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Monday, February 04, 2008
New at the Standard
Think non-governmental organisations in third-world nations are helping? Think again. Alex Singleton, founder of the London-based Globalisation Institute, issues his first salvo for globalisation and free markets in his new and regular column for the Western Standard with "Enemies of the Poor."
Posted by westernstandard on February 4, 2008 in Western Standard | Permalink
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A lot of folks wonder how people like this can reconcile inherently destructive practices with their stated objective of helping these people. The answer is quite simple really. They do it not for the recipient's sake, but for their own--so they can look themselves in the mirror and tell themselves what wonderful people they are, look at all the good they're doing. Whether the recipient actually benefits or even comes out worse off is of secondary, if any, importance. It's just another form of "do it if it feels good, and damn the consequences."
Posted by: Shane Matthews | 2008-02-04 11:34:42 AM
It's amazing to me that some of these organisations don't even bother to look at the research on what works and what doesn't in terms of development. I think the case for markets and private property is as firm as anyone could want a case to be, and yet some of these NGOs continue to call for socialist planning, for restrictions on trade, and oppose private property regimes.
It makes you question the motives, doesn't it?
And the way they presume to speak on behalf of their "wards"--the poor people who they are the godly stewards over--turns my stomach. As Alex points out, some of these people presume to "know" just what "Africans" want. How could they just "know" this? Especially in light of the expressed desires of people in those countries who, given a choice between having a cell phone and not having one, clearly opt for the former.
Posted by: P.M. Jaworski | 2008-02-04 11:58:13 AM
Wow Shane and Peter are clueless fools!
Posted by: notloz | 2008-02-04 12:07:14 PM
Notloz, it's illegal to troll without a license.
Posted by: Shane Matthews | 2008-02-04 6:36:59 PM
I somehow happened to scroll back to this page/date that I'd overlooked previously. These articles of his are useful and interesting. I'll watch for Mr. Singleton and his Globalization Institute in the future.
Posted by: Conrad-USA | 2008-03-03 8:48:25 AM
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