Please help me with a sentence!?

I came across the following sentence when I was reading an article about Singaporean former leader Lee Kuan Yew:

Contradicting Lee became synonymous with being disloyal to Singapore, so hermetic was the identification between man and principality.

I can't figure out the latter part of the sentence:"so hermetic was the identification between man and principality."

Can anyone help me paraphrase it? thank you so much.

Please help me with a sentence!?
Hermetic refers to something that is "sealed or fused so that it is air-tight".



It means that Lee was viewed as being the same thing as Singapore.
Reply:Because Lee was disloyal to Singapore, that identified the distinct line between man and his principles.
Reply:her·met·ic

1. made airtight by fusion or sealing.

2. not affected by outward influence or power; isolated.

3. (sometimes initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of occult science, esp. alchemy.

4. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to Hermes Trismegistus or the writings ascribed to him.



Literally 'so hermetic was the identification between man and principality' means that any criticism directed at Lee Kuan Yew was also directed at Singapore since they (he and Singapore) were seen as one and the same. That could make the criticism seem treasonous or disloyal if it came from within the country. Understandably this meant that noone wanted to criticise or contradict him.