"Of-course we did, but we didn't reply because we knew once this leaks the others will scatter, so in the few days we moved quickly before the press got hold of it. The press did get hold of it a few days later, we nabbed, we were able to get 15, the others got away"
About this Quote
Power in Lee Kuan Yew's voice here isn’t dressed up as lofty principle; it’s operational, almost bureaucratic in its cold clarity. The line reads like a post-action report: confirm the fact, explain the silence, outline the tactical window, tally the results. That plainness is the point. It turns coercion into procedure, and procedure into legitimacy.
The intent is twofold: justify secrecy and validate speed. "We didn't reply" isn’t mere evasion; it’s a calculated refusal to grant the press a role in the timeline. In Lee’s framing, information is not a public right but a strategic resource. Once "this leaks", the target network "will scatter" - a rationale that converts censorship and preemption into public safety. The subtext is a familiar one in strong-state governance: transparency is a luxury; order is fragile; enemies are quick; the state must be quicker.
Context matters: Lee’s Singapore was built under a constant narrative of vulnerability, surrounded by larger neighbors, haunted by communal violence, and obsessed with internal security. In that political weather, "the press" becomes less watchdog than hazard - an accelerant that can ruin a controlled operation. The phrase "nabbed... 15" lands with unsettling casualness, as if human liberty is inventory.
What makes the rhetoric work is its unromantic confidence. There’s no moral pleading, no flourish - just consequence. The line dares you to argue with results, and it quietly trains citizens to see speed and secrecy not as exceptions, but as the model.
The intent is twofold: justify secrecy and validate speed. "We didn't reply" isn’t mere evasion; it’s a calculated refusal to grant the press a role in the timeline. In Lee’s framing, information is not a public right but a strategic resource. Once "this leaks", the target network "will scatter" - a rationale that converts censorship and preemption into public safety. The subtext is a familiar one in strong-state governance: transparency is a luxury; order is fragile; enemies are quick; the state must be quicker.
Context matters: Lee’s Singapore was built under a constant narrative of vulnerability, surrounded by larger neighbors, haunted by communal violence, and obsessed with internal security. In that political weather, "the press" becomes less watchdog than hazard - an accelerant that can ruin a controlled operation. The phrase "nabbed... 15" lands with unsettling casualness, as if human liberty is inventory.
What makes the rhetoric work is its unromantic confidence. There’s no moral pleading, no flourish - just consequence. The line dares you to argue with results, and it quietly trains citizens to see speed and secrecy not as exceptions, but as the model.
Quote Details
| Topic | Decision-Making |
|---|
More Quotes by Lee
Add to List
