Click on image to enlarge
The article on the left demonstrates the disconnect between prosperity and democracy. If we are to believe that there is a strong connection between democracy and prosperity how then do we explain the prosperity of China? We are told that China is not democratic and yet the same advocates of democracy tell us that China is doing extremely well. These two examples are just not exceptions, but Kang Xiaoguang carried out a detailed study to show this disconnect. In an article titled Confucianization: A Future in the Tradition (pp. 77 - 120) published in the Spring 2006 Social Research Journal demonstrates this disconnect by looking at 17 countries and concludes that Western democracy does not necessarily lead to prosperity. Greg Buckman in his 2005 book titled Global Trade: Past Mistakes, Future Choices also demonstrates this disconnect.
This trick has been sold to many countries and has influenced their political discourse much to the disappointment of the electorate when they ultimately discover that the claims were nothing but myth. Zimbabwe and indeed other country should be wary of these claims.
Picture courtesy of Toronto Star.
3 comments:
Democracy does not work in an emerging economy. Look at India. Although the economy is growing fast, it has left some people living in abject poverty to be exploited by the filthy rich. Zimbabwe can learn a lot from China provided we deal with corruption and nepotism.
Well, Zimbabwe is a big exception.There's no democracy neither is there prosperity. I think we're just a millenium disaster.
I totally agree with you Nelson and Anonymous but have reservations about anonymous's second statement. Yes, prosperity is not there, but semblance of democracy is there - mindful that there is no place in this world as of now where democracy is present.I think we might want to interogate why we are a millennium disaster and then many issues that Nelson points out would come to surface...and many more others he did not cover in his contribution.
Post a Comment