Jamaica vs. Singapore (in 1965, both were equal in wealth, today one is richer than the other)

The American ^ | 11/19/2009 | Josh Lerner

[GL of Sector 2814]

Is there any nation in Asia as disastrous as Somalia or Rawanda or Zimbabwe?

There's a country called Burma. I suggest you look it up.

[BillM]

I’ve been around. How about comparing a 1 AM stroll through Singapore to the same thing in Washington DC. I’ve done the Singapore one but the Washington tour will NEVER happen.

[Dewey Revoltnow]

I spent 10 days in Singapore and enjoyed it. Now actually living there might be a different story.

[Dewey Revoltnow]

I’ve been around. How about comparing a 1 AM stroll through Singapore to the same thing in Washington DC. I’ve done the Singapore one but the Washington tour will NEVER happen.

Yep. Same here.

[erman]

Jamaica worships...

Singapore worships...

[Oztrich Boy]

Yeah, Because Race is the obvious explanation for the difference between North and South Korea. (Or for that matter, the difference between Zimbabwe and Botswana)

[Hodar]

Very astute observations.

Was in Jamaica earlier this year. To call it a sh*thole it to insult some fine respectable cesspools the world over. 80% unemployment, corruption and laziness is unavoidable. Jamaica demanded Independence from Great Britain, and Great Britain knew a smoking hot deal when they saw it; and granted it.

Just a bit further to the North is the Cayman Islands; less green and hilly when compared to Jamaica; but their economy is thriving. No interest in ever going back to Jamaica again; but would jump at the opportunity to revisit Tortuga.

[BertWheeler]

South Korea and North Korea are a perfect example of why communism is a bad idea. They share the same racial characteristics.

But Jamaica isn’t a communist country. And in Zimbabwe, they HAVE freedom. People in Zimbabwe aren’t required to pick up a shovel and work for the state. But you have to have imagination to design a plan in which a showel would be an appropriate tool.

Singapore, on the other hand, is on par with some of the nicest cities in the U.S.A.

[-YYZ-]

“There’s a country called Burma. I suggest you look it up”

Or how about north Korea? If asians are so smart on average, how come so many of them bought into disastrous political systems in the past century? (Communist China, communist vietnam, Khmer Rouge/Communist Cambodia, fascist/Emperor worship Japan, etc, etc) There may be small differences in average intelligence between the races (a claim not as yet definitively proven) but I don’t believe it can explain the differences in success between some societies and others.

[Cronos]

Singapore, on the other hand, is on par with some of the nicest cities in the U.S.A

Singapore is better than most Cities in the USA. It's a FINE city :-P

[Deb]

What a stupid thing to say. Have you ever been to Singapore? Its extraordinary. Clean. Gorgeous and friendly to business.

Jamaica is the Commie police state which is why its a failed state. Bob Marley got his wish.

[PeterPrinciple]

But despite the importance of the entrepreneurial environment, in many cases government officials hand out money without thinking about other barriers that entrepreneurs face

---

Been thinking about this a lot lately. What do Entrepreneurs want? FREEDOM................

[gaijin]

Great article, but they have omitted one of the really critical factors of S’pore’s success: PROPERTY RIGHTS.

In biotech, they want low costs but fear locating in the PRC —why? Because patent laws in China are WEAK; if you locate there, your precious secret new stuff will be stolen in a jiffy, and the Chinese cops will laugh at you, and see YOU as the trouble-maker.

Not so in Singapore —the cops will listen to you, and their courts will prosecute a copycat. They want you to tell that story to your rich, greedy friends so that they, too, will locate in Singapore.

See?

PROPERTY RIGHTS.

[BGHater]

Yes, I lived and worked there for several years. Did you?

-Conscription
-No free speech
-State controlled news papers
-Cannot talk about other religions in a negative
-State controlled business
-Limited private property, controlled by Gov’t
-Cannot be a member of a secret society-Masons
-Cannot own a firearm
etc.

Yeah, it's a police state, or a Fascist wet dream.

[Bob017]

Talk about using occam’s butterknife! Compare the cognitive ability of the populations.

Rindermann, H. (2007b). The big G-factor of national cognitive ability (author‘s response on open peer commentary). European Journal of Personality, 21, 767-787.

Rindermann, H. (2008a). Relevance of education and intelligence at the national level for the economic welfare of people. Intelligence, 36, 127-142.

Rindermann, H. (2008b). Relevance of education and intelligence for the political development of nations: Democracy, rule of law and political liberty. Intelligence, 36, 306-322.

[Bob017]

At the macro-social level cognitive competence is more important than economic liberty for the economic growth of nations (Rindermann, 2008a) and it is more important than wealth for the democratic development of countries (Rindermann, 2008b). And intelligence seems to be a sensible measure of development up to indicating failing societies.

Rindermann, H. (2008a). Relevance of education and intelligence at the national level for the economic welfare of people. Intelligence, 36, 127-142.

Rindermann, H. (2008b). Relevance of education and intelligence for the political development of nations: Democracy, rule of law and political liberty. Intelligence, 36, 306-322.