WORLD POVERTY. The Standard “Shocking Stats” Half of the World Lives on Less Than $2.50/Day 95%:...

WORLD POVERTY

The Standard “Shocking Stats”

•Half of the World Lives on Less Than $2.50/Day

•95%: Less Than $10/Day

•GDP of the 41 “HIPC” Countries Less Than Combined Wealth of World’s 7 Richest People

It’s Not Getting Any Better

The Widening Gap

•More Than 80% of World’s Population Lives In Country With Widening Gap

•The Richest Country Also Owns Widest Gap

•9 Million+ Millionaires in U.S. (2006)

•Richest 1% Own 38% of Wealth

National Level International Level

•Distance Between Richest/Poorest Countries:

•1820 --- 3:1

•1913 --- 11:1

•1950 --- 35:1

•1973 --- 44:1

•1992 --- 72:1

It’s Not Getting Any Better

The Widening Gap

•More Than 80% of World’s Population Lives In Country With Widening Gap

•The Richest Country Also Owns Widest Gap

•9 Million+ Millionaires in U.S. (2006)

•Richest 1% Own 38% of Wealth

National Level International Level

•Distance Between Richest/Poorest Countries:

•1820 --- 3:1

•1913 --- 11:1

•1950 --- 35:1

•1973 --- 44:1

•1992 --- 72:1

It’s Not Getting Any Better

The Widening Gap

•More Than 80% of World’s Population Lives In Country With Widening Gap

•The Richest Country Also Owns Widest Gap

•9 Million+ Millionaires in U.S. (2006)

•Richest 1% Own 38% of Wealth

National Level International Level

•Distance Between Richest/Poorest Countries:

•1820 --- 3:1

•1913 --- 11:1

•1950 --- 35:1

•1973 --- 44:1

•1992 --- 72:1

It’s Not Getting Any Better

The Widening Gap

•More Than 80% of World’s Population Lives In Country With Widening Gap

•The Richest Country Also Owns Widest Gap

•9 Million+ Millionaires in U.S. (2006)

•Richest 1% Own 38% of Wealth

National Level International Level

•Distance Between Richest/Poorest Countries:

•1820 --- 3:1

•1913 --- 11:1

•1950 --- 35:1

•1973 --- 44:1

•1992 --- 72:1

World Bank: Poverty Decline Since 1981

It’s Not Getting Any Better

The Widening Gap

•More Than 80% of World’s Population Lives In Country With Widening Gap

•The Richest Country Also Owns Widest Gap

•9 Million+ Millionaires in U.S. (2006)

•Richest 1% Own 38% of Wealth

National Level International Level

•Distance Between Richest/Poorest Countries:

•1820 --- 3:1

•1913 --- 11:1

•1950 --- 35:1

•1973 --- 44:1

•1992 --- 72:1

World Bank: Poverty Decline Since 1981

• China: 85% to 15.9%

• World: ~10%

Important to the World?

•Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs):

• #1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty & Hunger

• #8 Develop Global Partnership for Development

Important to the World?

•Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs):

• #1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty & Hunger

• #8 Develop Global Partnership for Development

Stronger Link Than Usually Acknowledged

Hungry People

•World Food Shortage?

• 1/3 of World’s Starving People in India

• 1999: 10 Million Ton Food Grain Surplus

• 2000: 60 Million Tons

Hungry People

•World Food Shortage?

• 1/3 of World’s Starving People in India

• 1999: 10 Million Ton Food Grain Surplus

• 2000: 60 Million Tons

- Most Left in Granaries to Rot -

Hungry People

•World Food Shortage?

•Ethiopia was exporting green beans to Europe during 1980s famine

Hungry People

•Food is Commodity - Not Something Grown To End Hunger

• Poor do not have purchasing power to change patterns of consumption

Hungry People

•Food is Commodity - Not Something Grown To End Hunger

• Poor do not have purchasing power to change patterns of consumption

People are not hungry due to lack of food

They’re hungry because they don’t have money

Blame?

•Food Dumping• Instead of self-sufficiency, creates dependancy

• Undercuts local farmers

Blame?

•Food Dumping• Instead of self-sufficiency, creates dependancy

• Undercuts local farmers

•USAID: $50M Aid to Zimbabwe • Contingent on purchase of genetically-modified maize

• Providing a market for the unmarketable

Blame?

•Food Dumping• Instead of self-sufficiency, creates dependancy

• Undercuts local farmers

•USAID: $50M Aid to Zimbabwe • Contingent on purchase of genetically-modified maize

• Providing a market for the unmarketable

•Globalization• Super-labels contract production to weak economies

• Drop in standard of living and purchasing power

Blame?

•Food Dumping• Instead of self-sufficiency, creates dependancy

• Undercuts local farmers

•USAID: $50M Aid to Zimbabwe • Contingent on purchase of genetically-modified maize

• Providing a market for the unmarketable

•Globalization• Super-labels contract production to weak economies

• Drop in standard of living and purchasing power

•Corruption• Rich countries encourage the behavior

• Cold War, concessions/bribes, drug trade

Who Cares?

Who Cares?•Bleeding Heart Granola Eating Tree Huggers

Who Care?•Bleeding Heart Granola Eating Tree Huggers

Environmental damage from land misuse - Demand for textiles, flowers, tobacco, etc

Shouldv

•Bleeding Heart Granola Eating Tree Huggers

Environmental damage from land misuse - Demand for textiles, flowers, tobacco, etc

•You, if you’re not filthy rich

Who Care?Shouldv

What’s Being Done?•HIPC, MDRITakes away ability to control economic futureForced to export resources to pay debt

Health, education, welfare take the hit

$1 aid - - - - - $25 debt repayment•Debt: “efficient tool...to ensure access to other people’s raw materials and infrastructure on the cheapest possible terms”

“Spiraling Race To The Bottom”

Role of the state declinesExport more to pay debt

Increasing entries to global market

Value drops

Western customers benefit

Reduction in consumption

Social unrest/instability

Foreign investors pull-out

What Should Be Done?

What Should Be Done?All sorts of ideas floating around...

What Should Be Done?

Changes in Western consumerismAll sorts of ideas floating around...

What Should Be Done?

Changes in Western consumerismStop giving fish and start teaching how to fish

All sorts of ideas floating around...

What Should Be Done?

Changes in Western consumerismStop giving fish and start teaching how to fishStimulate demand side in third-world

Empower workers to stand up for rights

Foster democratically-elected, corruption-resistant governments

Regulate human rights

Enforce environmental regulations

All sorts of ideas floating around...

What Should Be Done?

Changes in Western consumerismStop giving fish and start teaching how to fishStimulate demand side in third-world

Empower workers to stand up for rights

Foster democratically-elected, corruption-resistant governments

Regulate human rights

Enforce environmental regulations

Legalize Drugs

All sorts of ideas floating around...

What Should Be Done?

Changes in Western consumerismStop giving fish and start teaching how to fishStimulate demand side in third-world

Empower workers to stand up for rights

Foster democratically-elected, corruption-resistant governments

Regulate human rights

Enforce environmental regulations

Legalize Drugs

All sorts of ideas floating around...

Realize that a “healthy, well-fed, literate population...is the most intelligent economic choice a country can make”

What Will Be Done?

Questions?

Kill MiGs