Saturday, March 25, 2006

Phoney Legend!

So what do Robin Hood and the IMF and the World Bank have in common?

They all believe in stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Alright, so I may have pulled that line a bit too far. But in a sense, its true.

The global misconception is that the poor are poor because the rich are rich! Just to lend a tad bit of credibility to this line, its not mine. The one and only Jeffery Sachs, who has me spellbound with The End Of Poverty. In one word - brilliant! (And I havn't even finished a third of the book yet!)

So back to this misconception. Every one effortlessly points the finger towards the USA, Canada and a larger portion of Europe as the wealth-guzzlers of the world. The suffering of the poor is derived from the luxury of the wealthy. And this misconception opens the door to graver social issues, beginning with hostility towards these races.

One fact to clear the slate: GWP (Gross World Product) is, and has been, inscreasing!
This clearly negates the fact that the rich have become wealthier by eating a bigger slice of the pie.

So did i just punch a hole in the Robin Hood legend? Not so noble now, is he?