The text in blue is taken directly from the World Bank's Private Sector Development Blog. This is a good quick look at arguments for and against increased aid. Many are currently pushing for more aid from rich countries, while others are skeptical because aid has been increasing for years and they feel they are not seeing a reduction in poverty.

Both sides seem to say that aid has failed because of the sloppy ways it is often used.


Aid works! No it doesn't!

In a debate on the BBC News website, Frederik Erixon explains:

The new 'big push' of development aid has been tried many times before but always with dismal results. The call for redoubling aid to eradicate poverty has been responded to many times over, but it has never delivered what it promised.

Jeff Sachs retorts:

Aid works, when it is practical, targeted, science-based and measurable. Hence, we have seen the successes of immunisation campaigns for children in impoverished countries, against diseases such as polio, diphtheria, and measles.


Yes, it's neary 1:00 a.m. and I'm reading blogs because my brain has decided it's not yet time for me to sleep. Too bad my work schedule can't conform to my body's sleep patterns.

Try also:

Global-Growth.org and, my personal favorite, Johan Norberg's blog.

How does a Dutch woman interview a Swede and a Britain for a Dutch TV show? Fortunately, in English.

I tracked down this RealVideo clip from 2003 because the Swede in question is Johan Norberg. In this video, Norberg speaks in favor of increased globalization, while the British woman, Noreena Hertz, cautions against increased globalization. This video clip isn't too long, and it's pleasant, not argumentative, but showing both sides of the issue. And you get to choose between "breedband" and "smalband" Internet connections. :)

I want to note that both Norberg and Hertz have the same goals and motivations--the welfare of poorer countries, of the world in general.

"This is not for academic purposes or anything like that. This is about life and death issues. It's about the future of our planet. This is how we're going to live our lives--if people in the future are going to have the same opportunities and wealth that we have in rich countries, or if they are going to be shut out in the future." -Norberg

"It's just a matter of lucky chance that I was born into a middle-class home in London rather than in a poor village in Africa. And, that being the case, why should I just because of where I was born be entitled to a whole host of rights and opportunities that others born elsewhere are completely denied? I'm so aware of the randomness of my personal situation that I so want to ensure that everyone has opportunities, rights, has basic needs met, has access to justice."
--Noreena Hertz

I'm in the process of reading all of Norberg's blog archives.

Johan Norberg has a blog! I should have known he would. (READ ME! I'M NORBERG'S BLOG!)

Norberg wrote In Defense of Global Capitalism. He's a 32-year-old Swedish libertarian. Read this bio of Norberg from A World Connected (which looks like an interesting site).

Much of Norberg's blog is in English, but a lot of the links are Swedish.

I'm sitting with John and Josh in a 24-hour coffee house right now. It's called the Counter Culture Cafe. It was pretty slow until about 1:00 a.m. Now there is a crowd of college-aged kids. I'm pretty tired, but tomorrow is Saturday.