--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was the year the British decided to…" description: "\"That was the year the British decided to get out and sell everything. So I immediately held an election. I knew the people will be dead scared. And I w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/lee-kuan-yew-3939_bigs_that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to_155763.jpg" --- # That was the year the British decided to get out and sell… ![“That was the year the British decided to get out and sell everything. So I immediately held an election. I knew the people will be dead scared. And I won my bet big-time. The gullible fools!” quote by Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/lee-kuan-yew-3939_bigs_that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to_155763.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/lee-kuan-yew-3939_bigs_that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to_155763.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/lee-kuan-yew-3939_bigs_that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to_155763.jpg) > “That was the year the British decided to get out and sell everything. So I immediately held an election. I knew the people will be dead scared. And I won my bet big-time. The gullible fools!” [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Manipulative leaders exploit fear to gain power, using elections as a façade while the populace remains terrified. **In simple terms:** Leaders exploit fear to gain power. Key Takeaway Question authority and demand accountability. Themes politics manipulation fear leadership Mood critical inspirational Type political philosophical When to use this quote - voting - civic engagement - media literacy - public discourse Key Concepts political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens resist fear‑based politics? - What safeguards protect democratic processes? A Different Perspective Fear can be a tool, but also a barrier to rational decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“... instead of trying to grapple with the implications of the story of empire, the British seem to have decided just to ignore it...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/instead-of-trying-to-grapple-with-the-implications-of-the-story-of/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [Don't do things just to impress others or just because you're scared you won't have any friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreja-pejic/don-t-do-things-just-to-impress-others-or-just-because-you-re-scared/) [Andreja Pejic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreja-pejic/) > [“I'm just scared I won't run as fast as I did my freshman year,' I admitted, choking back tears. Coach Woj looked at me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-rose-steil/i-m-just-scared-i-won-t-run-as-fast-as-i-did-my-freshman-year-i/) [Rachael Rose Steil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-rose-steil/) > [I feel like you can't be scared to try. You can't be scared to put your all into it, otherwise you won't see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-redd/i-feel-like-you-can-t-be-scared-to-try-you-can-t-be-scared-to-put/) [Chris Redd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-redd/) > [It's okay to be scared because if your not scared then you won't find love with the right person because finning love is scary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shar-rae/it-s-okay-to-be-scared-because-if-your-not-scared-then-you-won-t-find/) [Shar-rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shar-rae/) > [“don't be scared, don't be scared, you won't feel any pain there, you'll dream of squirrels abd rabbits, you'll have cows there, and Mefisto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/don-t-be-scared-don-t-be-scared-you-won-t-feel-any-pain-there-you-ll/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I'm scared of what I won't become, you're scared of what I will become. I know what is within me, even if you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendall-fithian/i-m-scared-of-what-i-won-t-become-you-re-scared-of-what-i-will-become/) [Kendall Fithian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendall-fithian/) > [“If you are inherently a good guy, which I think I am, you instinctively want to help people even before you know what their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-skinner/if-you-are-inherently-a-good-guy-which-i-think-i-am-you-instinctively/) [Dan Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-skinner/) > [Usually sociopaths will look down upon us for that very reason - that we're gullible. We're weak. One person told me that he thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/usually-sociopaths-will-look-down-upon-us-for-that-very-reason-that/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Gossip is a plague that consumes weak, gullible people and blinds them from the truth of reality; it can devour entire city's. I prefer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-spade/gossip-is-a-plague-that-consumes-weak-gullible-people-and-blinds-them/) [David Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-spade/) > [The only thing that can be expected from the next US president is more war, more murder, and more oppression of the gullible American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-only-thing-that-can-be-expected-from-the-next-us-president-is/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [I'm so gullible. I'm so damn gullible. And I am so sick of me being gullible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-turner/i-m-so-gullible-i-m-so-damn-gullible-and-i-am-so-sick-of-me-being/) [Lana Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-turner/) > [I was so gullible as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/i-was-so-gullible-as-a-kid/) [Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/) > [“Jichan looked surprised. "Nothing wrong with gullible. How you be happy if not gullible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-kadohata/jichan-looked-surprised-nothing-wrong-with-gullible-how-you-be-happy/) [Cynthia Kadohata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-kadohata/) > [Violence is fomented by the imposition of singular and belligerent identities on gullible people, championed by proficient artisans of terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/violence-is-fomented-by-the-imposition-of-singular-and-belligerent/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## More by Lee Kuan Yew > [“You know, the cure for all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government. You get that alternative and you'll never put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/you-know-the-cure-for-all-this-talk-is-really-a-good-dose-of/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/the-bell-curve-is-a-fact-of-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I'm not saying that everything I did was right, but everything I did was for an honourable purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-m-not-saying-that-everything-i-did-was-right-but-everything-i-did/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [If, for instance, you put in a Malay officer who's very religious and who has family ties in Malaysia in charge of a machine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/if-for-instance-you-put-in-a-malay-officer-who-s-very-religious-and/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Supposing Catherine Lim was writing about me and not the prime minister...She would not dare, right? Because my posture, my response has been such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/supposing-catherine-lim-was-writing-about-me-and-not-the-prime/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [You marry a non-graduate, then you are going to worry if your son or daughter is going to make it to the university.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/you-marry-a-non-graduate-then-you-are-going-to-worry-if-your-son-or/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [A leader without the vision, to strive to improve things, is no good. Then you will just stay put, you won't progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/a-leader-without-the-vision-to-strive-to-improve-things-is-no-good/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [India is scared of the competition... because Chinese goods will go into India and compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/india-is-scared-of-the-competition-because-chinese-goods-will-go-into/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I was a product of the times, the war, the occupation, the reoccupation, my 4 years in Britain, admiring but at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-was-a-product-of-the-times-the-war-the-occupation-the-reoccupation/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Three women were brought to the Singapore General Hospital, each in the same condition and needing a blood transfusion. The first, a Southeast Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/three-women-were-brought-to-the-singapore-general-hospital-each-in/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [What I fear is complacency. When things always become better, people tend to want more for less work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/what-i-fear-is-complacency-when-things-always-become-better-people/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I have said this on many a previous occasion: that had the mix in Singapore been different, had it been 75% Indians, 15% Malays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-have-said-this-on-many-a-previous-occasion-that-had-the-mix-in/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I have decided that we shall make and build and never give way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-have-decided-that-we-shall-make-and-build-and-never-give-way/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Nine holes of golf will take you one-and-a-half, two hours. I run in 20 minutes, I feel better off. So the cost benefit made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/nine-holes-of-golf-will-take-you-one-and-a-half-two-hours-i-run-in-20/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I don't think I made a conscious decision as a career choice. From my school days I had decided, persuaded by my parents, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-don-t-think-i-made-a-conscious-decision-as-a-career-choice-from-my/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) [Explore all 119 Lee Kuan Yew quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That was the year the British decided to get out and sell everything. So I immediately held an election. I knew the people will be dead scared. And I won my bet big-time. The gullible fools!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Kuan Yew" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to-get-out-and-sell-everything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to-get-out-and-sell-everything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/lee-kuan-yew-3939_bigs_that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to_155763.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/lee-kuan-yew-3939_bigs_that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to_155763.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/lee-kuan-yew-3939_bigs_that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to_155763.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That was the year the British decided to get out and sell everything. So I immediately held an election. I…” — Lee Kuan Yew", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lee Kuan Yew", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That was the year the British...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to-get-out-and-sell-everything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to-get-out-and-sell-everything/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```