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Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
OK, but you are confusing causation with correlation. The few counterexamples tend to show as much.
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I don't understand. Are you saying that Democracy brings wealth? What counter examples?
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Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
There are plenty of counterexamples here. Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Nigeria, Fiji, Peru, e.g.
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Growing economies tend to produce a middle class, and a strong middle class tends to demand democracy. Of course countrys whose growth depends on natural resources don't tend to have the same sort of middle class. Like I said before, the key to a democracy is sustained growth over an extended period of time.
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Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop If you really think Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are functioning as democracies, then we may be having a problem agreeing upon basic terms.
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They are definitely more democratic than they used to be, which is because of their growth. But they are not completely democratic.
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Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop China has rip-roaring growth and is no democracy. As of now, it disproves your argument.
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Their middle class is not that strong yet. But it is getting bigger every day.
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Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop OK. That doesn't mean that free-market economies will necessarily be stable, politically.
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Once they produce a strong middle class they will be.
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Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
No one thinks Cuba or Burma is an example of how to manage an economy.
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Except for farm subsidy proponents in Europe and America
