Get Southeast Asia and China to have much lower rates of corruption than OTL. Can this endeavor be doable? What would be the effects?
That point about the military establishment in many of these countries is interesting, but I don't think it's valid. Thailand is a good example of a country that fell into coup cycles without that experience.
IMHO, at least part of the corruption (especially I'm China) is due to cultural sensibilities. What would be deemed corruption in the West is often considered proper social decorum in China.
With regards to SE Asia, the big problem is the massive wealth inequality and the concentration of wealth in a few hands, which is an almost-inevitable result of corporatism. Japan managed to dodge that, as did Singapore, but I'm not 100% sure how. I suspect Singapore's size makes it much easier to police, but Japan is an anomaly. The key probably lies somewhere in the American occupation.
Japan was susceptible to corporatism as well,there were the Zaibatsus.That point about the military establishment in many of these countries is interesting, but I don't think it's valid. Thailand is a good example of a country that fell into coup cycles without that experience.
IMHO, at least part of the corruption (especially I'm China) is due to cultural sensibilities. What would be deemed corruption in the West is often considered proper social decorum in China.
With regards to SE Asia, the big problem is the massive wealth inequality and the concentration of wealth in a few hands, which is an almost-inevitable result of corporatism. Japan managed to dodge that, as did Singapore, but I'm not 100% sure how. I suspect Singapore's size makes it much easier to police, but Japan is an anomaly. The key probably lies somewhere in the American occupation.
The key probably lies somewhere in the American occupation.