Anyone with more than a passing interest in China and its economic rivalry with America will have read Dan Wang’s Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future, seen his newsletter, or absorbed one of the many reviews. The interest now is in the reaction of the commentariat.
Wang’s key framing is that China is run by engineers while America is run by lawyers. China does things that engineers are good at, such as infrastructure and manufacturing, while America’s lawyerly society produces over-governance, emphasising individual rights ahead of societal needs. China produces world-class infrastructure, even in its poorest regions. America’s richest cities struggle with century-old subways and decrepit airports.
China vs America: Dan Wang and his sceptics | Lowy Institute
