talk something else. You take a poll of any people. What is it they want? The right to write an editorial as you like? They want homes, medicine, jobs, schools.

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Jobs, School, Home

• There are some flaws in the assumptions made for democracy. It is assumed that all men and women are equal or should be equal. Hence, one-man-one-vote. But is equality realistic? If it is not, to insist on equality must lead to regression.

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Men, Democracy, Regression

  Lee Kuan Yew (2013). “The Wit & Wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew”, p.48, Editions Didier Millet

• But we either believe in democracy or we don't. If we do, then, we must say categorically, without qualification, that no restraint from the any democratic processes, other than by the ordinary law of the land, should be allowed. If you believe in democracy, you must believe in it unconditionally. If you believe that men should be free, then, they should have the right of free association, of free speech, of free publication. Then, no law should permit those democratic processes to be set at nought.

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Believe, Men, Law

  Legislative Assembly Debates, April 27, 1955.

• If it is not totalitarian to arrest a man and detain him, when you cannot charge him with any offence against any written law – if that is not what we have always cried out against in Fascist states – then what is it?… If we are to survive as a free democracy, then we must be prepared, in principle, to concede to our enemies – even those who do not subscribe to our views – as much constitutional rights as you concede yourself.

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Men, Law, Rights

  Legislative Assembly Debates, September 21, 1955.

• facebook
• twitter
• googleplus
• email
• linkedin

• facebook
• twitter
• googleplus
• email
• linkedin