Ageing Asian cities shows what capitalism is

I'm back after nearly a week-long vacation. Well, actually it was more of contemplation, self-analysis and of course, looking for things on sale. In Hongkong and Macau, in this time of the year, very hard to stumble upon something "discounted" or "on sale." Well, you know me, I'm a tiredless big bargain sale addict. If I have the money, I'll buy those things basta it is not above 1,000 pesos. Cheapskate, eh?

Anyway, now I fully understand why our country is really going to be one of the region's most exciting places to be. Hongkong, Singapore, Bangkok, even Japan are ageing real fast. Macau, for one, is not as splendid as it once was, and obviously, people especially those living in those places, are getting real and damned tired of their own countries. I mean, look at all those old casino buildings in Macau and you already sense that capitalists are desperately looking for other places to invest                                                                     their monies into.

While walking along Nathan road in Hongkong, I noticed that old buildings were refurnished and given a new fresh look and fresh paint to give an illusion of "newness". However, whatever amount of fresh gloss can ever hide the patina of these buildings.

Hongkong buildings, even those of other cities such as Singapore, Japan and Seoul, actually show what capitalism truly is--it builds from past capital. Or to be precise, it develops an old structure and make it appear new.

Capital, however, is influenced by time and space. For it to develop, capital has to expand and reach the farthest corners of the world. It is dynamic because it forces people to be creative. Without creativity, capital would not expand.

Capital has to occupy space in a period of time. If capital loses space, yet there is ample time for it to grow, it will. It, however, loses value if it has lots of space to move but little time, because the organism will find it difficult to replicate itself. Capitalism depends on multiplicity--the more it duplicates or multiplies the better or the more it grows. The minute capital fails to multiply itself, it loses its value.

Anyway, that explains why certain countries lag and other countries modernise very quickly because in those countries where people have a deeper understanding of how capitalism works, then tend to benefit easily and quickly.

This explains why our country right now is being preferred by investors because of our backwardness. In capitalism, being backward means money. Capital grows in underdevelopment. It multiplies whenever there is underdevelopment.

When development occurs, capital then shifts to other areas of the world where there is underdevelopment. And so on, and so forth that it assumes new forms but with the same nature.

That explains why capitalism will remain forever fixed in our societies because unlike socialism, the very nature of it being "unplanned" contributes to its continued existence. Capital is like shrub that grows even in tight corners and small spaces.

Unlike in a planned economic system (such as socialism), capitalism can penetrate everywhere under a liberalised environment. That explains why capitalism thrives more in a democratic society than in a managed state.