The hubris over the “rise of Asia” obscures the complexities, contradictions, and struggles that actually characterize the region. Given the economic tumult that has enveloped the West, it is not surprising that we find politicians, pundits, and market players enamored with Asia as a source of economic growth. However, this skewed reading of the region, which regularly dovetails neatly with self-interest and resurgent forms of nationalism, belies material realities. On this count, the region remains home to the majority of the worlds poor, increasing levels of inequality and vulnerability (even within “the success stories”), social, political, and racial intolerance, and massive environmental degradation. Moreover, Asias much-vaunted “charm” (often shorthand for the regions cultural, historical, and natural allure) has been seriously threatened by the accumulation at all costs of late capitalism. tandfonline/doi/full/10.1080/14672715.2013.758824
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:40:25 +0000
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