Sowing Dragons

[Brad De Long]

>On Sat, 8 Apr 2000, Brad De Long wrote:
>
>>  And the big question is: Why do developmental states work so well in
>>  East Asia and western Europe, and appear to work so badly (India,
>>  Argentina, et cetera) elsewhere?
>
>Probably because, to borrow a Marxish phrase, superstructures matter. All
>the late industrializing stars experienced massive social crisis or
>conflict, and were located on the borderzones between the battling
>superpowers. Expropriation at one's doorstep seems to wonderfully
>concentrate the minds of commercial elites.
>
>-- Dennis

So that if Brazil were to go Stalinist, elites all over the rest of 
South America would suddenly recognize the benefits of soft rule, 
civil procedure, social democracy, and policies aimed at growing the 
pie rather than making sure the non-elite are kept away from it?

Could well be.

But the problem is that we then need to figure out how to create one 
strong, aggressive, capable--but not too strong, aggressive or 
capable--regime on each continent...

<a smily face seems inappropriate; the "joke" is just too grim....>

Brad DeLong