Was catching up on the news. Don't believe this Jamie fellow. He's either a) dumb b) nuts c) very very very brave (but prolly still dumb) d) pissed drunk.

Honestly, I can't tell if he's deliberately looking for fame or just being himself. He could have couched his "argument" more politely... He didn't exactly label MM Lee as a despot outright, but the implications are crystal clear. I mean, there's a fine line between airing your views and farting, even though both can be defined "an expulsion of hot air". Don't tell me he's being rhetorical. I hardly think he'd suddenly switch from concrete issues to rhetoric and abstract notions in a few blinks of an eye. If he was exhibiting his "thinking on the fly" skills, then I'd hate to ever see him in a brainless, catatonic state.

Too many history lessons. Entirely too free. No labs, too few projects, tutorials all talk, talk, talk, no action. Otherwise must have just read Plato's Republic and can't wait to show off. Don't rouse the "enlightened despot" to call "a friend", not to help dear Jamie set up a website, but to help him "ta bao" some of his HONOURS modules...

[This post is continued here.]

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Exchange:

Stability doesn't come easy

Student: My name is Jamie Han, history honours student.

I'm not questioning your decisions in the past, I'm sure at those
times, there was a need for consensus and stability. But I think we
have come to the stage where stability is already here and that, in
order to progress, the minority viewpoints have to be heard.

And I'm not saying that the People's Action Party is corrupt or
anything now.

The truth of the matter is this: No matter how enlightened a despot
is, ultimately, he'll turn into a tyrant if there are no checks and
balances in place.

MM Lee: There's nothing to prevent you from advocating that, pushing
that strenuously and finally getting a political party to adopt your
platform, and we will put it to the vote. That's the democratic way
of doing it.

I would beg to express my reservation that we have established unity
and therefore all is well. You do not, maybe you do not realise how
sensitive and how fragile some of this apparent unity could be...

(MM Lee talks about the 1964 race riots, the Jemaah Islamiah plot to
blow up seven bombs in Singapore around 2001 which was disrupted,
making the point that fault lines exist in Singapore society.)

Please do not assume that what you see as stability is something we
can take for granted. It has to be worked for, looked after,
nurtured and any incipient problem nipped in the bud...

Student: With all due respect, sir, I just wanted to say: One, that
you are using the fear of the past in order to prevent progress; and
second, you are picking examples of countries which suit your
argument but I can raise a dozen others to counter with you.

But this is not a philosophical discussion, so thank you for your
time.

-------------

Straits Times Article:

THE KENT RIDGE MINISTERIAL FORUM: How to rein in a 'despot'? Form a
party
If you have different views, go into politics and air your ideas, MM
Lee tells young

A STUDENT argued for less government control and remarked that even
the 'most enlightened despot' could turn into a tyrant if his powers
were left unchecked.

The comment led Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew to throw this gauntlet
down to the young: If they believe they have a better point of view
to 'stake' their lives, organise, form a political party and win
people over.

'There is nothing to prevent you from pushing your propaganda, to
push your programme out either to the students or with the public at
large... and if you can carry the ground, if you are right, you win.
That's democracy. We're not preventing anybody,' he said.

The exchange took place last night during a question-and-answer
session he had with university students at the Kent Ridge
Ministerial Forum held at the NUS University Cultural Centre.

NUS history student Jamie Han had asked for the Internal Security
Act and newspaper laws to be reviewed. This was when he made his
comment on despots.

Furthermore, he said, channels to offer different views 'were either
directly or indirectly controlled by the Government'.

Mr Lee first asked him if he had written to the newspapers, such as
The Straits Times Forum page.

Yes, he replied. But only one letter was published.

Why not start a publication then, asked MM Lee.

The laws made it 'very difficult', the student said.

No, he could register it, said Mr Lee.

Mr Han was not persuaded.

To laughter, Mr Lee replied: 'Well, you have the Internet - put up a
website. You know how to put up a website? If you don't, I know a
friend who can help you.'

He returned to the point about 'despots' only later, in reply to
another question.

This time, another student asked about the coming General Election.

Mr Lee said the election did not have to be held until 2007 and
between now and then, it was unlikely any group could form a team
that can declare it will do better than the current Government. All
it could offer was to be a 'different voice'.

He asked: 'Those of you who really feel strongly that you got a
better point of view, I say organise yourself - as I did. I took my
life in my hands and said I stand for this.'

He recalled how when he met the Plen, or Fang Chuan Pi, in Beijing
in 1992, the communist leader had told him that he had saved his
life when he could have ordered him killed for taking on the
communists in the 1950s.

Said Mr Lee: 'I said 'Thank you'. He could have shot me. But I told
him, 'You are not a fool and you knew that if you had assassinated
me, your organisation would have been crushed because I was not
unpopular.'

'Had I been unpopular, then you have got rid of despot... but I was
no despot. That generation knew that I fought for them.'

At this point, Mr Lee asked the student who prompted the response:
How old was his father?

'50-plus,' said the student.

MM Lee said: 'If he's 50 plus, then he will remember. You don't put
your life at risk in calling me a despot. Well, in order to have
your views heard, if you profoundly believe that you have that
passion, I say stake your life, take on with your duties, come out,
put your programme, sort it out.'

He said too that the current leadership had proven its mettle,
having seen the country through the Asian financial crisis in 1997
and the Sars outbreak in 2003.

Its team of 'resourceful and quick-witted, well-organised' leaders
had responded to these problems methodically and systematically.

'If you believe that a vociferous opposition with good ideas would
have responded in that way, you are wrong,' he said.

He added that the People's Action Party had remained in power by
delivering results and getting good people to be with the party.

'That's how we stay in office, not by monopolising... but by co-
opting, incorporating and moving forward. So my message to you is a
simple one. Remember how we got here. And before you make
fundamental changes, make sure that your alternative is viable.

'This is not an ordinary country. You have two election terms of a
dud, lousy, incompetent government and you will set Singapore back
so badly, it may take you decades to recover, and maybe never. If
you dismantle the organisation that brought us here, don't believe
it will come back.'