Your challenge is to get all of Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Arab World, and most of Africa to enjoy economic growth as in OTL countries that been though the same process like the Asian Tigers and post-WWII Western Europe.
AHC: More Economic Miracles in the Third World
- Thread starter TickTock The Witch's Dead
- Start date
Dude it's been less then an hour. Give these things a day or even a week before bumping them.
But in all seriousness, it's virtually impossible to get the entire third world to be a lot more prosperous than OTL. But it is possible to make a number of historically-unsuccessful states do much better.
It's extremely difficult in the Arab world, given that the Western world had such destructive influence and the importance of tribal affiliations of many of the peoples there. That being said, Libya could've been better off if it remained Western-affiliated and orientating their petroleum exports towards Southern Europe. Tunisia could be better off too if they refined Libyan petroleum for the Southern European market, whih is what I did in my TL Stars & Sickles to make them more stable and prosperous.
A united pan-Arab state would provide a larger internal market, but it would be difficult to balance that against certain Nasserist policies that actively discouraged dramatic commercial success, implemented state monopolies as well as the political issues of too many Egyptians in too many positions of power, which is why the Syrians left the UAR.
Most of Africa is again very difficult. But you could get the majority of Africans to be better off than in OTL, merely by improving the economic situation in Central Africa by lessening conflict. As it is, OTL is kinda a Central Africa-screw. Rwanda is recovering now, but DRC is still borderline anarchic, Uganda is stagnant and Burundi isn't any better. By making these countries better off, you already have improved the lot of a huge number of Africans. West Africa is almost destined to be a basketcase given it's 19th-20th century history, to be honest. That being said, if the Niger Delta was separate from Nigeria, it could grow quite wealthy off of their oil, although they would likely get Dutch Disease. South Africa could have more equitable development, but it's unlikely given apartheid and stuff.
It's extremely difficult in the Arab world, given that the Western world had such destructive influence and the importance of tribal affiliations of many of the peoples there. That being said, Libya could've been better off if it remained Western-affiliated and orientating their petroleum exports towards Southern Europe. Tunisia could be better off too if they refined Libyan petroleum for the Southern European market, whih is what I did in my TL Stars & Sickles to make them more stable and prosperous.
A united pan-Arab state would provide a larger internal market, but it would be difficult to balance that against certain Nasserist policies that actively discouraged dramatic commercial success, implemented state monopolies as well as the political issues of too many Egyptians in too many positions of power, which is why the Syrians left the UAR.
Most of Africa is again very difficult. But you could get the majority of Africans to be better off than in OTL, merely by improving the economic situation in Central Africa by lessening conflict. As it is, OTL is kinda a Central Africa-screw. Rwanda is recovering now, but DRC is still borderline anarchic, Uganda is stagnant and Burundi isn't any better. By making these countries better off, you already have improved the lot of a huge number of Africans. West Africa is almost destined to be a basketcase given it's 19th-20th century history, to be honest. That being said, if the Niger Delta was separate from Nigeria, it could grow quite wealthy off of their oil, although they would likely get Dutch Disease. South Africa could have more equitable development, but it's unlikely given apartheid and stuff.
You can have the UAR adopt a better governmental structure to keep all Arabs satisfied thereby kept in line. Also have the UAR economy go on a similar path to Israel's- eventual limited privatization in the future.
All countries in all those regions is almost impossible. Although today, almost all of asean is growing like the asian tigers in otl 70s.you can say it is possible in one region.
I think you just have to pick region you like to succeed. You can't have 4 regions grow all at the same time at the same level. Too many different factors comes to mind to prevent this.
I think you just have to pick region you like to succeed. You can't have 4 regions grow all at the same time at the same level. Too many different factors comes to mind to prevent this.
It would be relatively easy to make some countries more prosperous than OTL, but making them all far more prosperous is difficult.
in Southern Africa, get rid of Mugabe by the mid-1990s and less psychos in ZANU-PF and you'll still have a relatively prosperous Zimbabwe, with all that means for the region. For example, South Africa may have an even bigger market for its goods if Zimbabwe is more prosperous and less poor Zimbabwean immigrants, which may have all other sorts of knock-on effects there.
in Southern Africa, get rid of Mugabe by the mid-1990s and less psychos in ZANU-PF and you'll still have a relatively prosperous Zimbabwe, with all that means for the region. For example, South Africa may have an even bigger market for its goods if Zimbabwe is more prosperous and less poor Zimbabwean immigrants, which may have all other sorts of knock-on effects there.
RousseauX
Donor
A large internal market is actually not a very good thing because it gives governments in the 50s-60s the impression that they don't need to integrate themselves with the world market to succeed. Which is exactly what happened in OTL India and Latin America and you end up with a bunch of inefficient, money losing industries subsidized by foreign loans and state aid. The result is a serious economic crisis 20 years down the road. And in a lot of cases you are back where you began.
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RousseauX
Donor
The UAR would have being a disaster politically and economically it makes about as much sense as including Greece in the Eurozone.