Nov 11, 2008
No perfect political system
By Caryn Yeo
'The main lesson I take away from the history of financial crises, in particular the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the present crisis, is that 'Asian triumphalism' and western 'liberal historical determinism' are both not borne out by the empirical evidence,' said Mr Goh. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE
HONG KONG - NO ONE political system is the best for generating sustained economic growth, and the success of a country's economy does not rest on whether the governance is Asian-style or Western-style, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said on Tuesday night.
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Click here for the full speech
'Every country must find the political system that can deliver the goods, given its special and specific circumstances,' he said.
SM Goh was speaking at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre's annual dinner, where he delivered the keynote address to leaders from Hong Kong's government, business, academic and media sectors.
His speech comes against the grim backdrop of a worsening global economic downturn.
'The main lesson I take away from the history of financial crises, in particular the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the present crisis, is that 'Asian triumphalism' and western 'liberal historical determinism' are both not borne out by the empirical evidence,' said Mr Goh.
He cited two Asian giants - India and China - as examples of contrasting political traditions that have led to strong growth.
'India is sociologically an immensely more diverse country than China, and its political system reflects that complexity,' noted Mr Goh.
'It is not possible for India to adopt China's system any more than it is for China to adopt the Indian system. Their historical and cultural make-ups could not be more different. And while India's system imposes constraints on growth, China's system too has its own limitations. And for that matter, so do America's and Europe's, as the current financial crisis reminds us.'
'So the lesson is not that democracies are necessarily worse performers economically than authoritarian systems or vice versa. This would be a na�ve conclusion.'
Sustained growth is possible under different kinds of political systems, said SM Goh, but he added that all successful political systems share at least four broad attributes.
First, he said, there must be accountability and transparency.
Second, governments must have the capacity for long-term planning and execution, he said.
He listed social justice and harmony as the third attribute, and a culture of identifying and grooming talent for public service, whether in the political arena, bureaucracy or private sector as the fourth.
Mr Goh said the US would still emerge from the financial crisis the first among equals, but the global turmoil may may well accelerate the fundamental changes in the international order that rapid East Asian growth has already set in motion.
'We may well be seeing the birth of a multi-polar world,' said.
Giving his dinner audience food for thought, Mr Goh asked: 'Will the developed West admit successful East Asian economies into its exclusive club as equals? Or will it simply heighten discomfort which any change to the status quo may bring?'
Latest comments
No one best political system except the Singapore system?
Posted by: limchukang at Wed Nov 12 00:01:39 SGT 2008
Goh's theory of successful political systems -(1)accountability and transparency,(2) capacity for long-term planning and execution,(3) social justice and harmony and (4) culture of identifying and grooming talent.
Is he highlighting Spore's political system as possessing all these 4 successful qualities?
Not many think that no (1) goes far enough here. (3) the social division and rich-poor gaps are too wide to breach for any social harmony and (4) results in elites who have lost touch with realities and feelings from the ground.
Lastly Goh claims it would be naive to conclude`that democracies are necessarily worse performers economically than authoritarian systems or vice versa'. I am not sure what we are.
Posted by: anghwahong at Tue Nov 11 22:09:52 SGT 2008
No perfect political system
By Caryn Yeo
'The main lesson I take away from the history of financial crises, in particular the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the present crisis, is that 'Asian triumphalism' and western 'liberal historical determinism' are both not borne out by the empirical evidence,' said Mr Goh. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE
HONG KONG - NO ONE political system is the best for generating sustained economic growth, and the success of a country's economy does not rest on whether the governance is Asian-style or Western-style, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said on Tuesday night.
RELATED LINKS
Click here for the full speech
'Every country must find the political system that can deliver the goods, given its special and specific circumstances,' he said.
SM Goh was speaking at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre's annual dinner, where he delivered the keynote address to leaders from Hong Kong's government, business, academic and media sectors.
His speech comes against the grim backdrop of a worsening global economic downturn.
'The main lesson I take away from the history of financial crises, in particular the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the present crisis, is that 'Asian triumphalism' and western 'liberal historical determinism' are both not borne out by the empirical evidence,' said Mr Goh.
He cited two Asian giants - India and China - as examples of contrasting political traditions that have led to strong growth.
'India is sociologically an immensely more diverse country than China, and its political system reflects that complexity,' noted Mr Goh.
'It is not possible for India to adopt China's system any more than it is for China to adopt the Indian system. Their historical and cultural make-ups could not be more different. And while India's system imposes constraints on growth, China's system too has its own limitations. And for that matter, so do America's and Europe's, as the current financial crisis reminds us.'
'So the lesson is not that democracies are necessarily worse performers economically than authoritarian systems or vice versa. This would be a na�ve conclusion.'
Sustained growth is possible under different kinds of political systems, said SM Goh, but he added that all successful political systems share at least four broad attributes.
First, he said, there must be accountability and transparency.
Second, governments must have the capacity for long-term planning and execution, he said.
He listed social justice and harmony as the third attribute, and a culture of identifying and grooming talent for public service, whether in the political arena, bureaucracy or private sector as the fourth.
Mr Goh said the US would still emerge from the financial crisis the first among equals, but the global turmoil may may well accelerate the fundamental changes in the international order that rapid East Asian growth has already set in motion.
'We may well be seeing the birth of a multi-polar world,' said.
Giving his dinner audience food for thought, Mr Goh asked: 'Will the developed West admit successful East Asian economies into its exclusive club as equals? Or will it simply heighten discomfort which any change to the status quo may bring?'
Latest comments
No one best political system except the Singapore system?
Posted by: limchukang at Wed Nov 12 00:01:39 SGT 2008
Goh's theory of successful political systems -(1)accountability and transparency,(2) capacity for long-term planning and execution,(3) social justice and harmony and (4) culture of identifying and grooming talent.
Is he highlighting Spore's political system as possessing all these 4 successful qualities?
Not many think that no (1) goes far enough here. (3) the social division and rich-poor gaps are too wide to breach for any social harmony and (4) results in elites who have lost touch with realities and feelings from the ground.
Lastly Goh claims it would be naive to conclude`that democracies are necessarily worse performers economically than authoritarian systems or vice versa'. I am not sure what we are.
Posted by: anghwahong at Tue Nov 11 22:09:52 SGT 2008
