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Strategies & Market Trends : Asia Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dayuhan who wrote (8092)	2/24/1999 9:26:00 PM
From: peter michaelson	Respond to of 9980

Well, Steve, you might as well be me, because that's what I would say, too, if only I had your eloquence. We all know that Malaysia is a smaller, better educated, wealthier and more organized nation than many in Asia. Furthermore, it was an English colony with the attendent physical and governmental infrastructure. All of those former colonies are better off than the other former colonies (including our own), save Myanmar....... which continues to travel its own long, strange trip. Peter

To: Dayuhan who wrote (8092)	2/24/1999 10:17:00 PM
From: Stitch	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9980

Steven, I find absolutely nothing in your post to totally disagree with. Further I find much to applaud, especially: "Ultimately, economic liberty cannot be achieved or sustained without political and civil liberty." I readily acknowledge that there is a difference between Malaysia and the Philippines. That many have the mistaken view of Asia as one big homogenous region is something I have mentioned here before. But there is a couple of point you mention that I would be very cautious about. You said "and it is unfortunate that revolution has come to be automatically equated with socialism. It is perhaps even more unfortunate that it is largely a deserved rap. I cannot think of a revolution that did not exist for the advances of the middle class because that is just not how the middle class changes things. As for the labor movement, it birthed itself on very noble notions and spoke brilliantly of social change until it collapsed in their own brand of conspiratorial and criminal activity. At least, that is my impression. I would rather see the power of an increasingly educated and affluent middle class expressing its opinion from within the system. For example, the recent "reformasi" movement in Malaysia was, and is, definitely a middle class movement and is far from being dead. It is moving, in my opinion, slowly and methodically. Much the way change in all of Asia has been. I believe the kind of change required is born of activism from within. In that regard I see western companies here in Asia as great agents for change. Are there inequities? Of course. Is there a need for massive wealth redistribution? Yes, a furtherance of what has been happening IMO. Should the required changes be wrought at a labour/management bargaining table? I simply don't think it would work. I don't think it ever really did. Best, Stitch