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It's not just politically incorrect, it's also incorrect. Hong Kong was not setup as a place for the british to run, the british came in and controlled it. Ther

It's not just politically incorrect, it's also incorrect. Hong Kong was not setup as a place for the british to run, the british came in and controlled it. There's a difference - because the british were absolute law and order. There were not two voices. A more apt comparison would be suzhou. Areas of it were developed under singaporean authority. The singaporeans ended there with huge losses, and I don't think they are interested in doing such anymore. And singapore and china are relatively close culturally - if for example china were to setup cities in Africa, diaster would occur. You can see the same happening with current chinese ventures there: they are run and managed solely by chinese and employ chinese. I was watching a BBc documentary the other day about some chinese companies in Angola, and an Angolan man complained: "Why do they need to bring people from China here to drive trucks?" The answer is simple - if you have people from two different countries and two different cultures where one is driving a truck and the other is managing his work, then productivity will sink massively. A country administering a town in another country will be constantly beset by these cross-cultural problems. There will be conflicting interests, conflicting cultures and conflicting work attitudes. One side will resent the other, and instead of new booming towns, there will be wastage and empty buildings. The current system is better, where a country simply sends its people to build infrastructure and then walks away. Perhaps even build the entire physical infrstructure and buildings of a city, but the actual management has to be separate, I'd think.

tokenadult 16y ago
Thanks for mentioning the example of the Singapore zone in Suzhou. I had not previously heard of that, and its apparent initial failure is instructive. http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm Some more recent sources suggest that the relationship slogs on. http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm
- mickt 16y ago
  I find it interesting that the Wiki page on Suzhou make little mention of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzhou#Industry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzhou#Industry The whole page almost seems like a piece of PR.
sskates 16y ago
"If people are willing to live as legal or illegal immigrants, with rights that range from limited to none, then logically, they should be even more eager to move to a Romerplex, which would promise most of the economic gains of uprooting to another continent while allowing migrants to stay closer to their families and cultures." I think this is one of the stronger arguments- given that's it's better than living as an illegal immigrant in a far away nation, some people in their current living situation would choose this. I definitely agree with you that differences as a result of culture are huge and not to be underestimated. But a lot of these countries are clearly desperate enough to try stuff (similar the Green Revolution when India had problems with extreme hunger), and it's conceivable that this could work.
cturner 16y ago
The problems in Angola aren't cross-cultural, they're just cultural. Like a lot of Africa, there is no concept of good governance there. Starting up a business with locals would be a nightmare. If you were trying to remotely build a business in Angola, how would you avoid having it stripped bare by staff corruption? The politicians would use bullying to push the 'wrong' people away from applying for jobs there, and look for opportunities to make payoffs to get their people hired into the structure. Their people have grown and been fed by corruption, and would perpetuate the practice.
- maxklein 16y ago
  I think your comment is just horrible. You seem to be implying that African culture is simply more corrupt and somehow inferior, which is really not nice of you to say. "Starting up a business with locals would be a nightmare." I hate to be the one to break it to you, but many companies from many countries are successfully creating businesses in Africa. And they are getting rich at it. But people like you undermine the entire growth process of africa - because you just lump everything together into a single bundle, and then condemn it to be a place nobody should ever invest in. That's just horrible. The problems ARE cross-cultural. You know why? European & American companies trying to set up shop in Africa do indeed face the problems you are describing above (probably because they come in with your mindset), but south african companies are making billions selling goods to consumers. Things like satellite TVs, Mobile Phones, etc are making billions in profits, without it being 'stripped bare by staff corruption'. Why's that? It's because they understand the cultural issues and don't expect western style personal responsibility. Just like in china things have to be done the chinese way, in africa, things have to be done the african way. Those who know how to do it that way are making money in the continent with the highest growing GDP. People like you, however, who make these blanket statements about how it can never be improved and should never be invested in, should indeed stay out - but best of all would be if you don't discourage others from investing.
  - danssig 16y ago
    It is truly interesting how people from the west assume everywhere else is just an inferior or (when they wish to be more politically correct) "less developed" version of the west. It is just inconceivable that Asia, Africa, etc. might have different ways that are also valid and successful.

tokenadult 16y ago

Thanks for mentioning the example of the Singapore zone in Suzhou. I had not previously heard of that, and its apparent initial failure is instructive. http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm Some more recent sources suggest that the relationship slogs on. http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm http://www.singapore-window.org/suzhou.htm

mickt 16y ago
I find it interesting that the Wiki page on Suzhou make little mention of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzhou#Industry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzhou#Industry The whole page almost seems like a piece of PR.

sskates 16y ago

"If people are willing to live as legal or illegal immigrants, with rights that range from limited to none, then logically, they should be even more eager to move to a Romerplex, which would promise most of the economic gains of uprooting to another continent while allowing migrants to stay closer to their families and cultures." I think this is one of the stronger arguments- given that's it's better than living as an illegal immigrant in a far away nation, some people in their current living situation would choose this. I definitely agree with you that differences as a result of culture are huge and not to be underestimated. But a lot of these countries are clearly desperate enough to try stuff (similar the Green Revolution when India had problems with extreme hunger), and it's conceivable that this could work.

cturner 16y ago

The problems in Angola aren't cross-cultural, they're just cultural. Like a lot of Africa, there is no concept of good governance there. Starting up a business with locals would be a nightmare. If you were trying to remotely build a business in Angola, how would you avoid having it stripped bare by staff corruption? The politicians would use bullying to push the 'wrong' people away from applying for jobs there, and look for opportunities to make payoffs to get their people hired into the structure. Their people have grown and been fed by corruption, and would perpetuate the practice.

maxklein 16y ago
I think your comment is just horrible. You seem to be implying that African culture is simply more corrupt and somehow inferior, which is really not nice of you to say. "Starting up a business with locals would be a nightmare." I hate to be the one to break it to you, but many companies from many countries are successfully creating businesses in Africa. And they are getting rich at it. But people like you undermine the entire growth process of africa - because you just lump everything together into a single bundle, and then condemn it to be a place nobody should ever invest in. That's just horrible. The problems ARE cross-cultural. You know why? European & American companies trying to set up shop in Africa do indeed face the problems you are describing above (probably because they come in with your mindset), but south african companies are making billions selling goods to consumers. Things like satellite TVs, Mobile Phones, etc are making billions in profits, without it being 'stripped bare by staff corruption'. Why's that? It's because they understand the cultural issues and don't expect western style personal responsibility. Just like in china things have to be done the chinese way, in africa, things have to be done the african way. Those who know how to do it that way are making money in the continent with the highest growing GDP. People like you, however, who make these blanket statements about how it can never be improved and should never be invested in, should indeed stay out - but best of all would be if you don't discourage others from investing.
- danssig 16y ago
  It is truly interesting how people from the west assume everywhere else is just an inferior or (when they wish to be more politically correct) "less developed" version of the west. It is just inconceivable that Asia, Africa, etc. might have different ways that are also valid and successful.