MetaFilter posts tagged with China and development

echoes

kliuless — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 10:40:34 -0800

A brief history of the Chinese growth model [note: not so brief] - "the Chinese development model is an old one, and can trace its roots at least as far back as the 'American System' of the 1820s and 1830s. This 'system' was itself based primarily on the works of the brilliant first US Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton..."

The American System was developed in opposition to the then-dominant economic theories of Adam Smith and David Ricardo, in part because classic British economic theory seemed to imply that reductions in wages were positive for economic growth by making manufacturing more competitive in the international markets. A main focus of the American System, however, was... Sustaining high wages... thereby both driving productivity growth and creating a large domestic consumption market for American producers...

First U.S. Bank Regulations May Look Strikingly Familiar - "One hundred fifty years ago, the U.S. was two years into a brutal Civil War. The financial cost left the federal government under enormous stress, leading to a result no one had imagined: the first modern system of bank regulation." more from Echoes: -Why the Founding Fathers Loved the National Debt -Piracy and Fraud Propelled the U.S. Industrial Revolution -The British Bank That Forever Altered the U.S. Economy -Founding Father of the Quants Was Revolutionary Marxist also btw... Casualties of Credit: The English Financial Revolution, 1620-1720

Modern credit, developed during the financial revolution of 1620–1720, laid the foundation for England's political, military, and economic dominance in the eighteenth century. Possessed of a generally circulating credit currency, a modern national debt, and sophisticated financial markets, England developed a fiscal-military state that instilled fear in its foes and facilitated the first industrial revolution. Yet a number of casualties followed in the wake of this new system of credit. Not only was it precarious and prone to accidents, but it depended on trust, public opinion, and ultimately violence.

Economic Development in the Americas since 1500: Endowments and Institutions

Relative to the baseline provided by Canada and the Northern United States, the most important institutional divergences of the Caribbean and Latin America that they see come in the areas of suffrage, education, and land policy... institutional trajectories once embarked upon became very difficult to change... The political power of the entrenched and unequal elite simply turned out to be too great. This is a brilliant book, an example of what economic historians do best--better than non-economic historians, and better than non-historical economists.

In a sympathetic biochemical photo-reactive process, the Biosphere has altered the litho-sphere into the pedosphere, the cryo-sphere, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere*

infinite intimation — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:10:17 -0800

The Loess Plateau in China’s Northwest is home to more than 50 million people. Centuries of overuse led to one of the highest erosion rates in the world and widespread poverty. Two projects (results) set out to restore the Loess Plateau. This documentary suggests that it is possible to rehabilitate large-scale damaged ecosystems, to restore ecosystem functions in areas where they have been lost, to fundamentally improve the lives of people who have been trapped in poverty for generations and to sequester carbon naturally. Here speaking at the 20th Richard Jones Memorial Lecture 2011, John D. Liu compares ecosystem function with economic production of wealth 'generated' by production and consumption of goods and services, suggesting a fundamental rethinking of the human economy, he looks back on his career, and discusses his involvement with various environmental restoration projects seeking to return power to the hands of people locally, empowerment which facilitates changes that have global impacts.

In To Africa

kliuless — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:11:25 -0800

A Glimpse of the World
All across Africa, new tracks are being laid, highways built, ports deepened, commercial contracts signed -- all on an unprecedented scale, and led by China, whose appetite for commodities seems insatiable. Do China's grand designs promise the transformation, at last, of a star-crossed continent? Or merely its exploitation? The author travels deep into the heart of Africa, searching for answers. World Bank unit to finance Chinese Africa venture The World Bank's private sector arm has signed its first deal to finance Chinese investment in Africa, a move it hopes will help to discourage violations of human rights and environmental standards. China Expands Naval Power to Waters U.S. Dominates China wants warships to escort vessels crucial to the country’s economy, from the Pacific to the Middle East. Report: China To Overtake U.S. As World's Biggest Asshole By 2020 According to a new report released Monday by a panel of top economists and social scientists, the People's Republic of China will overtake the United States as the world's dominant asshole by the year 2020. China Has all Their Eggs in Our Basket The main theme of this second conversation is which country has the leverage over the other, via China's enormous loans to and investments in the United States. Ma and I see this more or less the same way -- but in quite a different way from what you'd think based on mainstream coverage of the topic or, especially, US talk shows or political speeches. Wham-O Moves to America Wham-O moving its production of Frisbees, hula hoops and pool noodles from China to the U.S. is reverse colonialism. Does that mean, as Americans, we're going to have to put our own antifreeze in our toothpaste? Civil Liberties: Learning from China Here's the point of comparison between the impending Arizona situation and China: it's no fun knowing -- as citizen and foreigner alike know in China, and as Hispanic-looking people in Arizona soon will -- that you can be asked to show proof of your legality at an official's whim. But if it's sobering to think that the closest analogy to a new U.S. legal situation is daily life in Communist China, we should also look on the bright side. With some notable and serious exceptions, I typically did not see Chinese police asking for papers on a whim. Usually something had to happen first. Maybe soon the Chinese State Security apparatus can travel to Arizona and give lectures to local police and sheriffs. They can explain how to avoid going crazy with a new power that so invites abuse. "Civil Liberties: Learning from China" can be the name of the course. Ethan Zuckerman's China and Africa Bookmarks

American declinism

kliuless — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:34:17 -0800

The End of Influence - the latest in a long series documenting the US' relative decline (esp wrt China 1 2 3 4 5) Brad DeLong and Stephen Cohen reflect on what has brought us to our past, but now fast-fading glory: "Roosevelt's strategy [entering WW2] was to make Britain broke before American taxpayers' money was committed in any way to the fight against Hitler." Before delving into our present predicament, however, it might also be useful to briefly consider some of the lessons from Bretton Woods and what the wealth of nations is really built upon.

George Soros on the Way Forward

kliuless — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:42:21 -0800

Soros lectures
You can slog through the video, but I preferred the transcripts 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 + to me, it started off rather abstract* (admittedly on his part) and slow (covered ground; note soros tag) and doesn't really get interesting until 3 -- "The event that forced me to thoroughly reconsider the concept of open society was the re-election of President Bush..." [altho he can get a bit arrogant ("even I, who discovered—or invented—reflexivity, failed to recognize...")] -- and gets better from there... so i'd skip to that if you're so inclined :P kinda previously... and btw, as a bonus, also see... - Why Do We Hate? - What Makes a Nation Rich? - How Much Is Enough? - What the U.S. Long Bond Market Is Telling Us (cf.) - The G20 in 2050 (viz.) - Rare earth: The New Great Game [1,2,3,4,5,6] --- *in fleshing out his concept of reflexivity he goes thru (among other things and in other words) descriptive vs. prescriptive (or normative) theories, instrumental rationality and empiricism, false thinking and truthiness, the law of unintended consequences, &c. so if you're into that sort of stuff... have at it!

A whole new China

wundermint — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:39:11 -0800

A couple recent documentaries have accurately shown how China is changing and developing at lightning speed. The People's Republic of Capitalism speaks mainly of China's all-consuming economic growth and its ramifications. I was riveted by Frontline's Young and Restless in China and Frontline World: Jesus in China. These show the struggles of the Chinese to keep up with the changes, deal with their hypocritical government and define their beliefs in a society still riddled with corruption.

Something rotten in the state of Han

Abiezer — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 05:03:27 -0800

Corruption Threatens China's Future In a new report for the Carnegie Foundation, Pei Minxin offers an estimate that official corruption in China may cost as much as USD86bln each year - 0.65 percent of GDP and more than the education budget. He calls for economic and political reform; his critics might say no surprise there.

Mountain Voices

plep — Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:10:47 -0800

Mountain Voices. 'This website presents interviews with over 300 people who live in mountain and highland regions round the world. Their testimonies offer a personal perspective on change and development.'

China's great divide

Tlogmer — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:29:41 -0800

In China's newly wealthy cities, a research boom is starting. In parts of the countryside, the rivers are black and too toxic to touch.