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51 reviews for:
Het einde van de armoede: hoe we dit doel binnen twintig jaar kunnen bereiken
Jeffrey D. Sachs
3.53 AVERAGE
51 reviews for:
Het einde van de armoede: hoe we dit doel binnen twintig jaar kunnen bereiken
Jeffrey D. Sachs
3.53 AVERAGE
This book was of great interest, because I wanted to explore NGO's a little. My husband is a large "humantarian" at heart, and is a firm believe of overseas work, and recommended it to me. This book had many recommendations for the developement in Africa, and Saches did offer suggestions. However, Africa isn't the only country in poverty.
An economically reductive ego-massage for Jeff Sachs. Do not take this book seriously.
202. “Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills – against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence…Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. t is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
It started out interesting, but seemed to get quite repetitive. Or maybe it was just too dense for a book on tape.
Very interesting and very readable. Once again, Sachs outlines truly complex issues, but his solution is overly simplistic. It's a good read for the data and a good understanding of root issues related to systemic poverty, but in the end, Sachs wraps it up too nicely, as it seems many writers are pressured to do. It's like he can't write a book in which he admits to not having all the answers.
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Sachs presents an argument to the world...but mostly the United States...that the time to take action to end poverty is now and has been for some time. Sachs frames his arguments from multiple perspectives and I have no reason to think other than the programs he very broadly outlines will perform their intended function. The trouble I have is that it does come across as pie-in-the-sky thinking. "If the donor countries...", "When developing country leader...", "As businesses grow...." I'm not an economist and I don't view the world and its people in a certain lens. I see billions of individuals that are loosely bound in small pockets of various factions. I don't share the same vision Sachs has that the world will move so collusively. And I also don't think many of the powerful forces are benevolent.
For me, there are only two reasonable arguments to be made. The first is that dire poverty is a death sentence not only for an individual, but for the community and the effects are generational. As such, I agree with Sachs that there is a duty of others (be it other countries or individuals) to do what they can to provide the basic sustenance and help build up the world's poorest out of that fundamental poverty trap. It is the right thing to do. At least in ideology. Second, I agree with Dr. Sachs that foreign aid, performed properly, provides greater safety to the world at large and the United States.
What I despise is the unabashed and naked ambition to take from those he feels are "wealthy enough" to foot the bill. There is no doubt that Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, or his personal favorite, Bill Gates, can provide meaningful change overnight. Yet, Sachs speaks in terms of entitlement and avarice. Bill and Melinda Gates have done an extraordinary thing with their foundation and I do hope it is a trend among the super-rich. I do hope that it is as philanthropic as Sachs and others say that it is. My cynicism leaves me some room to doubt that there may be more nefarious reasons - and I truly hope these thoughts are unfounded and silly. Still, Gates personally elected to do something with his money. This is far different than taxing them because of what someone else wants. That is state-sanctioned theft and thuggery. Pull at the heartstrings all day long, but the moment we advocate for taxing the rich on the basis that they can afford it is on principle wrong.
The last couple of chapters I felt were the best. They discussed some of my internal criticisms if only just to underscore them in my own head. I'm unconvinced that corruption isn't worse in Africa just because Sachs says so. I'm unconvinced that the United Nations, the World Bank, and all the other international organizations are complete good actors. This book was written in 2006 and a LOT has happened since then. I just realized I meant to write this review only after I tried to find if there was a followup story on where we stand now that the mid-goal of 2015 is gone and the end goal of 2025 is so close. I don't think we've come very far.
I used to be generally opposed to foreign aid. When I saw the overall budget for it compared to GDP, I ignored the stories condemning the policy. It still must be applied with care and managed/audited properly. I fear everything is now part of the politics though - and this is decidedly non-political.
For me, there are only two reasonable arguments to be made. The first is that dire poverty is a death sentence not only for an individual, but for the community and the effects are generational. As such, I agree with Sachs that there is a duty of others (be it other countries or individuals) to do what they can to provide the basic sustenance and help build up the world's poorest out of that fundamental poverty trap. It is the right thing to do. At least in ideology. Second, I agree with Dr. Sachs that foreign aid, performed properly, provides greater safety to the world at large and the United States.
What I despise is the unabashed and naked ambition to take from those he feels are "wealthy enough" to foot the bill. There is no doubt that Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, or his personal favorite, Bill Gates, can provide meaningful change overnight. Yet, Sachs speaks in terms of entitlement and avarice. Bill and Melinda Gates have done an extraordinary thing with their foundation and I do hope it is a trend among the super-rich. I do hope that it is as philanthropic as Sachs and others say that it is. My cynicism leaves me some room to doubt that there may be more nefarious reasons - and I truly hope these thoughts are unfounded and silly. Still, Gates personally elected to do something with his money. This is far different than taxing them because of what someone else wants. That is state-sanctioned theft and thuggery. Pull at the heartstrings all day long, but the moment we advocate for taxing the rich on the basis that they can afford it is on principle wrong.
The last couple of chapters I felt were the best. They discussed some of my internal criticisms if only just to underscore them in my own head. I'm unconvinced that corruption isn't worse in Africa just because Sachs says so. I'm unconvinced that the United Nations, the World Bank, and all the other international organizations are complete good actors. This book was written in 2006 and a LOT has happened since then. I just realized I meant to write this review only after I tried to find if there was a followup story on where we stand now that the mid-goal of 2015 is gone and the end goal of 2025 is so close. I don't think we've come very far.
I used to be generally opposed to foreign aid. When I saw the overall budget for it compared to GDP, I ignored the stories condemning the policy. It still must be applied with care and managed/audited properly. I fear everything is now part of the politics though - and this is decidedly non-political.
Sorry to see that his plans went off track when the Great Recession hit us all. I will try to see what he is saying as of late through Twitter and other sources. He is a marvelously informed activist and champion. His perspective helped me a great deal.
I am disappointed--not in the book! Sachs' idealism is tempered by experience and facts. No, I'm disappointed that our leaders, and I especially mark those in the United States, have basically chosen to say Go To Hell not only to the people of the world but the homeless refugees in our own country. This could have been doable but for the greed of our nation's oligarchs. Sorry.
Sachs has a few good, very basic ideas. Mostly what I got from this book was that he agrees with me that paying so little (~0.2% of our GNP) in foreign aid, and tying it to so many requirements and paperwork, is false economy. Unfortunately, it's a very dull book. Most of it is spent detailing every little talk and piece of advice he's given, and naming every important or famous person he's ever met. What little conceptual work is tainted by A)his seething hatred for communism and B)a complete lack of sources. He doesn't cite a damn thing, his stats have no error bars or confidence intervals or anything of the sort, and he's so vicious about communism that I just didn't feel like I could rely on anything he said.