Quoted from a long ago article.
(So sorry if this has been repeated, but many of the issues coming
up again is only highlighting this argument - Are we really peasant
minded?)
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew once told Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping
that the ethnic Chinese in Singapore were descendants of illiterate
coolies and farmers from southern Fujian.
This had made them less able than the people of Hong Kong or
Taiwan, whose ancestors were mainly businessman or
technocrats.
Singaporeans could function well only as a group, not as
individuals, Li told a Chinese newspaper. They would never be
non-conformist or stand out above the crowd.
If you ask me, other than Lee Kuan Yew, his son Hsien Loong,
politicians aside, I can only think of a cute girl, (pop star)
Stephanie Sun, there arent many other outstanding people. The
impression that I get (of normal Singaporeans) is stupid.
Singapores system, Li said, stemmed from the ancient Chinese
political philosophy of legalism, which emphasised on the rule of
law.
Singaporeans do not break rules, but they also do not stand out,
he said in Mandarin.
He said Lee Kuan Yew had wanted to build a British-style democracy
but because the people were not up to scratch, they only knew how
to toe the line.
I feel quite sad that ppl think we're considered to be from an
inferior lineage of peasants. Do you think we are? Most of the
issues coming out abt Singaporeans being easily manipulated by the
PAP (GST rise, bus hike, cab hike, propaganda, political censorship
etc) somehow really shows our inherent underling nature....
