[Jedi Master Pikachu]

• Arabs can be Christian.
• And what are you typing about Asians not being great in the commercial world? Japan is the second largest economy, the PRC fourth. Furthermore, Asian countries are increasing their economic power. They are more of a threat than Europe.

[arthurus]

Japan is a special case. Japan's medieval background more resembles Europe in it's emphasis on individualism, at least among the ruling classes, and its particular take on the honor thing. Korea and Viet Nam benefit from strong Christian traditions. In Viet Nam the Buddhists have learned about extrafamilial dealmaking and trust from the Christians as has been the case in Korea. In Viet Nam the Buddhists started paying close attention, really as late as 1975-1990 and got it right and got it fast.
Yes there are Christian arabs but they have to function as dhimmi in arab society and it has muted them terribly except in Lebanon where the constant Islamic and Syrian disruption limits them. The Turks would undoubtedly have benefited by example had Turkey not chased out the bulk of its Greeks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The arab Mohammedans are hopeless. China is hitting some ceilings in many areas of development because of Chinese inability to trust foreigners. Chinese corporations have taken on American officers in order to trade better but they don't last because the Americans soon understand that they are not trusted and not heeded and the Chinese cannot reach a point that they can trust the foreigner. Even the largest companies are either government/army entities or are family businesses. Most of their great economic leap is built on the sand of shoddy and utterly corrupt banking practices, which are based on that family model- you don't refuse family. In this case family refers to loans to other government businesses that are not financially sound. The house of cards is not eternal.