1st Key to Nations’ Success - Pride

1st Key to Nations’ Success - Pride
2010 03 10
solvere.blogspot.com
Solvere Lim Swee Keng

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Pride

My Colleagues and I are determined that no one – neither the Japanese nor the British – had the right to push and kick us around.

We were determined that we would govern ourselves and bring up our children in a country where we can be a self-respecting people

Lee Kuan Yew
First Prime Minister of Singapore
The Singapore Story
A poster displayed at the Changi Chapel and Museum

Solvere visited on Jan 22, 2010
Short, cold, empty conversation with the person in charged
A young Australian, who is not a veteran, nor has the wits of Brits, nor rigor of Japs
A middle-aged Singaporean lady served with smile, warmth and commit to visitors

Pride, is the second most important elements that the living things’ desire, after survival.
Pride is needed to race, to hunt, to court, to mate.
Unforgiving laws of nature determined that those lesser have reduced access to pair, to mate, to father.

We need pride to stand while ceaselessly learning from others, working and competing with others.
We need pride to hold ourselves together to overcome failures that certainly come occasionally.

We take the most recent examples well comprehended by scholars, leaders – Asia Four Dragons.

Koreans were brutally treated by the Japanese before and during the world war.
Forged into them are the will and determination, the discipline and fire to compete head on with Japanese in every field they compete. Koreans become world leaders in electronics, handphones. Contrary, Sony, the Champion of Japan sought westerner as leader, and joining hand with once world leader Sweden’s Ericsson. Headway they made little, struggling they are in markets.

Taiwanese were better treated by the Japanese during the same period.
Not all Taiwanese are sure they are Chinese. Some named Japanese as their best friend. Even Taiwan had immense reserve, Nobel Laureate, effective bureaucracy. Important brand names Taiwanese hold one or two, but certainly not even one is clearly leading the world.

Residents of Hong Kong were so well managed by the British, through out century long of colonialism. When come to appointing Governor, no one challenged Her Majesty.
Can they stand proudly on their feet to offer the best of themselves, products, services to the world?

Today, how often do we pick up something with Hong Kong brand name, or merely just “Made in Hong Kong”?
Can HSBC stand tall without special rights, immense market from China?

These are facts on the surface.
We need to explore deeper into human behavior.

Bicycle was an important asset in old day’s Singapore.
During a street riot, Lee Kuan Yew observed a person carried his bicycle quickly up the stairs.
Everyone cherishes his precious asset, so Lee Kuan Yew noted.
Decades of concerted effort commenced to provide everyone an affordable flat to own, to live in.
Singaporeans became good, responsible workers.

Success of a nation relies first on the leader.
Successful leader, such as Lee Kuan Yew, motivated his people, inspired many leaders.
He brought Singapore ahead in competition and her economy therefore prospers.

For common person, some capital assets like vehicle, house, are important.
For nations, Gross Domestic Product, nations’ reserves are important.
But are not affordable housing and health care, education and skill training critical to secure cost competitiveness in a globalized market?
Winning competition make good economy, good economy is the end result not the cause, nor an adequate, comprehensive indicator.

No one can win by compromising oneself - even the rewards may seem promising.
Singapore entered a union to form Malaysia. No sooner was Singapore expelled.
This is remembered.

but how many cognize this is repeatable?
Recognize it is repeating?

Can any major investor dilute her character, employing agents to win edge in investing in others?
Berkshire Hathaway won better term for investment in General Electric.
Warren Buffett proudly proclaimed he could be greedier.
He did a global effort to find successor, he found none.
His son Howard Buffett is named the successor. The name of Warren's father is Howard Buffett.
Any major investor who has immense values to offer can pay lesser for what is priced much higher.

China won entry to learn the operations of Rothschild. China decided to withdraw.
Having strength is not enough.
Together with self-confidence, Chinese come and go at own timing.

Any big investor who has nothing significant to contribute, leaves the running of the company to the management, are nothing different from small-timer, casual punters, speculators.
They failed as significant investors, they merely buying, not adding values, not providing multiplier effect, not enabling breakthroughs, not opening new frontiers.
Worse, they do not gain new wisdom, added strength for themselves in the process.
They are ignorant of the agency theories.
This is like an animal parting a piece of its flesh to a carnivores and hope soon a bigger piece of lamb will come back as a reward.

Money cannot buy pride.
When commercials, donations, betting became more rewarding than the sports itself, Chinese soccer team decimated.
Even those with spiritual purpose, Monk gain over the rim donations, he kept a horse as a pet – before long he lost his path as a monk.
When doctors, nurses, care givers addressing patients, handicapped, as “clients” – we need no President Obama to tell system is falling apart!

When money becomes the primary objective, sole measure, every piece of work is for sale, everything will be done for more money, nothing will be done for the real purpose – nothing real will be accomplished, everyone falls.

Thinking immense monetary rewards can motivate people for real good, is an ideology, a failed ideology as proven in history, from ancient time till tomorrow.

Any nation that does not have pride will not succeed.
Any people who cannot govern themselves definitely will be decimated!
Even though American Indians were nomads, holding fast not to any land. But history witnessed them warmly welcomed others to their land without caution. They ended up as drunkards cornered into barren tiny little slump, away from the vast, rich land – land once their horses freely galloped, candors soared beyond clouds in sky!

The first Prime Minister made the right observation and pleaded the right pledge - stellar success he accomplished during his rein –generations of Singaporeans appreciated his effort.

Sharing these achievements, LKY School of Public Policies was set up. Not only proudly stating the name LKY, also expanded beyond merely Government (e.g. Kennedy School of Government) into all policies for public good. This is pride manifested, wisdom shown.

Ever this pledge be forgotten, the tide shall turn immediately.
Can a nation progress, children not disperse?

This is not ideology!
Repeated lessons recorded in history tell us what matters most in this real world.
Those who forgotten this ended up at the receiving end of brutal outcome.
Can we find any exception?

We were determined that we would govern ourselves and bring up our children in a country where we can be a self-respecting people

Lee Kuan Yew
First Prime Minister of Singapore

This wisdom resonate easily in any town hall meetings, any elections, any nations.

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