mangekyo
Trusted Member
The Japanese and Koreans built up their own countries. Yes, they had US help, but their cultures are very success oriented. There are countless US allies that have languished in third world conditions including many Latin American countries, the Philippines, African dictatorships, and a lot of that has to do with their internal systems and cultural values.
But I agree, China does suck in terms of building up its allies. Part of it is because the US, because of it's dominance, took most of the successful countries as allies, including Japan, Europe, Australia, etc. It wasn't that the US made them successful, but they were already successful independently.
Who knows what the next 50 years will bring though. There are countries that are following China now and are modernizing rapidly. Ethiopia, Cambodia, for example are modernizing very rapidly and much of that investment is from China. There may also be major shifts in the alliance systems where many former US allies will move towards neutrality or may even start gravitating towards China in the next few decades.
You’re kind of proving my point here. Even you admit China sucks at building up allies, and that most of its “partners” aren’t success stories. Ethiopia and Cambodia modernizing is not the same as building a Japan or South Korea, it’s just a bit of infrastructure and investment, nothing close to lifting a country into true prosperity or independence. Pakistan is still dependent on IMF loans to survive.
And let’s not rewrite history: Japan and Korea didn’t just succeed on their own. They were devastated after WWII and the Korean War. US support, military protection, markets, capital, and tech transfer was absolutely decisive. Without that, their “success-oriented culture” wouldn’t have had the chance to get anywhere.
I’m no China hater or Asia hater, actually I prefer the East over the West in many ways. But the track record is very clear.
And since you brought up “culture,” let’s look at Iran. Iran’s economy was one of the fastest-growing in the world while it was aligned with the West. After the revolution and turning east, look now, poverty, water and electricity shortages, constant crisis. Same people, same culture, completely different results. That should tell you it isn’t about culture, it’s about which direction you align with.







