Niall Ferguson assignment

Agree or Disagree with the argument Niall Ferguson made. Why?


Niall Ferguson's argument was that Asian countries are going to surpass the Westerners in the topic of the economy. His "Six Killer Apps" included competition, the scientific revolution, property rights, modern medicine, the consumer society, and work ethic. These "apps" are what set the Westerners apart from the rest of the world. However, the United States is barely ahead of the Chinese now, and shortly, they will pass us as they already have in the field of science. Americans used to be about twenty times richer than the Chinese, however we are only about five times more now. It is predicted that it will be down to two and a half times more in the next couple years.

I agree with Niall on his argument that China is going to pass the Westerners very shorty. His "apps" are supportive of his argument because all of these things contribute to the success and wealth of countries. Competition, in my opinion, is a huge factor because other countries are always trying to out do each other. Every country wants to have the smartest scientists, the best athletes, the most money, and the most power. The scientific revolution evolved science into what it is today, which is one major category that countries strive to be the best at. The property rights is a contribution of countries deciding who owns what land and who gets the credit for selling the things from that land. Modern medicine helped countries because they could find cures to fight diseases that were killing the population on the countries. The consumer society helped countries because the more people bought, the more money circulated, therefore, the more prosperous a country was. Lastly, the work ethic of countries were always different. Some countries had kids working at very young ages, with poor work environments and very little pay. These "apps" combined, make for a wealthy or a poor country if used together in prosperous ways. The United States used to be the best at using these six "apps" to stay ahead of the rest of the world, however, China is improving faster and will soon pass everyone in its path.