Korean Job Discussion Forums

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

I still don't even understand the Asian/intelligence objection, since (a) as I said, the ESW is multi-racial and (b) even if it could be proven that people in the non-ESW world are indeed more intelligent, it wouldn't follow that the ESW is not superior. Imagine if studies showed that citizens in Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany had higher IQs than the British, Americans and the French contemporaries!

In any case, you may often come across a Phd at universities wish they were paid more, yet I've never come across someone who got rich doing plumbing say "jeez, I wish I was more capable at IQ tests". And if people from East Asian countries are cleverer, what is the explanation for China, Japan and South Korea being home to 22% of human life yet having only a 16% share of GDP, compared to the ESW which has 7% population and 38% GDP? As for the motivation behind such a wildly irrelevant objection, one can only speculate.

If you'll excuse me straying from my own topic, how about the EU and the US? Population: 12%, GDP: 57.5%

But the E.U. obviously doesn't count in this thread. Nor is this about race. Perhaps, in asking this question, we concern ourselves with industry, lifestyle, politics, economics, law, values, culture, beliefs.

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

Well, aside from the race issue, another interesting point would be that for the past 50-100 years, the ESW has been attracting the best and brightest from every country in the world. Just think about it, there is a very good chance that the smartest Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, etc people in the world live in the ESW contributing to the higher wealth levels.

Satori · Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Location: Above it all

Superior is such a vague, loaded, and judgmental word that it's virtually pointless to entertain the question.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Well, I think it'd be a shame if your objection stiffled debate, particularly when so many objective facts have been offered. Maybe those who teach adults or advanced youngsters will do a class on this - it's only reality. Reality is reality and we should all just deal with it. Koreans are all too happy to point out that issues such as body hair, IQ scores, use of chopsticks, the "bread" analogy (non-reality) are evidence of Asians' superiority to the rest of humanity - perhaps it's high time they understood just how far behind the ESW they still are....apart from the age-old enemy the Japanese. Perhaps this tells us something about Japanese values (Japan: 1.9% population and 9% GDP).

Moving swiftly on then, as we know, the GDP of the English-speaking world is 38% of world GDP (7% population). These are the GDP figs for the ESW (almost exact; figs add up to 100.3):

US: 73%
UK: 13%
Canada: 7%
Australia: 4.1%
South Africa: 1.4%
Ireland: 1.2%
New Zealand: 0.6%

Population (approx):

USA: 64%
UK: 12%
South Africa: 10%
Canada: 7%
Australia: 4.3%
Ireland: 0.85%
New Zealand: 0.8%

Some conclusions? The US and Ireland punch above their weight, South Africa punches below its weight. The UK, Canada and Australia are kind of proportional - relative to the rest of the ESW, that is, not relative to the world. Relative to the world, all English-speaking countries punch above their weight.

endo · Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Location: Seoul...my home

kimchi story · Joined: 23 Nov 2006

This is one of the greatest posts ever.

If the OP means 'Are current predominantly English speaking nations superior' my answer is: I have no idea.

If the OP mean 'Is English the right language for global trade' I'd say yes.

English preserves its sources. I like that.

cangel · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: Jeonju, S. Korea

Hell yeah!!

Guri Guy · Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Location: Bamboo Island

At this point in history the English speaking world is preeminent. I like the fact that all of those countries are multicultural. So it isn't about race. Race is really a subjective concept anyway. I'd say good government where it allows people with initiative to succeed plays a large part.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

mithridates · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:37 pm Post subject:

kimchi story · Joined: 23 Nov 2006

mithridates · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:34 pm Post subject:

Satori · Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Location: Above it all

I see that what you mean is "financially superior". "Superior" on it's own is much broader than that, and far too subjective to debate seriously, as it depends on what core values are taken as foundational.

mithridates · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:15 pm Post subject:

Maybe HDI would be a better index for what qualifies as superior.

(ignore the flags)

1 Flag of Norway Norway 0.965 (0)
2 Flag of Iceland Iceland 0.960 (0)
3 Flag of Australia Australia 0.957 (0)
4 Flag of Republic of Ireland Ireland 0.956 (+4)
5 Flag of Sweden Sweden 0.951 (+1)
6 Flag of Canada Canada 0.950 (-1)
7 Flag of Japan Japan 0.949 (+4)
8 Flag of United States United States 0.948 (+2)
9 Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 0.947 (-2)
10 Flag of Netherlands Netherlands 0.947 (+2)