[sully777]

Hmmm. Britian has a population of about 60 million. China- one billion. It demonstrates the power of a freedom right there that such a comparatively small country can have so much more economic power than such a populous one.

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Great point. I'll add the free city-states of Hong Kong prior to Britain's profound mistake, and Singapore, or even the more hierarchical regime of Taiwan.

I always point out to people that are amazed at China's manufacturing power and intelligence that the high tech goods that say MADE IN CHINA once said MADE IN HONG KONG.

[Alter Kaker]

I always point out to people that are amazed at China's manufacturing power and intelligence that the high tech goods that say MADE IN CHINA once said MADE IN HONG KONG.

That's simply not true. Products still say MADE IN HONG KONG. China makes vast amounts of high tech goods.

[pganini]

"Great point. I'll add the free city-states of Hong Kong prior to Britain's profound mistake, and Singapore, or even the more hierarchical regime of Taiwan"

You do realize that Singapore is still a dictatorship and that Taiwan's strongest economic growth periods are when it was a dictatorship under the KMT??? :)

People often mistake growth in economy with freedom and democracy, it isn't necessarily so. What IS necessary, is low government intervention (i.e. less regulatory laws) AND strong rule of law (court system, less corruption).

Oh yeah, prior to 1990's, Hong Kong isn't a democracy either. It's a colony, a subject of the British empire.