PraiseforConversationswithLeeKuanYewandthe‘GiantsofAsia’

series

“ThankyouforsendingmeaninscribedcopyofConversationswithLeeKuanYew,whichIhavebeenreadingwith interest and enjoyment.You have done a superb job of capturing themany facets of thisextraordinary man, whom I have known and admired for some fifty years. That he is the first to beportrayedintheforthcoming‘GiantsofAsia’seriesseemsonlyright.IappreciateyourthinkingofmeandwilllookforwardtoyourconversationswiththeotherGiantsyouproposetoincludeintheseries.”

DrHenryA.Kissinger,56thU.SSecretaryofState,1973–77

“Thankyou foryour autographedbookonConversationswithLeeKuanYew. It is a fascinating read,even though I am familiar withmuch of his thoughts and philosophy, having the privilege of workingcloselyunderandwithhim.Heisagreatteacher,notjustformebutalsofortheyoungergenerationsofleadershebroughtin.”

GohChokTong,formerPrimeMinisterofSingapore,1990–2004

“Manythanksforsendingmeyourbook—ConversationswithLeeKuanYew.IhavebeenagreatadmirerofMrLeeever since I servedas formerpresidentChiangChing-kuo’s secretary in the late80s. I findmyselfinspiredevenmoretodaybymanyofhisremarksinyourbook.”

PresidentMaYing-jeou,RepublicofChina(Taiwan)

“Thereare two typesofcourageamong journalists.Somemight risk their livescrossingpathswithanIEDonanaridbackroadinAfghanistan.Manyfewerrisktheirreputationbygoingagainst theherdofconventionalopinion.TomPlate,America’sonlysyndicatedcolumnistwhofocusesonAsia,…hastakenthesecondriskinhisConversationswithLeeKuanYew.Andithasbeenariskwellworthtaking.…Hisbookcouldnotbemorerelevantatamomentwhenrecession,debtanddysfunctionareplaguingtheWestwhileAsiastridesboldlyintothefuture.…MuchtothecreditofPlate’stalent,thisbookreadsbreezily,despiteitsheavythemes.Itisbrokenintomanyeasilydigestiblechapterswithtitlesmimickingmoviesortelevision shows….Overall thiswas the right choice tomakewhat couldeasilyhavebeenawonkishdrudgeintoanenjoyableread….LeeKuanYew’swisdommakessense.TomPlatehasdoneafinejobofconveyingitforaWesternaudiencethatoughttobepayingattention.”

NathanGardels,columnist,TheHuffingtonPost

“…ascintillating insight into theprivate—andbrutallycandid—beliefsand thoughtsof the86-year-oldMinisterMentor on awide rangeof topics, fromhis temper and children to various countries andhis‘authoritarian’ways.…Thesearecapturedinawritingstylethatisfast-pacedandconversationalover24

chaptersthatarepepperedwithMrPlate’sviews….”ZakirHussain,TheStraitsTimes(Singapore)

“For veteran American journalist Tom Plate, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is ‘the director of theblockbusterthatisSingapore’.ThebookiswritteninMrPlate’strademarkhumorous,wittyandcandidstyle. The conversations in the book cover a wide range of topics. There are serious discussions onphilosophy,internationalrelationsandgovernance….Duringabreak,authorandintervieweeevenbanteraboutwhatMrLeewoulddoifheweretotakeonthepostofUnitedNationssecretary-general.‘Itrytoget abitmoreof [MrLee] as aman, aswell as abrainiac andas a leader,’ saidMrPlate,whoalsodescribedthepoliticianas‘warm,trustingandopen’.”

RachelChan,TODAY(Singapore)

“Singaporeisaneconomicsuccessstoryofthemodernera,andthemanbehindthistremendoussuccessisnoneotherthanLeeKuanYew[who]agreedtogiveatwo-dayinterviewtoAmericanjournalistTomPlate.…TheauthorhaspaintedapictureofYewasapoliticalgeniuswhobelievesinpragmatismandcommonsenseratherthanideology.TomPlate’sbrilliantnavigationskills[haveproduced]many…not-knownfacetsofYew’sleadershipandpersonality.”

DrAhmedS.Khan,TheDawn(dailynewspaperofPakistan)

“TomPlatemaybeoneofthefewwritersabletobragthatheoncereceivedanotefromLeeKuanYewsaying‘youdeserve toberead’.Singapore’sseniorstatesmansent thefaxafterreadingacolumnPlatehadwritten on China. Thatmight explain why the veteran journalist, who has been writing a weeklysyndicatedcolumnonAmerica’srelationshipwithAsiasince1996,founditrelativelyeasytogetaccesstotheMinisterMentorforhislatestbook,ConversationswithLeeKuanYew.”

SoniaKolesnikov-Jessop,TheSouthChinaMorningPost

“...Plate’s“Geeshucks,didtheyreallysaythataboutyou?”stylehasahugeupside.Hissubjectsopenuptohiminawaytheymaynothaveintendedto,andtheinsightsthereadergainsintotheircharactersareconsiderable...incomparable...forhistorians,biographersandanyonewhoeverwantstofigureoutwhatmadethesemen,whododeservetobecalled‘GiantsofAsia’,tick.

SholtoByrnes,TheNational(AbuDhabi)

©2013ThomasGordonPlateFirstpublished2010(reprinted2010,2011)

PhotographscourtesyofYeongYoonYing/ResearchbyMyLu

Editor:LeeMeiLinDesignbyBernardGoKwangMeng/CoverillustrationbyP.K.Cheng

This2013editionpublishedbyMarshallCavendishEditionsAnimprintofMarshallCavendishInternational1NewIndustrialRoad,Singapore536196

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NationalLibraryBoardSingaporeCataloguinginPublicationDataPlate,Tom.ConversationswithLeeKuanYew:citizenSingapore:howtobuildanation/TomPlate.–[2nded.]–Singapore:MarshallCavendishEditions,2013.p.cm.–(GiantsofAsia)eISBN:9789814435673

1.Lee,KuanYew,1923--Interviews.2.Lee,KuanYew,1923--Politicalandsocialviews.3.Primeministers--Singapore--Interviews.I.Title.II.Series:GiantsofAsia.

DS610.73959.5705092--dc23OCN823521335

PrintedinSingaporebyKWFPrintingPteLtd

ToAndreaDarviPlate,MSW,LCSW,

who endured the not inconsiderable efforts andauthor’s isolation that produced this bookwith hercustomaryknowingstares,stoicwailsandquietpain.SheholdsacademicdegreesfromUCBerkeley,USCandUCLA, but herworkwith the severely challenged veteranpopulationat theU.S.VeteransAdministrationHospitalinWestLosAngeles,California,wastooall-consumingtopermithertimetoread any drafts. Even so, without her…well, probably theremight be no book, for she is greatlyresponsibleforthewondersofmylifeandthesteadinessofmycareerasaninternationaljournalist.

Sheismywife,andwhowouldn’tbeluckytohaveher?

“LeeKuanYewcanjustifiablybecalledtheFatherofModernSingapore.HehassteeredthroughpoliciesthathavebeencopiedacrossAsia,andhavegreatlyliftedtheprofileandrepresentationofSingapore.Itisalegacythatwillendure.”

JohnMajor,PrimeMinisterofBritain,1990–97

“Heisabigfroginasmallpond.Heisnotsatisfiedwithwhathehas.HehadambitionstobecomePrimeMinisterofallMalaysia.Hetriestolecturepeoplebutpeopledislikethat.Peopledoregardhimasanintellectual,assomethingmorethanjustanordinarypolitician.He’salwaysinvitedtogivehisviewsonthingsand,tothatextent,heissomethingbiggerthanSingapore.Butthefactremainsthatheis[only]theMayorofSingapore.Thisissomethinghedoesn’tlike.Yousee,hewantstobebig.Andhefeelsthatwe[inMalaysia]tookawayhisopportunitytoleadarealcountry.ButIthinkhewillgodowninhistoryasaveryremarkableintellectualandpoliticianatthesametime,whichisnotaveryoftenthing.”

DrMahathirbinMohamad,PrimeMinisterofMalaysia,1981–2003

“Isaleadertheproductofhistimes,ordoesaleadermakehistimes?LeeKuanYewisalivingtestimonytothetruthofbothassertions:thebirthofanewnation-state—Singapore—wastheuniquemomentintimewhichdrovethismantorisetothecallofhistory;andinhissingle-mindedresolvetowrestlehiscity-statefromtheThirdWorldintotheFirst,heshapedhistimes,creatingtheSingaporewayofdevelopment,whichsomelookupto,andsomedecry.Itisafact,however,thatiftwonamescouldbeindissociable,thesewouldbeSingapore&LKY,andLKY&Singapore.”

TonNuThiNinh,formerVietnameseAmbassadortotheEuropeanUnion,andfounderofTriVietUniversity,Vietnam

“PresidentandMrs.Carter’sfullagendamakesitimpossibleforthemtorespondpositivelytothemanyrequeststocontributetobooks.”

JimmyCarter,U.S.President,1977–81.CurrentlyPresidentoftheCarterFoundation(signedbysomespokesperson,notbyanyoftheCarters)

“TheQueenhas askedme to thankyou for your letter.HerMajestywas interested to read about yourliteraryprojectentitledGiantsofAsia,andhastakencarefulnoteofyourrequest.Iamafraid,however,thatthroughoutherreignTheQueenhasmadeitarulenottopubliclyexpressherpersonalviews.Iamsorrytosendyouadisappointingreply,butmayIsendmygoodwishesforthesuccessofyourproject.Yourssincerely,Mrs.SoniaBonici.”

BuckinghamPalace,London,onbehalfofHRHQueenElizabethII

“Ithasoftenbeensaidthattoday,thenaturalresourcesthatasocietyhasinhandarenotasimportantastheknowledgeandthestrategyofitshumanresources.SingaporeisanexcellentexampleofthisandLKYhasmadeitso.ItisnotamiraclethattransformedSingaporefrombeingasmallandpoor‘phonebooth’sizesleepingcommunity,intooneoftheworld’smostimpressivesuccessstories;itwasLeeKuanYew.

Whetheroneagreesordisagreeswithhim,hissuccessisonrecord.Heisanintellectualandastatesman,onewithavision,onewithastrategyandtheabilitytogetthingsdone.Readerswillhavemuchtolearnfromhisstory.”

KantathiSuphamongkon,39thThaiForeignMinister.CurrentlyVisitingProfessorofLawandDiplomacyattheUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles(UCLA),andSeniorFellowattheBurkle

CenterforInternationalRelations,UCLA

“Singaporeisacity-statethathadpooroddsforsurviving,letalonethriving:noresources,tinysizeandpopulation, and surrounded by difficult and sometimes hostile neighbors. Through sheer intellect andwillpower,LKYcarvedoutacountrythatisamodelforeconomicgrowth,haslittleornocorruption,isavisionaryindigitaltechnologyanddeliversafirst-rateeducationandlifeforitscitizens.”ProfessorJeffreyCole,DirectoroftheCenterfortheDigitalFuture,UniversityofSouthernCalifornia

(USC)

“Noonehaseverdonestate-guidedcapitalismbetter.IfChinacanmodelitselfonSingapore,theworldwillbeamuchbetterplace.Education,healthcare,social investment, individual incentive, reasonableattention to the environment—a good balance. He created stability in the region—an amazingly highdegree of leverage, primarily by commercial/economic example. Also the smart use of militarycapability, never apparently applied,which is thebest sort ofmilitary force.Lookafter thingswell athome,andhaveastrongarm,andyoucaninfluenceothers.Ihopethathefeelsverygoodaboutwhathe’sdone.Regardingtheissueofallegedexcessivesocialcontrol:it’ssortoflikebankingandfinance—therightlevelofregulationhasalotofsensetoit.”Wyatt(Rory)Hume,Director,Education,TrainingandDevelopmentfortheResearchDivisionofthe

QatarFoundation;Provost,UnitedArabEmiratesUniversity;andformerProvost,UniversityofCaliforniasystem

“LeeKuanYewhasmadeSingaporeabsolutelyuniqueinthispartoftheworld,bymakingitasoneoftheleastcorruptpoliticalsystems in theworld….Nowthat isa tremendousachievement.Thequestion is,howlongcanyoumaintainanincorruptpoliticalsystem?”(statedpubliclyin2000)SamuelHuntington,1927–2008,authorofTheClashofCivilizationsandtheRemakingofWorldOrder

Contents

PREFACE:THELIONINWINTER

INTRODUCTION

PROLOGUETOTHEINTERVIEWSATTHEISTANA

DAYONE

OneLateAfternoonintheSummerof2009

FatherKnowsBest

TheFoxandtheHedgehog(NotaDisneyMovie)

ChinaSyndrome

ThePerfectStorm

TheGood,theBadandtheUgly

RebelwithaCause

PassageToIndia

GuessWho’sComingToDinner?

LeeofArabia

YearsofLivingDangerously(WithIndonesia)

TheGodfather(Parts1and2)

DAYTWO

TheNextAfternoonattheIstana

TroubleinParadise

There’sSomethingAboutHarry

CitizenLee

FathersandSons

FathersandDaughters

KuanYew’sWay

[TimeforaBreak]

TheSingaporeanCandidate

RushHour(SingaporeStyle)

TheEndoftheAffair

ModernTimes

AFTERWORD:JUDGMENTATSINGAPORE

MILESTONES

WORKSCONSULTED

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

Preface:TheLioninWinter

SPENDINGANAFTERNOONwithanAmericanjournalistwouldnotexactlybeanyone’sideaofarollickinggreattime.SoIwasalittlesurprisedwhenheagreedtositforthisbook.Ifiguredmychancesatnobetterthan50-50.Thenagain,LeeKuanYewwasnotonetoduckanimportantpartofhisjobandcertainlynomerejournalistfromanycountrywouldflusterhim.

Sowhenhe said yes, I knew itwas because hewouldwant to advance theSingapore story as hewishedoutsiders tounderstand it,andheknewIwouldbeagood listener.Afterall, Ihadproposedabookinwhichhewoulddoalotofthetalking.

Andheknewmealittle.Theback-storywasthatin1996,thefirstyearofmynewspapercolumnintheLosAngelesTimesonAsiaandAmerica,thethen-titledSeniorMinister(andwithoutadoubt,stillthepower)hadagreedtoaone-on-oneinterview.

Fromthatsession,Lee’sclearviewshelpedmeunderstandthat,toalargeextent,thefutureofAsiamightbeshapedbythecontoursoftheChina-U.S.relationshipmorethananyotherfactor.Again,ithastobeemphasizedthatthisisbackin1996,whenChinawasnotyettheobsessionoftheWesternmedia.

At that firstsession inhisofficeat theIstana, I rememberhimgreetingmeinhis trademarkbutton-frontcardigan,thenquicklyseatinghimselfinhiscomfortchair—buttentatively,almostasifnotplanningtostaylong.Apracticedwarinesssearchedmyface,asifreadyingfortheinevitablevolleyofcaningandchewinggumqueries(thenthemaininterestofU.S.journalism)thatwouldstarthisclocktickingtowardinterviewclosure.

He got neither caning nor chewing gum baloney fromme. Iwasn’t interested in re-hearingwhat Ialreadyknewfromre-readingoldU.S.mediastories;IwantedtoknowwhatheknewthatIdidn’tknow.Theinterviewlastedlongerthanscheduled.Anditwasthefirstofseveralthathelpedpavethewayforthebook-length conversation sessionsof the summerof2009.So it is fair to say that fromall this, heknewmoreorlesswhattoexpectfrommewhenweembarkeduponthisbook13yearslater.IknewhecouldnotalwaysagreewiththeviewsofsomeonefromLosAngeles,whereIwasbasedatmyuniversity,butonoccasionyoumighthearsomethingorotherfromhim.OncehefaxedacopyofoneofmycolumnswiththescribbledencouragementthatmyviewsonChina“deservetoberead”.Itwouldbedishonestnottotellyouthatthisencouragementwasappreciated.AndIwashardlytheonlyAmericanoverthedecadestoaccepthistutoring.Whateverhisfaultsandmistakes,andhemadehisshare,hehelpedmanyofusintheWest understand the political mystery and growing importance of Asia better, and in the processperhapsunderstandourselvesandourownassumptionsbettertoo.

So in the beginning of the 2009 sessions for this book, I was surprised when he seemed a littlenervous.Duringanearlybreak,whenhewentsomewhereforafewminutes,ImanagedtocatchtheearofLee’shoveringpresssecretarytoaskher,ineffect,whythelioninwinterseemedsoedgy.MadamYeongYoon Ying was her name, and bluntness was her game. This formidable lady’s style could scare theSingaporemediahalf todeath,butAmericansareokaywithbluntnessandsowegotalongnicely.Andindeedshedidnotagonizeover thequestionbut lookedatmestraightandsaid,as if theanswerwereinsanelyobvious:“…becausehe’sworriedaboutwhatyouwillwrite!”

IthadnotoccurredtomethatanythingfromaWesternjournalistwouldmattermuchonewayorthe

othertoLeeKuanYew.Butinthewinterofone’slife,perhapsthingseithermatternotatall—orthentheymatterverymuch.AndforLee,theoutsideimageofSingaporedidmeanagreatdeal.Yearsbefore,Ihadaskedhimwhyhebothered to seemewhen Iwas in town.He looked atme as if Iwere joking, thenanswered:“Because Iwant to influence thepeoplewho influenceotherpeople.”Andso forLeeKuanYew any book about him that was sympathetic, however defined or even marginally so, would be afavorablesnapshotofSingapore.Hedidnotseeabigdifferencebetweenhimselfandhiscountry.And,formostofhishalfcenturyatthetopofSingapore,neitherdidmanyoutsiders.

Hewas87whenhesurprisedalotofpeopleandmadeanappearanceattheofficialbooklaunchofConversationswithLeeKuanYew.ThiswasinMay2010attheShangri-LaHotel.Iwastoldthathehadnevergracedabookpartybefore,buthadfinallyagreed,justafewdaysprior.ImethiscarattheVIPsideentranceofthehotelandwhenhefinallymanagedtogethimselfoutandsteadyhimself,Iaskedhowitwasgoing.

“I’mdegradingrapidly,Tom,”hesaid,andheshuffledforwardintothehotelstepbystep.Ididnotsayanything.

Aideswarnedmewithparticularauthoritativeferocity—aftertellingmerepeatedlythathewouldnotshow—thatontheoffchancethatheactuallymadetheparty,hewouldnotbesayinganythingattheevent.He entered the reception room and sat down in a chair in a line of others right in front of the smallpodium.Afterabitofceremonyandarunthroughseveralspeakers,thelastbeingmyself,hestaredatmeandsaid,“CanIsaysomething?”

Whatdoaideseverknow,right?Isaidofcourseandusheredhimtothepodium.Asitturnedout,hedidnotsaymuchbutwhathesaidmademehappy.Clearinghisthroat,andstandingerectatthepodium,hesaid:“Idon’tagreewithallofit,butthatisto

beexpected…theWesternjournalist’sexaggerationofeccentricity.Butonthewhole,hegotmypointofviewacross.”

Thatwasgoodenoughforme.

TomPlateBeverlyHills,March2013

Introduction

ThefollowingconversationtookplaceoutofrangeofthefouropentaperecordersthataccountforallthemanydirectquotesattributedtoLeeKuanYewthroughoutthisbook.Thisinformalexchangetookplaceinthemiddleofthesecondday,outontheterraceofIstanaNegaraSingapura—Istanaforshort.Itisputhereforareasonthatexplainsitself.

WITHALITTLEbitofbodyEnglish,LeeKuanYew,thehard-nosedfounderofmodernSingapore,motionstome that it is time for a break in all the talk.Thismeans—and there’s no arguingwith this gent andcertainlynotonhishometerritory!—thatitistimeforabreak.Period!

SoweraiseourselvesupfromthetablesetforusatafarendoftheStateRoombywhatlookslikeafireplace (but how could such exist in ever-sweltering Singapore?), but in fact is an odd little lonelyraised stagewith curtains.We straggle through a large door that leads to a long shade-dulled exteriorcorridorandthenmoveoutontoabroadandsun-scorchedplazaafewcarefulstepsofmarblebelow.Itoverlooksthewell-namedFunctionLawn,GunTerraceandEdinburghRoadthatleadstoOrchardRoad,thecountry’smain retail thoroughfare.Visible in theneardistance is thedramatic,busting-out-all-overdowntownSingaporeskyline.

Nomorethan5’10”(1.78m)tall,buttrimoffigure,andyetlaboringthroughhismid-eightiesstepbystep,herubsonewearyhandoverhispaleforeheadandcoal-blackeyesaswelosetheprotectiveshadeof the cool State Room and accept a plunge into the burning furnace of late-afternoon equatorialSingapore.

Thetemperatureisabout90°F(32°C),andthehumidityisatabout90percent;andsowearemovingverycautiously,unwillingtoconfrontthenextblanketofdiscomfortinanyboldfashion.Then,suddenly,ataboutthesametime,westartjokingwithoneanother.Outofnowhereeruptsthissillyflurryoflight-hearted badinage. This comes after hours of conversation ranging from the political deficiencies oftoday’s democracies to the sustaining qualities ofmeditation to the dynamics of relating to the rise ofChina.

NotmanypeopleknowhowwittythisthoroughlymodernMachiavellianMastercanbe.IstartjokingabouttheUnitedNations,andhebantersbacklikeheisguest-hostofapoliticalcomedyshow.Wegoatitforafewminutes(seethestory“TimeforaBreak”onpages191–197),butthenthemoodchangesagain,asifanunexpectedwaftofbreezehadblowninfromacrosstheStrait.

TurningbacktowardtheStateRoomtofinishupthefinalhourofdiscussion,hestopssuddenly,hitwithwhatalmostseems likea little fear.Hestares intomyeyesfora fewseconds, then looksoffandfocusesonadistantwhiteDoriccolumn.Thereissomethinghewantstosay,butdoesn’tknowhowquitetoputit.Hedoesn’twanttoinsultme,buthewantsthisparticularstone,orpebble,uncovered.

Itisararemomentofpauseforthissupremelyarticulateandself-confidentman.Iwait.Iwillnotputwordsinhismouthforhim.

Finally, he blinks a few flutters, pivots 90 degrees to turn to me and face me frontally—almostblockingmewithhisbody—andwhispers,point-blank, in thatperfectBritishdiction that thefirst timeyouhearitknocksyouoffyourchair,somethinglikethistome:‘Tom,thebookwillhavetohavecriticalandnegativestuff in it. Iknow,don’tworryaboutme.Justwritemeupexactlyasyouseeme.Let the

chipsfallwheretheymay.Tellthetruestoryofme,asyouseeit.That’sallIask.’Thenhenodsforustoproceedapace.

Beforewewalkon,backtotheStateRoom,Inodtoassurehimthatthisindeedistheplan.But the truth is that his unexpected commentworriesme in away thatwould bother fewWestern

journalists.The‘warts’ in theLeeKuanYewstoryare justnot that interesting tome; thenegativesarewellknown,andit’sthestorythatoverthedecadeshehasmostoftenreadabouthimself,especiallyintheWesternmedia: the steelywillpower, thedismissive if not obnoxious attitude toward critics, themeanMachiavellian maneuvering around weak opponents and grinding them to dust, the haughty softauthoritarianism.

ButthisisnottheLeeKuanYewIknowandfindmostinteresting,northeoneIwanttotellyouabout.Forwhen I firstmet him in 1996, Iwas astonished by the range of his interests and the depth of hisinsights.IspenttherestofthedaytryingtothinkofsomeoneIhadinterviewedwhowaslikehim.Therewasn’t anyone. And over the decades I’ve been lucky to interview many world leaders and leadingthinkers.

For my column about Asia, launched in the Los Angeles Times in 1995 and still rolling on viaworldwidesyndicationinothernewspapers(fromDubaitoProvidenceinRhodeIsland),Iinterviewedhim four times between 1996 and 2007. This book is based primarily on a pair of quite lengthy andarduousexclusiveinterviewsinSingaporeinthesummerof2009thataimtocapturethebrainpowerandtherangeoftheman.

SothisisnotabookabouthowmostintheWesternmediaviewthecontroversialfounderofmodernSingapore.Itis,however,anhonestandfullaccountoftheLeeKuanYewIknow.Ihopeitisheavyoninsightandfeeling;Iknowitislowon‘warts’.Idon’tknowwhetherLeeKuanYewwillbedisappointedaboutthat;Icertainlyhopeyouwon’tbe.

ProloguetotheInterviewsattheIstana

IT IS 4P.M.—themaddeningmid-afternoon sauna of a sizzling Singapore summer.And it’s raining likeSumatra,withaluminumsidingsheetsofwaterslidingdownfromthesky.

IduckintothehotelcarfortheshortdrivetotheIstana,whichintheMalaylanguagemeans‘palace’,for thefirst two-hoursessionwithLeeKuanYew.Toolingalongexactlyat thepostedspeed limit—nomore,no less—thedrivernavigatessteadilydownOrchardRoad, theglitzyshopping thoroughfare.Mymindshouldhavebeendotingoneconomicstatistics,politicalphilosophy,Chinesehistoryandothersuchfinestuff.FormonthsIhavebeenboningupforthisandIwasasreadyasIwouldeverbe.Butweirdly,theheatortheoccasionorwhatevermusthavegottentomebecauseIamoffinsomemadmind-sphere,imagining LKY as somemysteriousmogul in the Americanmovie business—as a famous Hollywoodfigure,infact.

OutsiderssometimesdiminishSingaporebysuggestingitisnomorethananation-as-corporationanddubbingit ‘SingaporeInc’.Whatamisreading!Nocorporation in thehistoryof theworldwaseverasinterestingandcomplexasthisplace.

Unsurprisingly,SingaporeanstendtogetriledbytheInc.moniker.Iget irkedbyit, too,andIdon’teven live here. I just hope my Singapore friends don’t get as irritated by my own Hollywood styleanalogy.It’snotSingaporeasablandcorporation,butSingaporeasaspectaculardramaticepicmovie.

Forworse or for better, I live andwork in SouthernCalifornia, in the vast sprawling suburb thatincludestheindependentcityofBeverlyHillswherefamousHollywoodpeoplelive—andthenme.Here,peoplehunkerdownandmentallyimaginetheworldasonebigblockbustermovieoranother.

Hereinwhatwesometimescall‘Hollyweird’,norealityismorerealthanthebottom-linefiguresoftheBoxOfficetake.ThemovieTitanicisaperfectexample.Normalpeopleknewitasaveryfamiliarstoryofanhistoriccruiseshipgoingdown.ButdenizensofHollywood,beforeopeningday,sawitasametaphorforaproductioncompanythatwouldsinkinaseaofredinkevenfasterthantherealTitanic.Theydidn’tthinkitwouldfloat;theythoughtitwoulddroplikearocktothebottomofthesea.Theywerequitewrong.

Andsoit iswithSingapore, imaginedasamovie.Hereisastoryabouta little islandcountrythat,perhaps until relatively recently, few had heard of—except perhaps about some nonsense or otherconcerningchewinggumandcaning.Whocares?Howcanitsucceed?What’sthehook?

Decadeslater,Singaporeisoneroaringsuccess.It’spracticallyaclassic.Thebottom-linefiguresareas green as the carefully organized landscaping, and the place has an airport like amovie set and aninfrastructuretheenvyofDubai;ithashomeownershipfor95percentofthecitizens,shoppingmallsoutofBeverlyHills90210,publicschoolsthatputAmerica’stoshame,internationalscienceandmathscoresevenhigherthanJapan’s,andanationalairlinethatremindsitspassengersthatflyingneedn’tbecruelandunusual punishment.What’smost telling is that giant countries, especiallyChina, sometimes India, andnowevenfast-growingVietnam,wonderhowSingaporemadeitsobigandsoquickly.TheywanttolearnSingapore’s secrets. Right, no one wants to imitate a failure. So if imitation is the sincerest form offlattery,Singaporetodayisoneofthemoreflatteredcountriesintheworld.

LeeKuanYew,modernSingapore’slegendaryfounder,andhisbelovedcountryareinterchangeable.TonNuThiNinh,thatelegantladyfromnearbyVietnam,putsthissowellinthefrontofthebook:“Itisa

fact … that if two names could be indissociable, these would be Singapore & LKY, and LKY &Singapore.”

That’sanicehigh-levelsentiment,butIamfromcrassHollywood/BeverlyHills.SoIamlookingforsomethinglessintellectual,morelike…grossbottomline!SoIimagineLeeasafamousmoviedirector.YoucanjustseehimsittingonthesetintheDirector’sChair,barkingoutorderswithhiscrisp,decisive,can-doautocraticstyle,hisjuttingjawanddrop-deadlook.Goahead,youwishy-washyliberals—MakeMyDay.

Thatprofile issobelovedhere inHollywood.Knee-jerkultra-liberals thoughmanyare,manyhereare also bottom-line studio executives and time-pressed stars and starlets alike. Don’t-give-a-darndecisivenessgoesoverbigtimeinthistown.LeeislikeanautocraticAlfredHitchcockfoldedintothetrimfigureofAngLee.

Andby far—we imagine—LKY’smost famous filmwould in fact be ‘Singapore’.We imagine hismasterpieceinthegrandtraditionofGoneWithTheWind.Itisataleofhowoneman’shonestteamoffoundingfatherssweep intopowerafter thecollapseof thebrutaloccupyingJapanese(normalcasting:almost always the bad guys in Hollywood films), fight off alien communists (as well as corruptingWesternvalues),marryMalaysiaandthendivorceherafterjustafewyears(typicalHollywood,right?)—see“TroubleinParadise”onpages146–156—andthenwithMachiavellianacumenmanagetooutwittheWesternmultinational corporations seeking to exploit the country and its hardworking people. Themovieendswithsweepingpansoftheburstingskylineandwell-manicuredparksandimmaculatehomesofthisAsianneo-utopia,therichestcountryintheregionand,perhaps,itsmostenvied.

AndittakesLKYandhisteamlessthanagenerationtodothis.Whatastory!Andwhatacommercialsuccess!So,shouldwegetLeereadyfortheritualpounceupontotheOscarStagetopickuphisLifetimeAchievementAwardandtothankeveryoneinhisextendedChinesefamily?

In truth, thecontroversyover this ‘Singapore’blockbuster isnotquitesettled legendyet.Theplacesomehowremainsaperpetualpuzzle.WhoknowswhereLeewillwindupinthefirmamentofgreats!Butonethingiscertain:there’sneverbeenaproductionnumberquitelikeSingapore.

So this is the story of what it’s like to spend a few hours in deep conversation with this iconic andfashionablyauthoritariandirector.

It’s a story that needs to be told. Many people, mainly those who have never visited, think hisSingaporeissomesortof torturedtotalitarianMartianplanetoutofAldousHuxley’snovelBraveNewWorld—thesortofnever-neverlandwherethatwhichisn’tprohibited,ismandated.Andinsomelimitedsensetheyareright.Butjustgothereandvisit,andyou’llseetheyarealsoquitewrong.

Your first time, you think there is something surreal about it all. The feeling (it’s not creepy, justpalpablydifferent)hitsyouminutesafteryouland.Theairportisaknockoutandthesenseofnotbeingonthisplanetproceedsapaceonthedrivefromtheairporttoyourhotel.

Youglanceoutacarwindow.Thesceneisnotquiteright.Somethingismissing.Itbothersyou,butwhatbothersyouworseisyoucan’tputyourfingeronit.Andyouthinkmaybeitshouldhityourightintheface.

Butthenyougetit—it’swhat’sNOTvisible.TherearenoMcDonald’sbags,noKFCcontainers,noabandonedcars,nodeadbodies (onlyslight joke, Iwas raised in theNewYork/NewJerseyarea),nohomelesscamps,noin-your-facebeggars(wherearethey?theyhavetobesomewhere!).It’sabsolutely,totally,amazingly,andunbelievably…clean!

Thisisacity?It’snotanyplaceI’veseen,yousay…

Thesamefeelinghitsyoudowntownwhere,youdiscover,womenclaimtheycanwalkthestreetsanyhourofthenightwithouthassle,muchlessassault.Druggangsdon’tmonopolizetheparksandintimidatemoms,strollersandfamiliesthatarehopingfornothingmorethansomeurbanpeace.Again,where’sthestreet-side littering, the homeless mini-cities, the screaming traffic horns? Green trees and floraeverywhere,andtheair—eventheairfeelsclean.

Youdon’t see thatmuch laundryhangingouton the terraces, as inmanypartsofAsia.Youcan sitdownatacaféandputyourhandunderthetable,andnevercomeincontactwitha‘pre-owned’pieceofgumleftbehindasifadeliberateirritant.Callthisthepoisonedfruitofauthoritarianrule,ifyouwill;Icallitsaneandsanitary,andI’mformoreofit!

Also notably missing at times are the feral traffic snarls (like in notorious Cairo) or the endlesscascadesofdirty concrete jungle (like in thecity-stateofNewYork)or the teemingmassesout in theopenwhosezipcodesstandforlittlemorethanonebigforlornshantytown.OhCalcutta!

Nothere.Butthereareotherthingsyoumightgenuinelymiss,thoughitmaytakeafewdaystosortitalloutin

yourhead—andthisistheothersideofparadise.Youmighttrulymissvigorouscriticismofthecentralgovernmentinthenewsmedia,orthekindofBritish-styleparliamentarydebatethatstandsyourhaironend.Youcangotothegorgeousparksbutperhapsmisstheanti-establishmentpoliticalorators,thecup-open itinerantmusician, the oddball scene of any kind.What’smore, youmaymiss the drama of jurytrials;theydon’thavethemhere—andtheyareproudofhavingqualifiedjudgesmakingthecall.Youmayalsobeoffendedbythepolicyofcapitalpunishmentfordrugdealers(again,withoutpeerjury—thejudgeisthejury).

Ontheotherhand,you’llbehappyabouttherelativeabsenceofcorruption(evenpolicearepaidaswellasothergovernmentcivilservants,whichiswellabovetheWesternaverage),admirethelowinfantmortality rates (Singapore’s health record leads most countries in almost all health categories), andappreciatethegunpolicy(noonehasthemexceptthepolice).

But, then again, back to the other hand…youmight reallymiss the atmosphere of vigorous opencriticismofthecity-state’sleaders.Thereisn’tanytospeakof.Don’tyoudaredisrespectfullycriticize,forthisisSingapore,andsincethe1950s,ithasbeenrunbyoneman(andtheelitearoundhim).HisfullnameisHarryLeeKuanYew,butHarryisusedrarely,maybebyclosefriends,orenemieswhoneedlethathe’smoreBritishthanChinese.Anyway,LKY,atthiswriting,isnow86yearsofage.It’spasttimeyoumethim.

OneLateAfternoonintheSummerof2009

HEWALKSINandslipsmeanod,nowclosinginatabout15feetaway.Buthelackshischipperlittlestepofyore.

LKY,itappears,hasacold.We shakehands. I notice immediately that hisofficedidpass alongmy request thatwedressvery

casually (and that these sessions take place anywhere but in the formality of his office). I suppress achuckle. This grungy level of casual I hadn’t quite expected. Here is this precise and even elegantstatesmandeckedoutinnondescriptneo-warehouseclothes,shroudedinthetrademarkwindbreaker,withworkman’strousersandsomekindofgenericslippers.ThewholeoutfitseemsassuitedforamanabouttocleanouthisgarageasundergotheordealofquestioningbyaWesternjournalist!

Thenyouseethedistressofpain.Hisstoicfacehasalookofwearypersecutionandhiswalkisasortof gravity-challenging, leaning-forward step-by-step-without-falling mini-jog. This is from a vigorousmanwhohas spentanadult lifetime in seriousworshipofanexercisemachine.Hedoesnot favor theimpedimentsofcoldor injury.Hecoughsand thisseems impossible.Since1996I’ve interviewedhimthreetimes.Hisfirstremarktomewasalways:“Tom,getonthetreadmill,losesomeweight.”

Hewasright—asisoftenthecase.For decades he has developed his brain as a mix of British positivism, classic Chinese Sun Tzu

strategizing,andflat-outSingaporeannationalism.Thatbrainhasbeenhonedandshapedinsideawell-toned,healthybodymade inSparta-via-Singapore.Philosophershaveoftenwrittenof the ‘mind-body’problem.ButwithLKYtherehasbeennoproblem;itallseemstofitlikeaSingapore-madeSwissclockthatjustkeepsonticking.

Butwhenheisobviouslylowlikethis,youalmostjoke:Singaporeissuchasmallcountry,theplacemightwellcometoastopifthefounderweretoslowdown;everyonemightjustaswelltakethedayoffandstayinbed.

Ofcourse,youremindyourself,heisnolongerprimeminister(hissonis);ofcourseheisoff-to-the-sideandwelloffthepitch(doubtful),andallofthat.Butaslongasthislegendarystatesmanisalive,heistoSingaporewhatthecenteristoacircle—inthemiddleofthewholedeal.

Andnowhehasacold!Seriously, I feel sorry for him,havingnever felt this fromhimbefore.They sayLKY is a clammy

methodicalfish,butIneverhavefoundhimthatway.Topeopleclosetohimandaroundhim,hehasbeenmeticulous,demanding, impatientand,yes,sometimesbrutallydismissive.Butwithme,at least,hehasbeen a helpful and patient tutor in the all-important subjects of politics, governance and internationalrelations.He is passionate about ideas (especiallywhen theyworkormake sense), aboutSingapore’suniqueness(aslongasyoudon’tmakefunofit,especiallythechewinggumandcaningpart),aboutnottoleratingpoliticalstupidity(unlessit’sfromtheU.S.Congress—arichsource—andthenhe’lltrysohardtokeephismouthshut),aboutimbecilityingovernance(never—hehopes—hisown),andaboutassertinganessential role forAsiaon theworld stage (dominated in recent centuriesby theAmericans and theEuropeans,butperhapsthiscentury,eventually,byAsia).

Hisownsuperioritycomplexarisesinpartfromhissenseofwhat’srequiredtohelpredressAsia’slong-sufferinginferioritycomplex.

Lee,nowtitled‘MinisterMentor’(notmyall-timefavoritetitleforaseriousofficialposition!),andIareseatedroundadiningtable,inthefarcornerofaverylargeroom.ItiscalledtheStateRoom,anditismuch larger than theOvalOfficeof theWhiteHouse, thoughnot in the same league as theDelegates’LoungeofftothesideoftheGeneralAssemblyattheUnitedNationsinNewYork.ButitisinaleagueofitsownasareminderofthelegacyofBritishcolonialism.YoucouldimagineWinstonChurchillcallinginhiswarcabinet,lightingacigar,sittingdowninoneofthelargeyellowsofasandfeelingrightathome.That is, until he ventured outside—and got hit in the face by the climatic oven of the equator. SunnySingapore,ohyes,isnograyLondon.

Butintheafternoon,youmightwanttostaycoolandremaininside,aswearerightnow:LeeKuanYew and myself, with two of his aides, in this gorgeous, chandeliered, cavernous room that is air-conditionedasseverelyasawarehouseofperishables.

Soitiscoolandslightlydarkinthecornerwhereweare,sectionedofftocreateafeelingofintimacybyawideChinesepartition,mostlydarkemeraldanddecoratedelegantlywithbirdsandflowers. It iseasyontheeyes.Overagainstapanelofold-stylerectangularfloor-to-ceilingwindowsthatoverlooktheconnecting corridor, a pair of physical rehab aides (he has his ownphysiotherapy team) stand still asstatuettes, waiting to replenish the heat pad on the battered right leg of the ordinarily fit-to-a-teestatesman.

LKYturnshisheadalittletotheleftandlooksatmeasiftosay,let’sgetgoing.Hekeepstighteningthethigh-warmingpadandlookingovertoamalephysical therapist inwhitewhowillkeeprunninginwith ones freshlywarmed.An injury sufferedwhile dismounting an exercise bike (a daily ritual) hassuddenlyturnedthisotherwisephysicallyvigorousformerhead-of-governmentintosomethingmorelikeanoldmanfinallylookinghisage.

TolightentheatmosphereItrytoeaseintomyCool-Complimentary-Mode.Ifloatoutasillycomment—somethingalongthelinesofhowwelltherecenttrektoneighboringMalaysiawent.Itdoesn’twork,itseemsoff-key,andIshouldhaveknownbetter.Thismuch-celebratedandmuch-criticizedguruofmodernsuccessfulSingapore, this highpriest of traditionalAsian/Confucianvalues, this bêtenoireofWesternhuman rights groups, this hard-nosed exponent ofwhatWesterners have termed ‘soft authoritarianism’,this formidable intellect—is not one for gratuitous brown-nosing. Even as he plows on deep into theeighthdecadeofhis life,hegivesyou the feeling thathe isaman inahurry,wherever it ishe is stillgoing.Generally,flatterygetsyounowhere:it’sasifhefeelssuchfluffonlyslowshimdown,distractshim from seeing the end point, and perhaps even is aimed at lulling him into some kind of rhetoricalambush.

Heglancesbackatmewitheyesthatusuallyseemtohidesomuch—becausetheyhaveseensomuchover the decades—but this time convey only the slightest of irritation.Yes, there’s a fearsome side toLKY, and he is not exactly a role model for everyone. He is always knocked about by human rightsorganizationsof theWestforSingapore’snear-automaticdeath-to-drug-dealerspolicyandgeneralsternsentencing policies. Few Westerners find charming his wily ways of manhandling serious politicalopponents.Scorestendtobesettledinthecourts,where,almostmiraculously,LKYneverlosesacase,and the inevitable losers find themselves plunged into financial doom. Outsiders have described thisapproachasa‘softauthoritarian’styleofgovernance.

FormanyWesterners, in fact,Singapore is littlemore than a technologicallypsyched-up, soft-coregulagofcaning,don’twalkonthegrass(anddon’tsmokeanygrass),nochewinggumallowed,don’tdoanything unless we tell you it’s not specifically prohibited, and be careful if you openly criticize thefounderofmodernSingaporebecausetheinheritedandstill-usedBritishanti-defamationlawstilttoward

representativesofthestate.SoallIamexpressingtoLKYaswestartismyhopethatthislittlebookofourconversationswill

attractenoughcuriosityintheWesttotakeusallbeyondclichésandhalftruths,promptingusalltobeginthinkingoutoftheconventionalpoliticalbox.WeintheWestmightevenwindupappreciatingSingaporeforwhatitis—triumphs,warts,whatever.

For justa second, theoldcockyanddefiantLKYsurfacesamid thecoughsandsighsandpangsofpain.Hisface,thoughwelllined,isanimated;heisgrinningnow,soveryalert:“Well,IthinkwhattheWesternworldreadershipdoesnotunderstandisthatattheendoftheday,Iamnotworriedbyhowtheyjudgeme.IamworriedbyhowthepeopleIhavegovernedjudgeme.IowethemthisresponsibilitywhenIputmyselfupforelectioninthe50s,wonit,tookthemintoMalaysiaandtookthemoutofMalaysia.WehadtomakeanindependentSingaporework.”

Heissuddenlyonhisfirstroll;therewillbemanytodayandtomorrow.Heisamasterexplainerandconvincer,sowatchout!He’shardtoresist!Hecontinues:“ItwasanenormousburdenIthoughtIcouldnot discharge. We had to create a new economy. But I had a good team. Empirically, we tried oneapproachaftertheotherandfinallysucceeded.Aftersucceeding,mynextjob[heresignedasPMin1990]wastofindsuccessorswhowouldcarryonthesystembecauseifitbreaksdown,thenallthatIhavedonewillcometonaught.

“So,Ihadasuccessorin[formerPM]GohChokTong[nowseniorminister]andateamwithhim.Istayedbehindtoshowhimhowhecanchangethings.Ifhewantstochangethis,thisisthewaytodoit.Nocrushingofgears.Withinsixmonths, threeministers leftbecause theydidn’t likehisstyle. I talkedthemoutofit.Isaid,givehimtime,heneedstosettlein.Theystayedonandhecarriedonfor14years.Ihelpedhim.Heappointedmysondeputywhohelpedhimsucceed.

“Goh’s success means I have succeeded, not that he has succeeded only. His success reflectscreditablyonme.Hehasdecided tohelpmyson [LeeHsienLoong] succeedbecause thatwill reflectfavorablyonhim.Wehaveevolvedasystem,avirtualcycle.Atsomepoint,itmaybreakdownbecausetheablestandthebrightestmaynotcomeintodothejobbecausetheythinkalliswell,whyshouldtheyexpose themselves to press publicity, constrict their family life? If that happens, we will have analternativegovernment.”

Islipaword in:“Butyouareprettyproudofwhatyouhave?”Idonotdredgeup thewell-knownSingaporejibethatthetriumphanttriadissometimeslabeledas‘theFather,theSonandtheHolyGoh’.

“ItwasthebestthatIcoulddowiththepeoplethatIhad.”I explain that this is the story—theamazing ‘Singapore’movie—thatneeds tohitAmerica’smovie

screens.WeintheWestneedtoknowmoreaboutthisplace,rejectingwhatisnotrightforAmericabutkeepingourmindsopentoborrowingandadaptingwhatmightstillworkforus.

He shakes his head—slowly,with a little fatigue—then tightens thewarming pad around his rightthigh,sipsabitofwaterfromasmallglassonthecardtableputinfrontofus,andtellsmethathedoesn’tthinkmuchofthatpossibility.

“No,”he replies inhischaracteristicpessimist-realist tone,with thatoverlayofBritishaccent thatfogsovercenturiesofChineseheritage.“Only those interested in internationalaffairsand inEastAsiawillbother,nomatterwhatyoudo.TheaverageAmericanonlyknowsSingaporeassomefarawayplace,unlesstheyhavevisitedit. If theydid, theywouldhavebeensurprisedthat itwasnot thesortofplacetheyexpected!”

Cuedbytheboss,arehabaidejetstowardtheseniorstatesmanwithanotherheatpad.LKYtightensitalmostfiercely,asifonlyapainfulvice-likegripwillexpungethepain.

I look at him: “You’re right, dismaymight attendmodern Singapore’s failure to live up to the oldcliché.”

Henods:“Theydon’tknowwhereSingaporeis,theyarenotinterested.TheythinkofonlyMichaelFay[theinfamousgraffititeendelinquentwhoin1994wentonaspraypaintingspreeinSingaporeandwasthuscaned],thenmaybecaning,chewinggum…strangeoddplacethisSingapore.”

For too long a time, the issue of banned chewing gum (now largely legally chewable) clouded upWesternmedialenseswhenevertheyfocusedonthisislandcity-state.ReportsspunchewinggumintoametaphorforSingapore’speculiarways,and/orforitslockstep,police-stateproclivities.Formanyyearsas a visiting columnist, I too chewed over the puzzle of the chewing gum conundrum, but came tounderstand that the tendency to stick the remains of the gum in everywhich placewas viewed by theauthoritiesasapalpableattackonSingapore’sambitiontobeperfect.Thatis,itwasanti-utopian.Itwasgumminguptheworks.AsfarasLKYandhisteamwereconcerned,theyuckyhabit,commonplaceintheolddays,wasapalpableenemyofprogress.Thewaytoedgeforwardtowardutopiawassimple:simplyoutlawchewinggum.

...whattheWesternworldreadershipdoesnotunderstandisthatattheendoftheday,Iamnotworriedbyhowtheyjudgeme.IamworriedbyhowthepeopleIhavegovernedjudgeme.

Buthasn’t theWesternmediamovedbeyond thechewinggumnonsense,all thesame?Surely thesepastimpressionshavebeenovertakenbyenlightenednewperspectivesonSingapore?

Lee,fiddlingwiththelatestheatpadashereplies,looksatmeandthendownathisrightleg:“Iamnotsurewearepasthistory.Butthemediahavestoppedfloggingthedeadhorse.TheycanseethatthereisadifferentSingapore.Itisnolongersterile,it’snolongeranabsenceoffun.”

Hestarts towarmuphere,as if lookingbothbackwardsandforwards:“Wehaveputonacolorfulglossandbuzz.Forhighculture,wehavemanymuseums,artgalleries, rapandwhateverelse theyaredoinginthediscos,beerandwine-drinkingbytheriverside.Theyboostthetouristtrade.Itispartofaworldculture.”

The Clarke Quay waterfront span near Singapore’s downtown area is a major tourist attraction.Somehow—youhavetochuckle—it’sveryhardtoimagineLKYleaningagainstabarintheweehourswatchingthestreetactionandrunningupatab.

Itryonceagain—onelasttime.Iexplainthatthechallengeinwritingthisbookistoreachpeoplewhoareunawareofthechange,andwhohereallyis,andsoIadd:“IwanttogettothatinteriorLKY.Idon’thavetoconvinceSingaporeansthatyouareimportant,andIdon’thavetoconvinceeventheneighboringMalaysiansthatyouareimportant,orperhapsanyoneinthisregionofthis.”

Lee,coughingheavily(he’sanon-smoker),startstointerrupt,butIamdeterminedtofinishmypointandplungeon:“ButifIdothisbookright,itcouldbeagreathelptoAmericanstryingtounderstandwhatyoustandfor.Look,peopleinSingaporeknowyouareanimportantmanbut...”

Hestopsmeinmytrackswithabitofnegativebodylanguage.ReferringtomycommentabouthowwellSingaporeansknowhim,hehitsmewith this: “They think theyknowme,but theyonlyknow thepublicme.”

Itseemswehavehitanerve.

FatherKnowsBest

BORNANDRAISEDontheislandofSingapore,livinghereallhislifeexceptforschoolingabroadandalotofhard-drivingglobe-trotting,LKYhasheldthecenteroftheislandcity-state’spubliclifeformorethanfivedecades.AndhethinksevenSingaporeansdon’treallyknowhim—muchlessoutsiders?Amazing!

Perhapsthisdesiretorevealmoreofhimselfthaneverbeforehelpsaccountfortherelativealacritywithwhichheagreedtotheseinterviews.Hispresssecretary,MadamYeongYoonYing(orYY,assheisfondlyaddressedsometimes)saysshecannot recallMinisterMentorgivingaU.S. journalist thismuchinterviewtime.

No, there must be something else underneath the surface of LKY, this ethnic Chinese man whoseSingapore patriotism (and thus his political career) was born amid the horrific wartime Japaneseoccupation,andwhoseunbrokenlineofserialgovernmentshaveledthisstrategicallylocatedislandstateofalmostfivemillionintoanunexpectedlyprominentdestiny.

Whodoeshethinkheis?Heunderstandsthathesometimesseemsunapproachable,distant,evenmenacing.Iasklight-heartedly:“WillyougreatlydisputemeifIdonotcharacterizeyouthusly,‘fun-loving’and

‘light-hearted’?”He shakes that off and answers un-defensively: “I would not call myself ‘fun-loving’ or ‘light-

hearted’.ButIamnotseriousallthetime.Everyoneneedstohaveagoodlaughnowandthen,toseethefunnysideofthings,andtolaughathimself.”

ButIdoubtmanySingaporeanseverseehisinteriorfunnyside.Maybethat’swhathemeanswhenhesayshispeopleonlyknowtheexteriorLee.

Thisisnotsurprising.PeopleoftenlabelSingaporethe‘NannyState’.Itwakesyouupinthemorning,watchesoutforyouduringtheday,andtucksyouintobedatnight.Butit’snecessarilyasuffocatinglove,withlittleroomforbubblymirth.

Butthe‘NannyState’appellationseemstooun-masculine.SingaporeputsaDarwinianemphasisondisciplineandhardwork.AndlookingoverallisLKY,theultimategodfather.Tome,atleast,thecountryhasalwaysseemedmorelikea‘DaddyState’.ThisreflectionremindsmeofanoldAmericanTVshow—broadcasteddecadesago—called“FatherKnowsBest”.

Itwasahugehit.Thepointofthestorylineswasthat,yes,fatherdidknowbest,eveniftherestofthefamily sometimes didmake fun of him behind his back.ManyAmericanswatched admiringly, almostreligiously. Thiswas beforeAmerica’s feminists hadmademajor inroads intoU.S. culture. Thiswasbeforethedivorceratesoared,beforegaymarriagewasanationalpoliticalissue,andlongbeforeAIDS.

Myownfather,longdeceased,hadperhapsatleastonequalityincommonwithLKY:hewascertainthat thisparticular fatherdidknowbest all the time. I amnot entirelycertainwhen I firstknewofmyabilitytogetalongwellwithstrongauthoritarianfigureswhowerealwayssosureofthemselves.Butitprobablyoriginatedwiththeproblemofgettingalongwithmyfather.Hewas(shallwesay?)noteasytogetalongwith.

Hewasmuchtaller thanLKY,allGerman(as inPrussian,Poland-boundinvasiontype-A).Hewaspoorlyeducated,buthard-workinganddecent,yetaddictedtopainkillersfromwartimeinjuryintheU.S.Marines,andasateenagerhadbeenbeatensometimesonthebackwithanicepick—byhisfather,who

had(shallwesay?)temper-controlissues.Alengthyconversationwithmyfatherwasararity,andanegotiation.Healsohadatemper.Henever

hitme,thoughtherewasatimewhenIleftthetopoffhisafter-shavelotionovernightthatIthoughtIwasdonefor.

Mybestfriendincollegewasabitlikemyfather,too—mostlyinaccessible,almostdeliberatelyineptwith small talk—but, like LKY, brilliant, in a quietly intimidating way. And then there were thoseoverbearing father-knows-best bosses atNew York magazine, Time magazine and a few other placeswhereIworkedbutwon’tmention—demanding,unforgiving,difficult,thoughoften(annoyingly)brilliant.

Intruth,Iwasmostlycomfortablewiththem.IamalwayscomfortablewithLKY.Fromhim,yousee,Idon’texpectfreshpastries,balletmusic,asmellofsaffronoranimpromptubout

of standup comedy. To be fair, Minister Mentor Lee—at least in other interviews with him for mysyndicatedcolumnpriortothefarlengthieronesforthisbook—wasalwayseasiertotalktothanmydadandalwaysofferedsomeoftheverybestinterviewsajournalistcanhave.

Ifindtalkingtohimalmostrelaxing.Honest.And,lookingatthisotherwisestalwartstatesman,apparentlyhavingabadhealthday,Inowseeheis

dialingdownintoaslightlybettermood.Theheatcompresses—oneafteranotherafteranother—seemtobe soothing, and this interviewer from theWest Coast of the U.S. hasn’t irritated him with the usualnothing-is-newWesternstylequestionsabouthumanrights,chewinggumandcaning.

In fact,whatLeedoesn’t know (ormaybehedoes) is thosequestions seem less compelling tomepreciselybecausetheyhavebeenaskedofhimandhiseliteteamoverandoverandoveragain.

The fact of thematter is that the country’s prosperity and civility cannot be denied.Whatmust befaceduptoisthis:Singaporeisahugesuccessandanobviousgem(withimperfections,ofcourse).WeintheWestmayquarrelwith theway itwasachieved,but theachievement somehowseems todwarf thecritique.Whyteardownamonumenttohardworkandsmartdecision-making?Singaporeisn’tabouttoinvadeneighboringstatesandimposeitssystemontheunwilling.Mygoalinthisbookofconversationsisn’t towhittleSingapore down to size, forwhatever sadisticmotive, but to size up thementality andphilosophyofmodernSingapore’sfounderandseewhatcanbelearned.

Leeshiftshisweightinhischair.Heawaits.Here we go: “I wanted to ask you about something that you’ve written about, which is your

temperament,theangerissuethatyouattributedtoyourfatherwhohadsuchatemper.”Ratherthaninsulthimby askingpoint-blank if he’s a hothead, thequestionbecomes the extent towhichhis allegedhot-headednessisinherited.

It is in this stormy context that Lee mentions his father in the first volume of his sweepingautobiography,TheSingaporeStory. I don’t askhim togo toodeep into this.Amateur psychoanalysiswon’tgetusveryfar.

So we approach the temper issue from the perspective of policy pursuits rather than psychicpermutations:“Mytheoryisthatyourtemperisprimarilyatoolofgovernance,leadership.Machiavelli—inyourwritingsyoudoexplicitlyrefertoNiccolòMachiavelli—saiditwasalwaysbestfortheleadertobelovedandfeared,butifyoucanachievebutone,it isbettertobefearedthanloved.Soistemperacharacterdefectoratoolofgovernment?”

Thisseemstheclassywayofapproachingit.Afterall,HitlerandStalinhadseriousangerissues(thenagain,sodidGandhiand,well,Beethoven,nottomentionVanGoghandVonKarajan...andcertainlyBillClinton).

LKY seems to shift his weight a little. “If you can switch it on and off, yes, it can be a tool ofgovernment,butpeoplewithirrepressibletemperscannotswitchitonandoff.Now,becausemyfatherhadanastytemper,Idecidedthattempersarebadbecauseitcreatedunhappinessformymotherandforthefamily.So,Ihavenever,Inevertrytolosemytemper.MaybeIhaveoccasionally,butItrytocontrolit.”

“Youuseitforeffect,though,ifyouhaveto?”Frankly,thisisoneoftheveryfew,ifnotonly,timesduringthehoursofinterviewingthatLKY,itseemstome,isbeinglessthanfullyhonestwithhimself.

“Seldom.IfIamreallyangry,mybodylanguagewillshowthatIammostdissatisfied.”“Canwesaythatyouarealmostlikeayoungpersongrowingupinanalcoholicfamily?Theytendnot

todrink.Youaresayingitwasapoisonedpotionasfarasyouareconcerned?”It’snotthatIamthinkingLeeisaliar.Beingcompletelyself-candidishardforanyone.Foryearsmy

regularlyscheduleddrinkingofsignificantquantitiesofalcoholcreatedproblems,butitneveroccurredtomethatwhatIwaslookingatwasatrulyseriousdrinkingproblem.Butitoccurredtomywife.

Leepauses,then:“Yes,ofcourse,andIhaveneverstruckmychildrenwhichmyfatherdid.HetookmebytheearsandputmeoverthewellbecauseI’drummagedhisverypreciousVaseline[brilliantine]called 4711, expensive in those days. I’ve never forgotten that. I read in the magazine, AmericanScientific,whensomethinghappenstoyouanditistraumatic,you’llneverforgetit.”

Ofcourse.“I’venever forgottenbecause Iwasonlyabout four, fiveyearsold.So, Idecidedmyfatherwasa

foolishmanwhonevercontrolledhimself.”Andthenmequicklyinserting,noticingthatallduringthisinterviewnotacreaturestirredoutsidein

thecorridororaroundtheinterviewtable:“Andthenanuncontrolledtemperismessy,right?”“Hemade the whole family unhappy. Hemademymother unhappy, and because of rows, all the

childrenbecameunhappy.Confucianismrequiresmetosupporthim[myfather] inhisoldage,whichIdid.”

ThetermsConfucianismandAsianvalueswillcropupa lot indiscussionswith—andabout—Lee.Roughly speaking, they mean a philosophy and ethics that lean toward traditional family-based andcommunity-oriented values overmodern technocratic and individual-centric ones. The achievement ofSingaporehasbeentoblendthetwoworldstogether, thoughnotwithoutrealpain.ButhiscriticslikenhimtoaConfucianemperormorethanademocraticallyelectedpoliticalfigure.Theknockonitsfounderis that he hides behind the old values (like hismother’s skirt)whenever critics raisemoral or ethicalissuesbasedonmoreindividualistic,Westernstandards.WhattheymaynotunderstandisthatnomatterhowWesternizedLeeKuanYewbecameatCambridge,hisDNAismillennia-deepChinese.

Itseemsunnecessarytopushhimfurtheronthepersonaltemperpoint.Everyoneintheworldknowshehasone,whethercontrolledorotherwise.Ifhedoesn’tknowthis,thenwhat’sthepointatthispoint?EverydrymartiniItakecontainsinherentunforeseenconsequences.Istilltakeoneoccasionally,butthat’sbecauseevenatmyage,partofmeisstillababy.Allmenare.Ageisirrelevant.Weguystendtostaysubmergedindenialratherthansurfaceandfacecertaindeeplypersonalrealities.

But,foolthatIam,Ipushhimonemoretime.He nods, accepting that the book needs to bemore personal if it is to add appreciably towhat is

known:“Myfaultsare impatience ingettingthingsdone,pressingmyassociatesandaides inputtingintheirbesttogetthejobdone,orfairlyquicklyreplacingthemwhentheyarenotmakingtheeffortwell.”

Duringtheexchange,histwoaides,seatedattheotherendofthetable,saynothingandavertmyeyes,despitemyrepeatedstaring.Iamreasonablysuretheyarealive.

Leeadds:“ItendtoblowupwhenmysecretariesaredilatoryandIamunderpressure.”Iwonderifthereisanythingelse.“Thisisnotanexhaustivelist.Icannotseemyself.”Thereisasilence.Headds:“Myfaultsaremanyandnumerous.Youwillhave toaskmyopponentsandenemies,and

therearemanyinSingapore.”

TheFoxandtheHedgehog(NotaDisneyMovie)

WHAT IS THE temper of the times?What is the temper/distemper of the leader?When one thinks of anauthoritarianleader(however‘soft’)whosportsabadtemper,onethinksofaHitleroraHirohitoleadingamilitarilypowerfulcountry.

Butwhataboutoneleadingamilitarilyinsignificantcountry?ThePopewasnottobefeared,Stalinoncesaid.Afterall,howmanydivisionshashegot?Butworldinfluencecannotbemeasuredinthemeremetricsofmilitarycapabilities.PopeJohnPaulII

(Karol Wojtyla) helped end the Cold War through the barrel of steady moral barrages againstCommunism.Lee,alsoastaunchanti-communist,hashadregionalandinternationalinfluencethroughthepotencyofhisideasaboutgovernance,cultureandinternationalrelations—ideasthathavespecialforceinpartbecausehiscountrySingaporehasputmanyofthemintoaction.Askalmostanyone,evensomeofhisenemies,andtheywillalmostallagree:LeeisagiantofAsia,nomatterhowtinyhiscountry.

Idrawhisattentiontoafamousessay,decadesold,bythelategreatOxfordFellowIsaiahBerlinthatmayprovideakeytounlockthesecretofthemindofLKY.It’sabouthowonemightclassifygreatfiguresinhistory.AnanalogyfromGreekliteratureofthehedgehogandthefoxisusedtodividegreatmenandwomenintotwomajorcategoriesofgreatleaders.

Ashehunchesupalittleinhischair,Iexplainitgoeslikethis:theFoxknowslotsofthings,lotsofdifferentwaysofsurviving.TheHedgehogonlyknowsonemajorthing,buttheonethattheHedgehogknowsisareallybigdeal—itiscentraltohislifeandthatofeveryoneelse.

So Einstein, who brought forth into the world this huge idea (about universal relativity), wouldobviouslybeaHedgehog.Bycontrast,thegeniusAristotlewasthescientistofthousandsoflittleideasand thus arguablywould be theFoxwhoknew lots of little things.Both are geniuses, but of differentkinds.

“Now,inthisfamousbook,Berlinmovesquicklyintotalkingaboutwhathereallywantstotalkabout,whichisthegreatnovelistLeoTolstoy.WhatisthenatureofTolstoy’sgenius?Berlinaskshimself.DidTolstoythinkhewasaFoxordidTolstoythinkhewasaHedgehog?And,eventhen,wasTolstoynotjustunderestimatinghimself? It seems tomeyouare almost adamant in saying thatyouare aFox, thatyouknowalotoflittlepracticalthings,andyouarenotbringingtotheworldsomebigHedgehogidea.”

In other words, this is our main question: LKY—Hedgehog, or Fox? And it is the big thematicquestiontowhichwewillreturnattheendofourconversations.

Listeningcarefully,he letsouta faintsighand tightens theheatpadonhis right thigh, thensays:“Idon’tthinkinthoseterms.Iamnotgreatonphilosophyandtheories.Iaminterestedinthem,butmylifeisnotguidedbyphilosophyortheories.Igetthingsdoneandleaveotherstoextracttheprinciplesfrommysuccessfulsolutions.Idonotworkonatheory.InsteadIask:whatwillmakethiswork?If,afteraseriesof such solutions, I find that a certain approachworked, then I try to find outwhatwas the principlebehindthesolution.”

MysenseisthatLeeharborsthegutinstinctthatallgeneralpoliticaltheories,howeverexpressedby(say)theaverageotherwiseharmlessuniversityprofessor,containeitheranexplosivemeasureofdangeroranoceanofprofoundnaiveté.Forwhenpushedtologicalendpoints,theyinclinetowardextremism,whether Communism at its purest or a brutal brand of capitalism sometimes labeled ‘free-market

fundamentalism’or...(mostprobablyofall)towardinconsequentialism.Leeworksthroughthesethoughts:“So,Plato,Aristotle,Socrates,Iamnotguidedbythem.Ireadthem

cursorilybecauseIwasnotinterestedinphilosophyassuch.Youmaycallmea‘utilitarian’orwhatever.Iaminterestedinwhatworks.”

Iamnotgreatonphilosophyandtheories.Iaminterestedinthem,butmylifeisnotguidedbyphilosophyortheories.

Lee thenuses adeft example todemonstrate the advantagesofkeepingyour ideology from runningawaywithyour common sense. “So, back in the1960s, 1970s, 1980s,” he says, a touchdismissively,“when the conventional and fashionable theories held [so-called] ‘Third World leaders’ in thrall,‘socialism’, ‘Communism’, ‘theSovietRepublic’and ‘noexploitingmultinationals’, Ibucked the trendandsucceeded.Thentheothersintheregionfollowedmyexample.”

Third World ideology took the unwavering (indeed, the mind-blowingly ideological) view thatpermittingaforeignmultinationalcorporationtooperateinyourcountrywastohandthemthekeytotheTreasury,allowthemtobilkthecountry’snaturalresourcesandstealoffwithyourmosttalentedchildren.InSingapore,though,thecountrypossessedsplendidhumanresources,nottomentionavigilantandcageyLKYwatchingoverthemassivemultinationals,tokeeptheirpredatorypracticestoaminimum.

He is clear enough on his pragmatism, but, whether he accepts it or not, extreme pragmaticutilitarianism is itself a philosophy: “And so you brought to your political culture a new utilitarianreligion!”

Barelymissing a beat, for themoment ignoringmy off-center direction, hewent on: “What ismyguidingprinciple?Presentedwiththedifficultyormajorproblemoranassortmentofconflictingfacts,IreviewwhatalternativesIhaveifmyproposedsolutiondoesn’twork.Ichooseasolutionwhichoffersahigherprobabilityofsuccess,butifitfails,Ihavesomeotherway.Neveradeadend.”

“Isee.There’salwaysaPlanBsoyoucanalwaysgetoffPlanArealfast?”“Yes,ofcourse,ifitdoesn’twork.”“AndyouwillnotletlobbyistsandothervestedinterestskeepitatPointAifit isnotgoodforthe

country?”“Right.No!”So, working with the multinationals, he is an anti-Marxist, right? That’s sort of an ideology, a

Hedgehogidea,right?Iaskhim.His response: “I amnot anti-Marxist but anti-communist, i.e. anti-Leninistmethods of organizing a

partytocapturepowerandtoholdasocietyinitstotalgriponceinpower.”Criticssometimessuggest thatLee’sPeople’sActionParty(PAP) issemi-Leninist incharacter.But

thecentralgovernment’smethodofcontrol isfarmoresubtleandnotremotelyasbrutal;anditderivescredibilityfromthedramaticallypositiveeconomicandsocietalresultsproduced.Westerncommentatorswhocandiscern littledifferencebetweenLKYandFidelCastrohavemuchto learnaboutSingapore’sfounder.

Hegoeson:“Marxargues that laborcreatesexcess returns thatarecreamedoffbycapitalists.ButMarx was wrong when he predicted this would lead to great injustices and, finally, rebellion and acollapse of the capitalist system. This has not happened because of trade unions fighting for betterworkingconditions,andgovernmentsredistributingincomesthroughhousing,health,educationandsocial

securitybenefits.”Allthisistothegood,hesuggests,especiallytheuseofcentralgovernmentinterventiontosanddown

theroughedgesofcapitalism.Itkeepsthingsmovingforward.Butextendedtoanideology,or tosomeinflexibleformula(orpoliticalpartyplatform),stateinterventionismcanbedangerous.

Inthisregard,heworriesalotaboutthedirectionoftheU.S.Headds:“InEurope,becausethesocialsecuritynetisovergenerous,theworkersarenotasharddrivingandtheeconomyhasbecomesluggish.The U.S. is at the other end, higher competition, with less social support. However, if the ObamaadministrationandCongressmovetowardstheEuropeanmodelofsocialsupport,itwillleadtoaslowerandlessdynamicAmericaneconomy.”

Youmaycallmea‘utilitarian’orwhatever.Iaminterestedinwhatworks.

Aswedoandshallseeevenmoreclearly,LeeishardlyshyaboutputtingupStopSignsandofferingadvicetoothers.HeobviouslyenjoysbeingtheSageofSingapore,thoughhe’ssmartenoughnottochargefoolishly into dangerouswaters. In past interviewshewould sometimes decline a leading question bysaying something like, “No, no, no, I don’t want to get into a fight on that point with your AmericanCongress.”

What’scertainlytrueoftheSingaporesageisthehighqualityofhiscounsel.Itisbalanced.Heisnoreligiousbelieverinfree-marketfundamentalism.Hewouldneverfallfortheprimitivismthathumansarealwaysrationaland/orself-interestedactorswhosebehaviorcanbemodeledwithpredictiveprecisionandwhosedecisionsarealwaysintheirand/ortheirsociety’sbestinterests.

Iask:“Sowheredoyourcoreinstinctsoriginatefrom?”“Youcanbeginbyanalyzingmycharacter.Mythinkingcomesfrommycharacter.HowdidIgettobe

what I am?Maybe my DNA was that way. Also I have my life experiences. One meets a series ofunforeseeable and unpredictable situationswhen yourwholeworld collapses.Anyway,mine did. TheBritish Empire was supposed to last another 1,000 years in Southeast Asia, but collapsed when theJapanesearmycamein1942.IneverthoughttheycouldconquerSingaporeandpushtheBritishout.Theydid,andbrutalizedus,includingme.Luckily,myheadwasnotcutoff.Manylosttheirs.”

“Youhadanarrowescapeatonepoint.”Henodsaffirmatively.“IlearnedaboutpowerlongbeforeMaoZedongwrotethatpowercamefromthebarrelofthegun.

TheJapanesedemonstratedthis;theBritishdidnot.They[theBrits]wereatthetailendofEmpirewhentheydidnothavetousebruteforce.TheBritishhadsuperiorityintechnology,commerceandknowledge.They built this big Government House on a hill with Indian convict labor in 1868 to dominate thepopulations.Thisbuildingdominatedthewholeisland.I learnedhowtogovern,howyoudominatethepeople,astheBritishdid,andhowtheJapaneseusedtheirpower.

“ThemomenttheJapanesetookover,theymovedtoallthebigbuildings.Theybecamethedominantforce, andwith thepowerof lifeanddeathoveryou,youobey,orno food, arrest, torture.Thewholepopulationbecamesubmissiveexceptforafewwhotooktothejungleandfoughtbackasguerillasand,iftheywerecaught...”

“Tortured,huh?”Hecoughsagain.

“Yeah,manywere.Youcansay,Iama‘Fox’inthesensethatIknowinthissituation,thishappens,inthatsituation,thathappens.Watchyourstep,likethefox.”

“Andyouknowalotofsurvivalsteps,right?”Henods:“Butisthereaguidingprinciple,agoldenthreadthatrunsthroughallofthem?Iamnotsure,

Iamnotsure.”Ipushon,determinedorfoolish,Idon’treallyknow:“Justtounderlinethatpoint,butthat’sexactly

whatIsaiahBerlingetsatwithregardtoLeoTolstoy,andTolstoysoundsjustlikeyou.Seriously!Tolstoyineffect said, Idon’thaveageneralprinciple, Idon’thaveanover-archingphilosophical approach, Iwant theempiricaldata, Iwant the specificsand then I respondasnecessary ... like that.ButBerlin’sthesisisthatpreciselybecauseTolstoywasagenius,thegeniusesalways,evensubconsciously,lookforsomeunifying principle or, perhaps, some sense of overall order.You knowwhat Imean, so that youdon’treallyhavetomakeyouroverallframeworkupallthetime.”

Just as Berlin thought Tolstoy was a secret Hedgehog, no matter what the great Russian novelistthoughtofhimself,IharborthesameinstinctaboutSingapore’smodernfounder.ButIknowheportrayshimselfasasensible-shoesBritishempiricistwithouttheoreticalpretensions,andsoIknowmyTolstoyHedgehogideaisdestinedtoproveahardselltothishard-boiledstatesman.Butwhygiveupsosoon?WeAmericansarebornoptimists!

How about Plato? I ask himwhether his beloved Singapore (the country, not themovie) properlywantstobealater-dayRepublicinthefashionofPlato—elitist,meritocratic,learned,anti-one-man-one-vote.Heknowsyouwouldn’tbeabletogetPlatotoendorsetheideathatthehomelessmaninthegutterofthestreetshouldhavethesameonevoteasthepresidentofHarvard.

Isay:“AndifyoudidhaveasystemthatcouldproduceaPlato,whoseideaofthecity-statewasasclosetoutopiaasonemightgetonearth,wouldn’tyouwantPlatotorunyourcountry?”

Lee clears his throat, as if at the same time clearing his mind, but pushes the focus away fromSingaporeandtowardthelargerquestionofsuperiorgovernanceandstableworldorder:“Platotalkedintermsofacity-state.Wearetalkingintermsofmeganationswithmanyethnicgroups,manycultures,manyreligions,multiplecontradictionsbetweenthem.Howitwillpanout,Icannotsay,butIdoknowthatthepresent system is not, as [the American political economist Francis] Fukuyama believes, the end ofhistory,thatnothingelsecanexceldemocracy,thatyoucannotdisplaceit.That’snottrue.”

Isay:“Classic liberaldemocraciesmayeventakeus toadeadend.Imean,Ihavespentfour, fivemonthsnowreadingallyourstuffandthinkingaboutwhatyou’vesaidandpreparingforthisinterview,and I see you as doing a number of things.But on theHedgehog side, yourwhole implicit critique ofdemocracy, of one-man, one-vote, I think your views,which inAmericawould be deemed politicallyincorrect,tosaytheleast,arisefromadeepwellofgoodwill,aswellasgenuinefear.Idon’tthinktheyareevilinanysense.Youstandforgoodgovernance.Imeanifyoustandforanythingatall,youstandforgoodgovernance.”

Nextyouwillhear—loudandclear—thevoiceoftheno-nonsenseBritishutilitarian.“Everysocietywantstobegovernedbyleaderswhobringthegreatestgoodtothegreatestnumberin

a fair and non-discriminating way. We could not have held the society together if we had not madeadjustmentstothesystemthatgivestheMalays,althoughtheyarenotashardworkingandcapableastheotherraces,afairshareofthecake.Theirlivesareimproving,theyhavegottheirownhomes,morearereceiving tertiary education and becoming professionals in various fields. They’re improving becausetheyseetheirneighborspushingtheirchildrenineducationandsothathelps.”

ThisiswhereLKYisonlyhintingatalonganddeeplyheldconvictionthatmightbetermed‘negative

eugenics’. Just as careful breeding in the animal world can produce superior specimens, carelessinbreeding in the animal (and human) world can produce less capable or less gifted subcultures. HeviewstheruralMalayswithcompassion,butalsowithconviction:theyarenotbredtobego-getters.HehascomparableviewsabouttheUighurs,whohavebeenpushedaroundbyamassiveinfluxofethnicHanChineseintoXinjiang,inwesternChina.Toreducethesometimesviolenttensionsthere,asontheMalayPeninsula, the answer is economic development that benefits all, even when you have to tweak thewealth-distributionmachineinnewways.

Hesays:“They[theChinesegovernment]developXinjiangandtheybelievetheywillalleviate theproblem.ItoldoneoftheirministersthatwhenIwenttoUrumqi,thecapitalinXinjiangin1990,IfoundtheUighursinthemajority,over50percent,andallinlow-risebuildings.Whenthistroublebrokeout,Uighurswerenowonly14percentofthepopulationofUrumqiandtheHanChineseareover70percentin these tall buildings. The roads and development have brought in theHanChinese from the coastalcities.HowcantheseUighurscompetewiththeHans?

“I told them, look, why don’t you do it another way? You can’t make the Uighur competitive inbusinessastheChinesehavebeendoingthisforthousandsofyears.WhynotgetyourHancompaniestobringthebestoftheUighursinasminoritypartners?Thentheyarealsointhehigh-risesandalsosharinginthegrowth.Instead,theyarebeingpushedout,notjusttheirbigcompanies,buteventheirhawkersandsmallshopkeepers,squeezedout.IfIwereaUighur,IwouldfeeltheHansaretakingover.InfrastructuredevelopmentmeansmoreHanChinese.MoreHanChinese...doesn’tmatterifIgetricherasaresult,butI’mbecomingpoorer.”

Ethnicities and nationalities that are allowed to be set at one another’s throats strike Lee asgovernancegonestupid.Themoreintegratedtheyarethanghettoized,economicallyaswellaspolitically,thebetter for economicdevelopment,not tomentionpolitical stability.Hegrabsanother contemporaryexample out of the air, as if reaching for a few bars of somemusical score to illustrate a favorite, ifcommonsensical,theme.

“Another example isSriLanka. It is not a happy, united country.Yes, they [themajoritySinhalesegovernment]havebeaten theTamilTigers this time,but theSinhalesewhoare lesscapableareputtingdownaminorityofJaffnaTamilswhoaremorecapable.Theyweresqueezingthemout.That’swhytheTamils rebelled.But I donot see themethnic cleansing all twomillion-plus JaffnaTamils.The JaffnaTamilshavebeeninSriLankaaslongastheSinhalese.”

“SowhatAsiasawwasethniccleansing?”“That’sright.”“Theywillcomeback,youthink?”“Idon’tthinktheyaregoingtobesubmissiveorgoaway.ThepresentpresidentofSriLankabelieves

hehassettledtheproblem;hisTamilTigersarekilledandthatisthat.”IlookupfrommynotesandwithasensethatherewemightbeseeingasideofLKYthatisunder-

reported,Isay:“See,that’sreallyafascinatingpoint,becausetotheextentthatwehaveanysenseofwhoyouareatall,wethinkofyouasthishard-boiledforce-firstguy.Butinfactyoursystemofgovernmentismuchsofter,consensualandintelligent,whereaswhattheSinhaleseinSriLankaaredoingisacaricatureofanLKYwhoneverexisted.”

Leefightsacringe,asiffightingoffabadmemory—ormybadanalogy.Hestartstosaysomething,thenstops,thenleavesitatthis,referringtoSriLanka’spresident:“I’vereadhisspeechesandIknewhewasaSinhaleseextremist.Icannotchangehismind.”

Undertaking battles that cannot be won is not a particular trademark of LKY’s pragmatic success

formula. Neither is a religious obeisance to so-called pure democracy as the form of preferredgovernment.HedoesnotmentionthatSriLankaisademocracy,basedonone-citizen,one-vote.He’snotagainst democracieswhen theywork.He’s against defending them just because they are democracies.ThispositionstrikesmeasmoreconsistentthantheU.S.relationshipwithotherdemocracies:wesupportthemonlywhenweapproveofthem,denouncingthem(orworse)whenwedon’t.

Heisalsoopposedtodefendingpropositionsthathavelittlefactualfoundationsimplybecausetheyare politically correct. He does think, by and large, Chinese people work harder than many othernationalitiesorethnicities(thoughnot,forexample,morethantheJapanese).Infact,hesuspectsthe21stcenturywillbeaChineseorAsianone.He thinks theTamilsdeservemore respect than theSinhalesehave given them.He doubts the averageMalaywill ever become a hard-chargingworkaholic, as aremany Chinese ... as are (as we will see later) many Israelis ... and as are the Japanese. In fact, theJapanesearesodriventhattheyservetounderscorethepointthatevenaninefficientdemocraticsystemofgovernmentisnotnecessarilyanimpedimenttoeconomicgrowth.

ChinaSyndrome

THESINGAPORE-CHINArelationshipisanimportantpartofthisconversation.Butfirstalittlebackgroundisneeded.

LKYwouldbethefirsttoadmitthatheisrivetedbyChina.AfterhisSingapore,heprobablythinksaboutnothingelsemore,thoughrisingIndiahaslatelybeenhighonhisradarscreen.

Chinaisnotjustahugeplacealmostbeyondhumanimagination,butitalsohasbecomeahugenewconcept.Forthefirsttimeinalongtime,allourfutureswilldependalotonwhatChinadoesordoesnotdo.ThiswillbetoughformanyofusintheWest,especially,todigest.Weareusedtobeingcenter-stage.

Chinaisnotonlyacountrywithmoreinhabitantsthananyother.Nowrisingtore-establishitsnormalhighrankingintheplanet’sgeopoliticaluniverse,itisalsoaniconforbreakneckeconomicdevelopment.Unstoppable?Nooneknows;anythingcanhappen,andinChina,ithas.ButitdoeslooktobetheAsianexpresstrainofthe21stcentury.Thiswasnotthevisionofthefuturebackinthe1960s,whenitwasstillastumbling,half-sleepinggiant.Butdeeplyembeddedhistoricalforcesdonotstaydownforlong.

IthasbeentheinstinctofLKYandhisinnercircletotrytolookbeyond(andbepubliclyarticulateaboutlookingbeyond)history’snextgreatbreathtaking,hairpincurve.MuchlikethegreatthinkerArnoldJ. Toynbee (1889–1975), his sense is that civilizations and cultures need (more or less urgently) torespond to the challenges and threats of history, if they are to survive. He also shares the viewwithToynbeethatacultureorcountry that lacksadriving,highlyeducatedelitedeeplycommitted topublicserviceisdoomedtobeslowtorespond—perhapstragicallyandevenfatallyslow.

Ononelevel,Lee’shugebetsontheelitistapproachtogovernancecanbeattributedtohisDNAdebt,asitwere,tothetrackrecordofhighlyeffectiveChineseMandarinsinpastdynasties.Butbeyondmerereprise,Lee’scontemporarypowereliterepresentsanaffirmationandextensionofthatprincipleinaverydifferentsetofcircumstances. Ineffect,moderngovernance,which includesbasicdecision-makingandpriority-setting,istoocomplextobelefttothemaninthestreet.

LeealwaysknewthathisobsessionaboutChinawasinSingapore’slong-termnationalinterest.IfatinyvulnerablecountrylikeSingaporedoesn’tclimbaboardandperhapsevenslipintoaseatbehindthepilot-engineer on the Chinese train, operating as a kind of unofficial back-seat driver, it will be leftdangerously behind.He has also steadily obsessed that ifChina itself didn’t change dramatically, thattrain would never even leave the station—and the whole region would be stuck without this hugeeconomicengine.

Quickas ...well ... a fox,LKYclimbedaboard, ran into thecabin, andbeganengagingwithDengXiaoping(1904–97).ThelatemasterleaderofChina—thesuccessortoMaoZedong—savedChinafromtotalcollapse.TheformerprimeministerofSingaporemay‘only’beaFox,byhisownestimation,butDengwasaHedgehogifthereeverwasone.Dengcametoaccepttheverylargeideathatonlysomekindof reformed entrepreneurial capitalism could save communistChina from self-destruction.He had that‘visionthing’,aswesayintheU.S.

Thetwoleadershadincommonextremeambition,adeterminationnottoletanythingoranyonegetintheirway,andasharedsenseoftheChinesepeople,everywhere,deservingaspecialplaceontheworldstage.Theyfirstmetwhenthediminutive,chain-smokingDeng,74yearsold,wasstillnowhereyetneartheheight of his powerson themainland.Lee, from the colossally smaller country southof theMalay

Peninsula,wasthenapproximatelytwodecadesyoungerandwellintohispowersoverSingapore,thoughnotsowellknownontheglobalstage.Thiswasin1978.Thetimingisimportanttoappreciate.LeewasworriedaboutSingaporebeingleftbehindwhenChinagotbackuptospeed.

The near-epochal Deng-Lee get-together did not finally occur until a half-dozen years after thestunningFebruary1972secretvisitofRichardNixontoChina.Asscreaminglycynicalamoveforbothsidesof theSino-U.S. aisle as theNixonploywas, it yielded thepivotalShanghaiCommuniqué.Thispledged the governments of theUnited States and the People’sRepublic ofChina towork toward thenormalizationofrelationsandnot“seekhegemonyintheAsia-Pacificregion”.FewAmericandiplomaticabout-faces had ever so stunned the world. And for Asia, it was nothing less than a major politicalearthquake. Today, Lee, in particular—though hardly uniquely, of course—views 1972 as a positivewatershedyearintheevolutionofthestrategicstructureofEast-Westrelations.

InLee’seyes,PresidentRichardNixoncarvedoutaspecialplaceforhimselfinhistory.Thatis,hemay have been inept in a hundred smallerways, but not on this very big issue of China. The sins ofWatergateandotherseriouserrorsof judgmentnotwithstanding,Nixon, forone,at leastunderstood thebig ideas that make the world go around. For a long time prior to that breakthrough, the best policywisdomaboutChinawas that the sleepinggiant shouldbe fed tranquilizerswith itsdaily slatheringofshark-finsouptokeepitsleepy.ButNixonsensedthatChinawouldnotsleepforever,andthosewhodidnottrytouseChinaforitsownnationalinterestswouldinevitablylosethegametothosethatdid.TryingtoallyBeijingagainstMoscow,whichwasthentheenormouslymenacingSovietEmpire,seemedlikeaverygoodideaatthetime.

LeegreatlyadmiredthehardgeopoliticalgroundworkofNixonandhisthen-nationalsecurityadvisorHenryKissinger.AndasMaobegantocometohisend,LeereachedouttoDenginasseemlyawayaspossible.By1978Dengwasitchingtogetthecountrymovingforward—andfast.HisvisittoSingaporethen became known as something of awidely heralded crash-course in rapid state-driven, capitalisticeconomicdevelopment,withLeeasFriendlyCollegialTutor.WhenDengendedthevisitandwentontoother stops, he complimentedLeeonSingapore’s impressive achievements.Lee said thankyou for thecompliment,butofcoursebothunderstoodthatSingaporewasscarcelyathirdorafourththepopulationofShanghaialone.LeesaysthatDengsighedandrepliedwithsomethinglike:“IfIonlyhadShanghaitodo, I toomight be able to changeShanghai quickly [as you have Singapore].But I have thewhole ofChina!”

Tinyor little titan,youhave toadmire thewaysmallSingapore,beingdemographically two-thirdsChinese,becamethesmartypantstutorinthere-educationofDeng,themasterrebuilderofmassiveChina.ThistutorialrolehasbeenanimmenselypositivefactorinSingapore’sprestigiousriseinAsia—andoneof anumberof important factors inChina’s lusty embraceof akindof socialized capitalism.The truemeasure of Lee’s influence on China’s tilt toward a kind of Chinese capitalism can of course beoverstated,butitcanalsobeunderstated.ForfewdisputethatChinawasdesperateformodelsthatwere(a)Chineseand(b)successstories.Thereweren’ttoomanyofthemin1978.OnewasSingapore—andthe placewas inAsia, not in Scandinavia; it was Chinese, not Japanese or Occidental; and it was awinner.

Leenods:“TheChineseknowIhavehelpedtheminthepast.TheideasthatDengXiaopingformed,ifhehadnotcomehere[inthe1970s]andseentheWesternmultinationalsinSingaporeproducingwealthforus,trainingourpeoplesoasaresultwewereabletobuildaprosperoussociety,thenhemightneverhaveopenedup...openingupthecoastalSEZs[SpecialEconomicZones]thateventuallyledtothewholeofChinaopeningupbyjoiningtheWorldTradeOrganization.

“Hehad fortuitously seenSingapore. In1978,wehadadiscourse. I said tohim,Communismwillonlywork ifyoubelieve thatallmenwill sacrifice themselves for their fellowmenandnot [first] forthemselvesandtheirfamilies.Iworkonthebasisthatallmenandwomenfirstworkforthemselvesandtheir families, andonly thenwill they share a portionof itwith the less fortunate.That’s thebasis onwhichIwork.”

Lee, ineffect, isclaiminga role (whichmagnitude tobedeterminedbyhistory’s later judgment) inhelpinglaythegroundworkforwhatmayturnouttobeaChinesecentury.

“So,hedecided,leasethelandtothefarmers,individualfarmers,whereuponproductivitywentup.Hemusthavebeenthinkingaboutit,butseeingSingaporeconfirmedhisthinking.Itworkedwellinthecoastalprovinces,SEZs,especiallyShenzhen,tappingHongKong.Thenall thecitiesopenedup.Now,thewholecountryisinWTO.”

AndIaddtheveryobviouspoint:“Whichwasahugehistoricaljumpandpoliticaldecision.”Right,henods:“So,therelationshipwithmegoesbackalongway,openingwindowsforthem.When

theydealwithmysuccessors,it’sdifferent.TheChinesearealreadysuccessful.Butsincetheycanstilllearnfromoursystem,theystillvisitus.”

ThisisakeypointwithLKY,andcentraltounderstandingthepropositionthatSingapore’simportancemust transcend its size and population. Instead of cowering and feeling diminished in the shadow ofgiants,thismicrowave-sizenationgainsstaturebyplayingwiththebigboys,evensomewhatfearlessly,thoughneverrecklessly.

Helooksatmewiththatpairofraisin-blackeyesandquicklyadds:“Itissillytothinktheywilljustcopyus.Theylookatusandsay,well,willthisworkinChina?Wheretheythinksomethingwillwork,theytakethatparticularsegmentandbud-graftitontotheirsystemwithsomealterations.”

He goes into detail about a specific Singapore policy that works in China: “Take their housingprogramforpublichousing.[ThenChineseVicePremier]ZhuRongjicameherein1990,andhewentintothe bolts and nuts with us: how did you succeed in getting a whole population to own their ownapartments?Hestudiedoursystem;wehadaCentralProvidentFundwith individualaccountsandyoupay 20 percent of your salary, your employer pays 20 percent.Out of that account, you can pay yourinstallments for your home over a 30-year period.A portion of theCPF is kept for their ‘Medisave’;medicalcarerequiresco-paymentssopeopledon’tgotohospitalsorclinicsforfrivolousreasons.ZhuRongjistartedsomethingsimilarforhousinginShanghai.”

“DidtheSingaporehealthinsuranceapproachworkinShanghai?”“Yeah, it’sworking and copiedwith variation, andwith furthermodification for different parts of

China.”IaskhimtocomparethelateDengwiththeveryrecentZhuRongji,whountil2003wastheNumber

Two inChinaand themuch-acclaimed technicalvirtuosiofChina’smost recenteconomic reformsandplungeintotheWTO:“InmoderntimesinChina,isn’tZhuRongjithesortofspiritualsuccessortoDengXiaopingasapragmatist?”

LKYthinksthatoneoverabit,re-adjuststhepad,looksouttowardhisrightwherethelongcorridorleadstohisoffice,thensays:“TheveteransoftheLongMarchdonotreallyunderstandthefreemarket.Theymayhave readAdamSmith in translation,butwhat theyknewbestwas thecommunist system. ItbroughtChinadown.DengcouldseetheSovietUnion,CubaandEasternEurope.Hewaslookingforaway out of this. Singapore was a useful source for a different working system for them, best withadjustments.”

Iworkonthebasisthatallmenandwomenfirstworkforthemselvesandtheirfamilies,andonlythenwilltheyshareaportionofitwiththelessfortunate.

WithoutatalldiminishingthebrilliantZhu,LeecannotescapethepullofDengasthecommunistwhoineffectbrokewithCommunism—agiganticleapofleadership.

Icounter, tryingtobringthematter into theusefulpresent:“Howabout this, then?Wethinkof itasSingapore seedlings, little parts of your national experience can be transplanted and can sprout incompatiblesoilselsewhere.Howdoesthatmetaphorworkforyou?”

Leedoesn’t disapproveand refers to the famousSuzhouproject on theChinesemainland: “Idon’tknowifyouhavebeentoSuzhou.It’stheirbesttownship,welllaidout,beautiful,byalake.Wechosethesite.Itwasfarmingland,a70-squarekilometre[27-squaremile]site,andwehadmuchtroublebecausetheywerepooratthattimesotheymadeuscarryalltheoverheads,theinfrastructure.Wepaidformovingthepowerlinesoutoftheland,andforconnectingthesitetothemainhighway.”

Hesighs,adjusting theheatpadwithsome irritation:“Wehad tobear thecost;we lostmoney.Webroughtover2,000of theirofficials toSingaporeto learnandwhentheywentback,ourofficialswentwiththem.Suzhouisnowtheirprizedproject.Otherprovincesaregoingthere, learningfromthemandtheyareveryproudofit.Theyhavejustcelebratedthe15thanniversary.Theyinvitedme,broughtoutalltheoldministersandthepresentministerinchargetoattendandpublicizeit,whichisforthemgoodandforus,too,goodbecauseafteritwascompleted,atfirsttheyadvertisedintheFinancialTimesthatthisproject came about without Singapore, just Suzhou. They did it all by themselves. But until we gotinvolved,theinvestorsdidn’tcome.”

Isay:“Isthatright?”“Then they put it out as a Singapore-Suzhou joint venture. Then the investors came. The Chinese

askedus,‘Please,don’tleave.’”“Because the Singapore addition is the guarantee of standards?” InAmericawewould call it the

GoodHousekeepingSealofApproval!Henods:“Wegaveitcredibility.WhatisinterestingisbecauseifyousaytomostAmericans,even

thosewhohavebeentoHarvard,ifyousaytothem,Singaporeisexcellent,theywillsay,well,howbigis Singapore?Well, I say, fourmillion people, okay. But then one can say, but Singapore has had aninfluenceon,notacontrolof,butan influenceon,Chinafor reasonsXYZ,and thosereasonsXYZaregenerallygoodforeverybody,theworld,andthen,now,theyaremoreinterested.”

That’saratherconvincingwayofdescribingit.For many Americans, however, helping China get on its feet after centuries of relative sleep and

seeingitwakeupwitharoarisdisconcerting.Wejokeaboutwhetherhemightbeaclosetcommunistafterall!Helaughsandsays:“WilliamSafire[thelegendaryformerNewYorkTimesop-edcolumnistwhodied

inSeptember2009]thoughtIwasadangerousfellow,teachingtheChinesehowtodothings!Whydoyouwant thecommunists tosucceed?Well,evensomeofmyownofficers toldme, look,whydowe teachthemandthentheywilloutdousandthenweareintrouble?

“So,Itoldthem,thisisachanceforustogetafootinChinaatatimewhentheydon’tknowhowtodoit.Butthey’vegotsomanybrightfellowsandtheyaregoingtogoallaroundtheworld,andyoucan’t

prevent them fromcoming toSingaporewith a camcorder and takingpictures and studyingus.So,wemightaswelldothisforthem;makeagreatimpactonthemandtheleadership.

“NowwehaveonefootinChina.Andsowehavegotajointcommitteethatmeetsonceayear,theirvicepremierandourdeputyprimeminister.Wehavestartedaneco-cityinTianjin,whichwill take15moreyearstodo.Weareengagedatvariouslevels;theyaresending110to120mayors,orofficialsonthemayor level, every year from all their cities, to a course here for eight to ninemonths on publicadministrationandurbanmanagement.WerunthecourseinChineseforthem,andthentheygoroundandstudyandweseethemrightbackintheirowncitieswritingabouttheirexperiencehere,whichisnotbad.ItgivesusagoodreputationinChinesecities.”

ThePerfectStorm

SURVIVALWORRIES:ifSingaporeisnotattachedtoforcesbiggerthanSingapore,itwillbecomesmaller,couldshrinkandmightevenbeabsorbedbyalargercountry—andthusdie.LeetalksoftenabouttheneedforhislittleSingaporetosee—andacton—thebiggerpicture.

“ShellOil,themultinational,oncegavemetheideafortheterm‘helicopterquality’.Inotherwords,youcanseeaproblemintotalandyoucanzeroinonthedetail,whichyouhavetoseetosolve,andzoomonit.That’scalledhelicopterquality.Now,ifyouaretoolow,yourhelicopterqualityistoolow,youdonotseethewholepicturenorcanyourzoombepowerful.”

Hmmm:“Okay,butasyoucomeupfromthehelicopterandyouareseeing thebiggerpicture,whatdoesthatmean,thebiggerpicture?”IamstillgropingforaHedgehoghintfromhim.

Hesensestheintellectualundertow—thatIamtryingtowhooshhimoutintodeeperwaters—butheisquickandnimbleanddigshisfeetfurtherinthesand:“Thebiggerpicturemeansyoucanseethispartaspartofsomethingelse.Imean,youtakeSingapore.Singaporedoesnotexistinisolation.WhatyouseeinSingaporeisareflectionoftheworlditlivesin,itistheworlditisconnectedwith.So,theworlditisconnectedwithwidenswithtechnology.Sailingships,EastIndiaCompanyneededawateringplacefortheirshipstogotoChina,fromIndiatoChina.Finally,they’vegotopiumtogivetotheChineseandbitsofsilver.Thencamethesteamship,faster,moreconnections.ThencametheSuezCanal,betterstill.Thencame faster ships, then came the flying boats.Then came cables.Now, optic fiber, broadband.As theworldchanges,wearemoreandmoreconnected.”

He sometimes talks the way his mind reasons—jabbing forward for intellectual position like aprizefightertryingtopushuncertaintyintoacornerforthekill.

“So, the bigger picture now is this.Our fate does not depend just onwhat goes on in Johor or inIndonesia or in ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]. It depends on what happens inAmerica in thisnewordernow.Thirtyyearsago, IwouldsayAmericas,Europe,Japan, theywere thedeveloped dynamos in theworld.Gradually, that changed.Today, there is stillAmericaNumberOne,JapanNumberTwo,EuropeNumberThree,and thepotentialnow isChina,NumberFour, likely tobeNumberTwoinabout20years,andIndiatoday,NumberSevenorso,likelytobeonebehindChinain20,30years.So,youmustfactorthatintoyourcalculationsasyouaregoingforwardinyourpolicy.Becauseinthe1970s,IcouldseethatChina,onceitchangesitssystem,wasboundtorise.BecausewhenIwentthereandItalkedtothem,Ifoundverycapableminds,ofcoursethenblinkeredbytheirideology.”

OurfatedoesnotdependjustonwhatgoesoninJohororinIndonesiaorinASEAN.ItdependsonwhathappensinAmericainthisnewordernow.

Dumbfeet-in-cementHedgehogs,Leewasprobablythinkingtohimself, they’dbebetteroffbeingamoreflexibleFoxlikeme.

Mesaying:“Sure,heldbackbythesystem.”LKYnodsvigorously:“Yes,bythesystem,thecommunistsystem.So,Isaid,well,we’dbetter,whilst

theyneedus,wehadbetter help them, thenwe’vegot a foot in,whichhas happened.But ridingwithChinaalonewillputusinhotweather.”

Like the little junglebird that looks forsafetyby ridingon thebackofagianthippopotamuswhilepecking awayhelpfully at thebigmonster’s annoying little insect issues,Singaporehasmore thanonehippo it aims to ride. There’s emerging India, for another. Then—Lee says not to forget—there’s stillJapan,withitsstill-gianteconomy.

Butlet’slingeronChina.Foralongtime,AmericaonlyknewChinabytheextraordinaryworkofPearlBuck,whosenovelThe

GoodEarthwaspracticallyviewedasatouristguidebookontheChinesepeasantsoul.ShebecamethefirstAmericanwomantowintheNobelPrizeforLiterature.

SoIputittohimthisway:“TheGoodEarthstirredareallydeepfeelingamongAmericansthattheChinesepeoplepossesssomekindofeternalsoulnomatterthepoliticalsystemunderwhichtheysuffer.You have touched on this. You have said Mao Zedong may have had 100 sayings and all kinds ofnewfangled ideas,but thereare5,000yearsofmoreor lesscontinuouscivilizationbeforehim,andsotherearefivemillionothersayings.Soonewonders,the600millionpeopleintheChinesecountryside,thosewho are not along the coasts and the cities, are they still Pearl Buck’s peasants despite all thevoraciouseconomicdevelopment?”

Leeseemstolikethisquestion,mullsitoverlikeawineconnoisseurlovinglyopeninganunfamiliarnewbottle.HethengrabstheheatpadlikeLinushuddlingablanket,thehackingcoughremindingusthattimestopsfornoman.

“Yes, but with this difference now, and I put it at two levels. One is what sociologists call lowculture,yourbasicbeliefsandyourattitudestothings.Imean,afterthefirstmonthofchildbirth,youdon’tdothesethingsandyoumusteatthesethingsandsoon.Thatlowculturepersists,thewaytheyarebeinggoverned in thoseareasofChina,butwhere theofficialsaresqueezing themforextra taxesandsoon,theynowhavecellphonesandtheyfindoutthatthisisnotthecentralgovernmentdoingthisbutthelocalofficials.They’vegottheknowledge,sothey’renolongerassubmissive.

“So, you find clasheswith the police and so on because the police aremade use of by the lowerofficials,whopushtheruralpeoplefromtheirlandatcheappricesandthentheysellitataprofittothecommercialpeoplewhowanttobuildbigfactoriesorhouses.

“So, there is now a growing farming population with more knowledge of the way the country isbecause they’ve alsogot children running away andworking in the coastal cities andmanyhavegonebacknow,millionsandmillionsofthem...andsotheyhavebroughtbacktheknowledgeoftheoutsideworld,oftheircitylife.”

Knowinglyornot,itseemstome,Leeispaintingaclassicportraitofapre-revolutionarysituation:“So,Chinaisgraduallychangingprofoundly.Increasinglycheapandavailabletechnologyandcascadesof reverse migration are wising people up to the true story of the exploitation of China’s heretoforeisolatedruralregions.

“And,furthermore,theChineseknowthatwiththeirindustrialization,everyyear,tenorplusmillionswillgointothenewtownstheyareconstructingfortheirpeople.So,theyhavepreparedtennewtownsof40millionpersonseach.”

That is one breathtaking scenario, I say: “Themost unbelievable aspect ofChina is just the sheernumbers...ofeverything.IstheMiddleKingdomgoingtobeabletoholdthewholealltogether?”

Leesaying:“Iftheychangeinapragmaticway,astheyhavebeendoing,keepingtightsecuritycontrolandnotallowingriotsandnotallowingrebellionsandatthesametime,easingup,youknow,givingmore

provincialauthority,morecityauthority,moregrassrootspower,it’sholdable.”Pleasenote thatLKYequates tightsecuritywithnationalsecurity.Conversely,easinguppolitically

mighttriggeranunraveling.TheWesternperspectiveviewsofficialcrackdownscritically;Leeseesthemasunavoidableforacountryofthatsize,historyanddegreeofunsolvedproblems.

How can they pull that off—I wonder—without significant psychological, mental and ideologicalchangeswithintheoverarchingCommunistParty?

Lee nods: “Yes, of course. Their first hindrance, which is something they have not contemplateddoing,istoremovetheprivilegesofthe70millionmembersoftheCommunistParty.Youcancommitanycrime;youcannotbe investigatedby thePublicProcurator.Only thePartyDisciplinaryCommitteecanpunish you. So, the Disciplinary Committee is influenced by, you know, which faction is this chapsupporting?Imean,youdon’twanttopunishachapwhoissupportingyou.So,thatisoneofthereasonswhythecorruptionhasnotbeenweededout.”

IwonderoutloudwhetheritisatleastimaginablethattheChineseCommunistPartywillevolveoutof itsoriginal control-all ambition into something like Japan’sLiberalDemocraticParty.Thiswas thehugeumbrellastructurethatuntillastyear[2009]ruledtheJapanesepolitylikeanoctopuswithtentacleshungrilygrabbingateveryunoccupiedspace.

LKYdoubtstheanalogy.“No,becausethetraditionisdifferent, thehistoryisdifferent.TheJapanesesystemgrewoutof the

samurais,thesamuraiwithXnumberoffollowerswhowilldieformeordiewithme.So,whentheygettogether,samuraisgettogetherandeachbringshisfollowers.”

Mesaying:“ThosearethefamousfactionsoftheLDP.”“Yeah. So, they brought that into their political system, their faction system, and [the] head of the

factionfindstheresourcestoshowerontheotherMPs.Otherwise,youcannotbeafactionleader.Youmusthave themoney to support them.Every timeanelection takesplace, it costs fivemilliondollars.Theirsalariesandalltheperkscomeuptonearly100milliondollars.So,whenelectioncomes,you’vegottofindthemoney.”

Leemeansawholelotofmoney—yardsandyardsofyen.“The [historic] Chinese system is different. In the imperial system, the leader, or the emperor,

appointsalltheseniorofficials.Howaretheyappointed?Throughtheexaminationsystem.Whethertheexaminationproducesgoodadministratorsornot, it’squestionable,but itproducesverybrainypeople.So,theCommunistPartyhasmodernizedthatsystem.AftertheCulturalRevolution,theywentbacktothatmodel.Theyputitdownthat(andDengXiaopingstartedthis)atsuchandsuchanage,youretirefromthisjob;atthatage,youretire,andevenifyougettotheCentralCommitteeandthePolitburo,youretire65,orifyouarethechief,thepresidentortheprimeminister,youretireat70.

“So,eachnewcropnowismorehighlyeducatedthanthelastone.Yougetmayorsnowwho’vegotPhDsandsomeofthem,MBAsfromAmericanuniversities.Therefore,thereisnofactionassuchbutjustloyaltiestodifferentleaderswithintheleadership.”

“Andyoudon’t thinkthat theChinesewillallowtheirCentralPartytoevolveintoafaction-drivendynamic?”

“Theyknowthis,thatifyoubreakChinaupthisway,itwillfallapart.”The counter-argument is that China in fact will fall apart if the Communist Party doesn’t drop

dogmatichomogeneity,anddevelopopenandvigorouslycompetingschoolsofthoughtthatbetterreflecthonestdifferencesofopinionacrossthegreatexpanseofChina.Itseemssoobvious,tomeanyway.

TheGood,theBadandtheUgly

LKY’SVIEWOFthedynamicsbehindcontemporaryhistoricaleventsiscomplex.Asanysophisticatedmanorwomanknows, no one factor can explain all that happens in life,whether economics, game theory,culture, or evenaHigherPower.Buthe is certain that great leaders at the topof their gamecanpushhistory indesirabledirections.Becausehe isaproponentofgovernmentelitism—alwaysassuming theeliteishighlyqualified,deeplymotivatedandun-craven,whichisoneassumption—itislogicalthathewouldfindvalueintheGreatManTheoryofHistory.

“Whoweresomeothergreatmenyou’vemet?”“IwouldsaythegreatestwasDengXiaoping.Athisage,toadmitthathewaswrong,thatallthese

ideas,Marxism,Leninism,Maoism,theyarejustnotworkingandhavetobeabandoned,youneedagreatmantodothatandtoconvinceoroverridehisOldGuardcolleaguesandsay,nowwegothisdifferentway.”

ManyWesternerswouldgaspat the thoughtofputtingDengon suchapedestal.After all, themostpowerfulcommunistleadersinceMaowasaknownkillerofpoliticalopponents.WhenheservedunderMaoheoversawexecutions,gulagsandfaminesmadefarmoredeadlybymurderousstateindifference.AsMao’ssuccessor,hewasthepoweratthethronein1989,infamouslypullingthetriggeratTiananmenSquarethatleftatleastseveralthousandunarmedChineseciviliansdead.

Thesewell-known facts notwithstanding, Lee’s admiration is driven by an appreciation of Deng’sboldnessinabandoningthedebilitatingideologyofcommunisteconomicsforamélangeofopportunisticneo-capitalistorclassic-entrepreneurial reforms.Thehistoriceffortwas towindup liftinghundredsofmillionsofChineseoutofpovertyandbringingrealistichopetoChinafor thefirst timeinaverylongtime.TheSingaporeleader’sapparenttoleranceofallthingsDengmayattimesseemshocking,butitisconsistentwithhis largerview thatmethodsofgovernmentvary fromculture toculture,andcannotbecondemnedoutofhandifthenetresultissteadyand/ordramaticimprovementinthelotofthepeople.Asakindofpessimisticprogressive,hedoubtsthatanysizableomeletcanbemadewithoutsmashingalotofeggs;what’smore,heacceptsthatgettingallyoureggsinorder(andinakitchenhot-houselikeChina)isnotordinarilyatea-timeprocess.

I then raise the issueofnewstudiesand internal revelations that seek tocutDengdown tosizebyraisingseriousquestionsabouthistruecommitmenttoreform.

“Andyoudon’tbuytherecentmemoirrevelationthattherewaslesstherethanmeetstheeye?”“Hewas?”I repeat: “That there was less there than meets the eye in terms of his conversion to economic

reform?”“No, no, no. [I don’t buy] that ZhaoZiyang had started it in thewestern part ofChina.Yes, Zhao

Ziyang[thenaveryhighgovernmentofficial,well-knownreformer,andMaocriticwithintopleadershipcircles]hasstartedsomemarketeconomicsinthewest,butZhaoZiyangwouldnothavehadtheclouttobringthewholeleadershiparoundandsay,dothis.Imean,theremusthavebeenmanylittlesignstohimthatifyougotowardsacompetitivemarketeconomy,itwillworkbetterbecausepeoplewanttoworkforthemselves,notforthebenefitofothers.Whentheycamehere[andvisitedusinSingapore],thatclinchedit.”

Islip this in:“It’s likeyousuggestedtohim,sure,here inSingapore, theChinesepeoplearedoingwell.Butbackathomethere’sawholelotofChinesepeoplenotdoingwell.So,what’sthedifferencebetweenSingaporeandChina?It’sthesystem,right?”

Lee,noddingvigorouslyinagreementwhilestillcoughing:“Asheopenedup,hesavedChina.”Thatisabreathtakingencomiumtothinkaboutit:onemansavedChina.LKYstopshereandexecutes

abodymovementthatissoexpressiveandtypicalofhim.I’veseenitmanytimes.Itconveyssomethingofa total physical and mental commitment to getting his answer exactly right. He takes your question,internalizesit,pivots45degreesawayfromyou,kindofrunsitupanddownhisinternalbodycomputer,then pivots back at you in the reverse 45-degree direction, and, with his hands out and up, like aconductorabouttocuetheorchestra,presentshisview.

HisthinkingaboutChinaisbasedontwofactors.Oneishispragmatism:Chinaexistsandwhatarewegoingtodoaboutit?ThesecondisthatChinaisChinese,whichonthewholehethinksagoodthing.LKYisanythingbutpro-communist,tosaytheleast;butanyonewhowouldwishgargantuanChinaandits1.4billionpeopleacondemnationtocontinualdisaster,diseaseanddissolutioniseitherevilorinsane.AndanyonewhowouldhaveunderestimatedDeng,thatlittlechain-smokingmidgetofaman,wastobeprovenaswrongasanyonecouldbe.

IwouldsaythegreatestwasDengXiaoping.Athisage,toadmitthathewaswrong...youneedagreatmantodothatandtoconvinceoroverridehisOldGuardcolleaguesandsay,nowwegothisdifferentway.

Leegoes on, in anundertoneof almost palpable anger: “At first hewas condemnedby theWest.”Deng wanted to reform the country without undermining order, which might risk another monumentalCulturalRevolution-likecatastrophe.“Theywouldhavepreferredhim tobeaGorbachevand thenseethatChinaisinruins.”Helaughs.“AndsothentheypatronizedDeng,”headds,shakinghisheadwearily.

LeeappreciatesthelateDengnotonlyasthestrongleaderofasprawlingcountryalmostimpossibleto lead, but also as an historic Chinese leader whose rule began the corrective process of reversingEuropean humiliation. Strong Chinese rule, under this vision, is not only an inevitability but also anecessity.InanypositiveDarwinianprogression,theChinesecivilizationwouldnaturallyrisetothetop,alongwithothermorecapableraces.

Asthatprocessproceedsinaccordancewithsomehistoricalrhymeandrhythm,theUnitedStatesandthePeople’sRepublicofChinaare forced toco-exist as sometimes-cooperating, sometimes-competingcentersofgravityplantedinthegroundof(onedearlyhopes)planetarystability.Thelatterhalfofthe21stcenturymaywellprovetobeAsia’stimefordominance,asthe19thwastheEuropeanCentury.Butthat’snot going to evolve overnight by anymeans, and for the foreseeable future, the visionary quality andleadershipcapabilitiesoftheUnitedStateswillbecentraltoworldaffairs,asofcoursetheywereduringthelastcentury,thewell-namedAmericanone.

So, Lee worries as much about the top dogs in America as in China. As empathetic, if notchauvinistic,asLeeisabouttheChinesesurge,heisnotonetoassumeAmericaisfinishedanytimesoon.A great admirer of entrepreneurial Americans, especially when they are at their most pragmatic anddecent, he probably cares who is president at any one time as much, if not more, than the averageAmerican.

Iask:“SowhoisthegreatestUnitedStatespresidentthatyou’veseen?”“ThatIhaveseen?”“Yeah.Towhomyouwerecloseenoughtomakeanassessment.”HisanswerwillsurpriseverymanyAmericans.“But for themisfortune ofWatergate, I would say Richard Nixon. He had a realistic view of the

world.Hewasagreatanalyst,realistic,butalsoatacticiantogetthingsdone.Butthisneedwithwantingtoknoweverything and tomake surehegot re-electedbecameobsessive.And, too, I thinkhewas illservedbyhistwoaides.Whatweretheycalled?”

“HaldemanandEhrlichman?”“Yeah.Imean,theyshouldhavesaid,forgetit,makesnodifference.”ButNixonhadtodiscoverevery

singlethinghispoliticalopponentswereupto.Isay:“PresidentNixonultimatelydidn’thavethecharactertogetoutofhisownway.”“No,heneednothavedonethat.Hewasboundtowinanyway.”LKY wasn’t the only Asian leader sorry to observe Nixon’s unceremonious abdication from

Washington—inahelicopter.Ifyoupoll theAsianeliteofhisgeneration,NixonwouldprobablybenoworsethannearthetopofthelistofAmericanpresidentswho’veimpactedAsiapositively.Especiallyamongnon-communistAsian leaders, theAmericanwar inVietnamwasmuchlessunpopular thanwiththeU.S.public.

ButforthemisfortuneofWatergate,IwouldsayRichardNixon.Hehadarealisticviewoftheworld.Hewasagreatanalyst,realistic,butalsoatacticiantogetthingsdone.

The opening to China, as preliminary as it was, continues to be viewed by many in Asia as anhistoricalmasterstroke.

ThemainmotiveofNixonandKissingerwasnottocatertoAsianprioritiesortobecoolcatswithChina,tobesure,buttodiscomforttheSovietUnionasmuchaspossible.Butthecollateralbenefitwasenormous:toopenupanewchapterinWashington-Beijingrelations.

Nixon first visited with LKY in 1967, before the California congressman (and once-defeatedpresidentialcandidate)wenttotheWhiteHouseonhissecondtry.ThecareerRepublican—and,itneedstobenoted,careercommunistcritic—trolledaroundtheworldtobeefuphisinternationalportfolio(thatis, to seem more like a statesman to the American voter). In particular, Harvard Professor HenryKissinger, who was to become Nixon’s national security advisor and then secretary of state, hadrecommendedtheSingaporestop.

IaskLKYtolookbackthroughthedecades:“Imean,whatstrikesmeinyourwrittenmemoirsaboutNixonis,accordingtoyou,howmuchhelistenedtoyou.”

“Yes,ofcourse.”Well,modestyprobablyisn’tmystrongestsuit,either.Isay:“ButAmericans,ofcourse,arenotknownnecessarilyasbeinggoodlisteners.”“Henotonlylistened,hetooknotes.”“That’swhatI’mdoing!”Hebrushedoffthepaleeffortathumorlikeoldlint:“No,heaskedmeaboutMao.So,Igavehima

graphicassessmentofwhatIthoughtMaowasdoing.IsaidthatMaoispaintingonamosaicwith5,000yearsofhistorybehindthemosaic.He’spaintinghispictureonit.Therainswillcome.Whathe’ssaidwillbewashedaway,what’sbeensettledfor5,000yearswillremain.ThisisConfucius.”

Thatwasastrikingimage:thattheDNAofthecultureremainsfarmoredeeplyembeddedthansomemodernideologicalflimflam.

Measking:“Youthinkthey’llevertakethatgosh-awfulpicture[ofMao]downinTiananmen?”“Eventually,butnotnow.Imean,that’sthepresentrulingelite’slabeloflegitimacy.HefreedChina

fromfeudalism.”In1969, at theWhiteHouse,LKYmetwithNixona second time.The fatherofmodernSingapore

reiteratedhisviewthattheferalCulturalRevolutionwouldsomedaypeterout,aswouldmanyofMao’sill-conceived‘campaigns’totransformChina,butthattheU.S.interventioninVietnammustnotendtooquickly.

NotethatNixonandKissingerenduredfiercedomesticcriticismfortheturtle-paceoftheirreluctantwithdrawal fromVietnam;but, according toLee’sadviceat the time, slowing itdownwasexactly thewaytogo.OnewondersabouttheenormityoftheimpressionofLee’sviewsonNixonandKissinger!

LeesupportedapolicythatwasknownasVietnamization—equippingtheanti-communistVietnamesetofightthecommuniststhemselves.LeesincerelybelievedthatanabruptU.S.forcespulloutwouldhaveemboldenedtheVietnamesecommunists,theiralliesandtheirsympathizerstoknockoveroneSoutheastAsiancountryafteranotherlike,well,waveringdominos.LeeissecondtonooneIknowinhisviewthatthe Marxist-Leninist is first and foremost interested in seizing and keeping power. Everything else(economicdevelopment,socialjustice)ismuchfurtherfromtheheart.

NotethatKissinger’ssecretvisittoBeijingin1971toprepareforNixon’ssecretvisitin1972wasnotbyanymeansthesolereasonforAsia’shighregardfortheformerHarvardprofessor.Itwasalsohiswell-articulatedsenseofworldpoliticaldynamicsasbeingsodeeplyrootedinhistoryandculturethatsignificantchangedoesnotcomeeasily,andoftenarrivesconvulsively.InthisregardtheKissingermind-setseemedmoreAsianthanAmerican.

“Andfromthestandpointofsecretaryofstate,Itakeitthatyou’reafanofKissinger?”“Sorry?”Icatchhimfiddlingwiththeheatpadagain.“You’reafanofKissinger,right?”“Yes,”andthenheaddedanothernameofaRepublicanpresident’ssecretaryofstate—GeorgeShultz:

“They’rebothstable,they’recomprehensiveintheirapproach.Kissingerhastheadvantageofbeingmoreexpressivewithwords.GeorgeShultzhasn’tquitegotthesameliterarystyle.He’sveryprecise.So,hehasn’tgotthefree-flowing,colorful,contrapuntalbalanceofKissinger’sGermanbalanced,rounded,longphrases.”

Me saying: “Well, not only that, but someone who knows George well says that George is soparsimoniouswithwordsthatwhenhe’stalking,youalmostgetthefeelingthathefeelshehastopartwith$5outofhisownpocketforeveryextrawordheuses.”

ButLKYwasn’tbuyingthatoft-toldjibeaboutShultz.Bycontrast,Clinton’ssecretariesofstateneverstruckLKYasanythingveryspecial.Thequestionis

pushednot tomake the case that,werehe anAmericanhe’dbe aRepublican rather than aDemocrat.Rather,itisaimedatshowingthedegreetowhichheiscomfortableappraising‘foreigntalent’,andtheextenttowhichSingapore’sfortunesrideontheabilitiesoftheU.S.superpowerelitetoperformatahighlevel.

Iteasethisout:“Basicallyinforeignpolicy,Clintonwasn’tthatstrong,washe?”

“Well,WarrenChristopherwasnotmuch.ThenMadeleineAlbrightwasnotbetter.”“Shewasworse?”“ShedidnothavethehistoricaldepthofHenryKissinger.”Isay:“InpublicChristopherwasprobablybland,butatleasthewasverycompetent,andthen,let’s

seewho elsewe’ve had? Then Bush had, as youwould say, therewas Cheney and Rumsfeld, reallyrunningit.Condiwas...”

“AndColinPowellwaspushedaside.”Hesaiditwithsadness.LKYcaresaboutthecaliberoftheelitesrunningthetopcountriesbecausehe

believesthepriorities,conductanddecisionsoftheglobaleliteareessentialtosecuringabetterfuture.Singaporewithoutitsgoverningelitewouldnotbewhereit istoday.Irrationaldemocraciessometimesdolittlemorethanlegitimizemobruleorpolicypreferences,notthesurestroutetoqualitygovernance;evenattheirbest,theyarehardput,inhisview,tocompetewithtrulyqualified,non-corruptandwell-motivatedelites.

Measking:“Speakingofwhich,who’stheworstAmericanpresidentyouhadseenupclose?”“Carter.He’sagoodGod-fearingman.WhenyouarethepresidentofAmericatoruminateatCamp

David,thencomedowntosayAmericanswereindeepdifficulties...”“Theinfamousmalaisespeechin1979.”“No,your jobasa leader is to inspireand togalvanize,not to shareyourdistraught thoughts.You

makeyourpeopledispirited.”ForLee, serious, competentgovernance requiresmakingdifficultpolicychoicesandseeingthemthroughtoeffect,evenagainststrongoppositionandthetideofpublicopinion.

“Isthesecondworstthatyou’veseenBushJr.,GeorgeW?”“Iwouldnotputhimthesecondworst.IwouldsayBushJr.hadmelancholyadvisers.”Interestingchoiceofword—melancholy.ThenLKYthrowsoutareallyfineinsight:“BushJr.knewhedidn’thavemuchexperience.Itisvirtue

toknowyourself.”I mention that, prior to the Bush Jr. years, many Americans had a high view of Cheney, with his

extensiveexperienceinCongressandtheExecutive.Henods—andwishesnottoaddanythingmorethere.Hehasjustzippeduphismouth!Imentionthe41stpresidentoftheUnitedStates,43rd’sfather.“Hewasabalanced,thoughtfulman.Unfortunatelyhehadthisthyroidproblemduringhisre-election

campaignandshowedhehadlostenergy.Hadhenotbeenlethargic,hecouldhavewon.Hehadgovernedwell;hehadfoughtthefirstIraqWarwell.Theeconomicdownturncouldn’tbehelped.”

No,yourjobasaleaderistoinspireandtogalvanize,nottoshareyourdistraughtthoughts.Youmakeyourpeopledispirited.

Ijabin:“Healsoranupagainstaphenomenaldomesticpolitician,BillClinton.”“No,hadhenotlosthisenergy,hewouldhavewon.”Isuggestagain:“Well, theeconomyseemedtobetankingthen.”Americanswillwellrememberthe

Clintoncampaign-staffmotivationalmantrainrunningagainsttheseniorBush:“It’stheeconomy,stupid.”“Theeconomicdownturncouldn’tbehelped.”Iletthatgo,notagreeing—andheknewthatIdoubtedhisview—thensaying:“Interesting.Well,what

doyouthinkofClinton?”“Verycleverman,verypolitical,likeablefellowbecausehe’sgotthatoutgoingpersonality.”“Yeah,terrificpersonality.”“Whenhetalkstoyou,youarethemostimportantpersonintheworld.ButIthink,it’sgenerallytrue,

hebreakstherules.”“ToomuchAmericanfreedom?”“Well,inhiscase,it’spartlyhischaracter.Idon’tknow.Imean,hehadadifficultchildhoodandso

on,soforth.”Iletthepsychoanalysisgo.ButIamstruckbytwothings.OneishisclinicalanalysisofthevauntedClintoncharm.Itisclearthatlifehadsomehowimmunized

him to it. Legend has it that formerChinaPresident JiangZemin alsowas immune toClinton’s charmoffensives,which,allegedly,hefoundquiteoffensive.Butother thanZeminandLKY,thereisonlyoneothermajorworldpoliticalfigurepubliclyknowntohavefoundnothingwhatsoevercharmingabouttheArkansascharm-machine.ThatwasGeorgeW.Bush,hissuccessor.

IwouldsayBushJr.hadmelancholyadvisers....[He]knewhedidn’thavemuchexperience.Itisvirtuetoknowyourself.

Question:so,besidestheirClintonimmunology,whatintheworlddoLKY,ZeminandBushJr.haveincommon?

Thinkaboutit.Theothernotableedge toLee’sviews ishiscompletecontempt fora rulerwhowouldbebrought

down by misconduct with a woman. His own public conduct with—and attitude about—women isevidentlywithoutcontroversy.Therehasneverbeenabreathofscandal.Hisownwritingsrevealanear-worship toward hismother, and infinite love for hiswife ofmany decades. His government’s social,politicalandeconomicpolicieshavealwaysforcefullyfavoredequalityofopportunityandachievement.Theyhavecreatedawomen’sprofessionalclassthatneverexistedontheisland50yearsago.Itwilltakeanother generation or so, perhaps, for that equality to reach the very tip of the top of Singapore; butincreasingly Singaporean women are in the driver’s seat. Unlike affirmative-action apologists, LKYwouldneverrushwomenintotoppositionsjustforappearance’ssake;buthefullyexpectswomentobewell-representedinthenextgenerationofSingaporeleaders.

Themotivewasnotsomuchideologyaspracticality.LKY’sgovernmentwasabletodoublethesizeofits(relativelytiny)adultworkforcesimplybyenforcingpoliciestoeliminatediscriminationsthatholdwomen back. By the 80s and 90s, Singaporean women comprised world-class achievers in manyprofessional fields. Theywere so capable and outstanding that they sometimes scared away potentialsuitors—SingaporeanChinesemenwhowereculturallyunpreparedtorelatetotheirpartnersasflat-out,even-upsocioeconomicequals.

LKYonce confided tome that he secretly admired the Japanese for slowingdown this advance inorder tomaintainculturalcontinuity.ThereareanumberofreasonswhySingaporenowhasoneof thelowestbirthratesinAsia,butoneofthemisthis:somepowerhousewomenscarethelivingdaylightsoutofsomeSingaporeanmen.Atthesametime,Japan’seconomy,onidlefortwodecadesnow,mighthavedonebetterhadwomenbeenmoredynamicallyintegratedintheworkforce.

Singaporefeltithadnochoice.Inthemid-60s,whenitwasforcedoutofatwo-yeartrialfederation

withMalaysia,itwassuddenlyonitsown—sinkorswim.Andso,theotherwiseconservativeConfucianculturedidn’thavetheluxuryofgoingJapanese-slowonanything.Inaddition,thesocialandeconomicliberation of women (Chinese and family-oriented Confucian culture notwithstanding) fit well withinLee’smerit-driveninstincts.

SoIpushon:“Well,luckofthedraw,butthereasonI’maskingthesequestionsisnotonlybecauseI’m interested inwhat you actually think, but also just look at theAmerican system and our allegedlyterrificsystemofdemocracy.Haveweproducedthebest?

“LetmejustlookatSingapore.YouusedtohaveKishoreMahbubaniattheUN,andhewasterrific.Beforethat,youhadTommyKoh,andhewasterrific.Yourlong-runningladydiplomat,ChanHengChee,inWashington,isterrific.Imean,they’veallpunchedabovetheirweight.I’mafanofGeorgeYeo,yourforeignminister,andIdon’tknowtherestofyourcamp,butyouhavesometerrificpeople.

“Imean, Charlene Barshefsky [Clinton’s trade adviser] used to tellme that when you go to theseinternationaltradeconferencesanditwouldbeliketwointhemorningandsomebodywillsay,what’stheprecedentforXorY,andtheneveryonewouldturntotheSingaporedelegationfortheanswer,becauseitwasalwaysthebestprepareddelegation.Imean,here’sasystemthatproducesthatqualityandwejustproduce...”

Hesmiles,obviouslyproudof the international teamsSingaporeputsout forpeople to see: “Well,that’s the nature of your political appointments. You know, you’ve got to appoint people who havedonated to thecampaign,or to re-election ... appointpeopleyou’reobliged to.Whereyouhavea freehandandappointthemostcompetent,thenit’sdifferent.”

“That’sconsistentwithyourtheme,itseemstome,ofthelimitationsofdemocracy?”Heanswerscautiously,forthisisobviouslysensitiveground:“Well,Ithinkthepresidentialsystemis

less likely to produce good government than a parliamentary system. In the presidential system, yourpersonalappearanceonTVisdecisive,whereasinaparliamentarysystem,theprimeminister,beforehebecomestheprimeminister,hasbeenamemberofparliament,andprobablyaminister,andinBritainthepeoplehavesizedyouupoveraperiodoftime,youknow,andtheyhavecometocertainconclusionsastowhatkindofapersonyouare,whatkindofdepthyouhave,whatkindofsincerityyouhaveinwhatyousay.

“So, the party then chooses themanmost likely to lead them to victory the next time round. Theychoose themanwith themost politicalweight and also the administrative capacity to get his policiesimplementedsothatafterfiveyears,theycanwinagain.Yourpresidents,Imean,likeJimmyCarter...mynameisJimmyCarter,I’mapeanutfarmer,I’mrunningforpresident.Thenextthingyouknow,hewasthepresident!”

“Wehadapeanutaspresident,right?”“Imean,myfirstmeetingwithhimwasashock,youknow?”“Why?”“Hedidmethefavorofseeingmewithinamonthaftertakingoffice.So,he’squitenew.Hisaides

must have said he [this Singapore guy] is worth seeing. It was a five-minute photo ops ... at themantlepiece,photoops.Itwasallchoreographed.Thenphotographersout,sevenminutestête-à-tête,thenfullmeeting.Whatdidheraise?...WhydoyouwantthisimprovedHawk?Isaid,what’sthat?‘ImprovedHawk,it’sanimprovedversionofthesurface-to-airmissile.’Isaid,becauseit’sanadvanceonwhatwehave.[Iguffawloudlyatthis.]Hesaid,it’shightechnology,doyouneedit?Isaid,wethinkwedo,butifyouhaveanytroubleatall,I’dgetitfromtheBritish.Isaid,it’snotamatteroflifeanddeath.

“So,wewentthroughthemainmeeting,onehour,thebalanceofonehour,andhehadalaundrylist

andhewentthroughallthelaundrylist,alltheirrelevantsmallthings.WhereasI’vebeendiscussingwithNixon andwith Ford; Fordwas reallyHenryKissinger running the [foreign-policy] show, all the bigissuesinEastAsia,whereisitheading,howisitgoing,whereisSoutheastAsiagoingtofitinallthis?”

LKYsighs:“Ileftbemused,andhegavemeabook,hiscampaignbookcalledWhyNotTheBest?So,Iwentbacktothehotel.Isaid,let’sfindoutwhathe’slike.Iwasastounded.Herecountedhow,asaboy,thefathergavehimapennyorwhatevertoputintothepewbox,andinsteadofputtingonein,hetookapennyout.So,thefatherthenthrashedhim.Isaid,whydoesthemandothat?Havingdoneit,howdoestellingtheworldthathewasapettythiefhelp?”

I couldn’t helpmyself, and had to slip this in: “He also did an infamous interviewwith Playboymagazineandthefamousquotewas,theyaskedhim,hewasmarriedtoRosalyn,ifheeverhadphysicalfeelings forotherwomen?Andhe said, ‘Sometimes Ihave lust inmyheart,’ anda lotofpeople said,wow,that’sanoddplacetohavelust!”

(Laughtereruptsintheroom;thetwoinvisibleaidesarealiveandbreathingafterall!)LKYsaying:“There’ssomethingnotquiterightabouthim.ThenhewentbeforeRickover,theadmiral

of the submarine fleet. So, the admiral said, what was your place in Annapolis? He said 167th orwhatever.So,Rickoversaid,‘Whynotthebest?’”

Thecrusty,plain-speakingRickoverwouldsaysomethinglikethat,I thought tomyself, thentoLee:“Inawaytheblunt-talkingRickoverisyourspiritualbrother!”

Hesaysnothing,ofcourse.

Well,Ithinkthepresidentialsystemislesslikelytoproducegoodgovernmentthanaparliamentarysystem.

LikethefamousheadstrongAmericantankcommander,GeneralGeorgeS.Patton(orforthatmatter,PresidentHarryS.Truman),HymanS.Rickover,thefour-staradmiralwhoinventedthenuclear-poweredsubmarine, was not for mincing words. And so his mouth would sometimes get him in trouble. ButAmericans,byandlarge,lovethemanofcouragewhosaysexactlywhathethinks.LKYisnofanofone-man, one-vote, but in America his electability quotient would be high, for the very same reasonsAmericanssoadoredPattonandRickover.

Idonotknowofanypersonwhoismostlikeme.

Whichruminationleadsmetopushthethought inanotherway:“Is thereanyonealivetodaywhoismostlikeyou?”

Alongpausehere:“Idonotknowofanypersonwhoismostlikeme.”Youhavetolaugh.Heissmart.Andpossibly...yes...unique.

RebelwithaCause

DOYOUBELIEVEthisAmericanjournalistwasshamelesslydisloyaltolistensilently(actually,morelikeguffawingly)asthisforeignleaderofatinycountry,withoutanyoftheburdensandresponsibilitiesofasuperpower,toreintooneofourformerpresidents?

Heutterlybelittledhim—anAmericanleaderwho,afterall,hadonlygarneredaNobelPeacePrizeafterleavingoffice.Imean,howmanySingaporeanshavewonaNobel?(Answer:zero)AndsowhoisthisLKYtobesodisrespectfulofthepresidentofacountrysoallegedlyimportanttoSingaporeandtoworldstability?

WhenLKYdecidesonsomethingorsomeone—thatsuchandsuch isunimportant,orover-rated,ornottherealqualitydeal—yougetthesensethatappealsareawasteofyourtimeandmoney.ItriedtogetformerPresidentCartertoassesstheplaceofLKYinhistory,butasyounoticedinthefrontofthebook,therequestwasdeclined.Iwishtheformerpresidenthadtakenabroaderview.ItwouldbesalutaryforLKYtogetabitofhisownmedicine,asitisforallofus.

In the category of Things-He-Does-Not-Have-a-Huge-Amount-of-Respect-or-Need-for, pleaseincludenear the topof the list thenewsmedia. It isbelieved, in theWestat least, thatan independentnewsmediaisessentialtoapoliticalculture.OverthedecadesLeehasshownhebelievesnosuchthing.HisgovernmentandthePeople’sActionPartyputalidonitsownmedia,andwhentheyfelttheforeignpresswas becoming too feisty, theymade itmore difficult for the offending news outfit to operate inSingapore.

So,tobeprovocative,IaskhimaboutSingapore’sownnewsmedia,oftencriticizedintheWestassupinetothegovernmentandthusintrinsicallysecond-rate.(Bytheway,myownviewisthat,exceptforitsobviouspunch-pullingasregardsthebigshotsattheIstana,TheStraitsTimes, thecountry’sleadingdaily,isafirst-ratenewspaper).Hisresponseisunmistakable.

Hesighs,forthisisnothisfavoritetopic,especiallyasIamacareerWesternjournalist:“First,theSingaporepeoplearenotdeprivedofanynews.Allmagazinesareavailable,Internetisopen.Whatwehavenot allowed is for the localmedia to go crusading.Report factually, express your opinion in theeditorialpageand in letters fromreaders in theForumPage.Wereceivemany letters from thepublic,mostlycomplaints,butalsosomecomplimentsandsuggestions.Wereplytoeveryoneofthem,thosethatare serious.We don’t own the newspapers, they are run as profitable businesses. But they are losingreaders because of online news. We encourage them to report wrongdoings. That is one way forwrongdoingstosurfacewhenwemissthem.”

Well,thatisthat.Hismindismadeuponthis.Sowhydoweevenbothertolistentothisguy?Butthat’sthefascinatingissue—peopledo.Youdo.Icertainlydo.Wealldo.Butwhydomanypeoplewanttoknowhisviewsandgenerallylistencarefullywhenheoffersthem,eventhoughheisanythingbutthesecondcomingofThomasJeffersononcertainissues?

LKYhasreceivedhonorsfromhigh-levelinstitutionsallovertheworld,hasbeenoftentreatedasaworld-class senior statesmanpar excellence (whennotbeingdenouncedas anew-ageTorquemadabygroupsthatfocusalmostnon-contextuallyonissuessuchashumanrightsandcapitalpunishment),andhasclimbed into—specially since stepping down as prime minister in 1990—the unofficial chair ofContemporaryAsianOracle.Thewell-respectedAmericanjournalForeignPolicyevencrownedhim,as

heturned86,astheAsianKissinger.Why?There are reasons for almost everything, asLeewould say.One is his reputation for sayingpretty

muchwhatisonhismind,andyougetthesensethatthisisonemindthatisrarelyblank.Anotheristhathis intellectual independence (sayingwhat hewants) derives in part from Singapore’s position in theregionandtheworld.Sincehiscountrydependsonalmosteveryoneforsomething(Malaysiaforwater,Indonesiaforproduce,theWestforfirearmsandsecurity,etcetera),itiswhollydependentonnooneinparticular.

FromtheU.S.,forexample,Leeneveraskedfornoracceptedadollarinformalforeignaidgrants.Heis not interested in being viewed as a welfare dependent on Uncle Sam. That would undermineSingapore’sindependence.Sowhatpraisehehasforusisthusnotpurchasedandissurelysincere;whatcriticismsheoffersare(fromhisstandpoint)reasoned,scientific.What’smore,manypeoplelistentohimasthetrueSageofSingapore,someonewithdecadesofexperiencewhohashungintherethroughthickandthinlikeatruewarrior.

AndasAsiahassurgedinprominence,Lee’svoicehasriseninparallel,ashavethoseofsomeothersinSingaporeandelsewhereintheregion.WhoelsearewetolistentofromAsia?OnlytheDalaiLama?OnlyChina’sPresidentHuJintao?SomeIndianguruwhosenamenoonecanpronounce?

Tobesure,Singapore’shighself-regardirritatesitsneighbors.Butitisnecessarilyanon-threateningnation;ithasneverinvadedanyone,anditneverwill,ifonlybecauseitcan’t.Itisnotanuclearpowerandit’shardtoimagineitwouldeverwanttobe.Itlurksovernoone,thoughitsdefensivecapabilitiesare no joke. This gives it a certain above-the-fray status, like some highly intellectualized andtechnocraticversionofIndiabackinthedayswhenNehruspokewithavoicethatcarriedfarbeyondthePunjab.

Then there’s the issue of style. Soft authoritarian or not, Lee’s Cambridge diction, elite level oflearning,emphasisoncontinuedmid-careerlearningforhimselfandhiselite,andfocusonthebig,ifnotphilosophical, issues render his public voice distinctively instructional. Except perhaps for the verylongestofhislongspeeches,heisalwaysextremelyinterestingtolistento,andtoread(hisprosestyleisoften blunt to the point of coming across as Basic Hemingway 101). His writer’s voice containsrecognizable elements, in variousways, of India’sNehru, the internationalmedia’sDavidFrost, someChineseMachiavelliandDaddyDearest.ItisanaccumulatedvoicelikenootherIknowof.

Wechatabouttheimportanceofspeechifying.Isubmit:“WhenIwasingraduateschool,ItookaseminaratPrincetonfromTedSorensen,whowas

PresidentKennedy’sillustriousspeechwriter,andhesaidtomethis:Tom,youareagreattalkerandallofthat,buttalkingisnotwriting.”

Henods:“Yeah,talkingisn’twriting.”“TedSorensen said something like, that’s reallydifferent,you’vegot tobemoredisciplined,more

organized,veryclear,exceptwhenyoudon’twanttobe.”“Becausewhenyoutalk,youcanrepeat.”“Andyoucanusebodylanguage,theatmosphereofthemoment.”LKY:“Whenyouwrite,youcan’t.Themovingeyedoesnotgoback.Ifithastogoback,thatmeans

you’vewrittenpoorly.”Mesaying:“Now,ifyouareagoodwriterandagoodcommunicator,whichyouare,thatisahuge

plusforaleader,butifyouarenot,it’sahugehandicapforaleader.”“Well,yes,because,Imean,tobealeader,youmustbeabletocommunicateyourfeelingsandmove

theotherfellow.It’snotjustideas,youknow.”“Andyoudon’thavetobeagenius.Youmaybe,butyoudon’thavetobe.RonaldReaganwasnota

genius.”“Butyoumustmovetheotherfellow’sposition.”Isay:“Yeah,andbeclear.AfterCarter,thatwasReagan’sgreatstrength.Hehadthreeideas:America

isgreat,lessgovernmentisbettergovernment,andtheSovietUnionistheevilempire.Endofstory.Thatwasit; thatwasthewholedeal.Buthewouldstayonit.Hedidn’tchangehistuneeverythreemonths.Whoisthegreatcommunicatorofourtimenowinpolitics?”

“Today?MaybeObama,asafluentspeaker.Iamnotsurewhetherhewouldproduceresults,butforsheerabilitytoputthingsthewayhewantsthem,thewayhefeelswouldgodownwiththepeople,withAmericans,he’sgotaknackforit.”

It’shardtoknowhowfarthattalentcancarryObama,though:“SorensensaidthattooaboutObama,and so, between his opinion and yours, that just about nails it forme.But, still, I have very unhappydoubtsaboutObama;Iwonderwhetherhewillhaveasecondterm.Butleavingthataside,Irememberbefore he was president, someone said: Obama? He is only good at giving speeches. And then TedSorensenweighed inandsaid,hey,waitaminute, that’s really important forapresident, tobeable tocommunicate,toindicatedirection.Don’tbelittlethattalent.”

Iamnotsurewhetherhe[Obama]wouldproduceresults,butforsheerabilitytoputthingsthewayhewantsthem,thewayhefeelswouldgodownwiththepeople,withAmericans,he’sgotaknackforit.

TheodoreC.Sorensen,whomIadmiredasastudentandthereafterasajournalist,wastotallydevotedtoJohnKennedy,ofcourse.JFKluckedout.Tedwasalltalent.And,likeLKY,infact,JFKaswellasTSwasarealwriter(whoinanotherlifemighthavebeenanewspaperornewsmagazineeditor),andarealthinker,sardonicandsometimesunpredictable.Kennedy,throughSorensen,itseemedtome,couldoftenbe seen searching for large,Hedgehog-like ideas; he had such a livelymind.LKY, it seems tome, isalwayssearchingforthem,restlessly.But,foranumberofreasons,hedoesn’twanttomaketoobigadealofit.

PassageToIndia

THEPUBLICPOLICYachievementsofSingaporearenot tobemootedsimplybecauseof itssize—brainscount,Leeisright.Evenso,evenbrainsaren’tenoughbythemselves.ThoughmorepopulatedthanLosAngeles,LKY’shomecountryisperhapsbutathirdthepopulationofShanghai,asthelateDengXiaopingfamously suggested to him. The population ofNewDelhi, the capital of India, is approximately threetimesSingapore’s.ImaginewhatitwouldbeliketohavetobetheBigBadNannyoveraplacelikeIndia!

SoIaskhimthat.Iputittohimstraight:“ButcouldyouhavedoneitinIndia?”“InIndia?”“CouldyouhavedoneIndia?”“No.”Ithoughtthataratherdirectanswer:“Butwhy?”“It’sanestablishedancientcivilization.NehruandGandhihadachancebecauseof theirenormous

prestige,buttheycouldn’tbreakthecastesystem.Theycouldnotbreakthehabits.”Noticehedidn’tmentionthesize-of-populationissue.To LKY an inherited culture is sort of like a country’s DNA. To change it almost requires laser

surgery.Culturesthatevolvetochangesincircumstancesandchallengescanthrive;thosethatdonot,fallbehind. In a famous and influential 1994 interviewwith FareedZakaria inForeign Affairs, the semi-official journal of the U.S. foreign-policy establishment, Lee spelled out his Toynbeeesque view thatcultureisdestiny.That’swhyheoftenadmonishescriticstounderstandacountry’s‘startingplace’.

SoIventurethis:“ButthegreatNehruaddedtotheproblemofIndiabecausehewasstuckonanidea:Sovietcentralplanning!”

“Yeah,hewas.”“Butyouwouldhavedroppedthatinthreemonths?”Henods,asifsure:“Yousee,hewasstuckonbigideas.Hewentforideas.Ichaseideasprovided

theywork.Whentheydon’twork,Isay,look,thisideamaybesoundsbright,butlet’strysomethingthatworks.Sowetrysomethingthatworks,let’sgetitgoing.”

Ifyoubelieveinnumbersasafullysatisfyingmeasurementoftrueachievement,SingaporeunderLeeand his successors has been using ideas thatwork for decades. Consider that in 2008, the per capitaincomeofIndiawasUS$2,900,number167intheworld.ButSingapore’swasUS$51,600,eighthintheworld. The U.S. number—and this surprised me—was but tenth, at US$47,500. Over the decadesSingaporeputalotofpolicystuffintosuccessfulmotion.

Isay:“YouraideandIweretalkingaboutthegloriousgardenshereinIstana,andlookingatthemaslittlelaboratories.Youbringsomelittleplantinandifitdies,youdon’ttrytoplantthemelsewhereinthecountry,right?Didn’twork,don’tdoit.ButNehru,washesomeonewhowastoomuchofaHedgehog,perhapsstuckonbigideas?”

LKYtiltshisheadslightlydownward:“Idon’tknowwhetherheisaHedgehog,butheisamanwhoplayswithideas,youknow,‘Non-AlignedThirdWorld’,notcommittedtoeithersidewhen, infact,hewascommittedtotheSovietsideintheend,becauseyouneedadvanced-technologyweaponry,andsohechosetocriticizeAmerica.Hedidn’tgetonwithJohnKennedy;yourememberthefamousinterchange:

Kennedy showed him how the wealthy lived in America, grand buildings, et cetera, and Nehru wasunimpressed.Imean,Iwouldnothavebeenun-impressed!So,he’sadifferentman,hismentalmake-up.So,hewritesbooks,hewritesbeautifulbooks.He’sananti-colonialist,he’safreedomfighter,butwhatdoyoudowithfreedom?Whatisitthatyourpeoplewant?”

ThisisakeycrywithLKY.Whatdopeoplereallywant?Hecontinues:“Gandhi’s ideawas togive themback thevillage, the spinningwheel.Well, Imean,

that’sgoingtogetyounowhereinthisIndustrialAge.”Butthisisgettingussomewhere:“Yousayatonepoint,whatdopeoplewant?Dotheywantfoodon

thetable,acar,ahome,ortheywanttherighttowriteanyeditorialinanewspaper?Andthenyousay,Iknowwhattheywant.Yousaytheywantreality,notconcepts.That’syourview.But,evenso,Nehruwasagreatman.”

IndiatodayisincreasinglyimportanttoLee’sSingapore.NobodyintheregionwantstobeteverythingonChina.HepicksthroughforeignpolicyoptionsthewayaNASCARdriverplotsoutanupcomingrace.Themainconcernisnotwhathappensifeverythinggoesright,butwhattheoptionsareatanygivenpointwhenthingsgowrong(assometimestheydo).IfSingaporeputsallitsdiplomaticchipsongiantChina,which then turnsangrilyon its smallestneighbors (or internally implodes,whichhashappenedbefore,and could happen again—let’s face it),what is itsway out of the box it put itself in?Lee knows thatwithoutIndiaactivelyinvolvedinSoutheastAsia,ASEANalonecannothopetostandagainstChinaonanyimportantissue.

Ichaseideasprovidedtheywork.Whentheydon’twork,Isay,look,thisideamaybesoundsbright,butlet’strysomethingthatworks.

Leeshrugsaswereviewallthisgeopoliticallandscape.Withoutexchangingaword,weacceptthatChinawillprobablyholdto‘peacefulrising’,inBeijing’sstiltedmantra.Orthatviewcouldprovenaïveanditmightwakeuponedayandfollowinthefootstepsofanynumberofgiantsinhistoryandstarteatinguptinyneighbors.

ThisiswhereIndiamightcomeinhandy.It’snothardtofollowLee’scrisplogic.“Whoisthecounterweight?Japancannotbethecounterweight.Ithasnotgotenoughbodies.Together

JapanandAmerica,yes,canbeacounterweight,economicallyandphysically,andmilitarily,butwhoistheXcounterweightwithinAsia,becauseAmericamay,in100,200years,becomelessabletodominateAsia.ButtheIndiansarehereforkeeps.”

The former primeminister explains the hedging strategy: “So,we developed relationswith India.PrimeMinisterManmohanSingh[India’sbrainyprimeminister]andIhavebeentryingtogetIndiansinto[thepoliticalcommunityof]SoutheastAsiafordecades,fromMrs.IndiraGandhionwards,buttheywerealwaystoopreoccupiedwithPakistan.So,ManmohanSingh,asfinanceminister,facedhisproblemsandhiskittywasrunningverylow,foreignexchange...”

“Youmeaninthe1990s?”“Yes.So,hechangedeconomicstrategy,andcamehere,togetherwithhistrademinister,whoisnow

homeminister,Chidambaram,andsays,willyouendorsethis[such-and-suchafinanceprogram]becauseifweendorseit,itbecomesmorecredible.So,Isaid,yes,ofcourse.So,wedevelopedthatrelationshipandwegraduallybroughtthemintoASEANasadialoguepartneronequaltermswithChina.Thenforthe

EastAsiaSummit,whichtheChineseweregoingtodominate,webroughttheIndiansandtheAustraliansandtheNewZealandersforbalance.So,theyknowthatwearetheirfriends.”

Returning to the Indians, he expresses satisfaction at Singapore’s steady development of a solidbilateralrelationshiptooffsetapossible(ifsofaronlytheoretical)unpleasantChinasyndrome.Butthisget-it-doneman, even in hismid-eighties, hasn’t slowed down enough to tolerate one of India’s leastendearingtraits:abureaucracythatmoveswiththeapproximatespeedofabacklashoftaffy.

“So,we’vegotaccesstothem,”henearlygroans,“butunfortunately,theirbureaucracyissoslow.”“Yeah,it’samazing.”“Somanythingswecoulddowiththemarenotbeingdone.”I don’tmention it toLKY, but one difference between his country and India is that for the former,

whichisarelativelyprogressivesociety,thedefaultpositionfortryinganythingnewseemstohavebeena‘yes’.ButforIndia,whichisrelativelytraditional,thedefaultappearstoremaina‘no’.

ThenIslipintotheroleofagentprovocateur,sayingsarcastically:“ButIndia’sademocracy.”“So?”This—Occidental fansof theOrient—wasnot ‘so’as in ‘ahso’. Itwas ‘so’as in ‘sowhat?’ I am

telling you, dear reader, Thomas Jefferson does not live in the Istana. Neither (for you politicalphilosopherfans)doesJohnRawls.Sowhodoes?Myanswercomeslater.

Ifmorallyorreligiouslyyoubelievethatone-man,one-voteisaxiomaticallythecorrectsystem,areyou prepared to pay a ‘democracy tax’?Even in the best run of them, you have to incur a substantialinefficiency(and,unusually,corruption)deficit.Thisisnottosuggestthatasuffocatingbureaucracyistheinevitableconcomitantofademocratic system: tobesure, sludge-filledbureaucraciesare scarcely themonopolyofdemocracies;theycanbreedlikecancerinautocraciesjustaspathologically.

India’sbureaucracy,though,isprettymuchthestuffoflegend;what’samazingisthatdemocraticallyelectedfigureslikeManmohanSinghmanagetoachieveasmuchastheydointhefaceofasystemthat,culturallyanddynamically,hasmorerespectforthepastthanthefuture.

We go on: “So, now fast forward, the next decade, after he visited you, he then becomes primeminister.Ishejustapuppet?”

Leesaying:“Heis thereonthesupportofMrs.SoniaGandhibut,no,no,heisnotapuppet.WhenSoniaGandhihesitatedabouttheverybignucleardealwithAmerica,hesaid,Iwillresignifyoudon’tsupportit.So,shesupportedhim.”

“Andhegotit.”IndiaisreceivingoodlesofnucleartechnologyfromUncleSam.“Andhegotitandthatwasagoodmove.”“IsitagoodmoveforAmericatoo,doyouthink?”ManyAmericansopposeditbecauseofblanket

opposition to the spread of nuclear technology. You might even call the opponents the ayatollahs ofnuclearproliferationdoctrine.

“Yes,surely.”Leeisnotonefordoctrine.Orforayatollahs,especiallyoftheacademickind.“So,thatiswhereyouputpragmaticsoverideology?”“Yes,ofcourse.”

GuessWho’sComingToDinner?

SURVIVAL.Lee’svisionofgeopoliticalstabilitywouldrequire,forstarters,anadultworkingrelationshipamong

greatpowers.Anythrustforhegemonybyanyonepowerisinherentlydisturbinganddestabilizing.Itisthemoralaswellaspoliticallyrealisticpositionforalltoopposesuchabuildupbyonepoweralone.

EvenifSingaporewerenotthelittlebirdpeckingawayonthetopofthehippotosurvive,butwereitselfoneof thehippos,hisvisionand instinctwouldnotchange.Even in themindofanalleged ‘softauthoritarian’, there have to be limits on the freedom of the strongest, as of course they burden theweakest.

Survival.LKYhimselfisquitethesurvivor.Inanenvironmentofuttercomfortbereftofchallenge,hewould shrink psychologically to amore normal dimension of political actor. In the reality of his ownmind,heseesexistentialchallengeseverywhere.HeisstillunconvincedthatmainlyMuslimMalaysiaisnolongeramilitarythreatto76percentChineseSingapore.

Asheputs it tome:“Bothournorthernandsouthernneighborsaremuch larger thanus.BothhaveMuslimmajoritiesandaredifferentlyorganized.BothhavenotcompletelyacceptedtheirethnicChinesecitizens.Thisaccentuatesthereligiousandculturaldivide,andasubconscioussenseofbeinganutinanutcracker.”

Paranoid?Orprudent?Threatsareeverywhere.HehasseenoffengineerstoHollandtostudythescienceofdikebuildingin

the event the pace of globalwarming quickens and a rising sea level threatens Singapore’s reclaimedland.Hemost admires thosewho take destiny in their hands rather than cower in indecisiveness.HeadmiresnoonemorethantheIsraelisfortheirhard-scrabble,high-IQsurvivalism.

I lookup frommyyellowpadonwhicharescribbled topics Iwantat least to touchonbefore theclockrunsout:“There’salineinyourautobiographythatIjustwanttohavealittlefunwithifyouwould.Youtalkedabout‘everysocietyhasasmallpercentagethat’sexceptionallyable.Thesepeoplearelikethe philosopher-kings of old. They will have to be thrown up through a meritocratic process or beactivelysoughtouttolead.Doingsohelpsraisethelotofallsocietyfarmorethanpretendingthatallmenareequallycapableortalented.’Thenatonepoint,yousaid,andIfoundthishilarious:‘I’mnotassmartasanIsraeli.’”

“Yeah,that’sright.”“Whateverdoyoumeanbythat?”Heturnedtostareatme,aneyebrowalmostraised,as if thepointwereobvious:“TheIsraelisare

verysmart.”“Why?”Hesearcheshismemoryforastory:“IaskedaBankofAmericapresidentin1990orsomething,why

are the Jews so smart?And he gaveme a book, his own copy,well-thumbed. So—I had it bound upbecauseitmightcomeapart;IthinkI’vestillgotitsomewhere—Ireaditthrough,smallbook.And,well,itdidn’tgointothepogromsandhowthestupidpeople,theslowandthehalf-witted,weredestroyedandthebrightonessurvived.Heemphasizedhowthegoodgenesmultiplied.HesaidtherabbiinanyJewish

society was often the most intelligent and well-read, most learned of all because he’s got to knowHebrew, he’s got to know the Talmud, he’s got to know various languages and so on. So, the rabbi’schildrenaremuchsought-afterbysuccessfulJewstobringthegoodgenesintothefamily.That’showtheymultiply,thebrightonesmultiply.Thatsumsitup.”

Isay:“AndwhereasintheCatholicChurch,thepriestswilldestroythat[bynotprocreating]andsotheChurch’skidsaregettingdumber.”

“Andthepriestsarethinningouttonothingnessnow.That’sright.”LKY adheres to the almost mechanistic logic of eugenics and negative eugenics the way the

‘scientific’baseballmanagerreliesonstatisticsofhomerunsandstrikeoutstomakegamedecisions.Ifsuchandsuchabatterhasa.200lifetimeaverageagainstleft-handedpitchers,thatbatterwillnotlikelybe permitted to come to the plate late in a close game against a left-handed pitcher. Similarly, smartcouplesaremorelikelytoproducesmartchildrenthancouplesthatarelesssmart(howevermeasured).TheproblemforSingapore(andothersinAsia,includingHongKongandJapan)isthatmoreandmoresmartcouplesarehavingfewerandfewerchildren.Underthedis-eugenicshypothesis, thismeanseachsuccessivegenerationbecomeslesssmart,likeasystematicallyshrinkingCatholic-priestpopulation.

Lee’s solution for his country’s dilemma is to open doors to foreigners who want to becomeSingaporean,butnot toalloutsiders—only to theeducatedprofessionals, theachievers, thebrains, theelite.Inalmostanydemocracy,suchthoughtsbyaleaderwouldgethimintoaboiloftrouble.LKYsaysthathedoesnotworrymuchaboutbeingpoliticallycorrect.Ifagivenpropositionistrueandgermanetogood governance, it is a betrayal of trust to act as if such a truth doesn’t exist. Burying it under thesawdustofpoliticalcorrectnessis tolayalandmineforyourself.Ifacertainethnicorracialgroupisoverwhelmingly disadvantaged regarding this or that, ignoring that reality, by not treating it, onlyperpetuatesthenegativeconsequencesofthedisadvantage.

Amerit-basedsystemadvantageseveryone, the lessable included,byhavinggovernancedrivenbythebest.Suggestingthateveryoneisequalorthattheexceptionallyablepopulationisanythingbutasmallpercentage of the whole is, in his view, arrant foolishness and, at worst, an evil deception. Purelydemocraticsystemswhicharenotstrictlymeritocratictendtoelevatemediocrity.Thehonest,courageousleader—or contemporary ‘prince’—will not hesitate to tell the truth publicly and act on it. Yes,sometimespeople’sfeelingswillgethurt.

Politicalsystemsvarybytheterrain.IsraelisbasicallyaWestern-styledemocracy,andtheCatholicChurchisnot.NeitherisChina.All threedominionsinonewayortheother,atgiventimes,havebeensuccessful.Butdemocracy ideologueswillnotbehappyuntil everyone is ademocracy.China isoftenurgedbytheWesttoopenupanddemocratize,evenovernight.

Isay, tryingtocovera lotof territoryquickly:“In1999, inBeijing,Clintonsaidbluntly toChina’sPresident JiangZemin,duringamemorable jointpublicTVappearance, that theChinesegovernment’sthinkingabouthowtogovernwasonthewrongsideofhistory.Isit?”

“Theyneverthoughtsothen,theyevenlesssothinksonow.”“Butwhatdoyouthink?”“No,Ididn’tthinksothenandIdon’tthinksonow.IthinktheirwayhaskeptChinatogetherandthey

aremakingprogress,butthey’regoingtofacemanyproblemsalongtheroad.Technologyisgoingtomaketheirsystemofgovernanceobsolete.By2030,70percentormaybe75percentoftheirpeoplewillbeincities,smalltowns,bigtowns,megabigtowns.They’regoingtohavecellphones,Internet,satelliteTV.They’regoingtobewell-informed;theycanorganizethemselves.Youcan’tgovernthemthewayyou’regoverningthemnowwhereyoujustplacateandtheymonitorafewpeoplebecausethenumberswillbe

solarge.Theyknowthisandtheydon’tknowwheretheywillendup,buttheybelievestepbystep,asthesituationchanges,theyadapt,theychange,theycanremainincontrolandtheyco-optthebrightpeopleandtheactivists into theirparty. It’sno longera communistparty. It is apartyof all thosewhowillmakeChinagreatandstrong.That’sall.”

Meadding:“Butthewrongsideofhistorypoint,itgoesbacktotheFrancisFukuyamabook,TheEndofHistory,andnotonlywashewronginthesensethatunpredictablehistorykeepsrollingonwhetherwelikeitornot,butmaybeourcherisheddemocraticsysteminAmericaistheexceptionthatdoesn’tprovetherule.Inotherwords,thatotherformsofgovernancearegoingtobemorethematicinthefuture.”

LKYadds:“Idonotbelievethatone-man,one-vote,ineithertheU.S.formatortheBritishformatortheFrenchformat,isthefinalposition.Imean,humansocietywillchangeovertheyearswithtechnology,withfreetravel.Thedemographicsofcountriesarechangingwithmixturesofpopulation.

“Whatwillbetheendresult?Idon’tknow.Imean,whatwillbethefutureoftheU.S.tobeginwith?The Chinese have projected it and they are fairly confident. They see themselves as relativelyhomogenous. Yes, they’ll absorb a fewmore foreigners along the coastal cities, but they’re likely toremain,astoday,90percentHan.Infiftyyears’time,atthemost,another10percentnon-Han,mixed;80percentHan.Bycomparison,theyseetheU.S.andtheirmigrationpatterns.By2050,theHispanicswillovertaketheAnglo-Saxons.So,eitheryouchangetheircultureortheychangeyou,andIdonotbelieveyoucanchangetheirculture.”

Leecontinues, atbreakneckspeednow:“Imean,you lookatLatinAmerica.Youmightchange thecultureof a fewwhomyounowappoint.ThoseHispanics thatObamahas appointed to the cabinetorClinton appointed to the cabinet or George Bush appointed to the cabinet, those are exceptionalHispanics,butthetotalHispanicculturewillremainwhatitis.So,youwillloseyourdynamism,andifyoucontinuewithone-man,one-vote,theywillsettheagendabecausetheyarethemajority.”

Idonotbelievethatone-man,one-vote,ineithertheU.S.formatortheBritishformatortheFrenchformat,isthefinalposition.Imean,humansocietywillchangeovertheyears...

IthinkitisfairtosaythatLeewouldnotwinanyelectioninanydistrictdominatedbyLatinos,nottomention by Uighurs or Sinhalese. Here, the deeply embedded American penchant for optimismmightcome in handy for dealing with what is probably inevitable: continuing waves of immigration into acountrywhosespectacularsuccesshasbeenbuiltonthebrains,aswellasthebacks,ofimmigrants,fewofwhom came herewith PhDs,MDs or law degrees.But their kids and then their kids have them indroves.

LeeofArabia

NEARTHEOPENINGofLawrenceofArabia,theepicfilmbySirDavidLean,averyelderlySirLawrencehopsontohismotorbikeforanearlymorningspin.Determinedanduncaringasateenager,heslamsontheacceleratorandroarsdownthecountryroadliketheproverbialbatoutofhell.Thisistheendofhislife,but the beginning of the film.An overnight storm has felled a tree across the road that on this fatefulmorningistotakeLawrencetohislastviolentrun-in:adeadlycollisionwithastonewall.

PerhapsthisbikerorracecarimageryworksasreasonablywellforHarryasforLawrence,withonefootnote:LKY,unlikeLawrence,alwaysworriesaboutpotentialdisaster.

DriverLeehasalwayspushedtheSingaporeacceleratorasfastashereasonablycan,thoughallthetimeworryingaboutanaccidentorupset.Likea seasoned race-cardriveratLeMans,heworriesnotwhat hewill do towin the race asmuch aswhat hewill do to save the day if the unexpectedweresuddenlytohappen,asitoftendoes.

LKYisverygoodatworrying.Hemightagreethatit’soneofhisbesttalents.HewasworryingabouttheIslamicworldlongbeforeSeptember11,2001.ThatwasthedatewhenAmericans,glidingwithoutacareintheworldalongthecountryroad,smashedintotheirstonewall.

It’snosurprisethatLKYhasgiventheIslamicchallengemuchthought.Inadditiontohisdeep-seatedaversiontosurprises,hedoesliveinacountrywithsprawlingIndonesiaallbutsurroundingit—andwiththe rest of the mostlyMuslimMalaysian peninsula above it. This is where very manyMuslims live.Indonesia is home tomoreMuslims than any other country. (Youmay be surprised, though, that India,usually viewed as a Hindu culture, has the globe’s second largest concentration, with neighboringPakistanthird.)

SoIsuggestthattheresurgenceoftheIslamicworldcouldalsohaveadramaticeffectontheworldagenda,notjusttheAmericanone.ThelateSamuelHuntington,astoriedHarvardprofessor,coinedthephrase‘TheClashofCivilizations’ to titlehismostfamousbook.HuntingtonwasfascinatedbyLKY’sSingapore,butoncepredicted that thecountrywouldnot survive in itspresent,uncorrupted formuponLee’s departure from earth. Huntington was to change that view after a wide-ranging conversation,perhapsnotunlikethisone,withLee.

Leerecallsvividly:“WeusedtomeetattheAsiaSocietyandsoon,hecamehereandIwentthere;andoneday,hesentmeapiecehewaswritingintheForeignAffairscalledthe‘ClashofCivilizations’.ThenIsawhimandIsaid, look,IagreewithyouonlywheretheMuslimsareconcerned,onlythere.Ishouldhavewrittenitinapieceorinalettertohim,mythoughtturnedoutprophetic.Isaid,Hinduism,ChineseConfucianism orCommunism, Japanese Shintoism, they are secular really. They know that toprogress,youmustmasterscienceandtechnology,andthat’swheretheyaregoingtocompetewithyouinthe end.But theMuslims believe that if theymastered theQuran and they are prepared to do all thatMuhammadhasprescribed,theywillsucceed.So,wecanexpecttroublefromthemandso,ithappened.”

“Andherewearetoday.”“Yeah.WhydidIcometothatconclusion?BecauseIsawtheMalayswithwhomIwenttoschool;

theywerequiteeclecticandsecularduringBritishtimes.”Iampuzzled:“Quitewhat?”“Eclectic. You know, I will eat pork, [they will eat] whatever they eat, their halal food, and, in

college,we’llsitdownthesametable.Womenwillnothavescarvesandsoon.Butwiththeriseofoilmoney,theSaudisandothersinvitedthemtoconferencesandsaid,look,yoursisadilutedvoiceofIslam.Wearethegoldstandard,prayfivetimesaday,dothat,womenshouldnotshowtheirlimbs,coveruptothesleevesandtheankles,andgradually,nowyouseesomanyofthewomenwithheadscarves.Areyoumad?”

I look atLee andweboth cannot help chortling.Wemeannodisrespect to any religion.Still, anyreligionthatrequiresyoutodress likeEskimosinallkindsofweather, includingdensehumidtropicalheat,perhapsmightmeritasartorialaswellasecclesiasticalreviewbycommonsense.

Hecontinues:“So,thenoneday,theprimeministerofMauritiuscomesbyonhiswaytoAustraliaforsomeconference.Hesaid,areyourMalayshereinSingapore,areyourMuslimsbecomingdifferent?So,[SeniorMinister] Goh Chok Tong says, why do you ask? He says, ourMus [they call themMus forMuslims] have suddenly changed. The Saudis have built a mosque, beautiful mosque, and sent thempreachers.Now,theyhavesegregatedthemselves.”

Lee rolls his black eyes: “And Iwas listening toBBC, the reporter saying thatwas happening inAfrica too.So, Isee theoilmoneyand the[hard-core]WahabisrallyingaMuslimworld to theirside.Now,intheyearsbeforetheoilboom,whenyougoonaHaj,yougotoaThirdWorldcountry.Now,yougoonaHaj,youareinasuperFirstWorldcountry;youseebrand-newgreatbuildings,motorways,air-conditioned,everything.So,theyareoverwhelmedbythis.It’slike,ifyoubehavelikeaproperMuslim,Allahwillgiveyouoil!”

“Sotheywererightallalong!”“Yeah!Now,yousee,IslamcametoSoutheastAsianotbyconquestbutbytradersfromYemen,and

because it camewith sailing ships, sailing boats, therewas distance and, therefore, it developed in adifferent, milder way, especially in Indonesia where they had an under-layer of animism, Javanesesuperstition, Hinduism, Buddhism. So, even today, I believe the average Javanese is less prone toextremism.So,thepeopleinIndonesiawhoarepushingaharderviewareArabs,ofArabdescent,likeAbuBakarBashir,whoisapureArab.”

Iinterjected:“YoumeanthereputedideologicalgodfatherofJemaahIslamiyah,themilitantIslamicmovementbasedinIndonesia,thegroupthatwouldliketoconflateIndonesia,Malaysia,southernIslamicPhilippines,BruneiandevenSingaporeintoonevastorthodoxIslamicstate?”

Leenods:“Ofcourse,theyhavesucceededingettingthepoorJavanesetofollowthemandsacrificethemselves.”

Suchgoodfriends,SaudiArabiaandtheUnitedStates:“So,insteadofinvadingIraq,weshouldhaveinvadedSaudiArabia?”

Sometimesmyso-calledinterviewingtechniqueinvolvesdeliberatelyabsurdsuggestions.“Noway!”“But 10, 15, 25 years from now, this Islam thing, a bigger problem or is it going to be a lesser

problem?”“Dependsonwhat happens in theoil states, particularlySaudiArabia.Especially ifSaudiArabia

wantstomodernize,whichIthinksomeoftheprinceswanttodo,likePrinceAbdullahnow,althoughhe’sgoingaboutitslowlyandheisanoldman.So,itdependsonwhosucceedshim.Thenthey’vegottomoveawayfromthiscompactbywhichtheypleadwiththeWahabis:yousupportmyroyalfamilyandIwillgiveyoutheresourcestospreadyourWahabism.So,now,womencannotdrivecars,etcetera,butbehindthesehighwallsofalltheroyalprincesandprincesses,theytakeofftheirveilsandputontheirParisianclothes;andthemengotthebarsandclubstogotoandsoon.Imean,it’sahypocriticalsociety.So,for

weekends,theygotoDubai.”Leeisclearlynofanofthisworld,buthasrespectforcosmopolitanMuslims,especiallyAbdullah:

“He’snowopenedaKingAbdullahUniversityforScienceandTechnology,andwithinthatuniversity,allrules are off.Women can studywithmen, no scarves, you can drinkwhat you like, et cetera, but themomentyouleave,you’vegottocomply.Ifthatsidesucceedsingatheringmomentum,thenIthinkSaudiArabiawill change,but if theygoback to, if they regressandyouget ayoungergenerationofprinceskeepingupthesamebargainwiththeWahabis,Idon’tknowwhatwillhappen.”

“So,ifthereisonekeytothis‘clashofcivilizations’business,it’sSaudiArabia?”“Yes,andtheyhavetheoil.So,areyougoingtoinvadeandtakeovertheoil?”Ijoke:“Gobacktobicycles!”“Andthen,youcannotflytoSingaporeanymore!”“OnSingaporeAirlines!”“Well,ofcourse.”

YearsofLivingDangerously(WithIndonesia)

LEE IS LAUGHING, but with deep understandable pride. Sometimes it seems that the famous flagshipnationalcarrierwinsalmostasmanyinternationalawardsasthenation’smathandsciencestudents.ButSingaporeAirlinesdidn’tjusthappentobecomeoneoftheworld’sbestairlines.Ittakeshardworkandacommitmenttoexcellence—andmaybeanLKYbreathingdownyournecktomakesureyoudon’tscrewup.

Someyearsago,theairlinepilotsthreatenedtostrikeforhigherwages.Managementwouldn’tbackdown.AstrikewouldhaveblemishedSingapore’scontroversialimagefororderoverlaw.Therewasnostrike.LKYbrought the twowarring sides intohisoffice separately fora long intensechat.SingaporeAirlinesstillhasn’tsufferedastrike.

Strongmenhavetheiruses,weakleadershavetheirexcuses.Virtuallywithoutideology,LKYadmirespeoplewhogetresults.Headmiresforeignleaderswhogotthingsdonefortheircountryunderthemostquarrelsome of parliamentary democracies aswell as takeover generalswho got things done for theirpeople despite the cavils of narrow-vision Western human rights groups. He favors no one form ofgovernmentexcepttheonethatworks.Heautomaticallyopposesonlyoneformofgovernmentnotoutofideology,butoutofdisbeliefofiteverworkingeffectively—Communism.

His repulsion to Communism comes more from their severe Leninist methods than their Marxistideals. He can tolerate ideology if it provides positive results; a regime that’s amilitary junta is notnecessarilytobecondemnedifitspeoplearebenefiting.

HisquarrelwithMyanmar’s[Burma’s]generals,forinstance,isnotthattheyarestrongmenbutthattheyaresuch‘stupid’strongmen,asheputitinaninterviewwithmeandProfessorJeffreyColeoftheUniversityofSouthernCaliforniain2007.Theysobadlymismanagetheresource-richMyanmareconomythatyoucanalmostfeelLeewantingtogethishandsonittoshowthestupididiotsinmilitarydress-uphowtodoit.Theycouldremindhimofanotherincompetentgeneralwhoshouldn’tberunningsomuchasacornergrocerystore,Muammaral-GaddafiofLibya,acountrywithmoreoil thanMobilandasmallpopulation.Theplaceisstillmostlydirtpoor.

Istareacrossatthefamousmanwiththehaironcesoblackandeyesthatstillare.Overhis31yearsasprimeminister(andthentwodecadesafterthatinputativebackseatpositions),thoseeyeshaveseensomuchthatisbothgoodandbadinman,andgoodandbadinhimself.

Inhisgeneralneighborhood,fordecadesthestrongestofthestrongmenhadbeenIndonesia’sGeneralSuharto.On January27, 2008, on a typically hot andhumidday in Jakarta, the86-year-old strongmandied.His bodyhadbarely gotten coldwhen theWesternmedia began revvingup the recycled clichésaboutthecruelandcorruptdictator.

Theaccountsalmost forgot tomention that the three-decade ruleof this Javanesemilitarymanwasremarkablenotjustforhumanrightscontroversies,butfordeterminedandstoicnation-building.ThrowntogethermoreoutofcriminalnegligencethangeopoliticallogicbytheDutch,whovanishedasifinthemiddle of the night so eagerwere they to leave, Indonesiawas a coherent nation only in the thrown-together,claptrapmannerof,say,theformerYugoslavia.

WhatdidstrongmanLeethinkofstrongmanSuharto?SoIask:“IrememberwhenSuhartodied,almosteveryonesaid,thankgoodness,thegooddearold

fogy’sdeadand the family iscorruptandgoodriddanceandgoodbye,andyoustoodupandsaid,hey,waitaminute.AndyouhadgoodthingstosayabouthimandIthoughtthiswasverymuchyou.Youcouldhavejustsaidnothing,butyoustoodupandsaidyourpiece.”

Leefiddlesagainwithhisheatpad;hejustcan’tseemtogetitthewayhewantsit:“Well,becauseyou’vegottojudgeamanfromwherehestoodinhissocietyandwherehehadcomefromandwhathisambitionswere.Hewasafarmer’schildwhohadjoinedtheJapaneseterritorialforceasaprivateandbecameacorporalorsomething.Thenduringthefightforindependence,heemergedasaleaderofoneoftheforcesfightingthereturningDutchandhebecamepartofthearmy.Now,heneverhadanysecondaryeducation,andhisviewofhimselfandofIndonesiawasthathewasthebiggestsultanofallsultansandthatwashisviewofhisposition,andasthebiggestsultanofallsultans,he’sentitledtogivehisfamilyandfriendsthepatronagethattheyneeded.”

‘Sultan’—justwhenyou think it’s an ancient termconsigned to history’s dustbinor some animatedDisney film—it gets resurrected to explain the contours of a traditional political culture in a wayeveryonecanunderstand.

Hegoeson:“Butinspiteofallthat,inspiteofthegraftandtheinefficientadministrationheinheritedfromtheDutchwhoneverbuiltitup,hehadtosortofimproviseashewentalong,andeachministersortofbuiltuphisownlittleadministrationorempire,buthemadeprogress.Itwaspatchy,itwasmainlyinJavaandsomecitieslikeMedanorMakassarorBali,butoutofthechaosandhyperinflationofSukarno[hiscommunistpredecessor],hebroughttheplacedowntoearth.”

Ipointout:“Andhestoppedthecommunistsfromtakingover.Inyourview,that’sabigdeal.”Leevigorouslyagreeing:“Oritwouldhavegonetheotherwayandtherewouldhavebeenalotof

trouble for this entire region.Theyweregoing to carveup this archipelagoofperhaps17,000 islandsbetweenChinaandSukarno.Thatwaspartof thedeal,but in theend, theChinesecouldnot intervene;they did not have the capacity to help, compared to what the Americans did for Suharto. So, hetriumphed.”

Survival. When your fate is to live on a small island of four-plus million, in the shadow of asometimesunstablegoliathof17,000islandsholding241millionpeople,youtendtogetyourfactsdownandyourhistorystraight.SoLKYwillnotbothertoquarrelwithyouifyouinsistoncallingattentiontothe human rights abuses during the three decades of Suharto. Hewould just ask you to imaginewhatIndonesia’shumanrightsrecordwouldhavebeenlikewith,say,KimJong-ilofNorthKoreaincharge.

InLee’seyes,AmericawassmarttostandbySuharto.ItwasalesserevilthanlettingIndonesiagotothe wicked embrace of the communists. And, as mentioned before, he believes U.S. intervention inVietnam,whichweAmericansalmostuniversallybewail,gaveSoutheastAsiavaluabletimetocatchitsbreathandgetitsanti-communistpoliticalacttogether.

LeebelievesAmericadoessomeverygoodthings, then,inexplicably,forgetsithasdonethem,andthen—worseyet—sometimespositivelyuprootsthem!Sosometimesit’shardtotellwhethertheseniorstatesmanismoreamusedthanirritatedbyAmericandiplomaticincompetence.

Helooksbackto1997,totheClintonadministration:“Istronglybelievethat[formerU.S.Secretaryof State] Madeleine Albright and [former Clinton Deputy Treasury Secretary] Larry Summers knewnothing about thehistoryof Indonesia andwerewrong inwanting touse the [Asian financial crisis of1997]crisistooustSuharto.”

LeerecountshowtheInternationalMonetaryFund,backedby theU.S.Treasury, forcedonGeneralSuhartoonerousfiscal-tighteningconditions—inreturnforIMFaid—thatcouldonlyhastenthecollapseofthegeneral’srule.HealsovividlyrecountsSummers’blusteryperformancethatatonepointtriggereda

giganticfoodpanicinJakarta.“So,I toldmyprimeminister,GohChokTong,you’dbetterringupBillClintonandsay, look, this

carelessremarkhasledtoaverypanickysituationinIndonesia;bettersendsomebodyouttoreassurethepublicthatit’snotasbadasitis.So,theysent[IMFheadMichel]CamdessusandLarrySummers,andbeforetheywentthere,LarrySummerscameheretoSingaporebecausewehadalertedthem;heknowsnothingaboutIndonesia.”

Ijumpin:“Itdoesn’tstopthem;justbecausewedon’tknowwhatwe’retalkingabout,itdoesn’tstopAmericafromtellingpeoplewhattodo.”

Heagainshakeshisheadsadly:“That’sright.So,Summerswashereforonenight.Ispoketohimforabouttwoandahalfhours,togetherwithGohChokTong,andfinally,hesaid,wemusthavediscontinuity[ingovernment—thatis,Suhartomustgonow]!Isaid,youmustbebonkers;youwantdiscontinuity?Whatyouneednow is continuity!Suharto is just anoldman runninghis last few laps,getting toput agooddeputy in charge, a vice-president,whowill take over and slowly unwind all these knots that he hascreated.

“But Summers did not think so. So, hewent there and they imposed terms andSuharto decided toignore the terms, and then theWestern bankers and the fundmanagers pulled theirmoney out and thatdebacleledtoacollapsedeconomy.TheyareunscramblingIndonesianowfortenyears.”

Hecontinues,withsomeheat:“AndnowtheU.S.saysIndonesiaisthethirdgreatestdemocracyintheworld.So,theyareallpuffedupandtheterroristshitbackandtheneveryoneisbackdownontheearth.IfyouarethethirdlargestdemocracylikeIndonesia,whycan’tyoucollect theseterroristsandstopthemfrompropagatingmoreyoungterroristswiththemadrasas?”

Helaughsandshakeshishead:“So,Suhartohadhisheartattack,asusual,aseveryoneexpected.Hewasoldandhiswifehaddied,andhewasabitdowncastbecausehe’sgotnobodytotalktoandconfidein.Hewouldhavegonedown,ashedid[withouttheU.S.pushing],andthevice-presidentwouldhavetakenover,thesystemwouldhavebeengraduallyaltered.Asitwas,theentiresystemcollapsedundertheU.S./IMF push. Successor Habibiemade amess of it. ThenGusDurmade a biggermess.Megawaticalmed it down. SBY [the initials for the current Indonesian president] has improved it slightly, butthere’salongwaytogo.”

Thatwasquiteabreathtakingrecounting.And,oddlyenough,Leethinksofhimself(andshouldbesothought)aspro-American.

Isay:“AreweAmericansbasicallyhopeless?”“No,thesearemavericksintheAmericanadministration.WhenIdealwiththepeopleinpower,even

BillClintonintheendcamearound[afterallthetroubleswithMichaelFayin1995]andhelaunchedtheU.S.-SingaporefreetradeagreementwhichtheBushadministrationcompletedwiththepresentpresidentoftheWorldBank.”

Iadd:“Clintongotbetteraspresidenteveryyear.Bytheendofthesecondterm,hewasdoingalotofgoodthings,particularlyintheinternationalrealm.Maybeweshouldgetridofthatdealwhereyoucanonlybepresidentfortwoterms.”

“That’sforAmericanstodecide.Idon’tknowAmericans.”American democracy, in his view, is good because it hasworked—not that itworks because it is

good.Lookatitthisway:Singaporehaslowerinfantmortalityratesandhigherlifeexpectancy;itspends4percentofitsnation’swealthonhealthcare,theUnitedStates17percent.Maybe,Isuggest,AmericanswouldbebetteroffiftheirsystemweremoreSingaporeanthanAmerican.

Ibreakthesilence:“Don’twanttogointothat,okay.”

Hesaysthis:“AmericanswillnotchangetheirConstitutionbecauseotherpeoplewanttohaveacrackatit.TheybelieveachapwiththreeorfourtermslikeRooseveltwouldbeuncontrollable.”

NottomentionachaplikeJimmyCarter,whomLeewouldpresumablyfindunbearable.IalmostforgottomentionthatwhileGeneralSuhartowasdyinginhospital,fewforeigndignitaries

came to Indonesia to be at his bedside.The first one—and almost the only one—wasLeeKuanYew,visitingtwoweeksbeforehiscolleaguewastopassaway.Leeexplainedafterwardsthatit’snotaperfectworldbutthatrespecthadtobepaid.ThisseemsveryConfucian.

TheGodfather(Parts1and2)

LKYDOESNOTseehowitispossibletoruleverywiselyifonedoesnotruleveryfirmly.Strongleadersmake hard decisions that stick. Weak leaders make bad situations worse by deciding poorly or notdecidingatall.Thisiswhattheoft-quotedNiccolòMachiavelliwaspreachinginThePrince.Atsomelengthhisfabledanalysiswentlikethis:

“Aprince...oughtnottomindthereproachofcruelty;becausewithafewexampleshewillbemoremerciful than those who, through toomuchmercy, allow disorders to arise, fromwhichfollow murders or robberies; for these are wont to injure the whole people, whilst thoseexecutionswhichoriginatewithaprinceoffendtheindividualonly....Uponthisaquestionarises:whether itbebetter tobe loved than fearedor feared than loved? Itmaybeanswered thatoneshouldwishtobeboth,but,becauseitisdifficulttounitetheminoneperson,itismuchsafertobe feared than loved,when,of the two,eithermustbedispensedwith....Neverthelessaprinceoughttoinspirefearinsuchawaythat,ifhedoesnotwinlove,heavoidshatred;becausehecanendureverywellbeingfearedwhilstheisnothated.”

LKYknows (andhas elsewhere in effect suggested) thatMachiavelliwason to something.Hehasoftenworriedabouttheriskofmeaninglessnessandineffectivenessifasrulernoonefearedhim.

Cultures of coursediffer, but humannature across theboard reflects obvious and enduring speciescharacteristics.Exceptinrarecases,perhapsusuallywartime,slavishlyexcessivepopularityistoooftenareflectionofmediocregovernance.Greatgovernancesometimestakesdifficultdecisions.Noonelikestosufferpaineveninthepublicinterest.Whatpopulaceisactuallygoingtoinsistthatvehiclesbetaxedfor rush-hourusage,even though the resultwouldclearlybe in thepublic interest?Like the restofus,LKYlikestobeliked,butnotatthecostofwhathebelieveswouldleadtomis-governance.Thisiswhyhis Machiavellianism is so often misunderstood (and, indeed, why Machiavelli’s own originalMachiavellianism is invariablymisunderstood). It is driven formaximumeffect; there is nothing at allaboutitthatisinsincere.Itisastrongandusefultoolofpropergovernance,aspartofarangeoftoolsandpriorities.

ThisleadsustolookatSingapore’sgreatrivalintheOver-AchievingWorldBantamDivision:HongKong.Theysharemanydistinctions,includingbeingmainlyChinese,verysuccessfulandwellobservedbyChina.IthinkofitsfirstChinesegovernorinthepostBritishcolonialera,amannamedTungChee-hwa.Heisoneofthemostgentlemanlyofpoliticians.

IsaytoLKY:“BeforecominghereIhadachatwithTungChee-hwa,averyniceman,ajovialman.Ilikehimverymuch.Ithinkhe’sgotabadpressinHongKongandarawdeal,butIthinkhistorywilltreathimwell.Anyway,hesaid,whatareyouworkingon?Isaid,well,I thinkIwillbedoingthisbookonMinisterMentorLKYandhegoes,oh,he’sagreatman.”

LKY,truetoform,doesnotsmile.Healwaysmakesapointofseemingimpervioustoflattery.Maybeheevenis.IknowI’mnot.

He says: “Let me tell youmy relationship with him. Tung Chee-hwa, I knew as a son of a greatshippingmagnateinHongKong.So,whenthesonwasabouttobecomethechiefexecutive,IwasinHongKong.Isaidtohim,youknow,themostimportantthingyoucandoistogetyoureducationrightbecause

theBritishleftyou—deliberatelyleftyourpeople—withCantoneseasyourlanguage,andabitofEnglishfortheupperclassestobeusefultothem.IfIwereyou,IwouldconcentrateonMandarinandEnglish;Englishbecauseyouneedtoconnectwiththeworld.”

Leeshakeshisheadsadly:“Whateverthereasons,underpressure,hedecidedtogoforEnglish,inallschoolswhichhavebeen taught inCantonese, toCantoneseandEnglish;and the result isEnglishwentdown, Cantonese became more pronounced and now, they’ve got to learn Mandarin because theircustomersarefromChina.AnditisfromourexperienceweknowthatifyoutrytospeakCantoneseallthetime,andlearnMandarinatthesametime,that’spossible;tospeakCantoneseandlearnMandarinandlearnEnglish, that’s impossible for theaverageperson.Well, for theelitewhocango toAmericaandimmersethemselvesfouryears,sixyearswithaPhD,yes,ofcourse.”

“Soyouseethatasastrategicproblem?”“Itwasagravemistake,andnowtheirprincipalsarecomingdownheretostudyus,buthowatthis

pointtochange?”IhavealwaysratherlikedTungandsoIputthisgoodwordinforhim:“Well,hehadatoughjob.I

mean,he’shalfwaybetweenthebossesinBeijingandthenhispoliticalactivityinHongKong.”“No,hisproblemwashe’stoomuchofagentleman.He’snotapoliticianandhegotpushedaround,

thatisall.”Whathemeans,ofcourse, is thatTungwasonlyagentleman. IdaresayLeewouldnot take itasa

criticismifsomeonesaidhewereonlyabitofone.Overlynicegentlemen tend toget runoverby theoverlyun-nice.

Maybeit’stimewecallitaday.Wehadagreedtotwolateafternoonsessions.Maybethefirstoneisabouttocometoitsnaturalend.Iambeginningtofeelabitfatigued.WhataboutLKY,nowjustafewdaysshortof86?Notonlyhaven’tIfallenoffanexercisebikeinyears,Iamactuallymuchyounger.

Suddenlyheturnstome.Iamcertainhehasreadmymind,andIamcertainitisnotthefirsttime.Hesays:“Howoldareyounow?”

Iamactuallycaughtoffguardbythequery.Whywouldheask?“Well,I’veretiredfromUCLA,butIhaven’tretiredfromlife.Ijustgotboredwithit.”

“No,buthowoldareyou?”Stillsurprised,Iask:“Whatdoyouthink?Howolddidyouthink?”“68?”“Wow.Iamdevastated.”“Why?”“Iam55!”“It’syourwhitehair.”“Idyeittolookdistinguished.”(Laughterinroom)Sowecallitaday.TomorrowIamgoingtotrytogetofftheglobalgeopoliticalandgetbeneaththe

skinwith somepersonalquestions. Iwantmore timewith thisoutspoken,brilliant, egotistical,haughtyandsuccessful—i.e.fascinating—figure.

TheNextAfternoonattheIstana

TOMORROWCOMESQUICKLYandbringswithitadramaticchangeintheweather.StunningsunisstrokingintoSingaporeandrain-cloudsarenowherevisible.Butbythetimeweleavethehotelat4:45p.m.,theoutside temperaturehas lowered tomaybe88°F(31°C).SomehowthatseemsanalmosthumanitariangesturebyMotherNature.

Attheapproachtothemain-entrancegates,theguardsreactasifIamanoldfriend.Onesays:“So,youareback!”Theotherguardactuallysmiles—amazing,andanicesmiletoo.Afterspeeded-upsecurityformalities,wearewavedthroughtoEdinburghRoad.

AtleastIseemtohaveimpressedthegateguards.

IamintheIstanawaitingroomagain,seconddayinarow,thepeaceandquietsoothingme.Iamalittletensesimplybecausethisisthesecondandfinalactoftheextendedconversation.MaybeIcouldrentoutforamonthortwoSriTemasek,theyummyguestquarters,duringthedownmonths?

I am not even disappointedwhen LKY is running late again.Mdm.YY, the hyper-energetic presssecretary, emailed earlier in the day that theywouldn’t be late this time, but now they are running 45minuteslate.Theinterview,inthesamesectioned-offspotoftheStateRoom,isnottostartuntil6p.m.I’mokaywiththat.What’stherush?Thedelaygivesmetimetoreconsidermyinterviewstrategy.MaybeI’m going too soft (David Frost was similarly worried halfway through his historic and memorableinterviewswith the late PresidentRichardNixon). But you push too hard at these phenomenally self-confident (and sometimes all-too-easily irritated) figures, and the interview blows up in your face,serving no one’s interest.A frigid atmosphere is no incubator of hot revelation.Besides, LKY knowsexactlywhathe’sdoing;infact,heknowsexactlywhatI’mdoing.

There’sarustleoutsidethedoor,timetogo.I’mprettysurewe’reontherighttrack.

TroubleinParadise

SESSIONTWOOPENSwithasartorialsurprise:thereisadressreversal!ThistimeLeeisup-dressedwhileI am down-dressed—me informally inBeverlyHills street chic: jeans, dress shirt and casual loafers.Perhapspsyched for the little photo shoot that thepress secretaryhasorganized for thebreakhalfwaythrough,MMarrivesinasmart-lookingmandarincollarjacket,dressshirtandmatchingdresstrousers.This,ofcourse,ispublic-appearanceoutfitoftheSeriousChineseMan.

Helooksmorecomfortableintheseup-marketclothesthaninyesterday’sgarage-saleoutfit.Infact,helookssharp...butnotfit.Hestillseemstobewrestlingwithpain,andperhapsabitwithage,aswell.Istare at the press secretary and his principal private secretary, also now seated, andwonder if he ishaving to takepainkillers.Youcannothelpbuthave aphysical empathy for theultra-strongmanasheglares at a pair of rehab staffers lurking over the door. He complains that the heat pads need to bereplacedorstokedupagainorwhatever,astheyarenotdoingthejob.Heseemsprettymiserable.

Beforestartingdowntheconversationroad,Mdm.YYremindsusall—butespeciallytheboss—thatatroughlythehalfwaypointphotoscouldbetakeninthegarden.Heisokaywiththat.

Itmay have been onlymy paranoid imagination, but at the start the atmosphere seems uptight thisafternoon.Thepresssecretary,Iimagine,isglaringatmefromoutofthesideofhereyeasifwantingtospeedtheprocessupandget itoverwith. Iwant it to lastas longaspossibleandevengobeyondthescheduledtwohours.

Thereistension.LKYexplainsthatthedelaytoourstartisduetothevisitofthevice-presidentofIndonesia(whomI

later was to discover was having ‘issues’ with his president back home and was thus in SingaporeseekingsolaceandtenderlovingcarefromMinisterMentor).InpartbecauseofitsconvenientlocationinSoutheast Asia, and in part because lots of people look to the Sage of Singapore for counseling andperspective,hismodestoffice issomethingofadrop-ingeopoliticaloutpatientclinic forVIPpoliticosfromallover,butespeciallytheregion.

MMsitsdownandsighs.IavoidlookingoveratMdm.YYanddecidetobreaktheicebylaughingatmyself,whichisnothardtodo,ofcourse.Istartbyremindinghimthatyesterdayhehadaskedaboutmyageandmyresponsewasprettyshifty.Helaughedatthisopeningfromme.ItoldhimIwouldneverlietohimagain.

Isay:“Youknow,yesterday,outofnowhere,youaskedaboutmyageandyouguesseditas68andthatwasunnervinglyclose.I’myoungerthanthat,65[bigdeal,eh?],butIbelieveemotionallyI’mabout27;butyourjoustremindedmethatIhavetoloseweight.ButthereasonIraisethis,though,isIthoughtyoumightbeinterestedinonereasonwhyI’vegainedsomuchweight.It’smainlyduetomedicationI’vebeentaking, and themedication is a low levelofProzac for thediagnosis Ihada fewyears agoof anxietydepression. InAmerica, as you know,we have amedicine for everything and so, since I had allegedanxietydepression,whichcouldbecalled‘normallife’, theyprescribedthemeds.Theysayit’saverylowlevelofProzac(about20mgdaily),butit’sstillProzac.”

“You’vehadtotakeitconstantly?”“Yes, I took it constantly for the last four years and one side effect was that it has been almost

impossible forme to loseweight because I amused to having themetabolismof a hummingbird.You

know,IwouldeatalmostanythingandIwouldprettymuchstaythesameweight,butnow,it’sbecometheopposite;thedrughasloweredmymetabolism.Ithinkitmighthaveimprovedmywriting,actually;it’sjustsoeasytofocusononethinginsteadofmygoinginthreedirectionsatonce.[Ahalfyearago,Igaveitup,completely.] ...But Iwas just thinking thatyesterday,youwere talkingabouthowstronglyyou feltaboutillegaldrugsanddrugtrafficking,andIwasjustthinking,inAmerica,wehavethatproblem,buttheotherproblemintheU.S.isthelegaldrugs.Youknow,we’realmostgoinginthedirectionofasocietythatisover-medicated.Youdon’thavethatinSingapore,doyou?”

Heistalkingnowbetweeneruptionsofthenearincessantcoughing;itseemshecannotgetittostop:“Well, increasingly, we’ve got the highly educated on the Internet and they think there’s a cure foreverything and they’ve got themoney. So, they go see their doctor and say how about givingme this.Doctors sometimes say,no, it isnotnecessaryand try todissuade them.But I supposeeverynowandagain,thedoctorsays,ifyouwanttotry,hereyouare.”

“ButImean,anotherdoctorsaidtome,butTom,gettingdepressedispartoflife.Imean,sometimes,yougetdepressed,butsometimes,yougetupinthemorningandyou’renotonehundredpercent,right?Imean,sometimesyou’redepressed,right?”

“Yeah.”“Whatdoyoudowhenyou’redepressed?You takemedicine?Haveyouever takendrugs?”Some

authors have made the claim of Lee’s extensive prescription drug use, both sedatives and stimulants,particularlyduringthemid-60swhenthetenseandtentativefederationwithMalaysiabegantocrumble.Thosetwoyearsbetween1963,whenSingaporewasmergedintoMalaysia,until1965,whenitwasineffectexpelled,hadtohavebeenamongthemoststressfulinLKY’slife:moreorlessconstantacrimonybetween Singapore andKuala Lumpur,Malaysia’s capital, a full-blown race riot in 1964, and forcedseparationayearlater.

One thingwasoverwhelminglyclearandonewasnot: itwasclear thatMalaysia’s leadersdeeplydistrustedLeeforhisambitions,overtorotherwise;anditwasextremelyunclearwhethertinySingaporehadenoughofacriticalmasstosurviveasaseparate,independentstate.HadIawokenthemorningafterAugust 9, 1965, the date of Singapore’s independence and overnight isolation, Iwould have probablysoughtsolaceinanti-anxietymedicationmyself.

However, over the decades no conclusive evidence oneway or the other has surfaced, and inmyback-and-forthwithLee’sstaffattheIstana,itwasobvioustherewasnointerestinfollowingitup.

“No, I used to meditate. I started meditation about 1992 when my friend, who was speaker ofParliament,retired,andwasdyingoflungcancer.Hedidn’tknowwhyhewasgettinglungcancer;hewassoangrybecausehe’sanon-smoker.Anotherdoctor friend,aBuddhist,camealong tohelphimsoothedown,calmdown,taughthimtocalmdownwithmeditation.I’mnotsureifhesucceededbecausehe’shighlystrung.

“Atthattime,myson[thecurrentPMofSingapore]hadlymphoma;hewasunderchemotherapy.SoItoldhim,whynotteachmysonhowtomeditate?Sohedid,andIsaid,whynotyoucomealongandteachmetoo?Sohecamealongandspentsometimeteachingme.Itriedtositlotus-fashion,butyouknow,atmyage...1992,Iwasnearly70,mylefthipgaveway.So,hesaid,no,no,youcandoitjustsittingdown.Justcloseyoureyes...”

“Focusingonyourbreathing?”“Yeah,focusonmybreathing.”“Yeah,that’sagoodone.Itworksformetoo,sometimes.”“So,afterfive,sixtimeswithhimsittingnexttome,justknowingthathe’sthereandhesays,breathe

slowly, inout inout.Youcanhaveamantra ifyou like,oryoudon’t like. I foundmybreathingslowsdownandIthinkmyheartbeatgoesdownandmybloodpressuregoesdown.So,Iusethatasakindofescapefromstress.”

Iamhappywithhiscandor;itseemstogetmeclosertotherealperson:“That’saveryhealthyway.I’vebeenworkingonthat.I’vebeenusingthebreathingexerciseaswell.”

Headds:“That’sonewayIreducestress,butIreadsomewherethat,oh,I’vereadinmanyplaces,thatChurchillwouldsinkintothispanic-depressivestateandthenhewouldbecomeveryimaginativeandactiveandstartwritingwell.It’sakindof,youknow,thebrainthencrystallizedinhimideasandthoughtswhichhavebeenunformulated.So?I’venottakenProzac.MydaughtergavemywifeProzaconce,butshedidnotrespondtoit;shejuststoppedit.”

“Andshedidn’ttryanythingelse?”“No.”Lee, by all accounts (including and especially his), has been far closer to his wife Choo than to

anyone.Heclaims—andothersagree—thatshewasatleasthisintellectualequal.Imagine:he’sbeeninpowersincethelate50sandstillaformidablepresenceinSingaporeandnevereventheslightestwhiffof a Tiger Woods or Bill Clinton-like dalliance! Nothing. And even his worst critics concede that,financially,heiscleanasawhistle.DoIheartheword‘unusual’here?

Hiswifehadbeenrecentlymoved,atthiswriting,tohospitalfromtheirmodesttownhousewhereshehadbeenverygravely illandunresponsiveforsome time.Evenso,whenoutof thecountry,hewouldSkypeintotheroomtocheckinonher.Ifindthisverymoving.

Forasecondmyinstincttellsmetoraisetherelationshipissue,butIstop.Whatishegoingtosay?Ijustcannotdothetackytabloid-magazinedrillonthisissue.Let’skeepthisbookdignified(andthereforeunusualformodernjournalismthesedays!).

Sowemove instead towriting styles, howhiswifehadhelpedhim, andhis relatedadmirationofHenryKissinger.

Isaythis:“Super-Kisalmostincapableofregeneratingasentencethat’sacliché.Imean,hereallyhasanoriginalmind,andIhavetosay,Idon’twanttobeoverlycomplimentary,butonethingIlikeaboutyourwritingishowsimpleanddirectitis.Itcomesacrossasnotdonebyaspeechwriter,butwrittenbyyou and it’s almost... I was talking to Kishore Mahbubani [Singapore’s extremely able former UNambassadorwho’snowdeanoftheLKYSchoolofPublicPolicy]aboutthistheotherday,talkingabouthowyouwrite,andIsaidyoursisalmostahalfway-therenonfictionHemingway.Youknow,Hemingwaywantedaprosestylethatwasalmostminimalist.YouknowwhatI’msaying?Itwasshornofanythingthatwasn’tnecessaryandIgetthatfeelingwhenyouwrite,you’retryingtogettotheessenceofitandgetridofeverythingelse.”

Icouldhaveaddedthatyouoftengetthisintensityoffocusinanoralinterviewwithhim.“Well,mypurposeinwritingmybooksistogettheaverage‘O’levelgraduates,whichisGrade10

graduates,toreaditandunderstandit.So,mywifewasmyscrubber.”Yes,Iknewthis—sothistackisgoingtoworkafterall.Hecontinues:“Youknow,I’manorator,oratleastItrytobe.So,Ihave[oratorical]flourisheswhen

Ispeak.Youmusthaveflourishesbecausethenyoucapturepeople’sattentionandyouexpandonit;thenyou’reabletogobackandrepeatit,butnotinwords.So,shetellsme,look—andshe’sadraftsman;asalawyer, she did all the drafting of agreements, contracts, conveyances and so on; so she uses wordsprecisely—shesays,whydoyouwant towrite it likethis?The‘O’levelboywillnotunderstandthis.Whynotuseasimpleword insteadof thispolysyllableword?So, Isaid,okay, IagreewithyouandI

thinkinthecourseofthetwo,threeyearsthatshecorrectedmydrafts,afterthefirstyear,Ibegantowritesimple,clear,crisp,Imean,noconvoluted,sentences.”

“But also, you have something to say. Thus you don’t have to hide it behind a smokescreen oflanguage.”

Henods.Iask:“Youknow,referringtoourProzacdiscussionbefore,youwonderwhetherdrugsaregoingto

leveloneup,oraretheygoingtosqueezeoutthat‘Winston-Churchill’creativitythatyoutalkedabout?”“I think there is in every person a natural psychological or neurological cycle. Stress sometimes

bringsoutgreatideasfromyou.”LeecouldhavebeenalludingtotheremarkbytheFrenchpoetRimbaudtotheeffectthatmadnesscan

beaspurtocreativity.Icanrelatetothat:attheoppositespectrumofpoetryisjournalism,whichoffersitsfullshareofmadness.

Me saying: “In journalism,we call it [stress] thedeadline.That is our stress, that’s our [creative]stress period. I’ll be stressed out the next months writing this little book and trying to get it to thepublisherontime.”

Lee, for his part, confirmswhat I’d thought about that tough stretch of years in the 60s: “Mymoststressful period was, one, working towards separation fromMalaysia and knowing that I’m going toabandon,atthattime,fiveorsixmillionnon-Malayswhohadtrustedusandjoinedthemovement,andit’snot an easy thing to do because oncewe leave, the leadership is gone, the numbers, the demographicbalancewillbedifferentandthey[theChineseweleftbehind]werecaptive.Ontheotherhand,theTunku[ofMalaysia]toldme,ifyoustayon[withus],therewillbebloodshed[inthecountry];Icannotstopit,Iamtoooldandtooweak[hetoldme].Maybehewastooold,ormaybehewasjustwantingtogetridofme!”

“Maybetheythoughtyouwantedtoruntheplaceeventually?”“Well,theyalwaysthoughtthatandItoldthemit’snotpossibleforthenext20,30years.”“Becauseofthedemographics?Maybetheythoughtyouweresomepoliticalgeniusandwouldfigure

outhowtodoit,youknow,thatyouweregoingtogetalotofvotessomehow.”Leenodding,butnotspecificallydignifyingthatcomment:“AndafterIhavedoneit[agreedtopull

SingaporeoutofMalaysia],depressionsetsin,youknow.I’dletalotofpeopledownandtheanxietyofhowdoIgetthisplacegoing.Ibroughtthisabout.So,Iusedtowakeupinthemiddleofthenightandmakenotes.”

“Becauseyoufeltitwasallonyou?”“Yes,ofcourse.Some[ofmylate-nightjottings]madenosenseinthelightofthemorning,butsome

madesense.Ipursuedit,askedmysecretarytochasethisoneoutandintheend,wemadeit.That’sall.Imean,itwasthepressureofhavingtodoit.Imean,ifIhadtakensomesedative,oh,Ijustcarryon,don’tworryaboutit.Iwon’t.”

Mymoststressfulperiodwas...workingtowardsseparationfromMalaysiaandknowingthatI’mgoingtoabandon,atthattime,fiveorsixmillionnon-Malayswhohadtrustedusandjoinedthemovement...

Ilaugh:“Insomeways,maybemyshort-termmemoryisn’tthatgreatasitusedtobe,butmylong-termmemory...IseemtoremembermorestuffnowasIamgettingolder.”

“No, that is a normal course of aging and there is an explanation for it from the neurologist.Mydaughterisoneofthem.Yourshort-termmemoryiskeptinadifferentpartofthebrainandasyougrowold, that becomes less efficient, that part of the brain. But your long-termmemory is embedded in adifferentpartof thebrainand that stays foryears, almost foreveruntil,of course,yougetdementiaorAlzheimer’s.So,whatIdoasIgetolderistohaveanotebook.ItakeanoteandIsay,okay,thesearethethingsI’vegottodo.Otherwise,I’llforgetit.”

“Yes,Ifindmyselfdoingthattoo.”“So,nowIkeepataperecorderinmypocket,adigitalone,andIsay,dothis,dothat.Attheendof

theday,whatdidIwanttodo?Thereitwas.”ArehabaidewhisksinandgivesLKYanewheatpadforhisleg.“IfImayask,doesthatreducetheswelling?”“No, it increases the blood flow and it helps the healing.”He turns to his right toward the rehab

assistantstandingbythefardoor,andsayssomethinglike,warmitupagain,it’sgonecold.Hewearilyturnsbacktome:“Itcomfortsyou.”

There’sSomethingAboutHarry

YOURLOYAL JOURNALIST,catchinghis intellectualbreath, takesanothermomentor two tosizeupLKY.Theconversationhasstartedoffmerrilyenough.

Asheisre-wrappingtheheatpadyetagain,Iremindmyselftoremindyouthatintheolddayssomeclose friends and colleagues used to call him ‘Harry’, reflecting, in part, his British fine-schooleducation.SourcestellmethatinrecentyearshiswifeChoousedtocallhimthat.

IsticktoMinisterMentororMr.LeeorLeeKuanYew.Iamcomfortablewiththat.IprobablycouldgetawaywithKuanYew.ButHarry,Iwouldnotventureinto.

SometimesLKYhasalookofsomeonewhocouldbiteyourheadoff.Butatothertimeshewearsthisslightlywaryifnotwanesmilethatmakeshimappearasthreateningasahappycatsunningitselfinthegardenwindow.WhenIfirstinterviewedhimyearsago,hewasabout70orso,butlookedlikehemightliveforever;nowIamnotsosure.Hemaynotproveimmortalafterall.

For a long time inAmerica, not one establishment newspaper columnist ever offered a nicewordabouthim.NotthatmanyhadeveractuallyvisitedSingapore,muchlessmetorinterviewedLKY.

His worst American newspaper critic a decade ago wasWilliam Safire. The oddest thing in hisattacksinhisNewYorkTimescolumnon‘Harry’Lee(ashisAnglicizedgivennamewouldhaveit)wasthatBillwasnotonlyagreatadmirerofRichardNixon,aswasLKY,butforagoodperiodoftimeservedas the latepresident’sacespeechwriter.Theirpoliticswerehardlydissimilar.MaybeBill’sattacksonLee’ssocial-policyharshnessweredrivenbytheneedtodistancehimselffromWatergatebytakingitouton“TheLittleHitlerofSoutheastAsia”,whichwasoneofthetitlesofacolumnintheNewYorkTimes.

SoIask:“Andarethereanyparticularpeopleinthecourseofyourlifethathavemadeyoudepressed,likeBillSafire?”

Lee stares atme, then laughs lightly: “No, no, no.They aregadflies. Imean, they arenot going toaffectmywork, they arenot going to affectSingapore, andmarginallyhewill turnoff a fewwho areanywaynotfriendlytowardsSingapore,say,thereyouare,itwasalousyplace.So?”

“Youmean,youdidn’tgetatleastirritatedoverbeingcalled‘TheLittleHitlerofSoutheastAsia’?”“Thewhat?”“TheLittleHitlerofSoutheastAsia?”“No,it’sallsillytalk.WhyshouldIbeirritatedwiththat?Youknow,whenamanisreducedtousing

abusetomakehispoint,he’slosttheargument.That’sthefirstthingIlearntasalawyer;nevergodowntoashoutingmatchbecausethenyou’velosttheargument.”

“Youknow,whenIstartedmycolumnintheLosAngelesTimesin1995,IaskedBilltogivemesomeadviceandhesaid,thetrickis,makesuretodoalotofreporting.Hesaidthatpeopleareonlyinterestedinanopinioncolumntotheextentthatyouropinionisinformedandinspiredbyreporting,thatyouknowsomething that’s really important that theydon’t.So, after awhile, notinghis fierce antipathy toyou, Iaskedhim,Bill,howmany timeshaveyoumetLKY?Andhe said,well, Ineverhave. I said, sohowmanytimeshaveyoubeentoSingapore?Hesaid,well,Ineverhave.Isaid,butBill,you’veviolatedyourowncardinalruleofgoodjournalism.”

LKYsaidnothing,gazedatme,waitingforthenextquestion.“Butthenafewyearsafterthatattack,youtwoactuallymet,right?”

“Yeah.”“Howdidthatgo?”“IwasinDavos,andhesaid,wouldyoumeetme?Isaid,yes,ofcourse.Hesaid,wouldyoumindif

wetape-recordedit?Isay,no,notatall.So,wehadthisconversationandheputitontheWebandhepublishedit.Well,itdidn’tdomeharm.”

“Right,didn’tdoyouharmatall!”“Iheldmyground,hekeptonpushinghis.It’salright,that’sthewaylifeis.Imean,I’maccustomedto

hecklersandpeoplewhotrytoputyouoff-balance.”“ButwhohascriticizedyouorcriticizedSingaporeand, inyouropinion,madethemost interesting

casethatyoufeltyouhadtolistento?”“AfewHarvardprofessors,Ican’tremember.”I like that. How dismissive. Only Harvard professors would be cited, even as they were not

significanttomeritnon-anonymity!ButIletitgo.IwenttoPrincetonandAmherst,notHarvard.Ithoughtthatwasprettygood,no?Me saying: “Safire was neither a Harvard professor nor a big-time cheerleader for human rights

groups.Soit’salittleweird,Ithink.Butasyousay,heenvisionedhimselfasagadfly.Maybeitwasalljustfunforhim.Buttakethemostconventionally,widely-knowncriticismofSingapore’sfromthehumanrightscrowd,thatyouhaverunadeeplyrepressivegovernment,GodknowsIwouldn’twanttobeinyouropposition!DoyouthinkthebestanswertothemistheAsianValuesanswer(whoyouare)orisit theutilitariananswer(whatwe’veaccomplished)?Orisitsomemixedfusionofthetwo?”

Iheldmyground,he[WilliamSafire]keptonpushinghis.It’salright,that’sthewaylifeis.Imean,I’maccustomedtohecklersandpeoplewhotrytoputyouoff-balance.

“No,Ithinkmyanswertothemis,weinSingaporehaveadifferentstartingpoint.Youroutlookontheworldandmyoutlookontheworldaredifferent,andmyaimsandyoursaredifferent.”

Notasliverofevasivenessappearsinhiseyes,theanswercomesbackstraightandunapologetic.Allthehard-workedyearsnotwithstanding,atthemomentheisfreshandunabashed.

Butatthesametime,itseemsasifhismindisclickingbackthroughthedecadeslikeareversetimemachine.HelooksbackatbabySingaporeas ifheanditwerestillsufferingfromsomeresidualpost-traumaticstresssyndrome.

Lookatitfromhisperspective:hestartsoffasachildundertheflagoftheBritishwhoseruleissodeftitseemslikeitscolonialtenurewilllastaneternity.(FewoutsidersrealizeitwastheEnglishwhohandeddowntoSingaporethepracticeofcaningtoenforcesocialcontrol.)AndthenonedayyouwakeupandJapaneseforcesaresweepingsouthdowntheMalayPeninsulalikeavolcanicforce.LKYisnow19, but one smart-as-hell teenager soaking it all in. His previous world order—an English one—hassuddenlybeenupendedbyaJapaneseonewhoseauthoritarianmannerisfarlesssubtlethantheformer’s.TheJapanesedon’tbotherwithcaning,that’sfortheEnglishsissies.Stepoutoflineandtheyhangyou.TheyoungLKYtakesnotes,carefulmentalnotesthathewillneverforget.

Onecannothelpbutberemindedofthecomparableconditionsatthetimeofthebirthin1588ofthemassivelyinfluentialEnglishphilosopher,ThomasHobbes.Hewasbornapreemie.Hismotherfellinto

prematurelaborasEnglandcringedinfearoftheinvadingSpanisharmadathatwasmassedoffshore.ThewholeofEnglandwasseizedwithfright.Foreverafter,hersonwasfamouslyforthrightasasternlawandorderman,socialpeaceenforcedbythebiggestconceivablecoparound.Nohalfwaymeasuresforhim:subjects of the state had to accept their leader as amaximum ruler or (he famously predicted) chaoswouldfollowassureasdarknightafterthebrightestday;andtheaveragecitizenwouldbeenduringlifeastheaveragehuntedanimalseekingtoavoidinstantdeath.Lifewouldbe“nasty,brutishandshort”inawarlikesocietyof“everymanagainsteveryman”,unlesseveryoneconsentedtoempowertheBigCopontheBeat—Lt.Law-and-OrderbeinglabeledunforgettablybyHobbesasthe“Leviathan”.

IfThomasHobbeswerealivetoday,hisnamemightjustpossiblybeLeeKuanYew,especiallyifhewereactuallyrunningacountry.Thishyper-articulateChineseSingaporeanwhospeakswithalltheverveand precision of a brilliant Englishman is, as a starting point—but only as a starting point—ThomasHobbes updated. It is precisely because of his fear of Hobbesian-kind of deterioration that theprogressivestatebecomesthenecessaryantidotetochaos.Nofearisanydeeperthanthefearsofamandippedintothedeependoffrightatayoungage.

But his fears today are, in his pragmatic, data-driven mind, real, not phantasmal. His modernHobbesianismseekstoupendobstaclesandenemiesas ifonestepaheadof thedelugeofdisorder.Herunsscaredsoasnottoeverbescared.Inhishearthebelievesacrisisisalwayslurkingaroundthebend,orcomingupfrombehind;youjusthavetobealertforit.It’salmostasifhe’dbedynamicallydeadinthewaterwithoutsomecrisistoconfront.

NothingbetterillustratestheHobbesianinstinctinhimthantheproblemofnarcoticstraffickingandconsequentdrugabuse.Heisnopaper-thinAmericanpoliticiancampaigningforvotesonaplatformofbeing tough on crime. He is a Chinese gang-leader-intellectual who is out for blood. For him, mereexecutionofthetrulybadguysisalmosttoocivilized.

Consider the plain and obvious history in his ancestors’ background. In the 19th century, theEuropeans,especiallytheBritish,literallyforcedopiumupthenosesoftheChinesemainlanders.ByandlargeChina’sauthorities,whentheywerenotcorruptedbytheEuropeans,foughtthenarcoticsinvasion.Buttheylost.

...weinSingaporehaveadifferentstartingpoint.Youroutlookontheworldandmyoutlookontheworldaredifferent,andmyaimsandyoursaredifferent.

ThatwascalledtheOpiumWar.FewAmericanshaveheardofit.Europeanhistorytextbookstendnottodwellonit.ButunpleasanthistorysticksinthebackofLKY’smindliketherecurrenttick,orcoughhecannotseemtoshake.Onhiswatch,atleast,Singaporewillsuffernosuchrepetitionofhistory.Big-timedrugdealerswillnotbecaned;theywillbehung.Someofthemheonlywishescouldbehungmorethanonce—forpubliceffectandretribution.

He could not care less thatAmerican human rights critics are appalled by this official policy.HebelievestheyarenotawareofhowtheBritishoncepushedopiumonChina,andhehasscantrespectforhowtheAmericanshavemassivelymismanagedtheirowndrugaddictionproblem.

Helooksatmeandsmiles,solemnly:“Imean,hereinSingapore,anymanlookingasifhehasbeentakingdrugsistakentothepolicestation,whichextractsthreesamplesofhisurine.Onehekeeps,onethepolice keeps, one goes to the laboratory, and if he is found to be an addict, he can be forced into

rehabilitation,ifnecessary,coldturkey.Right?NotinAmerica,no,no,no,you’renotallowedtodothis.So,theresultisyou’vegotallkindsofproblemswhichyoucannotsolve.

“So,insteadofsettlingyourdrugprobleminAmerica,forexample,yougotoPanamaandcapturethepresidentbecauseallegedlyhe’sadrugtrafficker.[Leeallowshimselfawell-containedchuckle.]Ican’tgo toMalaysia and capture the primeminister because he allows drug peddlers to be in Johor Baru[Malaysia’ssouthernmostcityon theSingaporeborder]andallowsmydrugaddicts togo there,wheretheyareusedasmulesandbringthedrugsintoSingapore.Butwecontrolitbycontrollingwhatisinthecountry.Imean...”

Idecidedtostirhimupalittle(sometimesmyquestionsareactuallydumbbydesign):“Byreducingdemand.”

LKYadmitstoeveryonethathewasimpressed(fromasocial-orderstandpoint)aswellasappalled(from a humanitarian standpoint) when Japanese occupiers hung up Chinese shoplifters to die in aSingapore square during thewartime occupation. He feels I should understand, by now, how seminalcertainexperienceswereforhim:beingheldbyhisearsoverawell, seeing theBritishadminister thecane, waking up and seeing shoplifters hung in the town square. So he smiles politely to cover hismomentary(andunderstandable)irritation:

“No.Supply.Hereiswhatwesaytothem:suppliers,youareamenacetosociety,youareamenacetoyourfamily.Youbecomeathief,youbecomealiar.Youneeddrugsandwe’vejustgottostopit,andifyouarecaughtbringingdrugsinbeyondacertainlimitand,obviously,youareatrafficker,wehangyou.Thatisthat.Imean,AmnestyInternationalsayswehavethehighestnumberofexecutionsperthousandofpopulation,butwehaveacleanersociety,moredrug-free,andwearenotinterestedinAmnesty.Weareinterestedinwhetherwhatwearedoinghasthesupportofourpeople,andtheydo[supportthepolicy].Imean,ifitgoesagainstthegrainofthepeople,theoppositionwouldhavesaid,look,thisisacruel,brutalsociety.Buttheydon’t.”

Hey,LKY—holdonasecond!Amnestyhasitsownobviousagendaandcertainlycouldn’tcarelessaboutSingaporeinandof itself.But,at thesametime,silenceisnot thesamethingasconsent.Peoplemaynotagree,butnonethelessfeartospeakup.

ButifLeeisdeeplytroubledbythispossibility,hehasgivenscantevidenceofit.Aslongashe’ssureinhisownmindthathe’sdoingtherightthing,hewilltakeconsenthoweverhecangetit.Electionseveryfour to five years that more or less routinely keep his People’s Action Party in the driver’s seat areenoughforhim.

Withorwithoutparliamentaryelections—andSingaporedoeshave them—hecertainlywouldn’t letlackofconsentdeterhimfromdoingwhathebelievesistherightthing,ifhecouldhelpit.Atthesametime,heacceptsthatmotivatingpeopletomoveforwardintherightdirectionistheleader’sjob.Heisclearonthat.Insomeway,shapeorform—whateverthesystem,votingornovoting—atrueleadertakespeoplewithhim,anddoesn’ttrytobeatthemback.

ThefactofthematteristhatSingapore’szero-tolerancepolicyfordrugtrafficking,consumptionandmanufacturinghasconsiderablepublicsupport.Onceanindividualisidentifiedasadruguser,heorsheis subject to a hierarchyof increasinglypunitivemeasures and longerperiodsof enforceddetention iffurther drug use is detected. Corporal punishment in the form of caning is routinely administered andcapitalpunishment isamandatorysentence forcertainoffenses.Between1991and2004, forexample,Singaporeexecuted400people;themajoritywereconvictedofdrugtrafficking.Iftherehadbeenapublicoutcryoverthisallegedbarbarity,thegovernmentwouldhavesurelymuffledit.Butthatwasn’tnecessary.Singapore has a low crime rate and an admirable public safety record. Sometimes facts speak for

themselves, leaving the comments of LKY, not to mention unctuous concerned U.S. rights groups,superfluous.

...wearenotinterestedinAmnesty[International].Weareinterestedinwhetherwhatwearedoinghasthesupportofourpeople...

CitizenLee

ASTHESECONVERSATIONStakeplace,Leeisturning86andthoughIamyounger,bothofusarefacedwiththerealitythatourlivesarecomprisedofmanymoreyesterdaysthantomorrows.

Themaniscertainlynotpoliticallyun-self-aware.In1990,after31yearsasprimeminister,hemovedgracefullyoutoftheprimeminister’sofficetomakewayforasuccessor(GohChokTong,whoheldthejobfor14yearsbeforegivingwaytoLee’sson).Leeisproudofthat,rightlyso.HistoricalgiantslikeNehruofIndiaandMaoofChinastayedinpowertoolongandgummedupthesuccessionprocessandtheircountry’sprospectsbigtime.

This was not to be the Singapore way, not Lee’s way. But while sidelining himself, he has beenanything but sidelined from power.He still attends cabinetmeetings regularly. Surely he enjoysmoreinfluenceoverSingapore’sdirectionthanCarter,ClintonandthetwoBushesoverAmerica’sontheirbestdaysputtogether.

Wetalkaboutaginggracefully:“Ilovedyourrecentspeechonaging,bytheway.Yousaid,keeponworkinganddon’tretire.Iloveit,oneofyourbestspeeches.”

“No,onceyoustopworkingyouaredonefor.”Asmalljoke:“Ihavethisjoke-theory,MinisterMentor.It’saboutpeoplewhoretire.Didyouknow

thatthere’sahighcorrelationbetweenretirementanddeath?Also,thatthereisahighcorrelationbetweenplayinggolftoomuchanddeath?Golfisakiller.”

Somehow he laughed. LKY has of course been coughing on and off and working the heat padsregularly.Hestillseemsuncomfortablebutsoldierson;now,however,laughterovercomesthecoughlikeawaveofdefianceandhisdarkeyesseemreignitedwith life:“[Laughing]No,no,Idonotbelieve inthat.ItisjustthatIhavebeendoingthiswork[ofgovernance]allmylife.IfIstoppedit, thestimuliisgone,I’lljustfadeaway.”

ItisexplainedtohimthatacertainLosAngeles-basedjournalistisoften—toooften—asked:“Whenare you going to stop writing your stupid columns?” And the response always is: “When stupidnewspapersstopstupidlypublishingthem.”

Leelaughsagain.Ikeepgoing;Iamonaroll(forme):“Aslongastheypublish,thenIamgoingtowritethem.Why

stop?Butit’sdifficultnottomissasteportwoastimegoesby.”Leenods,confidingthatstayinginclosetouchwiththepeopleofSingaporegetsveryhardwithage:

“AsItoldthemincabinet,asprimeminister,Iwasphysicallyactiveingoingaroundmeetingpeople.Idon’thavetoaskforfeedbackonwhatthemoodis.IgoaboutonmyownandImakedecisionsbasedonhowIhavereadthevibes.

“Now, I seldommeetmanypeople in theoldway. Imakehalf-a-dozenmeetings ayearwhen Igodowntomyconstituency.Iusedtogotoeverynewtowntoseehowtheirsuccessfulchildrenweresettinguphomes separate from theirparents,what theyweredoing,how theydecorate theirhomes,how theyimprovetheirlifestyles,whattheyhaveintherefrigerator,andsoon.Now,Idon’tdoasfrequently.

“Occasionally, Ivisitmyconstituency.So, I said tomycolleagues, look, Ihave lost touchwith theground and I get my info from reading, seeing videos, TV and mining their impressions. When JeanMonnetbecameoldandcouldnottravelaroundEurope,hestayedinclosetouchwithpeoplewhodid,

andhewouldminetheirinformation.ThatiswhatIamdoing.Buttheinfoissecondhand.Iusedtogobymygutfeeling.NowitisbasedonwhatIhaveread,seenandheard,butnotdirectlyexperienced.”

Time-outforanhistoricalnote:Monnet(1888–1979),asstudentsofmodernEuropeanhistoryknow,was the post-WorldWar I prophet of European unity. A gigantically important statesman, the famousFrencheconomist,inbothwordanddeed,campaignedforasenseofcommonpurposeandmutualinterestamong the fractured and oft-warring states of Europe.His intellectual and political leadership helpedpavethewayfortheCommonMarketinEuropeand,bylogicalextension,today’sEuropeanUnion.

ThatLKYwouldinvokethemasterMonnet in thisoranyothercontext tellsyouwherehisheadis.Youmayperhapssuggestitisintheclouds—fine.Butontheotherhanditsureisn’tlollygaggingaboutinthebottomoftheprestigebarrel.Fortheleaderofasmallcountry,Leethinksbig,andSingaporehasbeenhisoyster.

Mesaying:“Butdon’tyouactuallymissthat,ordoyousay,oh,Ihadmorethanenoughofthatgettingoutandabout,thankGod,it’sover.”

“Yes,butIhaven’tgotthephysicalenergytodowhatIdid.Myphysio[physiotherapy]justnowtooktwohours.Becauseofaging,you lose touchwhenyouareunable tomeetpeople face-to-face. Ihadabetter‘feel’ofpeoplewhenIwasactiveandmeetingpeopleacrossalllevelsofsociety.”

Isay:“Iknow.OnetimeIinterviewedyou,thiswasin2005,andIthinkyouwerejustturning80,andthefirstthingIsaidtoyouwashowwereyoufeelingandyousaid,Iamfeelinggood,butTom,whenyouturn80,that’satoughnumber.”

Leeremembersandnodsvigorously:“That’sright,nowIamalmost86.So,whatismypurposenowinlife?TousemyexperienceandmyinternationalnetworktowidenSingapore’sspace.IhavefriendswhoareleadersinAmerica,Europe,Japan,ChinaandIndiawhodatebacktothe1960s.”

It’s the old saying: live long enough and eventually you get to know just about everybody. ThataccumulatedknowledgeandexperiencemakesLeeintosomethingofaninternationalresource.Anagingmancanbecomehopelesslyuselessanddebilitatedwith toomuchaging.Agingcanrenderaonce-finewinesour,makingitfitfornothingbutthecaskofcondemnedanonymity.ButnotthisChinesegentleman,notatleastyet.ForLKY,hobnobbingwiththeworld’spoliticalandeconomiceliteisnotjustapersonalego trip, though it is that, too. He is a roving resource of well-considered ideas and perspectives, aChineseMaster,valuabletousevenwhenheiswrong,whichhecanbe,ascanweall.

Whenhemetfor45minuteslastfallwithBarackHusseinObamapriortothelatter’sfirsttriptotheChinesemainlandaspresidentoftheUnitedStates,itwasn’tjustacourtesycall.TheAmericanpresidentwantedtoknowthethoughtsoftheSingaporelegendconcerningChina.

...Iamalmost86.So,whatismypurposenowinlife?TousemyexperienceandmyinternationalnetworktowidenSingapore’sspace.

Inthatregard,Obamawasfollowinginthetraditionofhispredecessors,goingbacktoRichardM.Nixon.And, knowingLee’sways, the youngObama received an earful.On the question and riddle ofChina,fewworldleadershavehadmoretosay...andindeed,havesaidit!

SomecriticsthinkLKYhastoomanyopinionsandsharesthemwantonlywithoutevenbeingasked.Idon’tknowaboutthis.Perhapsfatherdoesn’talwaysknowbest;butthisisonefatherfigurewhoknowsalot.TheysayinAmericathatthosewhodo,do;andthosewhocan’t,teach.Buthedoesboth.Hehasthe

countrytoproveit.

FathersandSons

LEE STILL JET-SETS all over the globe, making speeches and accepting awards and generally givingSingaporeanimageofcosmopolitanpolish.Interestingly,thequestionsheisaskedtoanswerrarelyrelateto domestic issues butworld concerns instead, especiallyChina.Sohe scarcely needs to live his lifethroughtheeyesandearsofhisson,HsienLoong,thecurrentprimeminister.Hehashisownlife.

Iamnotsurehowtoraisetheissueoftheperceivednepotism.Iknowthisisadelicatematter.What’smore,asanAmerican,Ihavetoreflectthatfamilyisapowerfulforceinallpolitics,includingours.OurRockefellersdidquitewellinelectedpolitics.ThepresidencyoftheveryqualifiedGeorgeH.W.Bush,whohadonlyoneterm,gavebirthtothepresidencyofthemuchlessqualifiedGeorgeW.BushJr.Itmightnotbe toomuchofanexaggeration tosuggest thatcompared to the latter, thecurrentprimeministerofSingaporecanseemlikeAlbertEinstein.

Iplungeonanyway:“Well, it’s inevitablya trickybusiness.WhenJohnKennedywaspresident,asyouknow,heappointedhisbrother,Bobby,tobeattorneygeneral,andatthefirstpressconferenceaftertheappointment,reportersraisedthequestionofwhethertheyoungBobbywasn’tratherinexperiencedtobeheadoftheJusticeDepartment.ButJack[hisoft-usednickname]Kennedydeflectedtheissue,fencingoffseriouscriticismwithhisgreatsenseofhumor,replying,well,IjustthoughtIwouldgivemybrotherBobbyalittlelegalexperiencebeforehegoesintoprivatepractice.Butnow,youknow,hey,yoursonisprimeminister ofSingapore.Don’t people sometimes say, ah hah, there yougo again,Chinese shogunsystem.”

Onceagain,yourinterviewerismakingaweakjoke.TheshogunconceptisJapan-specific,ofcourse,butweareplayingwiththeideaofaChinese-stylefamilysuccessionritual.

VeryquicklyIfeel,comingatmelikelittlewaves,differentemotionsinsideLeeevenasthecoughingcontinues.Maybeanger,defensiveness,butmostofall,pride—powerfulprideforhisson.

Immensely proud, obviously, but then a little defensively, perhaps: “But I kept him out [of the jobwhenGohChokTongwasPM]for14yearsandhewasondisplayfor20-plusyears.So,everybodyhasachance,includingtheMPsinparliament,tojudgehimforwhatheis.Everyministerknowsthatwhateverhedoes,whatever theydo,he improveson it, in thepresentation,queriesandpointswhenhewasnotprimeminister.Imean,hehasaverycomprehensivemind.Haveyoumethim?”

“Yes.”“Howmanytimes?”“Three,Ithink,twoorthree.”“Where?”“Here.I’veinterviewedhimtwoorthreetimes.No,twice.Oncebeforehewasprimeministerand

thenafterhe’sprimeminister,andGohChokTongonce.”Idecidenottomentionacolumnafewyearsago—published,amongotherplaces,inSingapore’sStraitsTimes—thatcoinedaphrasetodescribePMJr: ‘PrimeMinisterGoogle.’You punch in any question, and in amatter of nanoseconds out pops therelevantfactsandfigures.

LeehasforgottenthisandmullsoverwhethertoinsistthatItakeanextensioncourseabouthisson,thenletsthematterdrop,saying:“Mywifeonceaskedmeaboutsomething.Mygranddaughterwasthere.Isaid,Idon’tknowtheanswer.Shesaidmyfather[nowthePM]willknow,andhedoes.”

Hepausestoseeifthestoryhasaneffectonme.Hecontinues:“IhadafriendinLA,whowasarealestateman.HeisaHarvardgraduateinEnglish

literatureandwenttoCambridgeinEnglandtodoaDPhilorBPhil,andheranauniversitypapercalledGrantorsomething.”

“Granta,IknowGranta.Terrificmagazine,actually.”“So,webecamefriends.WhenIdidanofficialtouroftheU.S.in1967October,Iaskedtoseehim.

Hehadmoved toLAandIsawhim.Thenmysondida tour—hedidaspell inFortWorth,hewas inartillery—andmyfriendsaid,comestaywithme,youngman.So,mysonstayedwithhim.Hethenwrotetome.Hesaid,myGod,thischapisreallycomprehensive,heisamathematician,buthisknowledgeofEnglishissuperb.AndthisisanEnglishscholarmakingthejudgment.So,oneday,myfriendcomeshereandIgavehimdinnerandheputoutariddle,whatwordisitthatmeanssoandso,soandso,soandso.MywifeChooknowsalotofwords,shecouldn’tthinkofit.Idon’tknowasmanywordsasmywife,soIdidn’teventry.Mysoncameupwiththerightword.Itjustflooredhim.Itwasnothisspecialty.Imean,thecapacitywas,Idon’tknow,whatisthelatesthardcomputerdiskaround?Whatcanithold?Whatever,he’sgotthatkindofaharddisk[inhishead].”

I say, honestly: “Well, Iwill tell you. If I had been founding primeminister of a country,which Ihaven’tbeenandneverwouldbe,andthenmysonatsomepointtookoverandwasdoingwell,IwouldbeGoddamnedproud.”

Heconsidersthis:“Yeah,butatthesametime,Imustbeverycarefulthatheisnotgoingtosmudgetherecord.”

“Well,whatisthesurveillancesystemthere?”“No,Ithinkheisokay,heismeasuringuptothejob.”“ButitisatoughtimenowforSingaporeandforeverybodyelse.”“Well,hehasgotatoughtime,buthehasgotmoreresourcesthanIhadwhenIstarted.”Lee is referring to the relatively bare cupboard left him and his governmentwhen theBritish left.

Now,despitetheglobaleconomicdownturn,SingaporemaybethewealthiestcountrypercitizeninAsia—and one of thewealthiest in theworld. People here are thankful for their blessings, but sometimeswonderiftheyhavethehappinessformularight.Itisalmostasiftheyarethinking:Singaporeisthelittlecountrythathasalotofeverything,butiseverythingenough?

FathersandDaughters

ONE CITIZEN WHO worries is none other than Lee’s daughter, Dr. Lee Wei Ling, the well-respectedneurologist. I havenevermet her, but Iwant to, especially after readingher statement below—anyonewould.

Here isanexcerptofayear-endmessageshewrote in2007forstaffat theNationalNeuroscienceInstitute of which she is director and which was subsequently published in The Sunday Times ofSingaporeinJanuary2009.Shegaveitthislead-in:“Myhouseisshabby,butitiscomfortable.”Itwentonthusly:

“WhileIworryabout thepoorerSingaporeanswhowillbehithard,perhaps thisrecessionhascomeatanopportunetimeformanyofus.Itwillgiveusanincentivetoreconsiderourprioritiesinlife.

Decadesofthegoodlifehavemadeussoft.Thewealthyespecially,butalsothemiddleclassinSingapore,havehaditsogoodforsolong,whattheyonceconsideredluxuries,theynowthinkofasnecessities....

A mobile phone, for instance, is now a statement about who you are, not just a piece ofequipmentforcommunication.Thesameattitudeinfluencesthechoiceofattireandaccessories.Istillfindithardtobelievethattherearepeoplecarryinghandbagsthatcostmorethanthricethemonthlyincomeofabusdriver,andmanymoretimesthatoftheforeignworkerlaboringinthehotsun,riskinghislifetoconstructluxurycondominiumshewillneverhaveachancetolivein.Themediaencouragesandamplifiesthisostentatiousconsumption....

Myfamilyisnotpoor,butwehavebeenbroughtuptobefrugal.MyparentsandIliveinthesame house thatmy paternal grandparents and their childrenmoved into afterWorldWar II in1945.Itisabighousebytoday’sstandards,butitissimple—infact,almosttothepointofbeingshabby.ThosewhoseeitforthefirsttimeareastonishedthatMinisterMentorLKY’shomeissohumble.Butit isacomfortablehouse,ahomewehavegotusedto.Thoughitdoeslookshabbycomparedtothenewmansionsonourstreet,wearenotbotheredbythecomparison.

MostoftheworldandmuchofSingaporewilllamenttheeconomicdownturn.Wehavebeentold to tighten our belts. There will undoubtedly be suffering, which we must try our best toameliorate.ButIpersonallythinkthehardtimeswillholdatimelylessonformanySingaporeans,especially those born after 1970who have never lived through difficult times.Nomatter howpooryouareinSingapore,theauthoritiesandsocialgroupsdotrytoensureyouhaveshelterandfood.NobodystarvesinSingapore....

Beingwealthyisnotasin.Itcannotbeinacapitalistmarketeconomy.Enjoyingthefruitsofone’sown labour isone’sprerogativeand Ihaveno right tochastise thosewhochoose to liveluxuriously.Butifoneisblindedbymaterialism,therewouldbenoendtowantingandhankering.

After theFerrari,whatnext?AnAstonMartin?After theHermèsBirkinhandbag,whatcanone upgrade to? Neither an Aston Martin nor a Hermès Birkin can make us truly happy orcontented.Theyarelikedust,afogobscuringthetruemeaningoflife,andcanbeblownawayinthetwinklingofaneye.

When the end approaches andwe look back on our lives,willwe regret the latestmobile

phoneorluxurycarthatwedidnotacquire?Orwouldweprefertodieatpeacewithourselves,knowingthatwehavelivedlivesfilledwithlove,friendshipandgoodwill,thatwehavehelpedsomeofourfellowvoyagersalongthewayandthatwehavetriedourbesttoleavethisworldaslightlybetterplacethanhowwefoundit?

Weknowwhichisthecorrectchoice—anditiswithinourpowertomakethatchoice....Weshouldnotfollowtheherdblindly.”

I like themature sensibilityof these thoughts,don’tyou?Dr.Lee speakswellof, andwithevidentpride for, her father, but there is also a clear undertone of worry about the values-hegemony ofmaterialisminSingaporethatherfatherreceivessuchpropercreditforhelpingimbed.Inherstatement,anothersubtlepointismade:thatwhatwehaveinthepresentisnotnecessarilysuperiortowhatwashadinthepast,simplybecauseitiscontemporary.

So I ask: “Your daughter, the doctor,who is no slouch in the IQ department, as iswidely known,wrotewhatIthoughtwasapenetratingcommentaryinthecontextof,ohsure,Singaporehastroublesandthe growth rate is down and so on, but she wrote that it was time to stop judging everything somaterialistically,raisingtheissueofSingapore’scorevalues.Didthatstrikeachordwithyouatall?”

Reflectingaflickerofcoldemotion,Leelooksoffintospaceforaminute,thenturns,andquickly—speakinginamorerapidcadencethanbefore,almostasifadismissivelecture—says:“Iwouldsaythatthat’sonlyhalf-true,thatifyouarenotmakingprogressmateriallyandyoutalkonlythespiritualandtheaestheticsideoflife,arts,culture,youwillfailbecauseartsandcultureistheresultofaleveloflifethatenablessuchpeopletodevelopthoseskills—leisurelyskills,music,ballet,drawing,etcetera.

“So, youmust have, youknow,Maslow’shierarchyof needs; youmust haveyour basic needsmetbefore you can fulfill yourself, and the writers, the artists, I am not sure about writers, writers likeSolzhenitsyn,themorethehardship,thegreaterhisworks.Imean,hewentbacktotheSovietUnionafterthefightwasoveragainstthecommunists;hedidn’twritegreatworks.Maybehewasolderbut....Butifyou lookatall thecountries thatproducedart, literature,dance forms,art forms, theyareallcountrieswheretheyhavereachedacertainlevelofmaterialcomfort.”

Butthatisn’therwholepoint.There’snodenying theneed tohaveagoodsolid roofoveryourheadbeforeyou trygetting fancy

aboutmuch else.TheLeeWeiLing critique cuts deeper: it goes to the heart—if there is one—of anyculture that calibrates its sense of accomplishment almost entirely with economic indicators andmeasurablestandards.Statisticscanmislead.Heck,Europecouldjump-start itsgrossdomesticproductnumbersimplybyabandoningitstraditionoflengthyvacationsandconfiningitsholidaystoamaximumoftwoweeks.ButwhoinEuropewantstodothat?

Justlikemyownhomecountry,Singaporecangivetheimpressionofdesiringlittlemore,insum,thanmoreofwhat italreadyhasgot.Dr.Leeproposes(asdoothers, inSingaporeandaroundtheworld)acalibrationofthegoodmeaningfullifethattakesinmorethanjusttheadditionofanewcarorabetterrooforagranderhome.

Thereisanurgetofinddeepermeaninginanycountryorculturethatsuperficiallywouldappeartohavealmosteverything—andthenisstillaskingitself:butis‘everything’enough?

It’sinteresting.AvisitortoSingaporein2007wouldnoticeattheverytopofthenonfictionbestsellerlistpublishedbytheauthoritativeStraitsTimesabooktitledTheMonkWhoSoldHisFerrari.Thetitletellsthestory.OnereviewerpraisedauthorRobinSharmaforcapturingthepersistentangstofthewhite-collarprofessionalwhowonders,amongallherorhismaterialacquisitions,ifthisisallthereistolife.

ThatseemedtoparallelDr.Lee’sconcern.(Atthesametime,tokeepsomeperspective,thenumberthreebookonthenonfictionbestsellerlistthatverysameweekwasSecretsofSelf-MadeMillionaires.)

Itisthefashiontodayforgovernmentsandotherstoassessanation’splaceintheworldbyreferringto common, competitivemeasurements: gross domestic product, per-capita income, et cetera. But lifeshouldbesoeasytocalibrate!Itisnot.

Asmuch if notmore than any public figure I have personally interviewed over the decades, LKYknows that money is far from everything. His unwavering appointment and promotion philosophyemphasizesintelligenceandpersonalachievementoverwealthandacquisition.Fordecadeshehaslivedinthesamerelativelyhumbleabode.Decadesagohespokeeloquentlyandcreativelyabouttheneedfor‘cultural ballast’ to keep Singapore’s souls from drifting off onto a dangerous sea of mass culturalanonymity.

To this end, he emphasized the inculcation of original language, especially Chinese, even as thepopulace acquired or improved its English, the international language of business. Notmany nationalleadersthinkmoredeeplyabouttheroleofcultureinthefateofanation.

ButI’mnotsureFatherwaslisteningtodaughterthistimewithallhisintellectualmight.Maybenotenoughofusolderfolksarelistening(asmyowndaughter,now23,hassaidthissometimesofme).Toooften,weareoverlydefensivewhenever theyoungergeneration says something.Of course,we elderscan’thelpit.Wewanttohaveeverythingperfectforourchildren.Itistheutopianinstinctinus.

Dr.Lee’sworrywasaboutthedamageinflictedonourhumanitybymaterialisticherd-likebehavior.Itis a profound and also subtle point, and she is undoubtedly right. Singapore is the country that has(almost)everything.Initsownway,soisAmerica.Butmaybe‘everything’isn’treallyenough...oreveneverything.

KuanYew’sWay

CHINA’SLEADERSARE impressedbySingapore’s sure-handedsystemof socialcontrol.Singapore,afterall,isasolidlystablesociety,perhapstoafault:WesterncriticsregardLeeandhissuccessorsaslittlemore refined than a gang of high-IQ control freaks, if not worse. But for the Chinese government inBeijing (and indeedmany others inAsia, not all ofwhomwish to be on public record), Singapore’ssystemofsocialcontroladdsimmensecredibilitytoitspolicyrecommendationstoothers.TheChineseplace social order over everything else, a priority not too hard to understandwith 1.3 billion peoplemillingabout;sodoWesterncorporationsandinvestorslookingforsafeharborstodockandinvestforthelongterm.

For much of Asia, what’s more, the Singapore government gets high marks for aggressivelyengineeringexceptionaleconomicdevelopmentwithoutpermittingoptionsformessydisorderor,worse,bloody revolution. Ask Asians to vote for either the messy democracy of the Philippines, or for thecomparativelynoncompetitivedemocracyofSingapore, and the latter’s comfort, security and theotherquality-of-lifeamenitieswouldprobablywin—especiallyifitwereasecretvote.

ManyAsianswereskepticalofthesuperficiallyidealisticTiananmenSquareuprisingin1989,foritcouldhaveledtoacompleteunravelingofChinaasacountry.AlmosteveryoneintheregionknewthataChinathatcameapartwouldbeatragicconvulsion.Fromthisperspective,thegovernment’scrackdownwasadefensibleoption.Underlyingall theseAsianperspectives isageneralpoliticalphilosophy thatLee not only articulates better than anyone else alive in the region, but can brag that he has underlaineconomicandstandard-of-livingresultsthataretheregion’senvy.

Herewe ask him toweigh the relative impact of domestic policy and philosophy on internationalpolicyoptions.

Isay:“BeforeIforgettoaskyou,whenIwasayoungfellow,therewasthisphilosopher,FrederickHayek,whowroteabookcalledTheRoadtoSerfdom,anditwasascathingcritiqueofCommunismandsocialismand itwas trouncedby theAmerican liberal establishmentasbeingevil andwrong,butyouthinkofitfavorably.”

“Yes,ofcourse.”“Becausehewasright?”“IbelieveHayekwasaveryclearthinkerandthathehitupontheeternaltruth,explainingthatthefree

marketisnecessarytogettheeconomyright.”Ithinkwearegettingtosomethingherethat’sbeyondtheanecdotal:“Inthatcontext,thegreatThomas

Hobbes, that 16th-century political realist and pessimist, overlaps with your thinking. His recurringthoughtaboutthedefinitionoflibertywasthatitwastooexpansive;that,infact,itwassoexpansivethatitallowedthecitizentoslideintonegligenceaboutobligationstofamilyandcommunityandtostateonthegroundsof ‘liberty’.A famousAmerican screenwriteronceput the issueof libertyor freedom thisway:‘But takecare,freedomisadrug,muchlikeanyother,andtoomuchcanbeabadthing.’Doyouagreewiththat?”

LKYcan handle being put on the spot, but his honest answer to this transcendent issue is one thatirritatesmanyintheWestwhootherwisewouldbemoreadmiringofthismanandhisSingapore:“AsIsaid,Iamnotboundbytheories,butmyupbringinginathree-generationfamilymademeanunconscious

Confucianist.Itseepsintoyou,theConfucianistbeliefthatsocietyworksbestwhereeverymanaimstobeagentleman.Theidealisajunzi,agentleman.

“Whatdoesthatmean?Thatmeanshedoesnotdoevil,hetriestodogood,he’sloyaltohisfatherandmother,faithfultohiswife,bringsuphischildrenwell,treatshisfriendsproperlyandhe’sagoodloyalcitizenofhisemperor.It’stheFiveRelationships,Wu-Lun.Theunderlyingphilosophyisthatforasocietytoworkwell,youmusthavetheinterestsof themassof thepeople, thatsociety takespriorityover theinterestsoftheindividual.ThisistheprimarydifferencetotheAmericanprinciple,theprimaryrightsoftheindividual.”

Isay:“Inthatconnection,thelateandmuch-admiredAmericanneo-conservativeIrvingKristolwasalsoamodern-dayHobbesian.HisNewYorkTimes obituary read inpart like this: ‘Inhisopinion,hisfellowGIswereinclinedtoloot,rapeandmurder,andonlyArmydisciplineheldthemincheck.Itwasaperceptionabouthumannatureatitsworstthatwouldstaywithhim.’ThisisveryHobbesian.”

Henods:“TheConfucianistbelievessocietymusttakepriorityandiftheindividualhastolose,thatcannotbehelped.ButAmericansputtherightsoftheindividualabovethatofsociety.Youjustcannotgetsomeproblemsresolved.”

Iamnotboundbytheories,butmyupbringinginathree-generationfamilymademeanunconsciousConfucianist.Itseepsintoyou,theConfucianistbeliefthatsocietyworksbestwhereeverymanaimstobeagentleman.

ImentionthatHobbesviewedhumanbeingswithmorethanapinchofpessimism.Hethoughtthematthebottomlinesopotentiallyviciousthattheyhadtoberestrainedbystateinterventionfromtheirworstinstinctsandactions.

LKYbelievesthatthestateneedstoplayaforcefulandpreeminentroleinmaintainingorder.IlookupfrommynotesandthenatLee:“Onewayofexpressingindividualismpoliticallyisone-man,

one-vote.Yousayyouarenotabigfanofone-man,one-vote,andyet, theoutcomeofyourpolicies inSingapore is highly utilitarian in a philosophically rigorous way—to satisfy the needs of the greatestnumberinthebestpossiblemanner.”

He looksaround theStateRoomandanswers, staringstraightatme:“Well,becauseunlessyoudothat, you are going to have an underclass. In Singapore, that underclass used to be large numbers ofMalays who do not do well in school especially in mathematics and science. But we’ve to giveeverybodyachancetomakealiving.”

“Butyourbasicpointisthatifyouhaveone-man,one-voteandyouhavetheselobbiesandyouhavethisdeadlockofdemocracy,youaregoingtohave thatunderclass,youaregoingtohavetheexcessivefreedomanditleadstodrugsandeverythingelseand,therefore,one-man,one-voteinacertainwayisanimpedimenttoademocraticresult.Isthatright?”

“Yes,Ithinkso.”Ithinktomyself(andnosensetryingtocomplimenthim,wenowknowthatwon’twork):howmany

highlyintelligentleadersinthisworldwouldhavethegutstoopenlysaythis?I tellLKYabouta formerUCLAstudentwhograduated from theeliteWoodrowWilsonSchoolof

PublicandInternationalAffairsatPrincetonUniversityandgotagreatjobatarespectedtransportation-

governmentalagencyinNewYork:“Isaidtoher:‘IthinkI’mgoingtowriteabookonLee.Now,don’tgetmadatmebecauseIknowheisconsideredasoftauthoritarian,andyouknowI’mnotsellingoutoranything like that. It’s going to be an objective book, you know; it’s not going to be a PR book oranything.’Therewasapause,andthenshelookedatmeandsaid:‘SometimesIthinkwecouldusesomemoresoftauthoritarianismintheUnitedStates.’”

“Now she is 25.And I say,whatever do youmean? She says thatwhen you seewhat happens topublicpolicyandhow itgets churnedupby the special interests and themoney interests,goodpublicpolicygetseviscerated.”

Leeispuzzled:“Getswhat?”IcannotbelieveIhaveactuallyusedawordunfamiliartothisprofoundlyarticulateman.Iexplain:

“Youknow,getschoppedupanddilutedbythespecialinterestsandthelobbiesintheprocess.Yousaytoyourself,wecoulduseanLKYheretosetusstraight.Imean,IthinktherearealotofyoungAmericansthataresayingtheprocessisnotright.”

Thoseblack eyes seemed to shimmer a little: “Youhavecarried individualismand thepressingofsectionalintereststobeyondthelimitswherethegoodofthemajorityisbeingeroded.Everytimethereisa shooting spree, the gun lobbyworks hard and the guns keep being sold. So, there is no end to thisproblem.Onepsychoticstudentcausestremendouscarnage.Itdoesn’tmakesense.InEngland,theydon’tallowguns.But,now,they’vegotathuggishgenerationusingknivesinandoutofschool.However,youcannotkillsomanywithaknife.”

Ihappentoagree:“SothatifyoulookatAmericarightnow,Ithinkthesystemisnottheanswerforeveryone;maybeitneedstoberevised.So,theAmericanideologyiswehavedonesowellbecauseofoursystem,butnowitisoccurringtoyoungpeoplethatweareintroublebecauseofoursystem.”

“No,anysystemneedstoberevisedfromtimetotime.Nosystemlastsforever.Conditionschange,someflaws in thesystemarecarried toexcessandyou’vegot to revise them.Youcannotsay this isageneralprinciplethat’sgoodforeternity.”

“Right.Infact,Aristotlesaidwordssuchasdemocracyandmonarchyarenotdefinitionsofanidealtypebutmerely‘describeddifferentwaysofdecidingpracticalquestions’,andthatisyourview,right?”

“Yes.”“WinstonChurchilloncesaid,ifyouwanttodevelopseriousdoubtsaboutdemocracy,trytoconduct

afive-minuteconversationontheissueswiththeaveragecitizen.”EventheoutspokenLeedidn’twant to touchthatone.ButIseemtodetect the traceofasmile.It’s

almostasthoughwecametothesamerecollectionsubconsciously.Inafamous1947HouseofCommonsdebate,WinstonChurchillwastoremark:“Noonepretendsthatdemocracyisperfectorall-wise.Indeed,ithasbeensaid thatdemocracy is theworst formofgovernmentexceptall thoseother forms thathavebeentriedfromtimetotime.”ButafterspendinganafternoonortwowithLeeKuanYew,youmightbetemptedtoask:arewenowsosure?

TheConfucianistbelievessocietymusttakepriorityandiftheindividualhastolose,thatcannotbehelped.ButAmericansputtherightsoftheindividualabovethatofsociety.Youjustcannotgetsomeproblemsresolved.

By the way, I say to him, themost commonly usedWestern cliché to describe LKY is as a ‘softauthoritarian’.

Iask:“Areyoureallyso‘soft’?Ontheotherhand,areyoureallysuchan‘authoritarian’?Areyoucontenttobeknownthiswaytoyourpeople?Ifnot,how?”

Theanswercomesback from thecoughingLKYwithout ironyor apology: “ ‘Authoritarian’meansone has not got the consent of the people to your policies. My policies have been endorsed by theelectorateeveryfourtofiveyearsbyaclearmajority,neverbelow60percent.Idonotconsidermyselfauthoritarian.”

Mypolicieshavebeenendorsedbytheelectorateeveryfourtofiveyearsbyaclearmajority,neverbelow60percent.Idonotconsidermyselfauthoritarian.

HewoulddifferentiatehisviewfromthatoftheRussianpoliticalconceptofa‘sovereigndemocracy’by pointing to results. You can postulate the need for strong state control and the elimination of truepoliticalpluralisminthenameofdevelopmentandstability,ifyouwant.Butthenyouhavetodeliverthegoods.Ifyoudon’t,allyou’vedoneistoseizepower.

THEFIRSTHOURhasgonewell,butLKYisobviouslystillfeelingitfromtheinjurytohislegthatrequires physical therapy every day and the application ofwarm compresses practically everyotherminute.

Itistimeforabreak.We look at one another and agree. We get up together and walk out of the State Room.

Immediately outside is a long cool corridor shaded from the sun; beyond that is a large sun-splashedplazawithasuperviewoftheSingaporeskyline.Wewalkdownthecorridor,chatting,thentooktotheplazaforawell-litphotoshoot.

Theearlyeveningisstillthickwithheat,butthesunlightiswaning.Aboutthesameheightasme,butthinnerandmuchtrimmerlooking,dressedinthetraditionaldarkChineseMan’sserioussuit, LKY seems to revive almost spiritually in the equatorial sunburst.As the digital camerasbeginclickingaway,bypre-arrangement,forsomecasualsnapshotsforthebook,westartjoking,about everything, about nothing in particular, aimlessly—a stress relief from the riveting butintenseQandA.

The founderofmodernSingapore isordinarilya solemn,evensternman,withglaringeyesthatwithawhipofdisapprovalseeminglycouldchoparubbertreedowntosize.

Hislightersideismuchlessknown,butitownsasharpnessofwitandmirth,andofcoursesports an intellect that drills deep into his character,which is sometimes self-deprecating, andbubblesupsometimesinwaysthatareoftenentertaininglyblunt.

SoIdecidetoplayasillycard—averysillycard.Thedigitalvoicerecordersarenotaround,sowhynotplayabit?Iwon’tputallthebanterbackandforthinquotesbecause,unliketherestofour conversations, it is not on the record, or recorded; but it is pleasant and even funny—andinsightful,notonlyofLKY,butalsoabouttheUnitedNations.

Onlyhalfseriously,Isaytohim,youwouldhavebeenselectedasUNsecretary-generalafewyearsago,ifonlyyouhadannouncedcandidacy.

In a lightway I am testing thewatersofhis true ambitions.His achievement in leading thetransformationofSingaporeto internationallyacclaimedsuccessfromthefloorofadilapidatedformerBritishcolonyandhumiliatedJapanesewartimeoutpostisthestuffoflegend,tobesure.Butthepoliticalcanvasonwhichhepaintedisratherconfining.

Singapore isnotgreatlymore the territorial size andpopulationof, roughly, the cityofLosAngeles.IneffectLeecouldbeputdownasbutperhapsoneofthesmartest‘mayors’inthe20thcentury.(Wise-crackingAsiansfromlargercountriesputdownSingaporeasthat‘littlereddot’.)Thatitselfissomething,butcouldhehaverunsomethinggiganticlikeChina?OrevenIndonesia?

OreventheUN?Standingnexttome,LKYshakeshisheadandlaughsalmosthystericallyatthatone.Heshakes

his head again. The position of UN secretary-general is in its basic structure problematic, hepointsout,asifdesignedmainlyforfrustrationandineffectiveness.Takingsuchapost,thoughadistinct honor (et cetera, et cetera, et cetera),wouldprove littlemore than a personal ego tripmounted on the back of Singaporeans. The vanity fling would prove a pointless flirtation andobviousself-aggrandizementontheworldstage.

And, he adds frankly, the job was not one for the likes of an LKY. Besides, he says theincumbent—formerSouthKoreanForeignMinisterBanKi-moon—iswellqualifiedandisdoingagoodjobunderdifficultcircumstances.

Wewouldsurelyagreethatthepositionrequiresofitshaplessoccupantapoliteandpatient(andperhapsevenreverent)respectfortheUN’smanyfools,knaves,politicalposeurs,outrightcrooksandnarrow-mindedself-seekers?

Something like that, he laughs, with mirth cracking up a well-organized face otherwisereservedforrectitude,addingthat—truthbetold—he’dbeanabsolutedisasterinthejob.

Becauseyou’dbetooblunt,tellingeveryoneoffpolitically,rightandleft?That’sright,herespondswithmerryeyecontact.That,hesuggests,istheonepartofthejob

he’dbegoodat!Thenhere’smyidea,Irespond:justtakethejobforafewmonths,duringwhichtimeyouwill

summon into your 38th floor Secretariat-building office each and every fool, knave, politicalposeur, outright crook andnarrow-minded self-seeker; then sit themdown, tell themoff,watchtheirastonishedreaction,andthenaskthemtoleaveandneverdarkenyourdooragain.

Hiscracklingfacesuggestshelikestheidea,ratherverymuchindeed.And after you go through everyone who is on your hit list, I suggest you announce your

resignationandescapebacktoyourbelovedSingapore!Hesays(chuckling),threemonthsinthatjob,max,right?Max!Icoulddothat(seriouslylaughing)!You’dbeverygoodatthat,Isaid—infact,exceptional.Ifthat’sthedeal—sayexactlywhat’sonmymind,threemonths,thenout—maybe...heck,sure.

Whynot?Webothhad a good chuckle.Wehad constructed the perfect job, outside ofSingapore, for

Singapore’sLKY,who’snotthateasytocastinconventionalroles.SowemaketheUNjobintoabitofajoke,onlyapartofwhichwasagrossexaggerationrequiringamajorleapofimagination.

TheSingaporeanCandidate

ASWERETURNtotheinterviewtableinsidethecoolandrelativelydarkinterioroftheStateRoom,Lee,rathersuddenly,thoughquietly,askstobeexcusedforafewminutes,tovisit“theloo”,asheputsit,andtocheckuponafewhotincomingemailsinhisofficedownthecorridorandaroundthebend.

SuddenlyMdm.YYsuggeststhatthesessionendrightnow.“You’vehadthreehours,”shesaysemphatically.I am ungracious and unmoved. I am a pushy, vulgar American journalist, after all, and, oddly,

somewhatproudofit.SoIsaysomethinglike,noway,Iknowyou’retryingtospareyourbossfromover-extendinghimself;heclearlyisnotonlyinconsiderablepainbutrunninglowonoctane.ButtenaciouslyIholdmyground,explainingthatthisinterviewisforhistory(howmanymorelikethiswillhegrant?)andIneedeveryminutewithhimIcanget.Iarguethatthiseffortisforabook,notamagazineornewspaperarticle.ItneedseverythingLKYcangiveit.

Hershadbeenaworthyforay,andshetooktheabruptbutno-kiddingpush-backwell.ButIthinksheisnotusedtobeingpushedaroundbymerejournalists.Thisis,afterall,Singapore,notLosAngeles.

SittingnexttoherandtakingtheoralbattleinwithoutmakingasoundisCheeHongTat,whohastheactual title of Principal Private Secretary toMinisterMentor Lee. I am later to learn that he has anexquisitesenseofhumor.DuringtheexchangewithMdm.YY,Ithinkhewastryingveryhardtosuppressalaughwhilenotappearingtosidewitheitheroneofus.

Suddenlya somehowrefreshedLKYcomesback into the roomafterperhapsa15-minuteabsence.His energy level seems higher now. I dowonderwhy.And, as if he’d somehow overheard the tusslebetweenMdm.YYandmyselfoverendingthissecondsessionearlier thanscheduled(wasthereabugunderthetablethathecouldmonitorfromhisoffice?Nah,I’mbeingsilly),helooksatmeandsaysnottoworry,“We’llfinishtoday.”

“I’vegotonlythreeorfourmoremajortopics.”“Goahead.”“Well,howlongareyougiving?”“We’llfinishtoday.”Hesaysthisemphatically.I am happy, but puzzled. Did he take an upper or something? Nah, that’s just the silly American

headline-graspingjournalistlettinghistabloidianimaginationgodown-market.But then, before I get going again, he says to me that he has something to tell me about the UN

secretary-generaljobthat’snotajoke.Thebackgroundisthis:bythemiddleofhissecondtermasUNsecretary-general,KofiAnnanwas

viewedbysomeofthebigpowersasabig-timenuisance—ashowboatingThirdWorldblowhard.TheBushadministration,forone,waslookingforasuccessorwhowouldbelessflamboyant.SotheybegansoundingoutSingaporeaboutthepossibleavailabilityofGohChokTong,whohadsteppeddownin2004after14yearsasthesuccessfulprimeministerandsuccessortoLeehimself.AtthatpointGoh,thequiet,hard-working,thoughtfuleconomist,wasfarandawayAmerica’sfirstchoiceforthepositiontoreplaceAnnan.

LKYgoesontoexplain:“SoIaminKoreaandSouthKoreanforeignministerBanKi-moonknewthattheAmericansweresupportingGohChokTongforthejob.So,whenGohretired,theywantedhimtotake

thisjobon.“BanKi-mooninvitedmetoalunch,gavemeaswanklunchandsaid,isyourcolleaguerunningfor

it?Isaid,no.Hesaid,areyousure?Isaid,absolutely.Hesaid,why?Isaid,itisnotajobthatheisfittedfor.He’sgottopleaseirreconcilablemasters,Americans,Chinese,Russians,nevermindtheBritishandtheFrench.Imean,itistoomuchforhimandheisnotgoingtodoit.WhatgooddoesitdoSingapore,whereashecandomuchinSingaporeandforSingapore.

“So,Ban came toSingapore to seeGohChokTong.AndGohChokTong confirmed that he is notrunningfortheUNjob.So,heknowsthatIamastraighttalker.”

“AndthenBanannouncesandheruns.Hegetsthejob.”“HegetsthejobbecausetheAmericansdecidedtobackhim,andtheChinesealsobackedhim,and

thatwasthat.”“That isright.DoyouthinkBanwillgetasecondterm?”ThelikableformerSouthKoreanforeign

ministerwasgettingalotofcriticalheatinNewYorkasthisinterviewisoccurring.“BanKi-moon?Possibly,becausewhoelsecantheAmericansback?”“Yes,thatisright,andwhocanAmericansandChineseagreeon?Well,Idon’tknow.Ilikehimvery

muchandhavegottentoknowhimalittlebit.”“No,heis,Iwouldsay,qualifiedforthejob.He’sbeenforeignministerofSouthKorea.Heknows

thefrustrationofworkingonproblemsthatcannotbesolvedbecauseyou’vegottotryandmaketheeffortandplacateyourconstituency,inthiscase,theSecurityCouncilandtheGeneralAssembly,andhedoesthat.Andso,whocantheyfindbetter?CantheyfindaKofiAnnan?Evenif theycould, theAmericanswillsay,no.”

Atthetimeoftheinterview,Lee’sviewsparalleledallthatIhadbeenabletofindoutaboutBanandtheUNandtheroilingandoftenuglyinternational—andUNheadquarters—politicsbehindthathorriblejob.

RushHour(SingaporeStyle)

LEE ISVERYclearinhismindaboutthemeaningofpublicpolicy.Hedefinesit intheclassicutilitariansense: the greatest good for the greatest number.His orientation is toward results, not process.He isadamantaboutshowingresults.

Hisviewonaggregatenationalwealthemphasizesitscapacityforbothunderminingpoliticalstabilityaswellasbolsteringit.Iaskwhetherincreasingwealthisalwaysagoodthing.

“The bigger an aggregatewealth, the better for a country. Increasedwealth and revenue can solvemanyeconomic,socialandotherproblems.”

But what about the growing gap between rich and poor, a worldwide phenomenon that’s hitSingapore,too.

“Ifinequalitiesaretoogreat,itwillleadtodiscontentofthelowersocialgroups.”Greatinequalityisfearednotasamoralwrongbutasentailingnegativesocietalconsequences.He continues: “So, the Singapore government narrows the growing disparity as a result of

globalization (high-end jobs being paid higher because they are in short supply), and low-end jobs,unskilled and semi-skilled, havebeenkept downbecauseof competition fromhundredsofmillionsofworkersfromChina,IndiaandtheformercommunistcountriesofEasternEuropeandRussia.”

Thisnuggetofa thought is interesting: incomeinequalityisn’twrongbecauseallpeoplehavesomebirthrighttoequalityoflivingstandards.Thatisnothisviewatall.Inequalityisaseriousdangerbecauseitbreedsdiscontentandthepotentialfordangerousinstability.Itistheconsequencesoftheincomegapratherthanitsmereexistencethatmotivatecorrection.Tobesure,themanwiththeFerraribenefitsfrompoliticalstabilityasmuchasthemanscratchingoutaliving.Thetaskofgoodgovernanceistoreducethatinequalitywhilenotderailingthelocomotivesofeconomicgrowth.

Thisispurepragmatism.Soyoumustfight,fiercely,anyprocessoranydoctrinethatencumbersthevelocityofprogress.Good

governance is the ally of progress. Optimal public policy is often both knowable and achievable, hebelieves, but the bestmethodology for discoveringwhat is the bestway forward is usually through aprocessofeithercomparativeshopping(howothersdoit)and/ortrial-and-errorimplementationathome.

Probablytheriskiestwayoftryingtoachievethebestofallpossibleworldsisthroughasimplisticorrigid democratic process that leaves blocking or at leastmucking-up powers in the hands of narrow-interestedlobbies,ofteninleaguewitheitherdemagogicpoliticiansorbackroomhacks.Leewillhavenopart of that. And perhaps nothing better illustrates the paradoxical paradigm of democracy-sabotagedoptimalpublicpolicythantheclassiccaseof‘congestionpricing’.

Ichanceaglanceatthetopaidesatthetable’sotherend,offerafriendlywinktohispersonalprivatesecretary,who seems to be snoozing butwho I know is as aware and awake as the control tower atChangiAirport,andwadeintothedilemmaofdemocracythisway:“Youknow,awhimsicalcommentthatImakewhenIamgivingtalksinAmericaandtheissueofSingaporecomesupisthatIsaytheaveragepublic policy school usually starts with a curriculum and then they develop laboratories foradministrationofsomeof the ideas.ButSingaporestartedwith the implementationof ideasand then itorganized a formal public policy school! Imean, in a certainwaySingapore has been one big publicpolicylaboratory—forrealissues,inrealtime.Asyousay,formanyproblems,thereisasolution,there

isapublicpolicysolutionandit’syourjobtofindthatsolution.”This time out, I was just being journalistic, I thought, but he tilts his head as if brushing off a

compliment: “Yeah, and it is not that we are not going to be the first that face this problem or thatproblem.Weareasocietylikeothersocieties.”

Learningfromothersaswellastryingtoteachthemisalwaysanhonorableoptionforpublic-policynerds:“Yeah,youSingaporeansarenotMartians.”

Henods,smiling:“So,letusfindoutwhofacesthisproblem,whohasfacedthisproblem,whohassucceeded,whohasfailedandfindoutallthedetails,andthenwecomebackandlookatourcaseandsay,nowwhatisthedifferenceinourcaseandthenfindasolution.”

Thisisthefull-blownFoxinLeetalkingnow,theTechnocraticLeaderofaThousandDetails.At the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, the esteemed scene of my

graduatework in policy studies, fellow students unanimously agreed that imagining an optimal publicpolicysolutionwasalwayseasierthanenvisioningactualimplementationbythecravenpoliticalsector.Politicsandpublicpolicywereanythingbutsynonymous.InLee’smind,Ibelieve,politicsoftheordinarykindisanobstacletoextraordinarypublicpolicy.

I turn toLee: “Tome, the classic example, theone that always strikesme, is so-called congestionpricing.Howdoyoudealwithrushhour,whichofcourseistheworsttimeintheworldtobeontheroadifyouareinarush!Butyousolvedtheproblemwithcongestionpricing.Well,whydon’twedothatinLosAngeles?Becauseyoucan’tgetitthrough,youcannotgetitimplemented.”

“No,peoplewillrevolt.”“Butuntilitisimplemented,theywon’tbeabletoseethatit’sintheirinterestandthatitworks.”Lee clears his throat. It’s odd because he’s not a smoker and as far as I know isn’t a drinker.

Singapore,atleasttoday,isnotpolluted.Itseemsasclearasdesertair.Nowhecoughs,andit’safitofcoughing.Ilookovertothetwoaidesbutthey’veseenitbeforeandactasifnothingishappening.IamalmostreadytocallinEmergencyService,seriously.Leealmostcoughsthehousedown.

Hefinallystops,looksatmeandbreaksintoabigsmile:forpeopleinSingaporenotonlyhavetopayatolltotraveldowntownduringrushhour,theyhavetoforkoverahugelicensingfeejusttoownacar.

“IknewthatoncepeopleinSingaporecouldhaveacar,they’dnevergiveitup.So,beforeitgotoutofcontrol,IsaidyouneedaCertificateOfEntitlement[note:costsabundle!]beforeacarisyours;andthepermittedup-tickinnumberofcarsdependsonwhattheroadcapacityis.Thatwasthefirstmove.So,youbidforit.Ifyouissuemoreentitlementcertificatesthanisprudent,roadsarejammed.Thenayoungergeneration tookover and says,well,whynothavemorecars andwecharge themby theusageon theroadsinsteadofjustpurchase?Itoldthem,okay,okay,haveacar,havemorecars!Butonceyou’vegotacar,youwillnevergiveitup.”

IremindhimthatIhailfromLosAngeles,wherepeoplesay:“Nobusforme!”ButhereLeeadmitshewisheshehadresistedtheyoungergenerationofeliteleaderswiththeirlust

for the individualand familycar.Butoneman—evenonewith thecolossalegoanddeterminationandwillpowerofLKY—canonlydosomuchinonelifetime.Toomanycars,heknows,ruinautopia.Atrueurbanutopiawouldbeamarvelofinterlacedmasstransit.

“Iwasmovedonpolicy-thinkingabout transitbypsychology.Theyaremovedbymaximizing roadspace.Okay,thenyouwouldantagonizemoremotorists.Iwouldratherhavelesscarsandgeteverybodytousethepublictransport,butayoungergenerationthinksthisisthewaytogoandyou[i.e.,nolongermeLKY]areincharge,thengoformorecars.”

“Butatleastyou’vegotcongestionpricingin.”

“Oh,yes,ofcourse.”“Wedon’thaveanythinglikethat.”Under this sensible system, you pay a toll to drive downtown during rush hour. The economic

incentive,therefore,istoavoidrushhourifyoucan.Lee smiles. I really don’t blame him.Maybe he could come to LosAngeles for a year or so and

straightensomeofourproblemsout?

TheEndoftheAffair

IT IS GETTING to be about that time. A soft-green pre-evening nightshade is beginning to color overSingapore.Webothrealizetheendofthisconversationalmarathonisathand.

LKYstartstogetup.“Iamnotaback-slappingtype,”hesays,shakinghishead,asImovetowardhimfor a final question or two. “On the other hand,when Imake friends, they are usually to be life-longfriendships.”

Thisissomehowmoving—bothawkwardandelegant,simultaneously.SorryAmnestyandothercritics.Thisguyishistoricandimportant,andIdon’tknowhowlongeither

oneofus isgoingto livebefore“wegotoMarx”,as theoldcommieatheists jokeabout thehereafter,whichtheybelievedoesnotexist.Butonehastotakestandsinlife,andIamconvincedLeestandsforsomethinghistoricallyimportant.ItmaybesomethingwemisswhenweputonourWesternhuman-rightssunglasses.

HeismorelikesomeimportantnuancednexuspointwherePlato(inhissearchforUtopiaonearth)meets Machiavelli (who wants to teach Plato some real-life lessons about getting his programsimplementedandhisenemiesneutralized...andsaytothegreatmaster:darnitPlato,don’tbesonaïve!).

Leethenconfidesinme,asrecountedintheveryfirststoryofthisbook,thatheexpectsanAmericanjournalist to achieve objectivity and credibility by lacing this account with non-flattering elements aswell.

Neitherahatch-jobjournonorasuck-upbe,Ialwayssay.ItellhimIhavethreelastquestions,forgottoask.Henodshishead,standing,sayinggoahead.God?Isthereoneinyourlife?No, no, he replies, shaking his head: “I am an agnostic. I accept Darwinism.” The great god of

evolution,ofcourse.Thenhesmiles:“Thereligiousrightdoesnotacceptit.Butnobodyhascomebackfromthehereafter

totelluswhichisright!”That’saprettygoodone,Ithink.Thenheliftsatiredbutdeterminedeyebrow.Whataretheotherquestions?Whydoyoucaresomuchaboutgovernance?Imean,youlookatgovernmentasanartaswellasa

science,andyoutakeitsoveryseriously.“Yes.Youaredealingwithpeople’slives.”Yes,oneis.Final question. Imumble something to the effect that after you’ve “gone toMarx”,will Singapore

finallyloosenup,asmanyhaveconjectured?Hepauses.“Itisforthepresentandfuturegenerationofleaderstomodifyandadjustthesystemassocietyand

technologychanges.”Ismile.I’venowspentmoreaggregativetimewithLKYthananyWesternjournalistIknow.Inthis

rarifiedsettingIthinkIcanrecognizea‘yes’.Thatwasa‘yes’.

I lunge forwarda littlebit. I say thehellwith it and Igive thismanwhomeveryonesizesupasawinterfrostasemi-flamboyanthug.

Tomysurprise,hehugssomewhatback.Itwasn’tabackslap,mindyou.Anditsureashellwasn’tcaning.Itwas,infact,kindoftouching.

Isay:“Allthistalkaboutyourgrowingolder,Iamgrowingolderunfortunately.”“Everybodydoes.”Thereisaserioussilenceofsomelongseconds.

ModernTimes

HE TURNS AND LEAVES. I make my goodbyes to his two hard-working and loyal aides and run into asecurityguardinthehallway.HeistowhiskmeoutofIstanaandintothehotelcar.

Thistakesalloffiveminutes.IstanaiseitherthebiggestsmallgovernmentbuildingI’vebeenin,orthesmallestbigone.

ButIstanaisair-conditionedbig-time,andsoisthewaitingcar.Air-conditioning;it’severywhereinSingapore,thankyou,MinisterMentor.Onewonderswhat’snext:outdoorair-conditioning?ItisoneofthefirstthingstheMasterfulMindhimselfdecreedhadtobeaddedtogovernmentoffices,manydecadesago, when almost all of Southeast Asia was sweating from the perfervid emissions of the region’sswamps,undulatingdesertsandLawrenceofArabiasun.

Smart, very smart. Before long, government workers were staying late, especially if their homesweren’tyetsooutfitted.Workingforthegovernmentbecame,well,thecoolthingtodo!

Youslidegratefullyintothebackseatandfeel thewelcomingwaftofrefurbishedairhityoulikeawettowelofchippedice.ThecarpullsoutofthemansionarchwayandrollsdownbackEdinburghRoadfortheshortridebacktotheShangri-la.Iwavetothesametwoguardsstillat theentrancecompound.Theywaveback.We’refriends.

I allow a residual reserve of trapped, pre-used State Room air to escape my insides. The twoafternoonswithLeearecomplete,ontape,inthebook.Thisisdone.Itisalldone.Hegaveofhimselfasgoodashewasable,Idohonestlybelievethat.

Butapartofmewishesitwerenotover.This guy is the Clint Eastwood ofAsia, a definite straight shooter. But now, how can I put it all

together?Howcanitpossiblybegatheredalltogether?There is only one way. One last time, we will return to the Isaiah Berlin theme of the great

man/womanwithmany ideas for survival (The Fox), as contrasted to the greatman/womanwith onecolossallysmartideaoroverridinglinkedsetofideasforsurvival(TheHedgehog).

Which one is he? Or is there yet a third category that Berlin missed: Beyond the Fox or theBorderlineHedgehog?

Here’swherewecancomedownonthis:LeeKuanYew’sunswervingoppositiontohavinganygrandideology or philosophy pinned on his forehead is on one level understandable, but on another, rathersuspicious.

Regarding the former,consider this: that in the lastcenturysomanycountless livesandsoulshavebeenruined,andinmanycasesbroughttoacruelend,becauseofblindobeisancetosomeOneTrueIdea.LKYwantsnopartofbeingthatkindofstrongleader.

Rather,itisthedanceofbrilliantideasthatmesmerizeshim,notsomegoofball,goose-stepdanceofthedevil.NotremotelyishesomecrackpotPolPot,norsomehair-brained‘LittleHitler’.

ButheisoneStrongMan,that’salsoforsure.Themosthe’llletmeandthelateBerlindotohim—or,arguably,forhim—istoallowustostickthe‘Fox’labelonhisforehead.That,younotice,hedidgiveus.Butheperhapsunwittinglygaveusnomorethanthat.

Yes,ononelevel,Leeistheoriginalpoliticalstreetfighter,theFoxysurvivalist,who,likethegreatMuhammadAli, floats likeabutterfly (wordsandspeeches, invariably first rate)andstings likeabee

(don’tgetonhisSeriousBadListorhe’llmaneuveryou intoacorner, sueyourbrainsoutandyou’redonefor).

Thisistheobviouspartoftheman;thisiswhatyouseeatwork.IgiveyouLeeKuanYew,theFoxofallFoxes.

Butonanotherlevel,that’sjustnotenough,atleastforme.Look—toomanyambitious,intellectuallyoverarchingspeecheshavebeendelivered,oftentriggering

awe and often enough standing ovations. And—gosh!—consider that his own autobiography (twoimmensevolumes)isalmostaslengthyasWinstonChurchill’s.Thinkaboutthat.

AndhowmanymeretacticalFoxesbathecomfortablyinthepagesofPlato,Toynbee,Huntington,etcetera?—thewaymanyoftherestofusreadthesportspagesofthedailynewspaper?

SolvingthemysteryofLKYisimportantnotsimplybecauseLeeKuanYewmaybethesecondcomingofThomasHobbes(Leviathan)meetsSt.ThomasMore(Utopia)—thoughthat’snotabadwayoflookingathim.

No, we must push on with our inquiry because his notable personality—brilliant, abrasive,tempestuous,successful,short-tempered,daring,evendangerous—maytellussomethingvaluableaboutthenatureofpoliticalman/woman,aboutthenatureofpoliticalleadership,andaboutthenatureofwhatwearegoingtoneedtosurvivethechallengesahead.

Pushingonfurther,deeper:supposingwelikenLeeandhisoriginalPeople’sActionPartyteamtoanAsianversionofAmerica’sown founding fathers.Theirmotive, in each instance,was to establish thebestpossiblegovernmentalstructureandenvironmentfortheirnewcountry.Buttalkthedemocratictalkthoughtheysurelydid,moreorlesssincerely(justdon’tasktoomanyquestionsaboutJefferson’sslaves,et cetera, et cetera), their credentials were elitist in the extreme: Washington, Jefferson, Madison,FranklinandMonroe(andetcetera,etcetera)wereright-off-the-streetcommoners,right?

Sure,justlikeNelsonMandelaisjustanotherrun-of-the-millXhosatribesman.SowhatdoAmerica’sfoundingfathershaveincommonwithmodernSingapore’sfoundingfather?They are all elitists with a democratic cause: to improve the lot of as many of their people as

possible.So there has to be a bigHedghogian idea lurking insideLee’s head that hewants to keepprivate.

There is, and it is this: sustainedand sustainableprogress ispossibleonlywhenagifted, empoweredeliteisinmoreorlesscompletecontrolofpolicy.Thecompletecorollarytothatishisbeliefthatpoliticsthatincludessignificantdecision-makingbytheunqualified—orbythewell-organizednarrowinterests,the lobbies—is the enemy of superior public policy. This leads to the third forbidden thought: thatdemocracy, at its one-man, one-vote purest, is almost always the enemy of a practical, here-and-now,best-we-can-getutopia.

Pleasenote:thesethoughtsaremyextrapolations,notLee’sownwords.Everywordinthisbookthatis directly attributable to him, he not only said, he also reviewed later on tomake sure itwas downexactlyinthestylehewanted.Hetookonlyafewthingsout,notwantingtoembarrassSingapore.Ihadnoproblemwiththat.

But you and I have a right to take what a great leader says and use it to improve our ownunderstandinganddrawourownconclusions.Leewill,couldandprobablyshoulddenywhatIhavesaidabove.Ialsowillhavenoproblemwiththat.Hemayevenberightabouthimself.

ButIdoubtit.Here’swhy.Lee’ssolemotivewasneverjustpower,neveronlypoliticaldominationofhiscountry.

Thatwouldnothavebeenenough;theConfucianinhimwouldhaveknownofhisshortfallofcharacter,

forheisnotaninsincerehumanbeing.HismotivewastoSHOWTHEWORLD—andletmesayitagain,foremphasis:foralltheworldto

see—thataChinese leaderandhisConfucianpeoplecould inaunitedspiritdo thegovernance jobaswellasanyone,betterthanmost,andmaybe,somehow,betterthananybody!

Suchanassertionwouldseemlikequiteastretchtoanyoneexaminingtheinferiorlevelofgovernancein the world’s largest Chinese country, right? That’s the whole point; that’s why, when giant China’smaximumleadervisitedSoutheastAsiain1978,whichSoutheastAsiancountryhadthemostimpressivesetofachievementstoshowChairmanDeng?Itsurewasn’tmostlyMalayMalaysia!

What’smore, Lee and his elite and his people, reflectingConfucian acceptance of ‘FatherKnowsBest’,didnotstopthere;theydecidedtotakeitonephenomenalstepfurther.NothavingaShanghai—nottomention an India or, indeed, aChina—tohave to govern (who, after all,was up to that impossibletask?), they could imagine Singapore becoming a verymodel of contemporary governance at its best:usingonlythe‘bestpractices’,achievingmaximumequityforall,constantstrivingforprogress,allbutelectrocutingcorruption(period),andmaintainingthethreatofHobbesianlawandorderoneinchbelowa cosmopolitan surface (all thewhile trying to give the impression that Singaporewas just aChineseSydney).

So here was the post-modern Confucian Utopian dream: Singapore could indeed become like a(political)gardenofIstana.Youplantdifferentvarieties,give themproperobservationandcare,weedout the ones that just won’t grow nomatter how hard you try, and over time give birth to a gloriousgarden-variety of all kinds of public policy ideas and programs, from the celestial to the mundane(citizens are bilingual, congestion pricing, no gum sticking, we-cane-your-butt-if-you-get-out-of-line,everyone-gets-good-health-proper-education-home-ownership,etcetera,etcetera).

SohowdowebestdescribeordepictthisGardenofPoliticalIstana?We all know that classic heavenly utopias do not really exist on this polluted planet. And some

allegedutopias arenothingbut flaw-ridden.TheSoviet renditionofheaven-on-earthwasmostoften ahell-on-earth. Fidel Castro may have had the best of intentions 50-plus years ago when his band ofideologicalcommunistssweptdownfromthemountainandseizedCuba;butinduecoursetheirutopianideologyandStalinistgovernancemadeeveryone(except thepartyelite)moreor lessequally ...poor.AndwhateverwemightsayofMaoZedongandhisWorker’sParadiseperhaps,well,atthispoint,itisbetterleftunsaid.Thenthere’sPolPot’shellholeCambodia...andonandon.

By contrast, Lee Kuan Yew walked the walk of utopian-inspired governance better than so manyothers.Withenormouseffort,hepiecedtogether,layerbylayer,askilledgoverningelite(likeaPlato,butadvised by Machiavelli)—encompassing all the important professions, not just governmental—thatpushed his country to the globe’s top league of accomplished economies. And with remarkable self-awarenesshesoughttoavoidthepoisonofpuristpoliticalandeconomicideologythatundidotherwisegreat men like India’s Nehru, without descending into the creepy cronyism and crippling corruptioncharacteristicofsomanyotheregomaniacalregimesaroundtheworld.

He,hisinnereliteandhispeopledidallthiswhilehewinginanalmostintimatewaytotwopoliticalideas.Onewas thevisionofPlato,elevated to thescaleofanation-state,and theotherwas thehard-nosedmethodologyofMachiavelli.

It seems to me that Lee Kuan Yew is where Plato meets Machiavelli—in the special land ofConfucius. But did it work? It mostly has, and is. Had he been nothing more remarkable than aMachiavellian thug, his country would have descended into mere cynicism andmanipulation; just theformer,andthewholeambitiousneo-utopianprojectwouldneverhavegottenoffthedrawingboard.But

using (whenavailable!) scientificmethodsofpolicyandgovernance,maneuvering intopowerahighlyeducatedandmotivatedelite,andscaringthelivinghelloutofanyonewhostoodinhisway,including,potentially,amediathatmightgetintotrouble-makingoragenda-setting,LeeKuanYewachievedprettymuchwhathesetouttodo.

Think about that: for all the hot air of politicians, for all the complex modeling and intellectualposturingofacademics,forallthehigh-mindedmoralstatementsofthemoralistsandactivists,Singaporetookitallin,workeditselftothebone,andgotawholelotofitdone.

Utopia of course comes from a Greek word and it can mean ‘no place’ or ‘doesn’t exist’. Theadjective‘utopian’isoftenusedtosuggestimplausibility,ifnotimpossibility.Theplural‘utopians’canbeusedtomean‘starry-eyeddreamers’.Andsurelyonecitizen’sutopiaisanothercitizen’shell.

Singaporeiscertainlynoutopiafordrugdealersordrugusers;it’sanythingbutheavenonearthforopponentsofthegoverningpartyandgovernment.Amongotherprivilegedacolytesyoufindpreeninginthe West, criminal trial lawyers are given a much less rope in Lee’s Singapore. First Amendmentabsolutistswillfindnoutopianjoyinthegenerallysubtlebutclearlylimitingredlinesplacedaroundthenewsmedia.

So, one way or the other, we agree, earth has no utopia. Singapore resides on the planet earth.Therefore,Singaporeisnoperfectutopia.

Sowhatisthenextbestthing?Andwhatshouldwecallit?The thing itself may well be Singapore itself, faults and all. It is this era’s Neo-Utopia, a living

exampleofgettingaplaceintoasutopianashapeasishumanelypossible.That is Lee’s achievement. Lee is a Pragmatic Confucian Neo-Utopian. That’s the very big idea:

Singaporeasaverysmallplacethatbecameaverybigdeal.Yes,it’snotperfect.Noreal-worldUtopiais.Butmaybeweneedtostartbeingmorerealisticabout

whatweshouldexpectfromourneo-utopias, ifwewanttorecognizethemforwhat theyhavetooffer.Forwhatwasdone inSingapore,overamerehalfdozendecades,had tohavebeen theworkofsomekindofHedgehog.

Absolutely.

Afterword:JudgmentatSingapore

ITISHARDTOBELIEVE.ItisnowlittlemorethanthreeyearsaftertheIstanaconversations,andLeeKuanYewisnolongerin

the cabinet of Singapore. The explosive national elections of 2011 seemed to cut the long-dominantPeople’sActionPartydowntosize,evenwhileitretainedalockonparliament.Thevoters’cautionaryrebufftothePAPheraldedanewchapter.GeorgeYeo,thebrainyforeignminister,losthisseat,andbothMinisterMentorLeeandSeniorMinisterGohChokTonghadtoacceptthatthiswasthepoliticalendoftheirextraordinaryrun.ByU.S.standards,thePAP’swinningmarginwasalandslide.ButbySingaporestandards,itwasalmostabjectrejection.

Andwhilethetinycountrywaschurningpolitically,itwastryingtobecomehip.Therewerealluringcasinos(mainlyfortourists),anewvibrantartsscene,andasensethatayoungergenerationwaspushingup from below to challenge the status quo. Massive and intense interactivity on the Internet (anintrinsically anti-authoritarian technology spawned in factbyofficial embraceyearsbefore) seemed toinfusedebatewithnewopenness.Singapore’shierarchiesseemedabitmorehorizontalthanvertical.

AndtherewasnodoubtthatmodernSingapore’sfounderwashimselfachangedman.Whilenotquiteatotalrecluse,theheretofore-nonstopLeethrewinhiscardsandkickedback.Thedeathin2010ofhisbelovedwife,KwaGeokChoo, after a long illness, had already rocked him.And his departure fromgovernmenthadsignaledthebeginningofthefinalchapter.

Threeyearsbeforethat,inanIstanaofficeinterview,Iaskedhimhowhewasfeeling.“Ageingratherfitfullyaswealldo,butwhenyou’repast80,it’saprettysteepclimb.Ithinkifyou

retire,theideaofjustreadingbooksandplayinggolf...youjustdisintegrate.”Meadding(asusualtryingtolightenthingsup):“There’ssuchahighcorrelationbetweenpeoplewho

retireandplaygolf,anddie,right?Ifyoudon’tplaygolfanddon’tretire...followthelogic!”Henoddedwithawansmile:“Youhavetohavesomethingmorethanthat.Youhavegottowakeup

everymorningfeeling there’ssomethingworthdoingandyou’renot just lyingbackandcoastingalong.Onceyoucoastalong,it’sfinished.”

Heverywellknewthis.Even so, now in 2013, rumor had it that some of Lee’s afternoons would be spent reclusively,

sometimesrestinginahotel’spoolsidecabana,overlookingdowntown.Tobesure,thisproudmanwasstill capableofdeliveringa speech, andwasmore thancapableofhuffilyamblingout,underhisownsteel,onadebateinparliamentwhosesubstantivecontenthefoundwanting.ButLKYwasateasenowandknewhisincrediblerunasSingapore’smodernfounderwaswellover.

Alas,theInternet,whichbroughtun-Singapore-likemessinesstothepoliticaldebate,seemedalmostto be ghoulish about it. It was Tuesday 7 August 2012 and the blogs and Twitter rumor mills werespewingoutthespectacularsparkthathehadbeenadmittedtohospitalorevenhaddied.Manydidnotbuythat,ofcourse,myselfincluded,especiallywhenmyhomefaxmachinewasarousedaround3a.m.thenextday,8August.Itwasfromhim.

Ihadaskedforit.Thoughrespectinghisdesireforthesolaceofhisowncompany,andbelievingthat

wehadrolledovermanyvastlandscapesofissuesandeventsinourconversations,Inonethelesswantedhimtohavethelastsayifhewished—thefinalconversation,asitwere.Iinvitedhimtohaveonemoregoatit,ifonlyviaemail.

Hisanswerwastruetothecoreofhisbeing—blunt,final,sensible,andevenoff-handwitty.Thefax,inhisownhandwriting,readsimply:“Tom:Nothingnewtoadd.LKY.8Aug2012.”

Ihadtolaugh.Hewasright.Afterall,whatelsewastheretosay?Formorethanfivedecadesinhighpositions,speakingnotjust

tohisfellowcitizensathomebutofferingwisdomsatinternationaleventseverywhere,Leehadmorethansaidhispiece.Andthensome!

Sometimes, in truth,many Singaporeans felt he had said toomuch, andwere relieved that he hadstopped lecturing them on almost everything under the equatorial sun.He seemed to have in stock ananswerforeverything.Fromtheidealsizeoffamiliestothepropersupplyofphysiciansforthenation,there seemed no end to what he had to say. And Singapore had to listen. It was as if he regardedlimitationsonhisexpertiseaschallengestotheauthorityofhisgovernance.Hisoutspokenviewsdidnotalwaysplaywellinternationally.HisnegativecommentsabouttherapidgrowthoftheLatinopopulationintheU.S.,expressedearlierinthisbook,mightwellbejudgedasprejudiced.Myfirstinterviewwithhim,in1996,endedwiththethoughtthatthereasonAsianstudentstendtodobetterinmathandsciencehadsomethingtodowiththe“slightlydifferentbalanceintheAsianbrain,morenumeratethanliterate”.

The journalist inmeadores theoutspokenness.Butweareacravenbreed.Thehumanbeing inmerecoilsat thegeneralizations.Butnomatter.Nomore. Itwasallover.Fornow the timehadcome forhistorytobegintohaveitssay.

Lee is a better listener than generally acknowledged.As you have justwitnessed in this book, he’s apersonwithwhomonecanhaveanactualconversation.Infact,ifyouarenotreadilyintimidated,heisaseasytotalktoas,say,BillClinton.

Communication of many kinds—verbal as well as symbolic—is required to govern well. Masspoliticsrequiresaleader’spersuasiontomaximizepoliticaleffectiveness.HeknewwhathewantedforhisSingapore,butadrivenutilitarian,Leejudgedhimself,almostideologically,bystandardsthatcouldbescientificallymeasured.

He was almost always in a deliberate rush to achieve. Per-capita income. Internationalcompetitiveness.Scholasticscores.Lowinflation.Highemployment.Hewantednothing tostand in thewayofmeasurableachievements.Hehatedunnecessarydelays,suchasfromuninformeddebate,whichofcourseistheessenceofmassdemocracy.Butunlessheweretodoawaywithelectionsaltogether,hehadto know what his people thought, even if much of it seemed to him thoughtless—or in any event,uninformed.Theleaderalwayshastocarrythepeoplewithhim,ashe’dsay.

TheancientGreekthinkersunderstoodthecoreproblem.Oneperceptivemodern-dayinterpreterwasMichelFoucault,thelateFrenchphilosopherwhousedtolectureaboutGreekthoughtattheCollegedeFrance. He accepted their insights about the severe contradiction at the heart of the very concept ofdemocracy.

AndtheGreekshadawordforthat.Twowords,actually.Thefirstwasparrhesia,whichsortofmeans‘truth-telling’or‘free,frankspeech’inaprofoundway.

Thetheoreticalsinequanonofsuperiorgovernancemeansthebestdecisionsareproducedbythebestthought and information and discussion. Not everyone can do that. So ongoing tension exists betweenparrhesiaanditsopposite,isegoria.Thislattermeans(sortof)‘everyonehasanequalandabsoluteright

to speak in public debate, whatever the truth value’. (This is to say: no matter how uninformed or,arguably,evenstupid.)

The first speaks to Maximum Truth, political correctness notwithstanding, people’s feelingsnotwithstanding; and said parrhesia speechmust be pure and wise and, above all, anything but self-seeking.

Thesecondspeakstoacceptingthateveryoneisspeech-equalandeverycitizenneedstohaveherorhis say and should be equally involved in the public debate, no matter how little they may know orhoweverself-seekingtheymaybe.

Everyoneandanyonecandotheirisegoria.That’seasyenough.Butparrhesia—thisissomethingelseentirely.Thetwoareinopposition:Truth-tellingandspeech-equalityareanythingbutthesame.

Foucaultusedtosuggestthatdemocracycouldeitheraffirmequalityofpublicspeechattheexpenseofparrhesiaoraffirmqualityofpublicdiscourseat theexpenseof isegoria.Myhypothesis is thatLKY,who did not suffer fools or foolish comment readily, was a fervent admirer of parrhesia and not ofisegoria.Hethoughtthelatter,ifleftuncheckedbypropereducatedauthority,woulddegradeSingapore’spolityandhandicapitsrateofprogress.

To extrapolate, Lee followed in the footsteps of Plato, who describes his mentor Socrates assometimesdistrustingtheutilityoftruth-tellingtothemasses.WroteFoucaultbywayofexplanation:“Thepowerlessnessoftruediscourseindemocracyisnotdue,ofcourse,totruediscourse,thatis,tothefactthatdiscourseistrue.Itisduetotheverystructureofdemocracy.”

BringLeebackintothisdiscussion.Remember, he honestly admitted to us (with a plain-spoken directness I had not seen elsewhere

before,andhavenotheardfromhimsince)thattheideologyofdemocracylefthimcold.AndIhavetotellyouthat,whenhesaidittowardtheendofourfirstdayofconversations—withabsolutelynoapologywhatsoever—the comment seemed tome breathtaking in its utter disregard of political correctness orpolitequalification.SaidLeetous:“Idonotbelievethatone-man,one-vote,ineithertheU.S.formatortheBritishformatortheFrenchformat,isthefinalposition.”

Public truth-telling and real-world politicsmakes for a very rough fitwhen trying to co-exist in apolitical system. This is not something political leaders say publicly. But the difference between theindividualspeakingthetruthandwantingthetruthtopredominate,ontheonehand,andtheequalrightofalltospeakincomparablevolumeevenifitrunstheriskofadvancinguntruthfulness—thisistoughone.

LeeofcoursewasnoOldTestamentprophetbutamodernMachiavellianpoliticalleaderwithastrategicvision—perhapsevenofaPlato.Asautilitarianpragmatistwhomainlywantedtogetgoodthingsdoneproperlyand,ifpossible,rapidly,hewasnotasaintedideologueaboutthis,oraboutanythingelse.Heknewwhat he could get awaywith andwas amaster of rhetorical nuance. Hewas often accused ofcontrolling the courts but—whatever the truth of that—in fact, as a close associate put it to me,“everythinghedidorsaidhadtobelegallydefensible”.Hecouldrouseacrowdwiththebestofthem.

Hisgoalwasnottostayinpowerforitsownsakeandloot,aswithsomeThirdWorlddespot,buttodeploythatpowertoimproveSingaporedramaticallyandimpressonneighborshowitcanbedone.Hewas often in a rush. Failures slammed progress into reverse. So what he could not tolerate wasineffectiveness,especiallycloakedinideologicalpurity.Ideologicalargumentswereforprofessorsoftheacademicandarcane.

“Singapore isnota4,000-yearculture,”he toldme inan interview in2007.“This isan immigrantcommunitythatstartedin1819.It’sanimmigrantcommunitythatleftitsmooringsandtherefore,knowing

it’ssailingtouncharteredseas,isguidedbythestars.Isaylet’sfollowthestarsandtheysaidokay,let’stry.Andwe’vesucceededandhereweare,buthasitreallytakenroot?No.It’sjustworkedforthetimebeing.Ifitdoesn’t[continueto]work,again,wesaylet’strysomethingelse.This[Singapore’scurrentway]isnotentrenched.Thisisnota4,000-yearsociety.”

Though educated in England, he said he was not much the student of one of the great Europeanpolitical intellectualsof the20th century—the lateSir IsaiahBerlin,whose short bookTheHedgehogandtheFox(1953)helpedframeourconversationsforthisbook.WehadalighttussleovermyproposalthathewasaHedgehog(abigideasman),buthetooktheviewthat,ifanythingbetweenthetwo,hewasaFox(amanofhundredsofpracticalideas,notjustafewoverridingones).

AttheendofthelastsessionIhandedhimacopyofthebook.Heseemedsurprisedandsaid,“Thisisforme?”Ilaughedandsaidthatyes,itwasagift.IalsosaidthatasfarasIknew,Berlin(whotaughtatOxford)wasinhisthinkingaboutthe‘Fox’philosophyascloseasanyonetoLeeKuanYew(whostudiedatCambridge).ThisisevidentinalongerbookbyBerlinthatIlatermailedtoLee.PersonalImpressionsis a string of short pearls of personality profiles strung together into a 1981 volume starring famousthinkerswhomBerlinadmired.

Berlin,whodiedin1997,wasnotwritingofLeeintheserichlywovenpassages,ofcourse;butasyouwillsee,hemightwellhavebeen.

Take,forexample,thisabouttheaustereJ.L.Austin,theOxfordphilosopher.Berlinwrote:“Hewasnotdoctrinaire.Hedidnotholdwithprogrammes....Hetreatedproblemspiecemealastheycame,notaspartofasystematicreinterpretation.”

Or about the famed British historian Richard Pares: “His distaste for philosophy ... developed indistrust of all general ideas. He disliked speculation and preoccupationwith questions capable of noclearanswers....Attemptstoraisefundamentalissues,whetherpersonalorhistorical,werestoppedbyafewdrywords,withgrowingimpatienceandevenirritation.Hehadalwaysdetestedromanticrhetoric,ostentation,journalism.”

Now,whomdoesthatsoundlike?OrabouthisOxfordcolleagueandpoliticaltheoristJohnPetrovPlamenatz,encouragedbyhistutor

W.G.Maclaganintherealistictraditionofmoralphilosophy:“Heoccupiednorecognizablepositionandfoundednoschool....Hedidnotmodifyorshapehisthoughttomakeitfitintoasystem,hedidnotlookfor a unifying historical ormetaphysical structure ... so that thosewho looked for a system, an entireedificeofthoughttoattachthemselvesto,wentawaydissatisfied....”

Leealwaysemphasizedhisad-hocpragmatism.Ifoughthimonthispoint,atbesttoadraw.ButImayhave been wrong. In Berlin’s terminology, Lee is indeed a Fox, not a Hedgehog. I may haveunderestimatedtheoverall impactofthetremendousatmosphericpressureofempiricismatCambridge,wherehereadlawandgraduatedwithdoubleFirstClassHonours.Thissuccessfulexperienceatsuchahallowedinstitutionwouldhaveleftadeepimpressiononanyone.ItmighthavemademealmostreligiousaboutwhatIhadlearned,mademeevenunyieldinglyHedgehogianaboutmyBritishpragmatism.

Foxornot,LeewasasteeliconforwhatweAmericanswouldlabelthelawandorderthing.Hewasstricter than the sternest father. His insistence on the virtues of discipline, hardwork and respect forauthorityputthefilialpietyofanationtothetest.

Ajokeathisexpense.AndsotwodogsareswimminginthewatersbetweenSingaporeandBorneo—but in opposite directions.Theypause halfway to exchange greetings.The dogheaded towardBorneoaskedtheotherdogwhyhe’sswimmingtoSingapore.Theanswer:“Ah,theshopping,thehousing,theairconditioning, the health care, the schools. So why are you going to Borneo?” Says the dog from

Singapore:“Oh,Ijustwanttobark.”Thehurry-upoffenseoftheLeeKuanYewambitiontoFirst-WorldSingaporewascompetingagainst

thetickingclockofcompetitionandglobalization.Therushtobuildandgrowwasunderstandableandtheperformanceexceptional.Butitwaspredicatedonapoliticalsystemthatinquietingthenewsmediaputenormouspressureon thegovernmentand thePeople’sActionParty tomonitorcorruptionand inferiorperformance.Thiswasthesystem’sAchillesheel.Inevitablysomebadstuffhadtohavebeenkeptfrompublicview.Butintimeitwillcomeout—andforallanyoneknows,theremaybeagooddealofit.

The systemof controlLee clamped on the small island city-statewas somewhat suffocating.Arts andliterature were slow to develop even as the scientific, mathematical and engineering skills soared toexceedtheachievementlevelofalmostallnations.Singapore’spercapitaincomelevel,greaterthaneventheU.S.andprobablyJapan,wereatestamenttotheeconomicsuccess,brilliantlyachievedintheflashofafewdecades.But therewasadownside,acost,as there iswithalmosteverything.HisdaughterWeiLing hints at it in this book in her critique of mere materialism as a measure of exemplary nationalachievement.Butaskedaboutit,herfather(wholikeallofusfathersalwaysknowsbest)isdefensiveanddismissive.

Considerthosestriking(butinmymindsilly)opinionpollsfindingSingaporeanstobetheleasthappypeopleon theplanet (and those inPanama thehappiest—canyoubelieve??);or that theyare the leastemotional of any people (and those in the Philippines the most emotional—well, that one can bebelieved!).Wedon’thavetobuyintoallthatpollbaloneytoknowthatmaterialsuccesscannotofferallthatwewanttobe.WeinAmericaareparticularlywellawarethathappinessandatrulyroundedculturecannotsimplybegaugedindollarsigns.

Leewasallbutblind to thatbecausehewashell-bent toseehiscountryescapefromThirdWorldpoverty.Andthathedid.Buttherewastunnelvisiontotherouteofthecanalheburrowed.Hefeltthatifhe took his eye off the economic ball, the juggernaut that was Singapore would slow down, losemomentumand slide into reverse.Everydayhewokeup, hewould look for newcoal to fire into theengine.

Andintheendhegothisway.InSingaporepoliticsitusuallywentLee’sway—andthatofhisPAPparty, which he dominated. I emphasize this because the late Earl Latham, who was chairman of thepoliticalsciencedepartmentatAmherstCollegewhenIwasanundergraduate,alwaysproposeddefiningpoliticsthusly:“Politicsisgettingyourownway.Nothingmore.”Itisgettingyourownwayasmuchasyoucan.

AndthatrathernicelycharacterizedSingaporepoliticsfordecades—LeeKuanYewgettinghisownway.Right,enemiesmightfacejailtimeifnecessary,criticsfacedcostlylitigationinthecourts,andthemeresightorvoiceofLeecouldscare.

Buttherewasapayofftothepublic:SingaporegottothelandthatLeehadpromised—tobeafirstclassFirstWorldnation.Itwasalmostatextbooksuccess,excepthewastheonewritingthebook,andwritingitashewentalong,ashe’dbethefirsttoadmit.

The achievement was not always pretty. Leaving aside the relentless drumbeat of criticism fromforeignhumanrightsgroups,mostlythoseintheU.S.(asiftheU.S.hasn’titsownissuesinthatregard),itis trueSingapore had less “freedom” than classically defined.Yes, it hasmoremoney,more stability,moresocialcohesion,moreinternationalclout—butnotmorefreedomto...well...bark.

Leewaswellawareofwhathewasdoing.Effectiveleadersusuallydo.Theywilldowhattheyhavetodo.Inclassicalpoliticalphilosophy,the“DoctrineofDirtyHands”postulatesthatallleaderswillhaveto

dothingsthatotherwisewouldbemorally(andprobablylegally)unacceptableinlessauthorizedhands.Letusnotemild-mannered,professorialPresidentObama—theformerlecturerfromHarvardLawSchool—keepsahitlistofpossibleterroristtargetsathisWhiteHousedesk.Andsoonaroundtheglobe.

Powerisnotpretty.Whetheritcomesfromthebarrelofagun,fromthegavelofajudge,orfromthemouthofauthority,itisinherentlyforcefulandcoercive.Peopletendnottounderstandpower.Evenwhenusedforagoodcause,itisnotanicething.

Leeearlier in thebookdenieshewasa softauthoritarian,as that termofpoliticalartgoes,on thegroundsthathisPAPpartyhadputitselfbeforevotersandhadbeenrepeatedlyvalidated.Butwithoutthedecadesofdazzlingeconomicsuccess,whatwouldhavehappened?Thesuspicion is thatbyand largevoters would have been too intimidated to vote otherwise. But we never had to see the worst. Leedelivered.Heusedpower—absoluteandpersuasive—effectively.Hegotthejobdonethathesetouttodo.

ByfaxonceIonceaskedhimtooffersomeself-criticism.HereferredmetoCatherineLim.Thisfinewriter,perhapshismostpersistentlyperceptivecritic,attheendofalonglectureinthesummerof2012thatcontainedquitea listingofhisallegederrorsand foibles,nonethelesswas forced toconclude thisway:

“WeareindeedinthemidstofoneofthemostexcitingtimesinSingapore’shistory,atimefraughtwith paradoxes, perils and promises, brought about a general election [2011] that has beendescribedasawatershed,aseachange,atransformation,notleastbecauseitendedtheeraofLeeKuanYew.MrLee’slegacyissomixedthatatoneendofthespectrumofresponse,therewillbeadulation, and at the other, undisguisedopprobriumanddistaste.Butwhatever the emotions heelicits,whateverthecontroversiesthatswirlaroundhim,itwillbegenerallyagreedthatforamanofhisstatureandimpact,neitherthepresentnorthefutureholdsanequal.”

Nodefinitive,measuredassessmentoftheLeeKuanYeweraispossiblerightnow.Historyneedstosort through the basicmetrics and give them some ranking.Consider the daunting question of the truevalueofelectoraldemocracy—onecitizen,onevote.Isthissystemamoralimperative?Aswehaveseen,Lee thinks not.Many people admire theU.S. but they also give enormous credit toChina, despite itsauthoritarian system. Is any kindof political system that delivers very goodgovernance and economicdevelopment, as did Lee’s, a manifest social good? And is a democracy that fails to do that stilljustifiable,simplybecauseitisademocracy?

ThemysteryofLeeKuanYewandwhathis successfulSingapore represents isnot for the simple-mindedorthoseimpatientforquickanswers.It isprofound.Butat theendofhisstory,hestoodasthelongestservingprimeministerinworldhistory.Howevermuchweadmiredhisgovernancepolicies,wecannot ignorehis politics.At the same time, however harsh theywere, theyworked.Heusually knewwhathewasdoing.

Healsounderstoodthatmodernismdrivenbyrelentless technologicaladvancesforcesgovernmentsinto making major decisions more quickly than is wise. This meant leaders have less freedom ofmovement in having to bend to the storm of technology. He was surely old-fashioned. At first heinstinctivelyopposedthelicensingandbuildingofcasinos,andwouldlaughwhenhelookedbackathishopelesslyineffectiveantipathytothedominanceoftheautomobileasthemainmodeoftransportationincrampedSingapore.Ifhecouldhavehadhisway,hewouldhavetrickedupthecity-state’smasstransitsystems to make movement much easier and made automobile possession even more difficult andexpensivethanitinfactbecame.

Another regret came up in 1996 duringmy first interviewwith him at the Istana. It concerned theeconomic and professional advancement of women, which Singapore, in its rush for economicdevelopment,wentallouttopush.Thecountryquicklyalmostdoubledthesizeofitsadultworkforce.Buttherewereotherconsequences,hesaid:

“The danger for a traditional society is either they educate theirwomen theway theWest hasdone,whichmeans they become equallywell educated, or they do it like the Japanese,wherewomenarenotaswelleducatedand jobsforwomenare temporary. ItwasadeliberatechoicemadebytheeldersofJapan.TheystudiedAmericabutdecidedtokeepwomenintheirtraditionalroles—aswives,mothersandcustodiansofthenextgeneration.And[evenwiththat],Japanhasbeenabletocatchupwiththerestoftheworld....”

Atthetimeofthisinterview,Japan’seconomywastheworld’ssecondlargest.Hecontinued:

“Wewent theway of theWest;we knocked down all the barriers and allowed ourwomen tocompete.Nowweareinveryseriousdifficulties,becauseourmenwon’tmarrytheireducationalequals.It’sagainsttraditionalculture.We’renotAmericans,that’stheproblem....Wehaveupsetage-oldtraditionstoofast,especiallytheattitudesofmothers.”

OneofLee’squalities thatanewspapercolumnorevenabookcannoteasilycaptureishisrefinedmanner of enunciation. But it is so content-driven that it does not come across as affected. Over thedecadesmyearencounteredlittlelikeit,notevenfromTonyBlairorJohnMajor,bothofwhomIhaveinterviewed.

Leeconcluded:

“The basic relationships have been disrupted. Ifwe had takenmore time,wewould have hadfewer problems.... The Japanese are very determined to avoid changing the fundamentalrelationshipwithinthefamily.Butweopenedthefloodgatesandfindourselvesdeluged.”

Thewholepointofthe‘GiantsofAsia’series,ofwhichthiswastheinauguralvolume,wastogetbehindofficialveneer.Afterthebookwasreleasedin2010,IreceivedanotefromanintimateofhiswhosaidhelearnedthingsfromiteventhoughhehadworkedwithLeefordecades.ThiswasnicetoknowbutIamawarethereismuchmoretohisstoryandthatoftheother‘GiantsofAsia’figureswhofollowed.

Youdothebestyoucanwithwhatyouareabletoworkwith.It’struethatLeeofferedmelesstimethandid the threesubjectswhofollowed—Malaysia’sMahathir,Thailand’sThaksinandSouthKorea’sBanKi-moon,theUNSecretaryGeneral.ButwithLee,yourequirelesstimebecausehepackssomuchwallopintoeachsentenceandparagraph.Thereislittlefoolingaround.Thesecondinthe‘Giants’chorusline, Mahathir—so eager to outdo Lee in all things—doubled down on the time commitment for ourconversations. Number threewas the irrepressible Thaksin, Thailand’s primeminister from 2001–06,unceremoniouslyejectedfromelectiveofficebyanillegalmilitary/politicalcoup.Thefeistyandquietlyfurious billionaire politician was eager to get his side of the story painted on a broad internationalcanvas;henotonlysignedupformorehoursthanthegoodMalaysiandoctorbutalsothrewinalonglast-minuteSkypeas,later,didhissisterYingluck,justpriortohertriumphantelectionasThailand’sfirstladyprimeminister.

Butperhapsmostsurprisinglyofall,therewasBanKi-moon,whoevenwhileperchedonthedeeplytrickyifworthycliffofsecretarygeneraloftheUnitedNations,graciouslyproposedmoresessionsthan

anyone—onhisowndowntime.Thiscommitmentwasadmirable.ThetrioofLee,MahathirandThaksinwerelookingbackontheirtimeinthesun.ButBanwasstillinthehotseat.WemetonSaturdaymorningsorafterworkfortwo-hoursessions.Occasionally,withhisdeeplyintuitivewifeSoon-Taekathisside,he talked tome in restaurantsandasupperclubor two towhich Ihadmoreor lessdragged them.Bynature cautious and shy, this Korean over-achiever nonetheless sought to reveal as much as he couldwithouttippingoverintoverbalbehaviororrevelationunbecomingoftheworld’stopdiplomat.HewascommittedtoqualityandIadmiredthatbuthewasnoeasyinterview.

NeitherwereMahathirorThaksin,butoutofofficetheyhadafewscorestheywantedtosettleandaclutchedhandfulofsecretstoreveal.Dr.MahathirwouldletoutaludicrousbombastthatIhadtotryhardtotakeseriously(withoutmuchsuccess).Thaksinwouldsometimesplaytheroleoftheinnocentwhich,ofcourse,wasimpossibletotakeseriously.Butboth,likeBan,werecommittedtotryingtohelpmakethebookaseriousandusefulonefortoday’sreadersand,perhapsaswell,forfuturegenerations.

ButasforLee,letusputitthisway:inhismannerofhisarticulationhewasmoresuccinctthanthesethreeputtogether.Idoubtifanyoftheabovewouldbegrudgemysayingthis,muchlessdisagreewithit.InfactIamnotsureanyofthethreewouldhaveconsentedtothesebookshadLeenotagreedtohavegonefirst.Allpoliticsandpersonalitiesaside,theygreatlyrespectedhisachievementsand,tosomeextent,hisuniquestyle.Theyfiguredthatif‘Giants’wasgoodenoughforLee—hardlynotoriousforbeinganyone’sfool—itwasprobablygoodenoughforthem.

Lee’sapproachonpolicyandpoliticalissues,especiallyinsemi-retirement,wastogettothepointwithouttakingprisonersalongtheway.Butonthepersonalside,thebigrevealingbookonLeethepersonwill be tough to do.As articulate as hewas about his beloved Singapore, he kept an interior side tohimself thatperhapsonlyhis latewife—or survivingdaughter—ever fully saw.The toughguy tried tohideanyhumanvulnerabilityandformypart,Itriedonthesepagestocutthroughsomeoftheaura.I’dventureasillyjokeorajoltingjoshhereandthere,knowinginadvancethateverymoveinthereporter’sunofficial bookof tricks hadbeen tried onhim.But I tried anyway. I’d become absurdly confessional(whoreallycaredaboutmystory,right?),chatteringonaboutmyselfregardingthisandthat,tryingtogethimtolaughatmesoastogethimtoreflectandtalkmoreabouthimself.Butmuchthatliesbeneaththeglacialsmoothsurfaceofthiseloquentworldfigureisyettobeexcavated.Thisbookwasbutastart.

IntheshortstoryMasterson,SomersetMaughamwritesofacertainmanhemetwhileonasteamertoMalaysia:“Hewasatall,darkfellowwith...aloofnessofmanner....Menlikethisarealittlerestlessinthecompanyofothersandthoughinthesmoking-roomofashiporattheclubtheymaybetalkativeandconvivial,tellingtheirstorywiththerest,jokingandgladsometimestonarratetheirunusualexperiences,theyseemalwaystoholdsomethingback.Theyhavealifeinthemselvesthattheykeepapart,andthereisalookintheireyes,asitwereturnedinwards,thatinformsyouthatthishiddenlifeistheonlyonethatsignifiestothem....Theythenseemtolongforthemonotonoussolitudeofsomeplaceoftheirpredilectionwheretheycanbeoncemorealonewiththerealitytheyhavefound.”

IliketoimaginethatMaugham—athisliteraryheightinthe1930s—hadmetLeeinsomepriortimeandplace,becausethatdescriptionofMastersonisthemanIhavemetandknown,howeverepisodically,over the years. And now, in fact, he is more alone than ever with the reality he helped create: theSingaporeofhisdreams.

Mi lestones

WorksConsulted

Barr,MichaelD.LeeKuanYew:TheBeliefsBehindtheMan.GeorgetownUniversityPress:Washington,D.C.,2000.

Berlin,Isaiah.PersonalImpressions.TheVikingPress:NewYork,1981(originallypublishedin1949).

_______.TheHedgehogandtheFox.Simon&Schuster:NewYork,1953.

Bhaskaran,Manu.Re-InventingtheAsianModel:TheCaseofSingapore.EasternUniversitiesPress:Singapore,2003.

Church,Peter,ed.AShortHistoryofSouth-EastAsia.JohnWiley&Sons:Singapore,2009.

Datta-Ray,SunandaK.LookingEasttoLookWest.ISEASPublishing:InstituteofSoutheastAsianStudies,Singapore,2009.

HanFookKwang,etal.LeeKuanYew,TheManandHisIdeas.TimesEditions:Singapore,1998.

Lai,AhEng,ed.BeyondRitualsandRiots,EthnicPluralismandSocialCohesioninSingapore.EasternUniversitiesPress:Singapore,2004.

Lee,KuanYew.TheSingaporeStory.Simon&Schuster:NewYork,1998.

_______.FromThirdWorldtoFirst,TheSingaporeStory:1965–2000.HarperCollins:NewYork,2000

Minchin,James.NoManIsanIsland:AStudyofSingapore’sLeeKuanYew.Allen&Unwin:Australia,1986

Schuman,Michael.TheMiracle:TheEpicStoryofAsia’sQuestforWealth.HarperCollins:NewYork,2009.

Tan,WeeKiat,etal.GardensoftheIstana.NationalParksBoard:Singapore,2003,2008.

Trocki,CarlA.Singapore:Wealth,PowerandtheCultureofControl.Routledge:NewYork,2006.

Yap,Sonny,etal.MenInWhite:TheUntoldStoryofSingapore’sRulingParty.SingaporePressHoldings/MarshallCavendishEditions:Singapore,2009.

Thankingthosewhohelpedmakethisbookpossible

MinisterMentorLeeKuanYew,Singapore’sfounderandsubjectofthisbook,neveronceaskedtoreviewthemanuscript,ofcourse,buthedidasktolookoveralldirectquotesforaccuracy,contentandstyle.Ihappilyagreed,andsincerelyappreciatedhisefforttoimproveaccuracyandarticulation,aswellashispatientandpreciseresponsestotheemailsoverthesepastmonths,nottomentiontheexclusivehourson27and28July,2009attheIstana,andhisinterviewswithmeovertheyears.

Chris Newson, the forward-looking general manager and publisher of Marshall Cavendish,neverstoppedthinkingabouthowtomakeabitofhistorywiththisbook;Ilikedthat!VioletPhoon,formermanagingeditorofMarshallCavendish,andthelateTheronRaines,ofRaines&Raines,mycareer-long literary agent, were invaluable, absolutely essential, thoroughly professional,relentlesslydemandingandmutuallyincomparable.MyLu,FletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacy’09,wasthebook’sseniorresearcherandcontributedsignificantlytoitinanumberofways,asshehastomanyofmyeffortsovertheyears.AndLeeMeiLin, senioreditorofMarshallCavendish,keptmyfeettotheflamesofproperusage,grammarandtaste;andIdoindeedthankher.

DavidArmstrong,thewell-knowncareerjournalistandchiefeditoratnewspapersfromSydneytoHongKong, readanearlydraft andmadevaluable suggestions.ProfessorBinWong, UCLA’spre-eminentChinesehistorianandDirectoroftheUCLAAsiaInstitute,kindlyreadandcommentedon the original manuscript. His views were deeply thoughtful. Even so, neither he nor DavidArmstrongare responsible for its contents inanyway,except to theextent thatpartsof itmaybeexcellent.

Reading and improving earlier drafts were Nicole Riggs, a former UCLA student, formercolumn-checkerandgraduateoftheWoodrowWilsonSchoolofPublicandInternationalAffairsatPrincetonUniversity,myownalmamater;andAnyaZabolotnaya,aformerUCLAcourseassistant,workingactress(AnyaBenton)andcolumn-editoratthePacificPerspectivesMediaCenter.Finally,appreciation for wise input go to D. Katharine Lee of the Georgetown University School ofMedicineinWashington,DC.

AbouttheAuthor

TOMPLATE,authoroftheongoing‘GiantsofAsia’series,isanAmericanjournalistwithaninternationalcareeratmediainstitutionsfromLondontoLosAngeles.BorninNewYork,hecompletedhisstudiesatAmherstCollegeandPrincetonUniversity’sWoodrowWilsonSchoolofPublicandInternationalAffairs,whereheearnedhismaster’sdegreeinpublicandinternationalaffairs.HissyndicatedcolumnsfocusingonAsiaandAmerica,begunin1996,haveruninmajornewspapersinAsiaandAmerica.

HehasreceivedawardsfromtheAmericanSocietyofNewspaperEditors,theCaliforniaNewspaperPublishersAssociationandtheGreaterLosAngelesPressClub.WhenhewasEditorofEditorialPagesoftheLosAngelesTimes,thenewspapergarneredthePulitzerPrizeforitscoverageoftheLosAngelesriots.

From1994to2008,hetaughtinthecommunicationandpolicystudiesprogramsattheUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles.HehasbeenaMediaFellowatStanfordUniversityandafellowinTokyoattheJapaneseForeignPressCenter’s annualAsia-PacificMediaConference.He is currentlyDistinguishedScholarofAsianandPacificStudiesatLoyolaMarymountUniversity,LosAngeles,aswellasaVisitingProfessoratUnitedArabEmiratesUniversityinAlAin,UAE.

He was the founder of the non-profit Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN), whose webpageresurfacedasAsiaMediaatLoyolaMarymountUniversityinLosAngeles(lmu.edu/asiamedia).Healsofounded the Pacific PerspectivesMediaCenter in BeverlyHills, California, a non-profit organizationnowunderAsiaMedia.

OntheWestCoast,heisaboardmemberofthePacificCenturyInstituteandaSeniorFellowattheUSCCenterfortheDigitalFuture;ontheEastCoastheisalong-standingmemberofthePrincetonClubofNewYorkandthePhiBetaKappaSociety.ForyearshewasaparticipantattheretreatsoftheWorldEconomicForuminDavos,Switzerland.

Professor Plate is the author of ten books, including the bestsellersConfessions of an AmericanMediaMan(2007),ConversationswithLeeKuanYew(2010),ConversationswithMahathirMohamad(2011),ConversationswithThaksin(2011)andConversationswithBanKi-moon(2012),allpublishedbyMarshallCavendishEditions.Underapseudonym,heistheauthorofthenovelTheOnlyWaytoGo.HeresidesinBeverlyHillswithhiswifeAndrea,alicensedclinicalsocialworker,andtheirtwocats.