COTTonLINE pauses to memorialize the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Singapore. See a Reuters story at Yahoo News for details. Mr. Lee was 91, and had been out of the limelight in recent years.
I think most Singaporeans would privately describe him in terms Americans are taught cannot be real, as a truly benevolent autocrat. His Singapore is an amazing success story, a city state without peer. Most of the credit goes to Mr. Lee.
Singapore has ignored squishy sentiment in favor of what works for the people who matter, the hard-working, fun-loving majority who behave themselves. His Singapore wasn't a place for screw-ups and losers, his patience didn't extend to them. Deal drugs, get dead. Do graffiti, get caned. Mess up your government apartment, get evicted. Seek victim status, emigrate.
Not that they would admit it, but I believe the leaders of China have seen Singapore as the model they hope to emulate, if possible.
