"It is a soft, forgiving culture. Only in the Philippines could a leader like Ferdinand Marcos, who pillaged his country for over 20 years, still be considered for a national burial. Insignificant amounts of the loot have been recovered, yet his wife and children were allowed to return and engage in politics."
When you make the top takeaway "political stability," isn't that kind of...exactly what an authoritarian will be excited to point to when he argues for a third/fourth/life term in power? Maybe it's not that this isn't economically important, it's that the obvious flip side of how this argument has been deployed in the real world is given short shrift.
You might want to mention that its electronics exports are larger than the entire GDP's of 90% of countries in Africa. Or that it's the 2nd largest producer of nickel (essential for electric vehicles). And that its BPO industry employs about 1.5 million people and generates revenues equal to Bangladesh's garment industry (~$30 billion each year). Or that it produces more accounting and STEM graduates than Mexico, and about equal to Poland. Or that its percentage of university graduates in STEM is higher than 90% of countries in Europe.
Yeah, you have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to the Philippines if you don't even mention the coups that take place every new election. Why make a point about political stability without mentioning this? Your last paragraph just comes across as utopian nonsense.
Hi Noah. Great article on a probably under-focused on area! Somewhat unrelated question here: the chart on growth in Asia countries GDP peaked my interest. I couldn’t find the exact same data for Latin America, but I am assuming the growth is slower (although these economies are probably larger than the southeast Asian countries). Wondering if you think the US could be doing more to invest in our geographic neighborhood akin to what China seems to be doing. Thinking from a China vs. US perspective, but it may also be this is just good for the US to do in a vacuum. Thanks!
I'm about to start reading Studwell’s How Asia Works. His comments on the Philippines really seem off the mark. I recently read the Park Chung Hee Era, Noah could you recommend a similar book on Japan?
Question - where do you get these Exports and Destinations data from? (Not questioning data--I like the charts)
"It is a soft, forgiving culture. Only in the Philippines could a leader like Ferdinand Marcos, who pillaged his country for over 20 years, still be considered for a national burial. Insignificant amounts of the loot have been recovered, yet his wife and children were allowed to return and engage in politics."
— Lee Kuan Yew
When you make the top takeaway "political stability," isn't that kind of...exactly what an authoritarian will be excited to point to when he argues for a third/fourth/life term in power? Maybe it's not that this isn't economically important, it's that the obvious flip side of how this argument has been deployed in the real world is given short shrift.
You might want to mention that its electronics exports are larger than the entire GDP's of 90% of countries in Africa. Or that it's the 2nd largest producer of nickel (essential for electric vehicles). And that its BPO industry employs about 1.5 million people and generates revenues equal to Bangladesh's garment industry (~$30 billion each year). Or that it produces more accounting and STEM graduates than Mexico, and about equal to Poland. Or that its percentage of university graduates in STEM is higher than 90% of countries in Europe.
ctrl+F "coup", 0 results
Yeah, you have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to the Philippines if you don't even mention the coups that take place every new election. Why make a point about political stability without mentioning this? Your last paragraph just comes across as utopian nonsense.
Hi Noah. Great article on a probably under-focused on area! Somewhat unrelated question here: the chart on growth in Asia countries GDP peaked my interest. I couldn’t find the exact same data for Latin America, but I am assuming the growth is slower (although these economies are probably larger than the southeast Asian countries). Wondering if you think the US could be doing more to invest in our geographic neighborhood akin to what China seems to be doing. Thinking from a China vs. US perspective, but it may also be this is just good for the US to do in a vacuum. Thanks!
See 4.3 here Reddell Hypothesis. It relates to NZ as an isolated country that kept adding population.
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2014-04/twp14-10.pdf
It's as Adam Smith said: peace, easy taxes, and tolerable administration of justice.
I'm about to start reading Studwell’s How Asia Works. His comments on the Philippines really seem off the mark. I recently read the Park Chung Hee Era, Noah could you recommend a similar book on Japan?
Great article. Very interesting. Thank you.
Interesting articles in The Atlantic by James Fallows years ago; I don't know if the country is still run like a family business.
Wait, Indonesia doesn't have 10k gdp per capita nor does Vietnam have 8k. Am I retarded or is your y-axis wrong?