Just got a video recommendation about him defending the death penalty for drug traffickers and I remembered all the western propaganda about him being “le great man” who singlehandedly raised Singapore out of poverty or some shit.

  • GaveUp [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    Singapore being one of the busiest ports for China due to geography while being such a tiny country with such a low population makes it incredibly easy to become wealthy

          • h3doublehockeysticks [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
            1·
            2 years ago

            It became an international trading hub post independence as a result of policy decisions to maintain links with China and the US both, the PAP spent years developing the economy through state directed capitalism, massive state investments, and trade arbitrage

            Just being on a trade route doesn’t make you a model for economic growth the way Singapore is, China didn’t look to Egypt to figure out how to structure their economy in the 80s

              • h3doublehockeysticks [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
                1·
                2 years ago

                … sure, and America wouldn’t have become the global hegemon without the massive oil reserves, and Britain couldn’t have been the empire without the channel, but there is more to history than like… geographical determinism.

                  • CTHlurker [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
                    1·
                    2 years ago

                    Whats his deal anyway? I keep getting him recommended and he seems like a stock standard “Geopolitics expert” that talks about the amazing advantages that the investments in Ukraine have for the US (making russia lose soldiers and material without committing any american troops) while ignoring the fact that the war is a bloodbath for the Ukrainians. Also he talks like a spook so I guess thats part of why he seems like a bloodless freak.