Thursday, December 24, 2009

Lee Kwan Yew: India not in the same league as China

From: RichAsianKid

2 Comments:

1. As if this is news (but hey what do you expect from some Indian
newspaper?)

2. LKY was actually pretty diplomatic (contrary to article's
interpretation) at first glance:

(a) China >> India is fact, and hysterically denied by dreary-eyed
Indians precisely because even their own know it's true

(b) "Culture" is merely euphemism for biology and genes as it offers a
last ray of hope of mutability. But you can't say THAT as a statesman
can you? What's the point of politics if things can't change? And what
happens when those poor little low IQ peoples wake up tasting futility
and recognize they got nothing to lose.....in Singapore?

Still....
I can also see why LKY can also be seen as not diplomatic enough.

Read between the lines and what he's hinting at what he's really saying
is how Indians are not only stupid but also lazy and don't
follow-through. Maybe they just don't have the mental stamina or whatever.

And "culture" is merely an excuse, and political device.

=================
For Singapore's father, India not in the same league as China
Sreejiraj Eluvangal / DNA
Thursday, December 17, 2009 3:22 IST

New Delhi: The 81-year-old Lee Kuan Yew is not known to be diplomatic.
Singapore's Gandhi and Nehru rolled together, Yew has been credited with
transforming the island nation from a vulnerable, resource-constrained
colonial outpost to one of the most advanced nations on the planet in
just around three decades.

For Yew, who shared his insights with an attentive and admiring audience
at an Indo-Singaporean event in the Capital on Wednesday, India is not
quite in the same league as China. He believes China has a considerable
headstart in the development game that is hard for India to overtake or
even match.

"Both can grow... But India's GDP is half that of China's. It's growth
does not exceed that of China's," he said, pointing out various
opinion-makers believe that the two Asian neighbours should not be
clubbed together at all any longer.

He pointed out that China is years ahead of India in terms of
infrastructure. "China has
50,000 km of eight-laned highways, 20,000 km of high-speed trains," he
pointed out, adding that India's lack of connectivity between its cities
and villages is severely hindering the country's development. "Better
transportation can easily add another 2-3% to India's GDP growth," he said.

Having served at the head of Singapore government from 1959 to 1990, Yew
is credited with not only bringing economic development, but also
reducing corruption and forging a truly Singaporean identity.

When asked why he thought South Asia lagged behind East Asia in living
standards and economic development, he pointed to the Confucian culture.
Confucius, a ancient Chinese scholar and philosopher who lived before
the Buddha is known for the hard-nosed practicality of his teachings.
Yew pointed out that Confucian ethos placed as much emphasis on hardwork
as on intelligence and ability.

"There is a great emphasis on drive. You don't get ahead based on brains
alone. You need all three of discipline, persistence and ability...
There is a tremendous faith [in Confucian societies] that through
education and hardwork, you will do better in life... Even the poorest
Chinese make sure their children are educated," he pointed out.

Yew, who is known for his candid and often unflattering appraisal of
Western culture and values, also fielded some questions about the "end"
of the dollar as the world's reserve currency and its status as the
World policeman. He, however, disappointed the enquirer with a quip:
"Imagine the world without a policeman!" Yew, currently serving as
Singapore's 'Minister Mentor' also felt all the hooplah about the demise
of the dollar was misplaced. "What will you replace it with?" he asked,
predicting that it will continue to be the currency of global trade for
"a long time" to come.

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