tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post3469944804395168275..comments2023-05-28T04:22:47.348-07:00Comments on Molly the Explorer: A Talk with Kishore MahbubaniMollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18363163821500740866noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-92138515241005603452010-10-27T09:44:28.741-07:002010-10-27T09:44:28.741-07:00Thanks Molly, I think I might check out his book. ...Thanks Molly, I think I might check out his book. And I'll try to make more focused points in the future.Aaron L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15067593077688241997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-41333196631839150942010-10-26T18:30:44.527-07:002010-10-26T18:30:44.527-07:00Aaron - I think you definitely bring up credible p...Aaron - I think you definitely bring up credible points. It's true that it's ironic how Mr. Mahbubhani emphasizes the 7 pillars of western wisdom as the cause for Asia's rise while he also maintains that the East has been the dominant power for most of world history. If you are interested, you should read his book, as I'm sure he makes much more nuanced points about the topic, whereas I am just providing a very concise summary.Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18363163821500740866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-76098476390300519392010-10-26T17:23:17.119-07:002010-10-26T17:23:17.119-07:00Sorry for spamming the wall. My night-writing look...Sorry for spamming the wall. My night-writing looked like gibberish. The gist of my view is that Mahbubhani is taking a Western-biased and neoliberal stance, which ignores how wealth is created and concentrated. His description of power as simply changing hands over time through anomalous events lacks persuasion, especially when historical records can show how, for example, the British losses during the World Wars made maintenance of their empire an impossibility. I would like to see more scientific reasoning needs to be applied. Also, his point about Pillars of Western Wisdom, basically a plug for the Free Market, is historically inaccurate. I would recommend Ha-Joon Chang, an economist from Cambridge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-ojv5-b3U . I think his logic is sound.Aaron L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15067593077688241997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-39590506037274007872010-10-26T07:36:26.351-07:002010-10-26T07:36:26.351-07:00Ben - what do you mean that China is actually more...Ben - what do you mean that China is actually more capitalist if it nationalizes its whole economy? Wouldn't that make it more socialist? It's really cool that you got to meet Mr. Mahbubhani though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-79588589777549511702010-10-25T19:36:21.500-07:002010-10-25T19:36:21.500-07:00I grew up with people crying all around me, "...I grew up with people crying all around me, "It's the century of the Chinese! It's the century of the Chinese!"<br /><br />I HATED it. The way it is spoken, it's like the Chinese are dominating the world, and that kind of scared me, and also I couldn't help thinking, "What about Koreans, damn it? And poor Americans!"<br /><br />But honestly, I think there isn't really gonna be a clear dominance. This world is getting flatter and flatter, and while rivalry between countries are getting stiffer and stiffer, the world has become such that there will be a balanced global dependence on each other. At least, that's what I hope. I'm sick of "eras".<br /><br />Though...the fact that that guy lived through the fall of the British colonial empire, the Cold War era, and the rise of America...is kinda cool.Sophia Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12236166426783533916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-32196532363126328362010-10-24T22:47:14.829-07:002010-10-24T22:47:14.829-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Aaron L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15067593077688241997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-28941216496959826102010-10-24T22:46:47.602-07:002010-10-24T22:46:47.602-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Aaron L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15067593077688241997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-38839409721491407672010-10-24T11:38:35.366-07:002010-10-24T11:38:35.366-07:00As a response to Aaron - I don't think you are...As a response to Aaron - I don't think you are accurate when you mention that only a few people are actually gaining power. While it's true that many people at lower economic levels are hurt by modernization (think of destroying homes to build skyscrapers), there is a definite rise of the middle class in China, and they have a growing economic power. Many more people are demanding cars, electronics, washing machines; more people have access to the internet. More people are becoming college-educated and have opportunities to study or work abroad. China is increasingly aware of its role in the world. The rest of Asia is experiencing a similar phenomenon. When you have a continent of a huge population of people starting to rise to the same living standards as the West, it will be difficult to not see any shifts of political or military power.<br /><br />Also, I don't understand your point about how the U.S. and Britain didn't follow the 7 pillars? In what way?Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18363163821500740866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-33171673479375540372010-10-24T07:38:53.881-07:002010-10-24T07:38:53.881-07:00I actually briefly met Mr. Mahbubani once; he seem...I actually briefly met Mr. Mahbubani once; he seemed like a nice fellow. The rise of East Asian nations has been very dramatic. It's amazing to think that Korea 50 years ago was in the bottom 20 economies if the world. At one point they were so poor they were receiving emergency food aid from countries like Vietnam and Laos. Now they're in the G20. It's also interesting to think how much China is going to grow as well. When I went there with my mom, she remarked how similar China is now to how Korea was about 20 years ago. I imagine that in 20 years China will be a full-fledged industrialized nation rivaling the U.S. <br />I also liked Mahbubani's point about Asia's adaptation of free market economies. I would argue that China is actually more capitalist than the U.S. China nationalizes its entire industry, whereas the U.S. only nationalizes its failing ones (GM, Amtrak, etc.) As history has shown, the big world powers fall not because of military defeat, but because of economic collapse. Unless the U.S. makes some big changes regarding the national debt, I think it's only a matter of time before we succumb to what the Soviets and the British Empire went through.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10495359057572239321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299260399530805012.post-45782984275107384362010-10-23T17:58:57.260-07:002010-10-23T17:58:57.260-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Aaron L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15067593077688241997noreply@blogger.com