THE BIG QUESTION -WHAT CAUSES GROWTH AND PROSPERITY
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1
Why is Japan
rich when just a small island with few natural
resources?
Modern Kyoto, 300 miles from Tokyo
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2
South Africa is growing as a nation but why are
its native people poor and under-empowered
despite a wealth of mineral resources?
Soweto slum near Johannesburg, South Africa |
3
What is the future for other countries, now
copying these and others' systems?
(below, l.-r.) Development in Singapore- old
Singapore; the ultra-modern Financial Centre;
the new skyline;
Singapore's new direction -to link to the world
through the exploitation of trade routes and
ultimately self-empowerment through the growth
of native industries including electronics.
January 2011
Global Water Group in Singapore water recycling
project-
'This is the ‘greenest’ wastewater treatment
system ever made'
See also
Singapore economy overview,
CountryStudies overview
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| CONCEPTS OF GROWTH |
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When studying other countries' progress in
political, sociological and (perhaps most
importantly) economic terms, we start to see patterns emerge, like eternal
laws which govern how countries change through
time and which matter however they are
structured and whether they have saleable
resources or not... |
Added Value is the direct equivalent of
governments recognising their people's attitude
towards development then communicating this to
investors who matter, whether foreign
governments or private companies.
This can be through resources, trade, investment
(especially from foreign sources) or educational
levels leading to technical and productive
efficiency -the latter is by far the most
profitable method for sustainable growth. |
The concepts of growth expose Africa's inefficiency and
historical attitude towards
legitimate business and production -infighting and
alienation, a simplistic attitude towards life,
and a lack of vision.
Key characteristics of African behaviour in the
past have included (links on this site)-
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Permanent tribal rivalries suggesting that quality of life
lies in communal living rather than progress
-change is resisted due to selfish reasons. This
includes theft only for short-term gain.
AFRICAN
MENTALITY/AFRICAN
CORRUPTION
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Skills not being imported for the national ideal,
as they were originally empowered, as in Korea
and Japan -the
best people are exported and often remain where
they emigrate to. In other words, they destroy
the supply chain which they could create in
their own lands.
AFRICAN EDUCATION
-
Goods are bought only when introduced -ie there
was never a native market which would have given
an incentive for local production.
AFRICAN
INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CONTRIBUTION
TO TRADE
PROGRESS AND ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY
SEE
'TRADE ORIGINS' SECTION ON AFRICA PAGE ON THIS SITE
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Concepts In Action |
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SEE SUPERIOR ACADEMIC
OVERVIEW OF
GDP GROWTH ACROSS THE PLANET AND
THROUGH THE CENTURIES
(PDF ON THIS SITE)
INDUSTRY
(r. Japan paves the way in robotics research
-pictured, 'Geminoid')
Research carried out at
Intelligent Robotics
Laboratory, Osaka
7th April 2011
(r.)
Japanese scientists succeed in growing retina
from stem cells -a world first (UK Daily
Mail)
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(below)
Japanese factories have been legendary for their
efficiency -but ultimately derived from British
and American models
(see
Oxford Journals report on Japan's industrial
history)(PDF),
also
traveller's blog post
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RESOURCES
Malaysia
initially grew through its formidable natural
rubber industry then via a strong government
push focussed on (1)investment, (2)higher
education, and now other products including
mass-produced electronics.
Recognition of
natural resources and acceptance of FDI progressed to a manufacturing base
(Wikipedia)
(r.) The tallest buildings in the world from
1998-2004, Petronas towers, Kuala Lumpur
Economic overview for selected South East Asian
nations (PDF) |
(r.)
Malaysia rubber plantation, around 1900 -workers
are originally uneducated and lack spending
power but resources attract investment due to
workers' POTENTIAL worth
(below r.) Modern Malaysian electronics industry
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Malaysia's native population has a strong work ethic
and it is inevitable that given further
resources they will-
(a) learn more,
(b) spend more once empowered -with consequently more
government expenditure on infrastructure and
consumer goods.
Therefore private consumption grows even when
output falls (see charts, right), staving off any
recessionary downturn due to commodity price
fluctuations, meaning that there is still an
incentive to invest.
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(Above) More investment increases investor and
corporate confidence, so workers and consumers
are paid more and spend more
Government vision -less cheap labour, more
software development |
Malaysia has grown due to 2 crucial concepts-
- attracting foreign investment
- backward integration using derived knowledge
to
natively produce high-technology equipment.
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DERIVATION/ATTITUDE
China
First contacts with US were originally political
to counterbalance the Soviet threat, then
progressed to scientific exchanges which
inevitably led to more trade and investment
SEE CHINA SECTION ON THIS SITE
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Deng Xiaoping meets Zbigniew Brzezinski (US), 1979 |
China can now build its own nuclear facilities
and satellites, due to government vision and
design derived from foreign partners: 'Standing
on the shoulders of giants'
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WAR AND RECOVERY
(Below)
From the horror of conflict and dependence on
basic industry (world's second biggest rice
exporter)...
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Vietnam's focus on productivity for its coffee
industry dramatically increases output and
efficiency, making it the world's second biggest
coffee producer and helping address a previously
primitive economic base to now include
manufacturing
Vietnam competes healthily with other region's
coffee (online coffee magazine)
Vietnam coffee industry overview (document
reference site) |
Vietnam
income per head-
1994 $220
2008 $1024
-emergence from a Third World lifestyle due to
concentration on
added value for its native resources |
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN THE ECONOMY
South
Korea
The
Miracle on the Han River
Wikipedia overview
CountryStudies overview
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SEE KOREA LINK BELOW
(r.) Seoul, late 19th century
Korea Plays Key Role in
E-government
Focussed Government Investment
in Technology |
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
India economy overview
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SEE INDIA LINK BELOW
The reaction to indigenous poverty is critical
to development -(r.,
far r.)
post -World War 2 Calcutta street scene vs. the new Calcutta (IT park)
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Countries and their focus on Growth Concepts |
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SEE DEVELOPMENT EXAMPLES BELOW
History
England
-warrior-like characteristics (based on the
need to defend an island economy),
nationalistic, (originally) homogenous
population
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Education
Finland
-an abundance of particular resources
(lumber) and geographic challenges have spurred
the Finns to diversify through native
empowerment, unusually not needing large amounts
of FDI |
Investment
Korea
-huge FDI empowered the first few years of
Korea's emergence from the 1950-53 war; BUT this
was due to knowledge also that there would be
payback for the investors, ie US |
Attitude/behaviour
India
-family values drive the surge for prosperity where
skills success equals status |
Government
Germany
-national planning and popular vision have
always been part of the German psyche |
Technology
Japan
-extreme focus on high-tech closely linked to
career status, but also a recognition of the
need to be efficient to increase factory output
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Bill
Gates preaches 'creative capitalism', empowering small businesses and embracing
new techniques- 
Research team headed by Craig Venter
