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August 13th, 2008 

It just had to happen eventually.  Our MM Lee has now given the standard Jack Nicholson reply to all those westerners who keep criticizing our human rights record.  The part that immediately brought the scene from the movie "A Few Good Men" was this particular paragraph

Groups which advocate the need for a Western-style liberal democracy were prescribing universal rules for the world, Lee said.

"We are not stupid people," Lee said. "Who are they? Have they ever run a country, created jobs for community and given them a life? We have and we know what it requires."

So if I "superimpose" the most famous scene in that movie into this context LKY would be saying the following:

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

          Son, we live in a country that has people and those people need to be ruled by men who can give them jobs.  Who's gonna do it? You? You, Dr Chee Soon Juan? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom.

          You weep for liberal democracy and you curse pragmatism; you have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that authoritarian democracy while tragic, probably saved jobs and that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves jobs.

You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties.   You want me to lead Singapore, you need me to lead Singapore.

We use words like Life Sciences, President Scholars, Moral Obligation. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent creating jobs for Singaporeans. You use them as a punchline.

          I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the jobs I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a pink IC and serve NS.  Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
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