11-08-1989 - A Sharing World

This post is an extract of the speech that was delivered during the Asia Pacific Forum in Yakima, United States of America on 11th August 1989.

Conditions for Success

I am tempted to suggest that there are three conditions for economic success:

1) Lose a war as Japan, South Korea and Germany
2) Enjoy foreign military protection as Japan, South Korea and Germany
3) Exploit the United States market.

I am not preaching for a Third World War. Far from it, I do believe that world peace and free trade are keys to global prosperity.

Poverty

Poverty exists among the rice growers, fishermen, rubber and coconut small-holders. It is not our policy to grow crops or rear animals that we can import cheaper.

We will therefore eschew growing more rice, maize or sugar. We will continue importing fruits and will not go into cattle rearing in a big way. We will, however, cut back on the import of mutton. We will grow more local fruits for export while continuing to import those that cannot be economically grown in our country.