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China's strength was never cheap labour. 1. Educated people (most former communist countries have fewer analphabets than the US) 2. Tons of people 3. Infrast

China's strength was never cheap labour. 1. Educated people (most former communist countries have fewer analphabets than the US) 2. Tons of people 3. Infrastructure and clustering. 4. The political will to move forward. You won't see this in Africa. India is possible but unlikely.

lostlogin 6y ago
> analphabet Illiterate. I initially thought it an amusing typo, and I haven’t missed the irony in not knowing the word. Thanks, I learned something.
- hlfy_hn 6y ago
  Sorry, I am not a native speaker.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - lostlogin 6y ago
    Don't be sorry. You taught a native speaker a new word.
hlfy_hn 6y ago
Nut sure why this is also downvoted. Feel free to disagree. I have a PhD in a STEM field and live in China. I think my opinion has some value.
- racecar789 6y ago
  It's a fine comment (and I learned a new word also). Take the down-votes in stride. Topics about China often stir-up strong political emotions.
- waterheater 6y ago
  Currently doing a PhD in a STEM field in the USA. I think your points are generally right but vastly oversimplifies the situation. >1. Educated people (most former communist countries have fewer analphabets than the US) Literacy != education. In the USA, we used to talk about the 3 R's: reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. That's the base level. I would equate education with higher-level thought processes developed in college. Re communist countries: yes, this is where communist control can be effective, but it also stifles creative thought (are you really sure the state's education regime is correct?) >2. Tons of people Certainly helpful, when used correctly. Definitely drives the cost of labor lower, though (simple supply-demand relationship). >3. Infrastructure and clustering. To an extent, sure, but the infrastructure development is more a consequence of the large amounts of people. Also, you get more bang for the buck when you build infrastructure there because so many people now live in population centers. >4. The political will to move forward. This is the primary point I would say is wrong. We have plenty of political will in the USA. However, we also have much clearer legal separation between private and public companies. The CCP holds a very different view on how private companies should exist. We in the USA theoretically can block companies from operating in certain countries, but we choose to not do so in most cases. Liberty is much more protected in the USA, which may hurt short term but works best long term. As to your projections: >won't see this in Africa I presently agree, but no one expected China to do as well as it has 50 years ago. >India is possible but unlikely As China and India continue their border clashes, they will grow more distant. I expect the West to align with India than China, given than Indian values more closely align with the West.
  - api 6y ago
    The political will to move forward is a great counterpoint to my original post, and I disagree that the USA has a lot of that. If anything the USA seems ruled by an entrenched political caste wedded deeply to old ideas and old ways of doing things and much too comfortable. A lot of people who don't ordinarily vote R voted for Trump in the hope that at least he'd shake some things up. (I didn't, but I can't blame them all that much.) Most of them are very disappointed and won't be voting for him again, but that leaves Biden who is yet another member of that same calcified political class. Maybe we just have to wait for them all to retire or die off. Sad, but might be true. People can continue to learn and grow as they age, but it seems like a lot of people choose not to. At some point they decide they know everything and are right about everything and they just stop there. I disagree about India though. India has loads of talent. They have corruption and other issues but so does China and so do we. Africa is further behind but I'm bullish on it over a long (25-50 year) time frame. Values and culture wise Africa is probably a lot closer to the USA than many people would imagine... or at least that's the impression I get. Africa seems to be slowly becoming politically stable, and political instability is historically the reason Africa has remained so dysfunctional. Who wants to invest in a place where the next perennial revolution might destroy everything?

lostlogin 6y ago

> analphabet Illiterate. I initially thought it an amusing typo, and I haven’t missed the irony in not knowing the word. Thanks, I learned something.

hlfy_hn 6y ago
Sorry, I am not a native speaker.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- lostlogin 6y ago
  Don't be sorry. You taught a native speaker a new word.

hlfy_hn 6y ago

Nut sure why this is also downvoted. Feel free to disagree. I have a PhD in a STEM field and live in China. I think my opinion has some value.

racecar789 6y ago
It's a fine comment (and I learned a new word also). Take the down-votes in stride. Topics about China often stir-up strong political emotions.
waterheater 6y ago
Currently doing a PhD in a STEM field in the USA. I think your points are generally right but vastly oversimplifies the situation. >1. Educated people (most former communist countries have fewer analphabets than the US) Literacy != education. In the USA, we used to talk about the 3 R's: reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. That's the base level. I would equate education with higher-level thought processes developed in college. Re communist countries: yes, this is where communist control can be effective, but it also stifles creative thought (are you really sure the state's education regime is correct?) >2. Tons of people Certainly helpful, when used correctly. Definitely drives the cost of labor lower, though (simple supply-demand relationship). >3. Infrastructure and clustering. To an extent, sure, but the infrastructure development is more a consequence of the large amounts of people. Also, you get more bang for the buck when you build infrastructure there because so many people now live in population centers. >4. The political will to move forward. This is the primary point I would say is wrong. We have plenty of political will in the USA. However, we also have much clearer legal separation between private and public companies. The CCP holds a very different view on how private companies should exist. We in the USA theoretically can block companies from operating in certain countries, but we choose to not do so in most cases. Liberty is much more protected in the USA, which may hurt short term but works best long term. As to your projections: >won't see this in Africa I presently agree, but no one expected China to do as well as it has 50 years ago. >India is possible but unlikely As China and India continue their border clashes, they will grow more distant. I expect the West to align with India than China, given than Indian values more closely align with the West.
- api 6y ago
  The political will to move forward is a great counterpoint to my original post, and I disagree that the USA has a lot of that. If anything the USA seems ruled by an entrenched political caste wedded deeply to old ideas and old ways of doing things and much too comfortable. A lot of people who don't ordinarily vote R voted for Trump in the hope that at least he'd shake some things up. (I didn't, but I can't blame them all that much.) Most of them are very disappointed and won't be voting for him again, but that leaves Biden who is yet another member of that same calcified political class. Maybe we just have to wait for them all to retire or die off. Sad, but might be true. People can continue to learn and grow as they age, but it seems like a lot of people choose not to. At some point they decide they know everything and are right about everything and they just stop there. I disagree about India though. India has loads of talent. They have corruption and other issues but so does China and so do we. Africa is further behind but I'm bullish on it over a long (25-50 year) time frame. Values and culture wise Africa is probably a lot closer to the USA than many people would imagine... or at least that's the impression I get. Africa seems to be slowly becoming politically stable, and political instability is historically the reason Africa has remained so dysfunctional. Who wants to invest in a place where the next perennial revolution might destroy everything?