The National (U.A.E.) has a pre-obituary for the extraordinary Lee Kuan Yew. Mr. Lee is the man who designed Singapore and shepherded its development from 1959 until a few years ago. He is reported to be on life support after a highly consequential 90+ years of life.
If you've visited Singapore, as I have several times including recently, you know it is one of the most impressive cities on the planet. Singapore has fantastic architecture, a healthy environment, low unemployment, a high standard of living, and one of the busiest harbors on any ocean. All of this at sea level on the equator in the tropics.
The article doesn't mention the reason Mr. Lee's mostly Chinese Singapore could gain independence from Malaysia without violence. By thus reducing the number of ethnic Chinese resident in Malaysia, its Malay majority ensured they would continue to dominate that country.
When China's Communists looked for an organizational model to adopt to further their development, it appears they chose Singapore as run by Mr. Lee. They could have chosen much more poorly, as Russia did. Hat tip to RealClearWorld for the link.
