The News Agents How lawyers ruined Britain
63 snips
Dec 5, 2025 Dan Wong, a technology analyst and author of 'Breakneck', shares insights from his time in China from 2017 to 2023. He contrasts China's proactive engineering state with the lawyer-driven stagnation of the US and UK. Wong critiques the legal frameworks that obstruct progress, highlighting Europe's stagnation and America's shift from builders to blockers. He urges the West to adopt pro-growth policies while recognizing China's successes and flaws. His views spark a conversation on the future of global competitiveness and the need for mutual understanding to prevent conflict.
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Slow Building, Big Consequences
- Western democracies take decades to build major infrastructure and often preserve 19th-century environments.
- Dan Wong calls this a consequence of becoming a 'lawyerly' society that prioritises legal limits over construction.
Cycling Through Guizhou's Infrastructure
- Dan Wong cycled across Guizhou and found infrastructure that surpassed California or New York.
- He contrasts China's numerous bridges, airports and high-speed rail with stalled US projects like California high-speed rail.
The Engineering State Explained
- China is an 'engineering state' led by leaders trained in engineering who prioritise building and directed industrial policy.
- This engineering mindset treats the economy as an engineering problem to be solved top-down.
