Ch. 1: The Rise of the Rest
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 12:06 pm
Ch. 1: The Rise of the Rest
Please use this thread to discuss Ch. 1: The Rise of the Rest.
Please use this thread to discuss Ch. 1: The Rise of the Rest.
I'm just getting a little head start, we've got plenty of time.
The first chapter gives a short summary of “the rise of the rest” — the growth of developing countries. Some people who have a zero-sum view of the world might be worried about it. I’m reminded of NYT columnist Thomas Friedman who I usually don’t read, but he talks about the global economy like it’s a competition, and US needs to improve policy in order to keep winning. As my background is in economics, I have a more positive-sum view of the world, certainly in the long-run. Richer neighbors make everyone better off.
He gives some good stats on the decline in global poverty. A lot of people who are obsessed with inequality within the US seem strangely unimpressed or ignorant of this.