Whenever I hear that some unknown but quickly lionized person is nominated to a post by our dear leader, my BS detector goes up. Why did Obama nominate the current President of Dartmouth to this post? I think it’s because he read his work. Here are some titles and excerpts found by Bill Easterly at NYU’s Development Research Institute:
Conclusion: Pessimism of the Intellect, Optimism of the Will, By Joyce V. Millen, Alec Irwin, and Jim Yong Kim
“Through a series of specific cases, we have demonstrated how growth – the market-led economic growth sought by governments, the growth in profits celebrated by businesses, and the growth in power and influence of transnational financial and corporate interests – often comes at the expense of the disenfranchised and vulnerable… As the imperatives of growth at any cost increasingly determine economic and social policy and the behavior of global corporations, more people join the ranks of the poor and greater numbers suffer and die.” (p. 363)
“The studies in this book present evidence that the quest for growth in GDP and corporate profits has in fact worsened the lives of millions of women and men.” (p.7)
There’s more at the NYU site. Lots of talk about “Social Justice“, discussions of how wonderful Cuba is, and demonization of economic growth. Economic growth has driven 100 million people out of poverty in China, and will soon push India to be no longer eligible for loans from the World Bank because they are too rich to meet the criteria for loans.
Here’s a few articles in one of the books he edited:
- Ch. 2. Getting a Grip on the Global Economy / John Gershman and Alec Irwin
- Ch. 8. Dying for Growth, Part I: Transnational Corporations and the Health of the Poor / Joyce V. Millen and Timothy H. Holtz
- Ch. 9. Dying for Growth, Part II: The Political Influence of National and Transnational Corporations / Joyce V. Millen, Evan Lyon and Alec Irwin
Thanks to Dr. Kevin Blaine Grier for noticing this. We don’t need some world government saint to run the World Bank. We need to either eliminate it, or at least ensure that it’s policies drive more growth, not less.
