It's rare that a book appears with a fresh perspective on world affairs,
but renowned economist Ha-Joon Chang has some startlingly original
things to say about the future of globalization. In theory, he argues,
the world's wealthiest countries and supra-national institutions like
the IMF, World Bank and WTO want to see all nations developing into
modern industrial societies. In practice, though, those at the top are
'kicking away the ladder' to wealth that they themselves climbed.
Why? Self-interest certainly plays a part. But, more often, rich and
powerful governments and institutions are actually being 'Bad
Samaritans': their intentions are worthy but their simplistic
free-market ideology and poor understanding of history leads them to
inflict policy errors on others. Chang demonstrates this by contrasting
the route to success of economically vibrant countries with the very
different route now being dictated to the world's poorer nations.
In the course of this, he shows just how muddled the thinking is in
such key areas as trade and foreign investment. He shows that the case
for privatisation and against state involvement is far from proven. And
he explores the ways in which attitudes to national cultures and
political ideologies are obscuring clear thinking and creating bad
policy.
Finally, he argues the case for new strategies for a more prosperous world that may appall the 'Bad Samaritans'.
Bad Samaritans : The Guilty Secrets of Rich Nations and the Threat to Global Prosperity - Ha-Joon Chang
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