Development Without Freedom: The Politics of Asian Globalization

The Asian Crash led many to demand more and better politics, but no ASEAN country was willing to forfeit its GDP growth for non-material goals. The Crash brought development theory to a stark crossroads and however briefly it awakened this region from its political lethargy. This study analyzes the clash of two antithetical Asians: Amartya Sen's 'Eastern strategy' and the new capitalist authoritarianism and looks at ways to retrieve the best elements of the Senian project. In a country by country analysis, the authors revamp Sen's Eastern strategy by distinguishing Senism from Sen's rather pallid politics.