>Steve: "The argument that no development takes place in poorer
>regions of the world political economy is hardly an argument that carries
>much weight."
>
>Allowing for exceptions, the great mass of people in "the poorer regions of
>the world" are not enjoying any development.
>
>Moreover, although this argument "hardly...carries much weight" in the
>refined world of Euro-American academe, it damn well carries weight among
>Marxists and other progressives in the "poorer countries" themselves
>(although one may not get that impression from reading some of the Third
>world writers whose works stud the readings lists of or own universities).
>
>Cheers
>
>Jim B
Well let's pick five countries from the poorer regions of the world
at random... Zambia... India... Botswana... Egypt... Cuba...
GDP per Capita (1987 US $)
Country 1975 1997
------- ---- ----
Cuba ??? ??? (but lower since the collapse of the
Soviet Union)
Egypt $467 $1015
Botswana $621 $2101
India $251 $465
Zambia $438 $451
Looks like (from GDP per capita measures) that development has taken
place in Egypt, Botswana, and India: three out of five...
Under Five Mortality Rate (per thousand)
Country 1975 1997
------- ---- ----
Cuba 34 7
Egypt 157 54
Botswana 98 39
India 130 71
Zambia 109 112
Looks like development has taken place in four out of five...
United Nations Human Development Index
Country 1975 1997
------- ---- ----
Cuba ???? .765
Egypt .432 .573
Botswana .501 .670
India .431 .506
Zambia .453 .483
Looks like development has taken place in at least four out of five
(albeit little development in Zambia).
Brad DeLong
