I just read an exciting article in The Economist (June 1): called, “Towards the End of Poverty.” It explains how nearly 1 billion people have been raised out of extreme poverty between 1990 and 2010. Most of these were in China. It concludes that capitalism and free trade were the main drivers in this success.
That’s the good news. The toughest part is still ahead with the challenges in India and Africa. Growth and free trade can help bring that last billion out of abject, life-threatening poverty. India and Africa must get away from monopolies and restrictive practices and the rest of the world should allow free, fair trade with these areas.
Abject poverty must be defeated worldwide because it is the right thing to do and also because it benefits us all to have a more prosperous world. Love thy neighbor as thyself. We are all world citizens. Let’s make our one world a place we can all appreciate with gratitude and thanksgiving.
