One Man's View of the World Quotes

“There are really only two civilisations in Asia worth talking about – China and Persia.”
― Kuan Yew Lee, One Man's View of the World

“When I visited Norway in the 1970s, it was almost completely a white society. It is a beautiful country of breathtaking mountains and glaciers, very cold and placid. I could feel the solidarity of the country. In a country like that, it is not just that those who work are willing to pay more taxes. Those who are not working are also less likely to abuse the system – again, because there is a sense of belonging to the community. In other words, even those who are on the dole are less laid-back. All this has been changing slowly but surely in the last few years because the Scandinavian countries have adopted a liberal policy on taking in refugees and persecuted people.”
― Lee Kuan Yew, One Man's View of the World

“But whether they like it or not, the comfortable and cosseted post-war world they have created for themselves will eventually be done in by external forces. A new social contract will have to be negotiated.”
― Lee Kuan Yew, One Man's View of the World

“In other words, they are demanding that the world stands still for them. What they do not realise is that these measures will eventually hurt the working class itself. Companies penalised for retrenching react rationally by moving much more cautiously on hiring even when the economy starts growing again. The jobs simply go elsewhere. The statistics bear this out. Among European OECD countries, eight of the top ten with the most liberal labour laws in 2008 were also among the top ten in terms of low unemployment, averaged over the previous decade. The opposite is also true: seven of the top ten in strictness of labour laws were also in the top ten in terms of high unemployment. But how do you change these policies now? You have unions marching through the streets of Paris, who will not buy the argument that global competitive forces have rendered the French workforce uneconomic, and that they have to give up their frills. They would say: “No, we keep these frills and try and compete.” From very early on, I made sure that Singapore would not go down the same path on welfare and labour laws. Having watched the British as they were implementing some of their policies in the 1950s, I decided that that was the way to ruin. We have not allowed unions to compromise our competitiveness, and have instead engaged them in a tripartite relationship – with the government and businesses – that is based on non-confrontational negotiation. We stopped all free prescriptions for medicines, making sure the charges came closer to reality over time. We have provided assets, not subsidies. The government helps you to buy a home and makes top-ups to your Central Provident Fund1 account. If you want to spend the funds, you are free to do so but you will have to face dire personal consequences when you retire penniless. If instead you keep the assets, allow them to appreciate in value and earn interest from them, you will reap the benefits in the long term. In other words, individuals take responsibility for their own lives, with some government help. I believe that if we adopt the European system, we will have much less dynamism in our economy. We will pay dearly for it. Bitter years await Europe. The Europeans have chosen to go down the path of welfare and labour protection due to the unique historical circumstances they were in. Nobody can deny that their choices have resulted in kinder societies, with less of an underclass and a smaller gap between winners and losers when compared to America. But it has come at a price.”
― Lee Kuan Yew, One Man's View of the World

“The most pernicious effect of the welfare state, however, lies not in its inflexibility or its unaffordable nature but in the negative effect it has on the individual’s motivation to strive. If the social security system is designed so you get the same benefits whether you work hard or lead a more laid-back lifestyle, why would you work hard? The spurs on your hinds are not there. The self-reliant attitude is more common in America because even as the unemployed are offered a helping hand, there are measures in place to make sure they are actively encouraged, even compelled, to find work. It is a different philosophy, one based on the principle that work makes the individual and society better off, and underpinned by the belief that overly generous benefits tend to become a debilitating constraint on drive and an inadvertent suppressor of incentives. The European model has created a class of people who have grown used to the subsidies and therefore lack a strong work ethic.”
― Lee Kuan Yew, One Man's View of the World

“Laws and policies, unfortunately, do not change as easily as global circumstances do. Entitlements, once given, are notoriously difficult to take back. There is a tremendous penalty in votes for any government that has the guts to try.”
― Lee Kuan Yew, One Man's View of the World

“Social Security and Medicare costs will become unbearable within 30 years if nothing is done to reform the current regime.”
― Lee Kuan Yew, One Man's View of the World

“Then I grew older”
― Lee Kuan Yew, One Man's View of the World