Lee, a native Singaporean with Chinese roots, became interested in politics during the Japanese occupation of the city, which was previously under British rule, in 1942-1944. “I did not get involved in politics on my own. It was the Japanese who brought politics into my life,” he later wrote.

Lee's political career began a decade later against the backdrop of Britain's gradual withdrawal from Singapore and the latter's unification with Malaysia. Lee became secretary-general of the People's Action Party in 1954, and five years later he won the election to become Prime Minister of Singapore. The latter by this time had received full autonomy within Great Britain. In 1962, Lee supported the creation of a federation with Malaysia, but this unification collapsed three years later. Singapore gained full independence in August 1965.

Lee had to create a state in difficult conditions. Singapore did not have natural resources; the country experienced difficulties even with the supply of drinking water, which was carried out from unfriendly Malaysia. In addition to the practical challenges of economic development, Lee also faced an ideological challenge.

Singapore did not have its own people. About three-quarters of the population were Chinese, another 15% were Malay, and there was also a growing Indian minority. Relations between these groups were not always smooth. The different residents of Singapore needed something to unite.

Lee solved both of these problems in a purely pragmatic way. In his memoirs “Singapore History. From the “third world” to the first,” the politician emphasized that “a sense of ownership is vital for our society, which is devoid of deep roots.” Lee encouraged family buyouts and slum clearance. According to the Prime Minister, the owners will be tied to their “father’s house”, for which they will be ready to give their lives. In addition, the owners will be much more picky about the choice of politicians, which should provide the country with even greater stability.

Since independence, Singapore has made significant efforts to translate education into English. English became a "neutral" language of communication, which was not possible for Chinese, Malay or Tamil. The spread of English has also increased Singapore's attractiveness to international investors. It was their arrival in the country that became the turning point in its history.

In 1968, Texas Instruments located its semiconductor manufacturing facility in Singapore, paving the way for other high-tech companies, including Hewlett-Packard and General Electric. Subsequently, Singapore became a hub for transnational corporations, which were attracted by the island’s favorable location at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, high quality labor force and political stability.

The rapid transformation of the country into one of the world's financial centers, according to legend, is due to the local banker Van Onen. It was he who drew attention to the fact that the time zone in which Singapore is located is ideal for the country to become a transit point on the route of global finance from San Francisco to Zurich.

In his later interviews, Lee always stated that there was no point in his country being the same as its neighbors, Singapore had to stand out from the rest, be better. In the 1970s, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea tried to attract foreign investment. Singapore's success was due to its stable political system, the rule of law and the almost complete absence of corruption. None of the Asian competitors could offer such a combination.

Lee achieved particular success in the fight against bribery. For this purpose, the Corruption Investigation Bureau (CPIB), created by the British in 1952, received broad powers. In his memoirs, the politician recalled that the fight against bribery came from the top down, from the highest ranks, which was the main reason for its success.

“Lee Kuan Yew was very consistent - he started with his immediate circle,” explains entrepreneur and philanthropist, founding partner of the SKOLKOVO business school Ruben Vardanyan. However, according to him, the experience of Singapore does not need to be idealized; corruption has not been completely defeated anywhere.

In the 1960s, corruption charges cost the careers and sometimes the lives of several ministers. In December 1986, National Development Minister Teh Chin Wan committed suicide. His family was forced to leave Singapore, unable to bear the shame. Intolerance to corruption has led to the fact that in all international ratings Singapore is recognized as the least problematic state in this regard. In 2014, Transparency International ranked it seventh in the world in its Corruption Perceptions Index.

Singapore in numbers

9th place Singapore ranks in the Index human development, which is calculated by the UN, as of 2014. According to this indicator, it is ahead of, for example, Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain and Hong Kong.

80.2 years, according to the World Health Organization, in 2012 the average life expectancy in Singapore for men and for women was 85.1 years.

1st place was awarded to Singapore in the 2015 Doing Business ranking by the World Bank. In second place was New Zealand, and in third is Hong Kong.

$81 billion Singapore attracted foreign direct investment in 2014, according to the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). According to this indicator, the country was behind China, Hong Kong and the USA, but ahead of Brazil, the UK and Canada.

7th place Singapore was ranked in the world in 2014 in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, ahead of most other developed countries in the world.

1% was inflation in Singapore at the end of 2014. Moreover, deflation was recorded in the country in January 2015, and in February inflation was 0.03% year on year.

$556 billion reaches the capitalization of companies traded on the Singapore Exchange, according to Bloomberg. As of January 2015, shares of 774 companies were traded on the exchange.

On 9,2% Singapore's GDP increased on average every year in absolute terms during Lee Kuan Yew's reign from 1965 to 1990, according to World Bank estimates. Between independence and 2012, annual GDP growth was 7.7%.

1,98% was unemployment in Singapore in 2014, according to Bloomberg. Over the past three years, the unemployment rate has not exceeded 2%

Lee's economic and anti-corruption successes were achieved under undemocratic conditions. On the one hand, Singapore has adopted a majoritarian political system Great Britain (Westminster system), the country held competitive elections, participation in which was mandatory for voters. On the other hand, the ruling People's Action Party manipulated the electoral process, and opposition candidates were persecuted in judicial procedure for slander. The court in these processes, as a rule, sided with the government. Lee was skeptical of both the elections and media freedom, which Singapore still lacks to this day.

The paradox created by Lee is the preservation of ultra-fast economic growth, the high level of prosperity of Singaporeans against the background of an unfree political regime has been the focus of attention of political scientists and the media in recent years. Singapore has become an exemplary example of authoritarian modernization, but how viable is such a model in the future? It was this question that Western journalists liked to ask Lee in various formulations.

For them, Singapore has become a misunderstood phenomenon of a successful state built on principles contrary to the Western political mainstream - without a strong opposition, free media and with a de facto irremovable government. Critics even argue that Lee handed down power by inheritance. Since 2004, the government has been headed by Lee's son, Lee Hsien Loong.

The politician’s answers to this question, on the one hand, testified to the strength of his convictions, on the other hand, they masked the vulnerability of the created structure that he realized. Lee himself once compared Singapore to a 40-story building that stands on swampy soil.

Lee always emphasized his practicality; only reality could be the judge of his plans. In this regard, his opponents could do little to oppose him. By all measures, Singapore, under Lee's leadership and his vision, became a first world country in a dysfunctional environment. “Are you better qualified than me to decide what will work for this country,” Lee responded to a question from a critical journalist. The politician knew that Singapore's government system was different from Western democracies, but what was more important to him was that it worked properly.

Another side of Lee, which was evident in his speeches throughout his life, was a fundamental uncertainty that Singapore was guaranteed not only prosperity, but also survival. Lee never took the country's successes for granted. He kept a close eye on global trends in politics and economics, eager to seize the moment when Singapore needed to be nudged in a different direction.

In addition to the sustainability created by Lee state model, controversial issue the applicability of its experience to other countries remains.

“The uniqueness of Lee Kuan Yew was that dictators in the second period of their rule begin to roll back, revise what they did in the first half of their term. This did not happen to Lee Kuan Yew. As sociologists say, Lee Kuan Yew is a “statistical outlier,” an exception,” Konstantin Sonin, a professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told RBC. He added that the uniqueness of Lee Kuan Yew's achievements is partly due to the uniqueness of Singapore itself. “It is not clear whether Lee Kuan Yew’s experience can be used somewhere else,” the scientist emphasizes.

Sciences Po professor Sergei Guriev is more optimistic. “Many countries have learned lessons [from the experience of fighting corruption in Singapore] - we must fight corruption consistently, without making exceptions for friends and supporters. Technically, this is not a Newton binomial - he created an independent anti-corruption agency,” Guriev noted. From this point of view, Singapore is quite comparable to Taiwan or Hong Kong. The Russian authorities repeatedly received the same recommendations, but each time they refused to follow them, Guriev states.

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One of the most talked about economic breakthroughs is the Singapore Miracle. What is it? What were the preconditions for its occurrence? What reasons contributed to the emergence of one of the most resilient and successful economies in a small and poor territory?

general information The recognized father of the Singapore miracle is Lee Kuan Yew. He ruled the island for thirty-one years. A ruthless pragmatist and a calculating strategist was able to transform a tiny territory in which there were no Natural resources , into a full-fledged prosperous economic system. He was able to rally the people of Singapore to achieve what is called economic miracle

, in which public and private capital are surprisingly intertwined, making the people living here some of the richest in the world.

How did they achieve this? At what cost? What did they have to do? What state of affairs has been created in the country?

Where it all started Creator of Singaporean Lee Kuan Yew was born into a family of Chinese immigrants. His education at school was interrupted by the Japanese occupation. After that, he traded on the black market. Lee studied for some time at the London School of Economics, after which he transferred to Cambridge. It was there that he began to consider himself a consistent socialist. Therefore, after returning to Singapore, he joined the trade union movement, where he quickly established himself as one of the best lawyers. In 1954, he founded the People's Action Party, and Lee himself took the post of general secretary. In 1959, when Singapore gained de facto independence, the PAP was able to take a majority of seats in Parliament. At the same time, its secretary general becomes the prime minister of the country.

First steps

It cannot be said that he was very lucky with the country. The situation was difficult. Therefore, the author of the Singapore Economic Miracle decided to unite into a federation with Malaysia. He hoped that this would help overcome the colonial past. But the union did not last long. A series of violent clashes between different ethnic groups and ideological contradictions led to Singapore being expelled from the federation and gaining full independence.

As Lee later recalled, it was not an easy decision, and he had to make a painful choice. But military and commercial ties were maintained between the countries. Britain also agreed to leave its military base here as a guarantee of the security of states.

Changes in the state

Now let's look directly at the Singapore economic miracle itself and its reasons. Following the Malaysian situation, Lee began to implement a large-scale program of change that would ultimately transform Singapore into a modern, industrialized state. Initially, all spheres of life of the city-state were taken under strict control. First of all, politics. And even now, Singapore is one of the most regulated societies in the entire world.

Lee's opponents quickly found themselves in prison without investigation or trial. The press was strictly censored. Access to information from abroad was limited. A large number of journalists were arrested. Everything was subordinated to primary needs. The justification for these actions was that the newspapers were financed by foreign ill-wishers. It should be noted that this has borne fruit. From 1960 to 1980, gross national product per person increased fifteenfold.

What is the essence of the Singapore Economic Miracle?

Lee Kuan Yew chose a competent development strategy. Initially, it was decided to jump over other countries in the region and attract international companies. He also understood the importance of good neighborly relations with a regional giant like China. In this he was significantly helped by his personal friendship with the leader of the People's Republic of China Deng Xiaoping. A focus was also placed on the educated population. Widespread support and stimulation of learning was introduced, and marriages between smart and successful people were promoted.

And most importantly, a fierce fight against corruption was launched, which was an integral part of colonialism. In addition, a focus was placed on the construction of low-cost housing, industrialization and job creation.

Demographic and social policy

Singapore now has the most difficult population repopulation situation in the world. This was largely due to certain distortions demographic policy. For example, there are taxes on children. True, educated girls are exempt from them. They taught all people to be polite and less noisy. All graffiti was promptly destroyed. The rules of decent behavior were literally hammered into people's heads. But what is the value of the Singapore Exchange now!

The economic miracle showed that, although it was difficult, it all paid off with increased prosperity. Although such a tough approach caused dissatisfaction among young residents of the country, who regularly voted for the opposition. An interesting, although unattractive, policy is still being pursued.

In 1982, Lee Kuan Yew noticed that smart men choose beautiful but stupid wives. Whereas it is problematic for intellectually developed representatives of the fair sex to find a mate. Therefore, a reward is being introduced for men who marry certified girls. If there is no education, then, starting with the second child, you have to pay a fine. Also, people without a diploma are offered a large sum of money for sterilization. Free cruises are offered for educated couples.

Elections

During his activity, Lee Kuan Yew was able, together with the party, to win elections seven times in a row. He only retired in 1990. And now he holds the record for the longest tenure as prime minister. Although even after his resignation he actively participated in politics.

Why was he able to win elections for such a long time? How did Singapore turn from a poor country into a leading industrial power in Asia?

Many believe that success came at the expense of personal freedoms and through the persecution of opposition media. But the man who created the Singapore miracle told Chinese television in 2005 that in the new world it is necessary to find small corners for oneself, niches where it is possible to be in a useful role for the whole world. This approach and tangible changes allowed him to stay in power for a long time.

Country today

What is Singapore like today? It is quite difficult to answer this question unambiguously. The territory where the Singapore miracle took place occupies only six hundred square kilometers (four times less than Moscow). Only five million people live there (half that of the capital Russian Federation). More or less friendly relations have been established with all neighbors, although we should not forget about significant regulation. Singapore has many high-rise buildings, whose residents receive high salaries, one of the largest in the world.

And this came from a poor country that even imported construction sand. Why, fresh water was also imported from abroad. The Singapore miracle was also achieved thanks to significant ideological control. Thus, at the time Lee Kuan Yew came to power, approximately a third of the population sympathized with the communists, whom the prime minister considered personal ideological opponents.

About corruption

To attract investors, an individual approach was widely practiced. As Lee Kuan Yew recalled, everyone was welcomed. To help expand production, the government went out of its way. But international investors are afraid of corruption. Lee Kuan Yew described this situation as one of the features of the Asian way of life. He acknowledged that rewards are accepted openly and are part of life. It was decided that corruption must be combated by simplifying decision-making procedures and removing ambiguity in laws. Clear and simple rules. And if necessary, cancel permits and licensing. No sooner said than done.

In addition, judges' salaries were sharply increased. The best private lawyers were hired to work in their positions. Judges received several hundred thousand dollars a year; in the 90s, this amount exceeded a million. Mafia groups, the so-called triads, were brutally suppressed. Civil servants who held positions of responsibility received salaries commensurate with the monetary rewards of top executives of private corporations. An independent body was created that was engaged in the fight against corruption in the highest echelons of power. Investigations were initiated even against close relatives of Lee Kuan Yew. Ministers who were found guilty of corruption were sentenced to imprisonment, committed suicide or, in the best case scenario, simply fled the country.

Now Singapore is deservedly considered one of the least corrupt countries in the world. This is what happens when there is no leniency even towards people close to the ruler. And this deserves respect and inheritance.

Legal changes

Particular attention was paid to instilling the principle of the rule of law before people and equality before it. In order for people to feel the changes, significant attention was paid to increasing the number of homeowners. A system was created mortgage lending, housing construction increased. Unusual and at the same time strict laws are being introduced. Thus, it was forbidden to spit on the ground, smoke in public places, throw away used paper, park cars in the city center, and leave water in saucers (this attracted mosquitoes). In case of violation, the person was fined 1,500 Singapore dollars.

In addition, it is prohibited to ride alone in cars after six. If the speed exceeds 80 km/h, special sirens installed in the car deafen drivers. Every car owner is required to give rides to fellow travelers and work colleagues. Theft, violence, drugs and corruption are punishable by death. Sold as hanging. Punishment with a whip is practiced.

Can achievements be used for our benefit?

Undoubtedly. Although it is necessary to take into account whole line specific features. Thus, Singapore is a relatively small state in area, which does not have significant logistical problems. In addition, it is necessary to take into account a rather unfavorable situation (at the time of Lee Kuan Yew’s reign there was an overwhelming number of young and active people). And although now our birth rate is much better than in Singapore, then the situation was much better. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the high level of burden that is placed on society.

Moreover, not all solutions can be applied in our case. So, for example, it was decided to replace the police personnel from the Malays with the Chinese. This was done due to the greater discipline of the latter. We won’t be able to pull off a similar trick due to disproportionality.

Conclusion

So the Singapore Economic Miracle was briefly reviewed. Of course, there are many specific points that have not been described. But all this proves that you can achieve a better situation if you make real efforts to achieve your goal, and not imitate hectic activity, which sometimes takes up more resources than solving important problems. I would like peace and tranquility to reign in our country, crime to be near zero, and people to be able to lead a prosperous and comfortable life. But we should not forget about the negative sides of such a policy. Thus, Singapore is now experiencing significant demographic problems; freedom of speech and self-expression is being severely suppressed. For everything you have to pay your price.

Singapore's incredible economic breakthrough in the second half of the 20th century is often referred to as " Singapore miracle" On September 16, the man who can rightfully be called the author of the “Singapore miracle” would have turned 95 years old. Lee Kuan Yew led the “Lion City” (that is how the word “Singapore” is translated) for more than thirty years, but even after leaving the post of Prime Minister of the city-state, he retained the largest influence on political and economic processes in the country.

The twentieth century knows many examples of the incredible success of states that, in just a few decades, transformed from backward and poor countries into the richest, with a very high standard of living of the population. But the Singapore example is unique in that, unlike Qatar or Kuwait, the UAE or Saudi Arabia, Singapore has no mineral reserves. The success of Singapore is largely the work of Lee Kuan Yew personally, and it is this circumstance that places the politician, who died just three years ago, among the most extraordinary and significant statesmen of the twentieth century.

In fact, the roots of the “Singapore miracle” go back to the colonial era. On January 28, 1819, a British expedition headed by the famous diplomat and expert on the countries of the Malay Archipelago, Sir Stamford Bingley Raffles, landed on the small island of Singapore, which then belonged to the Malay Sultanate of Johor. Being an experienced and knowledgeable man, Raffles quickly appreciated the advantages of Singapore's geographical location and managed, for relatively little money, to obtain permission from the Sultan of Johor to build a British trading post on the island. By this time, there were only about a thousand local Malays living on the island, but after the British built a stronghold here, the Chinese gradually began to arrive in Singapore, concentrating on trade and the emerging industry.

Since 1826, Singapore became the administrative center of the British colony of the Straits Settlements on the Malacca Peninsula. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Chinese immigrants already made up the majority of the population of the “Lion City”. Following the Chinese, Indians, primarily Tamils, also came to Singapore from British India.

The future father of the "Singapore miracle" Lee Kuan Yew was born in Chinese family in Singapore. The politician's father was Chinese - Hakka, and his mother came from the Peranakans - this is how the Malayized Chinese are called on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, who have lived in the region for a very long time and have largely adopted the Malay language, culture and customs (with the exception of religion). Lee Kuan Yew's parents did not belong to the elite of colonial Singaporean society, although they were not poor people. Both the father and mother of the future politician were Anglophiles and even spoke English at home, not speaking their native languages. Subsequently, this circumstance had a very significant impact not only on Lee Kuan Yew’s career, but also on his worldview - until the end of his days he remained a staunch supporter of the English language and believed that the most important thing for a Singaporean is to speak English, and only then his native language.

After receiving his primary education at Telok Kurau School, Lee Kuan Yew entered Raffles College in Singapore, graduating in 1945, and left for the UK. In the metropolis, he received two degrees - economics at the London School of Economics and law at the University of Cambridge. The capable young man received two excellent diplomas, which guaranteed him rapid advancement in the colony. Returning to Singapore in 1949, he began practicing law and advised Singapore trade unions.

By the time Lee Kuan Yew was a young lawyer, the communists were very strong in Singapore. The success of the Chinese Communist Party and its victory in civil war, and then the victory of the communists in Vietnam contributed to the growing popularity of the communist movement in the countries of Southeast Asia. Ethnic Chinese became the main support of the communist parties in the countries of Indochina and the Malay Archipelago, and since they made up the majority of the population in Singapore, communist ideas also spread there. But Lee Kuan Yew, unlike many of his fellow tribesmen, never sympathized with the communists, although in 1954 he founded the social democratic People's Action Party (PAP). Among Singaporean social democrats, Lee Kuan Yew took a right-wing position and leaned towards the concept of a free market.

In the late 1950s, although Singapore was a strategically important British port and transshipment base, it had a very weak level of economic development. Most of the population lived in poverty, agriculture was in poor condition, there were very big problems with infrastructure, and even fresh water had to be brought to the island from neighboring regions. In addition, Chinese mafia structures felt at ease on the island, and local authorities The colonial administration was riddled with corruption. It was in such a city that Lee Kuan Yew became prime minister in 1959.

The young and ambitious lawyer set himself, as it seemed then, an almost unattainable goal. He decided to turn Singapore into a real economic center of Southeast Asia, but this required attracting numerous investments, which was very difficult to do. Western businessmen did not want to work with the corrupt and underdeveloped Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew had to make a lot of efforts before impressive investments began to flow into the Singaporean economy.

To ensure the influx of investment, Lee Kuan Yew developed a strategy for the development of Singapore, quite simple in theory, but complex in practice. Her first point was to fight corruption as harshly as possible. Lee Kuan Yew appointed a new judicial corps from among young and honest lawyers like himself, increased their salaries, and then carried out a total reform of law enforcement agencies. The entire Singapore police force was disbanded and re-recruited from young people. It must be said that the old police were very opposed to the “loss of the trough” - some police stations had to be literally stormed, attracting units of British troops stationed in Singapore. But in the end, Lee Kuan Yew completed this task - he created a new police force, which was no longer so corrupt. At the same time, police personnel were replaced with Malays who served in law enforcement agencies since colonial times, towards the Chinese, who were considered more loyal and law-abiding.

The Prime Minister has always believed that to ensure the effective functioning of the state and its economy, a strict system is needed that prevents any manifestations of corruption, crime, and immorality. Lee Kuan Yew was guided by the principle of the inevitability of punishment and believed that crime and even misdemeanor should be punished as harshly as possible in order to prevent other people from wanting to take the path of breaking the law.

Singapore has become one of the safest cities in the world, despite the fact that it is located in a very problematic region - in Southeast Asia, and in fact in the 1950s - 1980s. in Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries in the region, there were protracted guerrilla wars, terrorist acts were committed, and organized crime of all stripes flourished - from racketeering to drug trafficking. It was these tough methods that allowed Lee Kuan Yew to bring order to Singapore that other Asian states could only dream of. While fighting corruption, the Prime Minister did not pay attention to long-standing friendly and even family relationships - many of Lee Kuan Yew’s good friends and relatives were under investigation.

The second point of the “Singapore miracle” strategy was to ensure the most favorable conditions for foreign investors and business development in general. Lee Kuan Yew realized that investors could only be attracted by much freer and simpler business conditions compared to other countries. To achieve this, the conditions for registering a business in Singapore were simplified as much as possible, which could even then be completed in literally half an hour. Thus, on the initiative of Lee Kuan Yew, a maximum favorable regime for foreign and Singaporean businesses was created in Singapore, and soon a variety of enterprises began to open in the city. Investors were attracted by the ease of registration, low taxes and cheap labor for that period. The Singapore port received a new lease of life, and soon financial institutions began to develop rapidly in Singapore.

Following the rapid growth of the economy, the standard of living of the population began to rise rapidly. Singaporeans living by the early 1950s. in total poverty, turned into one of the richest nations in the world. Suffice it to say that Singapore's GNP from 1959 to 1990 increased from $400 to $12.2 thousand per capita. Rising living standards and incomes have led to more Singaporeans pursuing higher education and becoming an expensive, skilled workforce. Singaporean companies began to move their production to countries with cheaper labor, while financial institutions and high-tech industries that required the participation of very skilled workers began to concentrate in Singapore itself.

Understanding full well that in a state like Singapore, where there are no significant natural resources, the main national wealth is people, Lee Kuan Yew initiated the development of the Singapore system of higher and secondary education, which quickly became one of the strongest in Asia. First of all, this was facilitated by the fact that all Singaporeans school days study English and speak it almost fluently. Secondly, the Singaporean government invested heavily in paying for the education of Singaporean students at the best universities in the USA and Europe, which also contributed to the emergence of a large number of its own highly qualified specialists. On the other hand, Singaporeans themselves, knowing full well that only quality education can help in life, invest very large amounts of money in the education of their children. According to an Australian study, 60% of high school students and 80% of junior students in Singapore schools use tutoring.

Singapore's foreign policy deserves special attention. Throughout its independent history, Singapore remains in the orbit of Western influence and most of all cooperates with Great Britain and the United States, although economically Relations with neighbors Indonesia and Malaysia are very important for the country. Realizing that Singapore is located in a very turbulent region, Lee Kuan Yew, and then his successors, invested heavily in strengthening the national security of the state. If at the time of the declaration of independence the country's armed forces consisted of two infantry regiments under the command of British officers, now the Singapore armed forces are very combat-ready by regional standards. Thus, about 72 thousand people serve in the country’s ground forces. Interestingly, Singapore is one of the few countries in which the famous Nepalese Gurkhas continue to serve. Currently, a Gurkha unit of 2 thousand troops is stationed in Singapore. There are also a number of American military bases located in Singapore.

Maneuvering between large neighboring countries, the Western world, and China, Singapore emphasizes its neutrality. For example, China is now Singapore's third-largest economic partner, but the city-state also maintains close ties with Taiwan. Realizing that in the event of a conflict, the tiny state would not be able to withstand a clash with its neighbors, Singaporean leaders always counted on the support and intercession of the Western powers - the USA and Great Britain, which ensured the need to maintain a special relationship with the Anglo-Saxon world.

Interestingly, Lee Kuan Yew treated Russia quite well. Of course, in Soviet times, relations between the USSR and Singapore were not friendly, but Lee Kuan Yew always emphasized the importance of the Russians as a great nation capable of making a huge contribution to the development of humanity. In the 1990s, when Russia switched to the capitalist path of development, attention to the “Singapore miracle” in our country grew greatly - many economists seriously talked about the fact that the Singaporean model could become a model for Russian modernization. Lee Kuan Yew himself became an honorary doctor of MGIMO and the Diplomatic Academy of Russia, was awarded the Order of Honor, and was a member of the International Board of Trustees of the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo.

Lee Kuan Yew died on March 23, 2015 at the age of 92. Having accepted Singapore as a backward British colony, he left it one of the ten richest countries in the world. You may not agree with the politician’s ideas and methods, but it is difficult not to recognize their effectiveness in relation to Singaporean realities.

In connection with the death of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the excitement around the so-called “Singapore economic miracle” has once again risen.

They started talking again about how this country, thanks to the wise policy of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who is called the “father of the Singapore miracle,” managed to achieve impressive successes in the economy, “to make a dizzying path from a “third world” country to a highly developed state with one of the best standard of living."

When the bourgeois press makes a fuss about a phenomenon, praises it and extols it, this should alert us. From this we can conclude that it serves her interests. And the bourgeoisie has one main interest - to maintain its dominance, to preserve capitalism. To do this, it is necessary to deceive the working people, to make capitalism attractive or at least tolerable for them.

Because workers capitalist countries They know the hard way how disgusting, cynical and ruthless their own, “domestic” capitalism is, - then only one thing remains - to create for them an attractive picture of “alien” capitalism. Deceive them with the illusion that somewhere out there there is a bourgeois state, where rivers of milk flow on the banks of jelly, where everyone can become rich, where real “economic miracles” happen. Let the working people in their country suffer from the oppression of capital, poverty, unemployment, from all the ills of the bourgeois system - and at the same time let them believe that there is an “economic miracle” somewhere. And what if you are lucky and a “wise leader” comes to power, he will arrange the same miracle for them. It will suppress corruption and give everyone the opportunity to get rich.

And the workers will not have to change the social system or strive for liberation from the power of the capitalists. On the contrary, it is precisely the capitalists who are destined for the role of benefactors of the working people; it is they who will arrange everything for the better, and create an “economic miracle” for the working people.

This makes the workers hope for a miracle, for a change in their fate by the good will of the capitalist, distracts them from the struggle, and therefore serves the interests of the capitalists.

It is in these forms that the bourgeoisie from time to time praises some capitalist state for its supposedly fantastic economic successes and trumpets about an “economic miracle.”

We decided to find out what the so-called Singapore miracle is and how things are in Singapore. Here's what we found out.

The father of the “miracle” is considered to be Lee Kuan Yew, who was the prime minister and directly ruled the country in 1959-1990, and after that held the positions of senior minister and minister-mentor (that is, he ruled unofficially).

For a long time, Singapore was a British colony. From the beginning of the 17th century and for almost a hundred years, Great Britain fought with Holland for these territories and eventually took possession of them.

Having become a colony, Singapore immediately became part of the British East India Company. British East India Company in fact, it was one of the largest trading monopolies in Great Britain. Created on December 31 by decree of Elizabeth I, it received extensive privileges for trading operations in India . With the help of the East India Company, the British colonization of India and a number of countries in the East was carried out. Britain used Singapore as a trading point on the way to deliver British goods to China. (That is, to spread your economic influence to Southeast Asia and for its further colonization. Please note this point - Singapore, due to its geographical location, has long served to spread the influence of the economically developed West, in particular Great Britain, to Asia, and served the colonialist Western policy) To develop trade and implement colonialist policies, the British needed the most modern ports and communication routes in Singapore, and they built them: an overpass across the Strait of Johor, connecting the island with the mainland, a railway through Malacca to Bangkok, etc. Probably for these reasons According to Wikipedia, “Singapore prospered under English rule.” But we know what such “prosperity” actually turned out to be for the local population and due to what it happened - due to the ruthless exploitation of the local population, due to the most brutal colonial rule of the British over the enslaved territories. And if anyone flourished, it was the local nobility, with whose help the colonialists carried out the oppression of the bulk of the natives. But, be that as it may, we see that in Singapore even during the time of colonial dependence, large quantities communication routes and trade actively developed, that is, the prerequisites were created for the development of capitalism.

In 1948, in connection with the liberation struggle of the colonial peoples that intensified after the Second World War, the British imperialists, seeking to maintain their dominance over these territories, created the so-called “Malayan Union”. It included the Malay states and parts of the former British crown colony of the Straits Settlements - Penang and Malacca. Singapore, formerly part of this colony, became a separate colony. However, all this could not stop the liberation aspirations of the dependent peoples. The anti-colonial struggle intensified. In 1959, as a result of negotiations, Singapore was declared an "autonomous state" within the British Commonwealth, and in 1965 it became an independent state.

The “father of the Singapore miracle,” Lee Kuan Yew, came to power in 1959 - when Singapore gained autonomy, when colonial dependence on Great Britain was somewhat weakened, but not destroyed. He became prime minister, in fact, the governor of the colonialists. Wikipedia says that “the new government followed a moderate course in both foreign and domestic policies.” What did this mean? In foreign policy, the “moderate course” of the new government was expressed in the fact that it tried to suppress the anti-colonial struggle of its population and compromise with the British imperialists. The authorities, led by the “father of the Singapore miracle,” were afraid that the liberation struggle of Singaporeans against the colonialists could turn into a struggle against their own oppressors who served the imperialists, and sweep them away along with them.

In domestic policy, Lee Kuan Yew’s “moderate course” was expressed in the fact that he methodically cleared the ground for building state-monopoly capitalism in his country. In particular, for this purpose, he organized a brutal persecution of communists. This is stated very frankly and exhaustively on one of the bourgeois resources praising the “Singapore miracle”:

“In Singapore, as in other successful Asian countries (Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia), the Communist Party was crushed and banned, since its ideas would be destructive to the emerging new market relations and the emergence of a class of owners.”

In 1961, a small left wing broke away from the People's Action Party, whose chairman was Lee Kuan Yew. The new party advocated a more courageous and open struggle against the colonialists and called itself socialist. Lee Kuan Yew accused the new party of being a front for the communists. This became a signal for persecution of all communist and socialist parties and trade union movements in the country. The real debacle was Operation Coldstore on February 2, 1963, when 107 left-wing political and trade unionists were arrested under the Internal Security Act. They were accused of having links with Indonesian intelligence, supporting the uprising in Brunei, plotting against the creation of Malaysia and overthrowing the Singaporean government. Without trial or investigation, they spent many years in prison.

Lee Kuan Yew began such an anti-communist policy even before 1965, when Singapore remained a British colony. After gaining independence, he continued and intensified the persecution of communists, making it part of state policy.

Much has been written about how the “father of the Singapore miracle” managed to crack down on corruption. As you know, corruption is an integral attribute of capitalism. And state-monopoly capitalism is the most favorable, ideal environment for corruption. The mining and metals industry provides previously unheard of opportunities for corruption. Therefore, corruption in the mining and metals industry can only be reduced in one way - draconian measures, harsh force actions of state-monopoly capital. This is exactly what Lee Kuan Yew did:

“Lee Kuan began the fight against corruption by simplifying the interpretation of legislation. All ambiguities and loopholes have been removed. Judges' salaries were increased many times over... Almost all of the police were replaced. Officials' salaries were significantly increased and at the same time anti-corruption bodies were created, reporting personally to Lee Kuang. A number of ministers and even relatives of the “dictator” who were convicted of corruption received prison sentences.”

A perfect illustration of What is the “fight against corruption” under the MMC - state-monopoly capital, whose interests are expressed by Lee Kuan Yew, defends with an iron fist its monopoly right to rob the workers and the entire people and inexorably deals with those who encroach on this monopoly of its own. To do this, he strengthens the bureaucracy, seeks to buy its loyalty, gives it high salaries, which again falls on the shoulders of the same workers.

As for the " economic reforms”, as a result of which a “miracle” occurred, they boil down to the fact that:

- firstly, the Singaporean bourgeoisie, represented by Lee Kuan Yew, provided the world's large monopolies, primarily American ones, with extremely favorable conditions for making profits - low taxes and an abundance of cheap labor. In fact, she sold her workers into slavery to foreign monopolists and, due to this, improved her affairs and became rich (the “father of the Singapore miracle” himself talks about it this way: “We didn’t just welcome every investor, we simply went out of our way to help him start with us production." This policy bore fruit. The foundation of a large-scale high-tech industry in Singapore was laid through the efforts of American corporations."

– secondly, it turned into an agent of influence of Western, primarily American, financial capital in Asia, turned its country into a stronghold for the further expansion of Western financial capital in the Asian region, and became an active accomplice of Western imperialism. Through Singapore, Western imperialism exports capital to the Asian region and carries out the economic enslavement of the countries of this region.

This is how it is described on a bourgeois resource, where Lee Kuan Yew’s “economic reforms” are praised:

“Lee Kuan built his economic development strategy around the idea of ​​moving into the non-manufacturing sector and turning Singapore into a trade and financial center of Southeast Asia, as well as attracting foreign investors by creating an attractive package of conditions for international companies.”

From all that has been said, it is clear that state-monopoly capitalism has been created in Singapore, and monopoly capital exercises its dominance over the working people and over all layers of society using the most brutal, often outright dictatorial methods. That is, it clearly has fascist features. It is not surprising, therefore, that in 1984 (under the reign of the same Lee Kuan Yew and at his instigation) the Singaporean authorities adopted an openly fascist “Concept of Education”. Here is a text that perfectly shows what this “concept” is:

“The law of natural selection, as one of the fundamental laws of the market, has become the basis for the education of Singapore citizens. Particular attention is paid to raising children. The concept of education was developed by Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew in 1984. It is based on eugenics, the theory of a person's hereditary health and ways to improve it. Singaporean sociologists have noticed that many highly educated women do not marry and do not have children, and many men marry poor, uneducated Malay and Indian women. Lee Kuan Yew ordered the creation of a powerful base for the creation of normal families capable of raising healthy and smart children.

Two marriage agencies were created under the patronage of the government. Their goal is to arrange marriages between couples of comparable social and intellectual levels. The first agency is called this - Branch social development, or OSR. It deals with educated young people. The second agency is the Social Development Service, or SSD. Their clientele is all other young people.

Both agencies work with the involvement of serious specialists: psychologists, sociologists and doctors. Here they not only select a partner for a young man, taking into account all personal characteristics, but also create conditions for meetings, including one-on-one... Uneducated women are offered sterilization after the birth of a second child in exchange for a decision housing problem. Intellectual women will also receive considerable encouragement, but only if they give birth to more than three children.”

There’s no need to even comment on anything here. Everything is clear - this is pure fascism, and there is no other way to call it. The bourgeoisie mates the working people like cattle at a breeding station in order to obtain from them the slaves they require.

And here it is impossible not to point out something to those sick in the head who equate communism with fascism. Look how the Soviet government, the power of the working class, acted in its time. She taught the uneducated, gave them the opportunity to join education and culture, and assisted them in this in every possible way. And the fascist government, the reactionary dictatorship of capital, forces the uneducated to be sterilized.

And another frankly fascist feature of Singaporean capitalism. Financial capital, rigidly ruling over the working people, not only completely subordinates their entire lives to its interests, completely sucks and devastates them, but despotically selects the smartest and most talented children in order to subsequently force them to serve themselves, their interests, and use their intelligence and talent for their own purposes. . Here's the quote again:

“All kids receive the same starting conditions. Kindergartens and primary schools are not divided into elite and non-elite. But once a year, global IQ testing is carried out for all 11-12 year olds. It is organized by the British, the world's best experts in determining the level of intelligence. So Singaporean parents cannot use their family and other connections to influence the outcome.

The best of the best get into the elite educational establishments. Raffles School is the most successful. Without exaggeration, the future leadership of the country learns here. Classes here start at 7.30 am and end at 18.00. Children of poor parents also study here. Their studies are fully paid for by the state.».

As we see, monopoly capital vigilantly monitors the development of children in order to notice the talented children of workers in time and take possession of them, and from an early age begin to educate their obedient servants from them. There are two goals here - firstly, to get capable slaves, and secondly, to exclude the possibility that these children, born to the poor, will eventually begin to serve their class, become the proletarian intelligentsia. To deprive the working class of those who could subsequently become a spokesman for its interests and lead it to fight for its liberation. Many poor parents are happy if their smart and talented children get into a free elite school, and hope that they will go out into the world. But capital does nothing for nothing. It is not for nothing that he invests money in the education of these children. He wants to take possession of them, so that he can then suck out their intelligence and talent, making them his assistants in the oppression and enslavement of the working people - that is, the enemies of his own parents.

The same fascist project - and with the same goal - is beginning to be implemented here in Russia. They are already preparing to try this project in Transbaikalia.

As we can see, the “Singapore economic miracle” is a lie. The economic paradise that the bourgeoisie paints for us turns out, upon closer examination, to be a nightmare, an openly fascist capitalist regime. The vaunted father of the miracle, Lee Kuan Yew, is a complete, convinced fascist, persecutor of communists, enemy of the working class and zealous servant of finance capital.

Well, as for the notorious Singaporean prosperity and victory over corruption, here are the facts. We quote excerpts from bourgeois sources, from which everything becomes clearer than clear.

First, on the topic of supposedly universal economic prosperity in Singapore

“And right away on the first day, while walking around the city, we met several “friends” who were collecting bottles and sleeping on a bench in the park.

Who are these tramps and why do they live on the streets in this richest country?

These are pensioners. The fact is that there are no pensions in Singapore. Elderly people should be supported by children. And if the children turn out to be not very positive or wealthy people, then each parent has only one fate - to remain in old age on the street, since maintaining housing in Singapore is quite expensive.”

“But there are also slums here. If you take the time to move a little away from the city center, you will meet many poor people. A paradise for a foreigner, Singapore is a harsh homeland. The legislation of this city is one of the most cruel in the world. So, punishment with canes and hanging still exist here, and even calls for violence and suspicious conversations on the Internet are considered crimes.”.

This is on the topic of the origins of the “economic miracle”

« However, the development of Singapore has begun at a rapid pace only in recent decades. Thanks to the status offshore zone, low taxation and, frankly speaking, legislation favorable to foreigners, Singapore has become one of the centers of the world economy. The offices of the world's leading companies are located here, and those who would like to be tax-free register their organizations here. Those small deductions that still have to be made are the main source of Singapore's income. And this income is enough to keep the entire state in order.”

And finally, about “victory over corruption”

“A Japanese diplomat wrote in his almost native Vladivostok: “You won’t believe it, but what in Russia is usually called “democracy”, and you, as a journalist, call “freedom of speech” is practically absent in Singapore. There seem to be 3 parties in parliament, but 98 percent of the seats are occupied by the ruling party. You can get any newspaper in the world, but the local press is exclusively loyal to the government. This country is like one large corporation, all of whose citizens are arranged in a hierarchy in the staffing table and are personally interested in the successful financial and economic activities of this large company, which can be called Singapore Incorporated...

Yes, these are the facts about the “Singapore miracle”. This miracle is not for everyone, as it turns out, but for a minority of society. If the minority, the Singaporean bourgeoisie, enjoys all the blessings of life, then the ordinary working people of Singapore, the majority, are oppressed by poverty and concern for a piece of bread. The origins of this miracle are in financial scams, in the fact that the Singaporean bourgeoisie helps Western capital launder money and spread its influence in Southeast Asia and lives off this. And corruption, of course, has not been defeated at all. Singapore's rulers have to constantly suppress it with the most draconian measures. Which is not surprising, since under capitalism corruption cannot be defeated at all. Here people are beaten with sticks and hanged, they are put in prison even for “calls for violence” - that is, for the slightest attempt by workers to resist the power of capital.

So this is what it looks like up close, this Singaporean miracle, which is so diligently advertised by bourgeois ideologists in order to deceive us with a picture of tempting capitalism.

Photo

Car parking in Singapore skyscrapers

Photos of Singaporean poverty

On the night of March 23, at the age of 91, the first Prime Minister of Singapore, the author of the “economic miracle” that turned a backward British colony into a prosperous country and a leader in the index of economic freedom. Let's talk about the extraordinary political decisions of an outstanding statesman.

“We didn’t just welcome every investor, we simply went out of our way to help them start production with us”

In 1968, Lee Kuan Yew's economic adviser, the Dutchman Albert Winsemius, called Van Onen, vice-president of the Singapore branch of Bank of America, who was then in London. “We want to become the financial center of Southeast Asia within the next 10 years,” Winsemius said, to which the response was: “Okay, come to London. You can achieve this within 5 years.”

In London, the guest was led to a large globe in the meeting room. “Look: the financial day begins in Zurich. Banks in Zurich open at 9:00 am, banks in Frankfurt open a little later, and even later in London. Banks in Zurich close in the afternoon, followed by banks in Frankfurt and London. At this time, banks in New York are still open. Thus, London directs financial flows to New York.

By the time the New York banks close in the afternoon, they will have already transferred their financial flows to San Francisco. By the time the banks close in San Francisco, nothing happens in the financial world until 9:00 a.m. Swiss time, when Swiss banks open. If we put Singapore in the middle, then before the banks in San Francisco close, Singapore can take over from them, and when the banks in Singapore close, they can transfer financial flows to Zurich. Thus, for the first time in history, global 24-hour banking will be possible.

Having become the most important link in the sphere of money circulation, Singapore, under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, attracted foreign capital tax benefits, and high-tech companies were completely exempt from taxes for 10 years.

In addition, the Prime Minister used non-standard methods: “ The best way convincing people to invest in our economy was to make the road from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to my office, clean, elegant, lined with trees and bushes. Arriving in the central area, they saw a green oasis of immaculate lawns and bushes right in the center of the city, with a golf course in between. Without any words, they already knew that Singaporeans are competent, disciplined and reliable people.

“Start by seating three of your friends.”

With the influx of money, Lee Kuan Yew was faced with the task of fighting corruption. "Singapore doesn't have any natural wealth, so their wealth will be income transparency." For the sake of the rule of law, the Prime Minister jailed a close friend when he was convicted of corruption, and the Minister of Social Development, caught taking a $315,000 bribe, committed suicide after speaking with Lee Kuan Yew.

The Prime Minister introduced a system in which the salaries of officials are calculated in relation to the size income tax: “We focus on the income of the 10% of the highest paid people, because if our officials are not included in the highest paid stratum, then why do the government need them?” Every year, the salaries of Singapore officials rise or fall with growth or recession."

“But I just win every election.”

Due to the fact that communist ideas were destructive for the emerging market relations in Singapore, at the instigation of Lee Kuan Yew, the Communist Party was banned in the country, and only one opposition deputy remained in the Singapore parliament. Instead of politics, Singaporeans were given the opportunity to engage in business. Nevertheless, the passport details of voters are indicated on the ballot papers, “so that the people vote correctly.”

“I do not believe that democracy is the best form of government for all countries and that it will spread throughout the world. If that were the case, why Western countries Are they trying to force it on everyone? If liberal democracy is so perfect, it will already prevail over the whole world, just like market economy, which is definitely superior to the planned economy and is spreading throughout the world.

I had many discussions with the Americans about democracy. They say: how is it that the Singapore government does not change? I answer: “But I just win all the elections.” People know that if they vote for the opposition, they will live less well. I am achieving results: I gave them an honest government, I gave them progress, every year I improve the quality of education for their children, the quality of medical care. We raise the level of culture and help art. Why should we change?’ They say: you must change, only then will you have democracy. I answer: “Let it be so for you in America.” And leave us alone."

“Have you heard the English expression “law and order”? The law will not work if there is no order."

At the beginning of the 20th century, in the port city of Singapore, gambling dens were located on every corner, where Lee Kuan Yew's father gambled away the money he earned, and once lost the family rubber plantation. Not wanting to repeat his father’s fate, the Prime Minister banned gambling in the country. Criticism of the government was also prohibited: journalists and publications who spoke out against the current policy were subject to arrest or closure.

Attention was also paid to the city's appearance and cleanliness, so one day an American teenager who came to Singapore painted graffiti on the wall of one of the houses and was immediately arrested, punished with ten strokes of a stick on the heels, and immediately deported. On a stretcher.

Lee Kuan Yew is famous for the campaign he launched in the 60s against spitting on the street. Authorities spread messages through schools and the media that spitting contributed to the spread of tuberculosis. The motivation for “cultural behavior” was the introduced system of fines for spitting - five hundred dollars. Throwing garbage on the road and leaving water in saucers under pots while watering flowers is also punishable, as this attracts mosquitoes. Significantly less - $180 - if you forgot to flush the toilet.

“We raised our own entrepreneurs”

The Prime Minister of Singapore considered an effective education system to be the key to the successful development of the country. The government poured in huge sums of money every year to educate Singapore's best students at the best universities in the world.

“We believed in our young employees, in their honesty, intelligence, energy, even with a complete lack of business experience. From each graduating class, we selected and sent the best graduates of our schools to the best universities in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and later, when we had funds, to the USA.

We have nurtured them into our own entrepreneurs to found successful companies such as Neptune Orient Lines and Singapore Airlines. I was afraid that these enterprises would turn into unprofitable, subsidized, nationalized corporations, as happened in many newly independent states.

When these companies also turned out to be successful, we turned state monopolies into independent companies, free from ministerial control. They were run as privately owned, efficient, competitive and profitable businesses."

“The government spends astronomical amounts on education. It is fair that in return it wants to receive offspring that will ensure the well-being of the island."

Half of Singapore's university graduates were women, and couples in which the husband and wife had a university degree were only 30% in 1983 - men preferred a wife with a lower level of knowledge than themselves. To this, Lee Kuan Yew said that if men want their children to succeed in life, then it is very stupid to choose less educated women as wives.