[ashivkum]

"What if it was just China?" is a reasonable guess for many of the dazzling claims of statistical worldwide improvement made by Steven Pinker/Noah Smith and their ilk

[GMoromisato]

But even if "it was just China", it doesn't disprove the core fact that the world is getting better. China is almost 20% of the world by population, and its development has brought hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

Plus, it might be possible for other countries to emulate China and similarly grow.

[ashivkum]

Yes, typically what this would disprove is the thesis that neoliberal economics are what have led to the decline in global poverty

[duxup]

That's what always surprised me about the whole concept of BRICS nations. Those countries have more interest in competing with each other to get access to other markets than to work/stick together in any way.

[thaumasiotes]

> Those countries have more interest in competing with each other to get access to other markets than to work/stick together in any way.

Access to markets isn't an exclusive asset. They don't compete over it, and mostly they can't compete over it, because they already have it.

[em-bee]

small markets are less interesting/valuable. it makes a difference if i can sell my product to 10 million people vs 100 million. so working together makes the whole area more attractive.

[SanjayMehta]

What I don't understand is the concept of NATO or the EU: why would a group of countries willingly band together as "happy vassals," as the Belgian PM put it.

[energy123]

Debunked by Steven Pinker:

https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2019/01/31/is-the-world-reall...

[ashivkum]

Debunked by Jason Hickel:

https://www.jasonhickel.org/blog/2019/2/3/pinker-and-global-...

[tim333]

Pinker tends to cover longer time periods and more countries that the just China stuff.