An arguement can be made that the reason the developing world is in such desperate straits is not because of the striving it makes to become developed, but because of the striving of the developed world to stay rich.

Disease is the result of poor medicine, of malnutrition, of poverty.

The drive to become rich follows a yellow brick road that attempts to grow or build the things rich nations want to buy, instead of what the developing country itself needs. This is often the sort of thing the rich countries will no longer do--leading to such catastrophes as the Bhopal accident.

Or, there will be the growing of grains, and othere agricultural produce to feed the rich countries cattle. But there will be no growing of produce for local consumption.

To establish industries requires capital equipment only rich nations can provide--at a cost. This is the beginning of massive debt.

And then the IMF will force countries to accept draconian measures to receive loans to keep afloat, after they have gone bankrupt trying to make money--cut health care, cut education, cut anything that does not contribute to the repayment of foreign debt.

The Jubilee 2000 program, and others, are moves to forgive all developing world debt.


I'm not sure you ever know what I'm talking about DMan. legbagede has, in my experience, a clear mind and a penetrating insight.