[AIG]

The rest of E. Asia followed a one-party path toward First World economic status over the past 50 years and only afterwards adopted democracy. This is not "ass backwards" but what actually has occurred in E. Asia's modern history. Go read a history book. While you're at it, read about the European "enlightened despots" of the 18th century who helped set the stage later for modern democracy in the French and American Revolutions by codifying the laws, private property rights, etc. that allowed middle-classes to grow, which became the foundation of modern democracy. Remember, it was the "bourgeoisie" who led the French Revolution.

[Torie]

E Asia really doesn't have viable democracies anywhere except Japan, which lost a war, Taiwan to some extent, which is a special case, and to some extent S. Korea, which is also to a large degree a client state. The rest are all shakey on a host of Western norms, including fair elections and the impartial application of the rule of law by a truly independent judiciary.