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On March 23rd, Singapore’s founding father died at the age of 91.
While Lee was an anti-colonialist, in that he sought the devolution of power from Westminster, he did not start out as a Singaporean nationalist. He oversaw the devolution of power and a merger with Malaya. When the Federation of Malaya and Singapore was dissolved by Malaya’s Prime Minister, Lee cried on television stating that his dream had failed. It may be hard to imagine any Governor who wouldn’t jump at the chance of becoming Prime Minister or President, but Lee was thinking of the good of his country. Read more …
Civic Nationalism & the Diaspora Question
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America’s inevitable future, according to civic nationalists.
East Asians who migrate to America have been seen historically as the “model minority,” so much so that Asians – and the country of Singapore – are both commonly cited as examples of civic nationalism “working.” It occurred to me that if there was ever a group of people who could be considered “naturally conservative,” that title would most certainly apply to Asians, long before it would apply to Hispanics. Read more …