NY Times Interviewed: Lee Kuan Yew
The New York Times has an interesting article today on Lee Kuan Yew. You can find it here.
When asked what is Singapore's secret, Mr. Lee replied:
"Singapore is ideology free. It possesses an unsentimental pragmatism that infuses the workings of the country as if it were in itself an ideology. When considering an approach to an issue, the question is, does it work? Let's try it, and if it does work, fine, let's continue it. If it doesn't work, toss it out, try another one."
Interesting, don't you think? Is it worth copying? As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"
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3 comments:
"Does it work" is not enough. It is also important to ask "should we be doing this?" A totally pragmatic approach could be used to justify, say, summary executions of journalists and suspected NPA sympathizers.
Randy David's column last Sunday on Bayani Fernando kinda tackles this.
Well i guess it should go without saying we should always ask "should we be doing... a thing at all". i mean, just because someone may order a guy to jump off a bridge, doesn't mean, he should right?
Anyway, your point is well taken and totally right! and thanks for the heads up on that randy david column... i shall try to read it as soon as possible.
Should we be doing this is part of a pragmatic analysis.
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