Why does South Asia get such a free pass compared to the Middle East?

[JohnSmith]

The average Chinese living standard has improved markedly in the last 20 years. I wouldn't say they are rich, but they are definitely not a slave, that's ridiculous. It is hard to compare China to other countries because it is so vast and large, and it is actually very diverse, but I would say the average living standard would be comparable to a poorer Eastern European country, maybe Serbia. But the difference is that the momentum towards improvement and the opportunities are much greater, with much better infrastructure provided by the government, so that the expectation is that in 10-20 years that the living standard would be even greater.

Although in many of the large and developed cities, the average living standards are already approaching countries like South Korea. But the poorest and most remote rural areas may be much poorer than Eastern Europe. However, China's urbanization rate is actually about 60% now and probably going to be around 75% and above in the next 15-20 years which will mean that poverty will be significantly reduced.

I believe in China many people still do not have Washing Machines and basic things like that. I wonder in rural areas if they have plumbing and hot water. Rural areas in the USA are some of the wealthiest areas as farmers tend to own a lot of land which is very valuable in the USA and they get government subsidies for farming.

[zhaoyun]

I believe in China many people still do not have Washing Machines and basic things like that. I wonder in rural areas if they have plumbing and hot water. Rural areas in the USA are some of the wealthiest areas as farmers tend to own a lot of land which is very valuable in the USA and they get government subsidies for farming.

Most houses in rural areas do have plumbing and running water. Most houses in rural China are two story or three story concrete houses, although in extremely remote areas, they may be a very dilapidated traditional structure, but those are a decreasing minority of rural homes. But of course, the average living standard in rural China is not anywhere remotely close to that of rural America. But it has improved considerably.

China is also not a primarily rural nation anymore, like I said, it's a majority urban country now, about 60% and rising. And the urbanization rate is rising not so much because farmers are going into the city, but the government is connecting rural areas to the city and urbanizing them, making villages into towns, and towns into small cities, and small cities into large metro areas, just by building vast amounts of high grade infrastructure like expressways, high speed rail, city planning, etc. So that's going to be the primary way for rural poverty to be wiped out, by urbanizing the country and unleashing the opportunities, and reducing the percentage of the population that depend on agriculture for a living.

China's rural areas have fewer and fewer young people, in a lot of villages, it's only the elderly left. So the future of China is in the cities, when the time comes that there are few farmers left, which maybe the case in just 15-20 years, then their share of wealth will be vastly increased because they will have to scale up their agribusiness just like the case in the US, and why American farmers are wealthy.

But in many of the more developed parts of China like the coastal provinces, the rural areas nowadays are actually pretty well off too. Not America levels, but not that far off from developed East Asian nations like Taiwan or S. Korea.

[Smitty]

I'd love to see the look on any of my relatives when some Chinamen approaches them at Starbucks in any of the areas they live in.

"Uh Sir, You no native to this awea, Mexicans live in America here long before Hindus. Even though you Hindoo pay to live in these million dollar homes here since the 1980s, you no right to be speak about us Chinese peopwul, stop being racist you Gandhi." ching chong buk uc ching chong.

Assuming they are the mild mannered ones like me they'll brush you off but the more hot heated ones on their phones checking the score of the Raiders game will tell you to fuck off.

If my family had been here only since the '80s, that would be the last thing I would mention in trying to prove my place. That was thirty freaking years ago. You might as well have come yesterday.

[Fractal]

If my family had been here only since the '80s, that would be the last thing I would mention in trying to prove my place. That was thirty freaking years ago. You might as well have come yesterday.

Umm nope. San Francisco city - 1970s. By the 1980s, most of them spread out to the suburbs or moved to Southern California.

And if someone has been paying to live in a certain locale for over thirty years, don't they have the right to say they belong to that area?

[Smitty]

Umm nope. San Francisco city - 1970s. By the 1980s, most of them spread out to the suburbs or moved to Southern California.

And if someone has been paying to live in a certain locale for over thirty years, don't they have the right to say they belong to that area?

You certainly have the right to say you live in that area and have done so since the '80s. Or since 2004, in your specific case.

[Kamal900]

Its the truth. Its a bigger economy than any of the MENA countries and has far more potential, also its military would destroy any of the MENA countries if nobody else got involved. Sorry that you got butthurt about that.

Really? Might explain why many MENA and other outsiders managed to destroy and subjugate India in the past regardless of it's military size and whatnot. The size of the economy doesn't mean anything if most of the people there are living under the poverty line and so on. Modi is doing something to his country, but there's not going to be any change in the near future. Sorry man, but China is the most likely candidate in becoming the next super power in the future, not India.

[Mortimer]

I just watched a docu and they siad new delhi is the most air polluted city in the world with smog. Air pollution 450 compared to berlin only 27. I was touched and sad for the people there as they have to wear surgeon masks and children get asthma. The place was surprisingly nice though i mean the appartments were neat the reporters were inside a indian appartment the cars looked ok i saw one elephant on the street though but 99% cars. Internet was in homes. The smog is terrible though as kids cant play soccer because of health danger.

[StarCitizen]

Really? Might explain why many MENA and other outsiders managed to destroy and subjugate India in the past regardless of it's military size and whatnot. The size of the economy doesn't mean anything if most of the people there are living under the poverty line and so on. Modi is doing something to his country, but there's not going to be any change in the near future. Sorry man, but China is the most likely candidate in becoming the next super power in the future, not India.

Youre completely wrong about that statement. First of all nobody from any MENA country managed to destroy India, the only MENA:s who managed to conquer PARTS of India (which wasnt even a united country back then) where the Persians. The Kushans and Mughals also only conquered parts of india and the greeks/macedonians had a very small part of India for a very short period of time.
And dont forget that each and every one of these invaders ultimately got the genitals of their soldiers shredded to pieces and where killed of by the native indians when their empires lost control. Which is why the native culture still prevails and is dominant today.

And regardless what you say and hope, in the near future there is definitely going to be a big positive change for India in the global scene, this is fact unless some natural disaster or world war 3 puts a stop to it, and i consider within 30 years to be the near future. Im not saying India will be number one, but it will at least be top 3 and very close to the the top competitors. China is the biggest rival but they are ultimately limited by the lack of democracy which means basic human rights for average chinese will be worse compared to the average indian. And China also has an aging population unlike India whos current population is younger, and the gender imbalance is significantly worse in China due to the one child policy they had for decades. They also have a very big problem with their real estate bubble and insane ammounts of debt so dont be surprised if the chinese economy collapses before it can surpass the USA.

[JohnSmith]

Youre completely wrong about that statement. First of all nobody from any MENA country managed to destroy India, the only MENA:s who managed to conquer PARTS of India (which wasnt even a united country back then) where the Persians. The Kushans and Mughals also only conquered parts of india and the greeks/macedonians had a very small part of India for a very short period of time.
And dont forget that each and every one of these invaders ultimately got the genitals of their soldiers shredded to pieces and where killed of by the native indians when their empires lost control. Which is why the native culture still prevails and is dominant today.

And regardless what you say and hope, in the near future there is definitely going to be a big positive change for India in the global scene, this is fact unless some natural disaster or world war 3 puts a stop to it, and i consider within 30 years to be the near future. Im not saying India will be number one, but it will at least be top 3 and very close to the the top competitors. China is the biggest rival but they are ultimately limited by the lack of democracy which means basic human rights for average chinese will be worse compared to the average indian. And China also has an aging population unlike India whos current population is younger, and the gender imbalance is significantly worse in China due to the one child policy they had for decades. They also have a very big problem with their real estate bubble and insane ammounts of debt so dont be surprised if the chinese economy collapses before it can surpass the USA.

The rich and powerful that conquered India were fairer skinned. Many Indians think that is why fair skin is preferred because power and wealth correlated with fairer skin.

[Incal]

India especially is over-praised in the West, called the "world's largest democracy" etc. etc.,

lol who says that?