4 ms·
> To develop the third world, it might be more informative to look at the postwar trajectories of Japan, Singapore, Korea, and of course China. That's the exac
by CaptArmchair 4y ago
> To develop the third world, it might be more informative to look at the postwar trajectories of Japan, Singapore, Korea, and of course China.
That's the exact sentence, and it doesn't sit right with me for three distinct reasons.
First, it can be read as an an implication: "these 4 countries where part of the "third world" and now aren't given their post-war trajectory." which ignores the history of those 4 nations long before WWII or Western involvement.
Second, makes the same a-historical mistake by assuming that the particular path followed by those nations can readily be transposed towards other regions in the world.
Third, it's a take that ignores the agency other cultures and peoples have to carve out their own place in the world. Moreover, many of the problems in the so-called global south are a direct result of this exact thinking. Countless cultures and ways of living have disappeared over the past 2 centuries because it.
- biorach 4y agoI think you're reading far too much into it.
- CaptArmchair 4y agoI don't think so.
- pjc50 4y agoThe good old HN incredibly adversarial reading of a single sentence. It was in reply to "those lessons can be applied to help developing nations follow the same trajectory to development", which does indeed embed the assumption of both a trajectory and that help is being imposed from outside. > makes the same a-historical mistake by assuming that the particular path followed by those nations can readily be transposed towards other regions in the world I put "might" in there for a reason. It also might not. It seems like something that might be worth investigating rather than dismissing? If that kind of development is your goal, of course. And it comes with its own assumptions and disadvantages. > Moreover, many of the problems in the so-called global south are a direct result of this exact thinking. Countless cultures and ways of living have disappeared over the past 2 centuries because it. Unable to parse antecedant of "this"; colonialism? Western involvement? Copying other countries? But I'm not sure it's worth replying in this kind of environment.