Phnom Penh poor, but still the ultimate Lexus city

Wherever you turn your head you see a Lexus SUV, the most desired brand over there. It isn’t a pleasant view for people concerned about the plight of the poor.

Despite severe poverty, the business and political elite use much of the country’s export income on highly visible new luxury cars and second-hand luxury SUVs imported from the US. (Americans must laugh when they see their outdated gas-guzzlers sail off to corrupt third-world countries.)

Shouldn’t income from exports be used to build a country? Shouldn’t imports be forcefully restricted until all citizens have roofs over their heads and healthcare and all children have schools to go to? After World War II many Western countries imposed very strict rules for importing luxury goods like cars. They realised that money earned ought to go to building the country first.

Today’s elite in developing countries cannot wait. They want their toys immediately, just like small boys. You see this terrible mix of extreme poverty and luxury all over the developing and underdeveloped worlds. Perhaps part of the problem lies in a culture of living in the moment, which contrasts with a more patient, planned approach in the West. How much progress and development can we expect from living for instant gratification? Maybe lessons can be learned in the way people got back on their feet again after World War II devastated Europe. 

A Johnsen