Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan

AJ asks:

Neoliberalism works in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. They are rated as the freest economies by the Heritage Foundation. No starvation or shantytowns there. 

First of all, I would never read anything that the Heritage Foundation says about anything, nor would I trust any of their scales, which are probably rigged so that rich countries mysteriously end up with the “freest economies” and poor countries somehow end up with the “least free” economies. Anyway, capitalism can definitely create wealth. Anyone knows that. The post asked why it can’t do stuff like feed people, educate them, give them medical care, give them decent clothes and housing, transportation and full unemployment. Obviously, neoclassical economics is a complete disaster as far as all that goes. Hong Kong is full of the most horrible shantytowns that lack even the most basic services. It’s truly awful. Singapore is a social democracy. Plus it has very heavy state involvement in the economy (corporatist), unless I am mistaken. Taiwan is another state in which the state is heavily involved in working with industry to plan the development of the capitalist economy. This is the corporatist model that is typical in that region. South Korea and Japan area also corporatist states. Taiwan appears to be a social democracy. They also did a huge land reform in the early days. In addition, their economic growth was predicated on decades of protectionism as they used trade barriers to protect their nascent industry from foreign competition. Neoliberalism is opposed to land reform, social democracy in any and all forms, protectionism and trade barriers, and in particular to corporatism. Even if those countries were running according to the neoliberal model (and it’s not clear if they are), one must ask why it is succeeding there and failing everywhere else.

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5 thoughts on “Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan”

  1. Neoliberalism works in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. They are rated as the freest economies by the Heritage Foundation. No starvation or shantytowns there.
    I know someone who tried to open a chewing gum factory in Singapore. it was a no go.
    Doesn’t singapore still cane people?

  2. Robert Lindsay, maybe the index isnt “rigged” but simply the richest countries are rated as the freest economically because they are. Economic freedom=prosperity. Thats why the richest countries are also the most economically free.

    1. It’s rigged. 3rd World countries with virtually no government whatsoever rank way down in the list. I think Finland ranks high. WTF. Finland is socialist. It doesn’t make sense. What the Hell is economic freedom anyway? What does it mean? If it means what I think it means, then they can fuckin have it. They can take their prosperity and shove it up their asses. I don’t want it.

  3. To Rob:
    They can take their prosperity and shove it up their asses.
    I hear that’s popular among some wealthy people in the SF Bay Area.

  4. SINGAPORE SUCKS.YOU CAN’T CHEW GUMS,THEY’RE BANNED.YOU WILL BE FINED IF YOU LITTER OR SPIT IN PUBLIC PLACES.Caning meted out for heinous crimes such as rape or attempted murder.No electric chair here,only hanging.Once my classmate made a ‘rocket’ out of old sparklers and he was caught by the police -__- firecrackers are banned here.I feel like a caged bird here.You can’t showcase your talents as well-__-

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