But the USA and the European Union are, so to speak, rich, and China, India, Mexico and others are not very rich, how is this possible?
Even New Zealand is rich, but other island countries are not
dragontamer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
In this topic: people who underestimate the importance of infrastructure and low crime and low corruption.
1st answer: developing countries don’t have enough infrastructure to benefit from wealth. Not enough trains to move raw goods around, not enough roads or not enough electricity to do anything even if those good arrived.
2nd level: when governments get the money for such projects, they steal it from the people through corruption. See Turkey and all the invested dollars on earthquake-proofing buildings, it was all stolen in ways people didn’t understand or realize until the earthquake happened.
3rd level: even if the government didn’t steal the money, criminals can. Even in the USA we deal with transformer thieves (transformers are bundles of copper that convert long distance high voltage power into short distance power for houses). These copper bundles can sell for $$$$ in the black market.
So even if #1 and #2 miraculously happen, a criminal will steal the infrastructure and they gotta start all over again.
labbbb@thelemmy.club 10 months ago
Wanderer@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Culture plays a big part. But people don’t like admitting it.
Was reading a book about the Congo and there was a Malaysian UN guy. He said this country fucked. He said colonialism had an affect on this country sure but it also had an affect on his. He said, in a nicer way, at some point they need to take responsibility for their country and short their shit out. They are responsible of the mess it’s in. Seen another doc where a Chinese guy was building a road but he couldn’t even buy gravel and all the local workers were lazy and they kept working a day, stealing stuff and not coming back. He seen a railroad the Belgians built that was in complete disrepair he basically said “look you inherited a functioning country with low crime, infrastructure and an encomy. You guys butched it all”.
Just look at Rhodesia, South Africa and God knows how many other countries.
dragontamer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Is it all culture or not?
Culture and wealth. But wealth creates better culture, and better culture makes more wealth.
Only Russia seems to be the only country doing things wrong in your list btw. I expect China, India, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Mexico to all be richer in 10 years than they are today.
vzq@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 months ago
It’s even worse: they have the infrastructure to allow us to profit from wealth. Colonial powers made sure the railroad between the mines and the ports are top notch, so their mineral riches can be carted off efficiently to the metropole.
dragontamer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
China and other advanced nations prove that an export based economy can work though.
vzq@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 months ago
Export based <> extraction based
beatle@aussie.zone 10 months ago
The machines are Dutch and the designs are made by the customer. The Taiwanese advantage is their government subsidised chip manufacturing. They aren’t wizards.
dragontamer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Global Foundries up in Buffalo, New York had the same exact equipment and couldn’t get past 12nm.
Taiwan / TSMC is hitting 3nm today (a feat that even Intel and Samsung cannot accomplish yet), and is well on its way to 2nm designs.
They’re fucking wizards who are 5+ years ahead of USA. Thank god they’re allies of us.
richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one 10 months ago
You can see this in painful clarity watching the Argentinian railroads. Created and operated by the UK originally, it has a clear shape of a funnel from all over the country towards the main port city, Buenos Aires.
Iceblade02@lemmy.world 10 months ago
That’s a general pattern though - sea transport is the most efficient, thus railroads will tend to integrate around important ports. It applies even in the UK.