Nov 25, 2022·edited Nov 25, 2022Liked by Brian Chau
Great talk!
On the section on the success of Singapore I'm surprised no mention was made of the British colonial period which at the very least imported legal and institutional structures, a great deal of social capital, and permanent connections to the western world through its role as a trading port. Failure to defend the city against the Japanese in WWII fatally soured pro-British sentiment. And it's glib to assert the Singaporeans avoided communism through some kind of special foresight. This wasn't for want of trying as Chinese communists fought a guerrilla war for that cause in the 1950s. So it was touch and go for a while. Lastly, Singapore is successful for being a micro-state. Micro-states have micro-problems. Which is why it's pinch-of-salt to compare them in international rankings; not to take anything away from them at all. Still have to put the hard work in and have the right system.
Great talk!
On the section on the success of Singapore I'm surprised no mention was made of the British colonial period which at the very least imported legal and institutional structures, a great deal of social capital, and permanent connections to the western world through its role as a trading port. Failure to defend the city against the Japanese in WWII fatally soured pro-British sentiment. And it's glib to assert the Singaporeans avoided communism through some kind of special foresight. This wasn't for want of trying as Chinese communists fought a guerrilla war for that cause in the 1950s. So it was touch and go for a while. Lastly, Singapore is successful for being a micro-state. Micro-states have micro-problems. Which is why it's pinch-of-salt to compare them in international rankings; not to take anything away from them at all. Still have to put the hard work in and have the right system.