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This seems to be an issue with USA where the only infrastructural things seems to be mounting debt. China was building roads, rail and metros like crazy in the

This seems to be an issue with USA where the only infrastructural things seems to be mounting debt. China was building roads, rail and metros like crazy in the last 20 years. Moscow has got second metro ring and some highways are finally materializing. India probably has it all in the future as it is not satiated capital-wise. Buying a spare apartment for your children does not seem out of reach for many people, so their children do not have to ever cope with debt trap or face possibility of eviction. The West does indeed seem to be in a spending ideology crisis but it is not that relevant anymore.

eru 2y ago
Singapore for example is doing just fine in that regard, and is definitely part of the 'west'. Russia is currently in a big war that destroys a lot of accumulated capital. So I wouldn't exactly take them as a prime example of good stewardship. And even the much maligned US is doing just fine. It's just that their public infrastructure isn't doing as well as they should (for various governance reasons), but most private investment is holding up well. Their private sector is still the envy of the world; their public stock markets are still about as valuable as the rest of the world's combined.
- seoulmetro 2y ago
  Singapore isn't a part of the concept of "the West"...
  - eru 2y ago
    Why not? Singapore is firmly embedded in global markets, follows western models of rule of law and market economics, western culture, etc. The whole point of Singapore's model is to be a deliberate outpost of the west in South East Asia. (And if you want to talk about geography: Australia is further east and south than Singapore, but is typically counted as part of 'the west', too.)
    - seoulmetro 2y ago
      Because they are a country of majority non-European decent and proliferation? Their population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian and other. None of these are Western nations by the definition. Japan isn't Western either, although it is probably the most "the West" nation in all of Asia. >The whole point of Singapore's model is to be a deliberate outpost of the west in South East Asia. Not since handover from the British... The whole point of Singapore is to be a country founded on good execution with little resources and amazing cohesion.
      - eru 2y ago
        > Because they are a country of majority non-European decent and proliferation? Their population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian and other. None of these are Western nations by the definition. Hmm, ok.. But then your earlier comment seemed to count Russia as no-western, despite them being European?
        seoulmetro 2y ago
        Russia is Western. I didn't say otherwise.
seoulmetro 2y ago
Yeah I think there is some problem with the scaling of democratic processes combined with capitalism. Either that or we just all lost our sense of belonging through something like globalisation and it's showing by our lack of incentive to build for each other. It's a real shame but it's definitely, like you said, something that seems to only be affecting the new me-first culture of the West.

eru 2y ago

Singapore for example is doing just fine in that regard, and is definitely part of the 'west'. Russia is currently in a big war that destroys a lot of accumulated capital. So I wouldn't exactly take them as a prime example of good stewardship. And even the much maligned US is doing just fine. It's just that their public infrastructure isn't doing as well as they should (for various governance reasons), but most private investment is holding up well. Their private sector is still the envy of the world; their public stock markets are still about as valuable as the rest of the world's combined.

seoulmetro 2y ago
Singapore isn't a part of the concept of "the West"...
- eru 2y ago
  Why not? Singapore is firmly embedded in global markets, follows western models of rule of law and market economics, western culture, etc. The whole point of Singapore's model is to be a deliberate outpost of the west in South East Asia. (And if you want to talk about geography: Australia is further east and south than Singapore, but is typically counted as part of 'the west', too.)
  - seoulmetro 2y ago
    Because they are a country of majority non-European decent and proliferation? Their population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian and other. None of these are Western nations by the definition. Japan isn't Western either, although it is probably the most "the West" nation in all of Asia. >The whole point of Singapore's model is to be a deliberate outpost of the west in South East Asia. Not since handover from the British... The whole point of Singapore is to be a country founded on good execution with little resources and amazing cohesion.
    - eru 2y ago
      > Because they are a country of majority non-European decent and proliferation? Their population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian and other. None of these are Western nations by the definition. Hmm, ok.. But then your earlier comment seemed to count Russia as no-western, despite them being European?
      - seoulmetro 2y ago
        Russia is Western. I didn't say otherwise.

seoulmetro 2y ago

Yeah I think there is some problem with the scaling of democratic processes combined with capitalism. Either that or we just all lost our sense of belonging through something like globalisation and it's showing by our lack of incentive to build for each other. It's a real shame but it's definitely, like you said, something that seems to only be affecting the new me-first culture of the West.