Bad Samaritans: The Guilty Secrets of Rich Nations and the Threat to Global Prosperity
Ha-Joon Chang - Random House Business, 2008
It's rare that a book appears with a fresh perspective on world affairs, but
renowned economist Ha-Joon Chang has some startlingly original things to say
about the future of globalization. In theory, he argues, the world's wealthiest
countries and supra-national institutions like the IMF, World Bank and WTO want
to see all nations developing into modern industrial societies. In
practice, though, those at the top are 'kicking away the ladder' to wealth that
they themselves climbed.
Why? Self-interest certainly plays a part. But, more often, rich and powerful
governments and institutions are actually being 'Bad Samaritans': their
intentions are worthy but their simplistic free-market ideology and poor
understanding of history leads them to inflict policy errors on others. Chang
demonstrates this by contrasting the route to success of economically vibrant
countries with the very different route now being dictated to the world's poorer
nations. In the course of this, he shows just how muddled the thinking is in
such key areas as trade and foreign investment. He shows that the case for
privatisation and against state involvement is far from proven. And he explores
the ways in which attitudes to national cultures and political ideologies are
obscuring clear thinking and creating bad policy. Finally, he argues the case
for new strategies for a more prosperous world that may appall the 'Bad
Samaritans'
