Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Making the globe smarter

The Economist has a great leader this week about what the world can do to help more people in more places realize their potential (it's behind a paywall, but oh well). So much of it has to do with raising nutrition for infants and toddlers in places like Africa and Bangladesh and by limiting regional conflicts.

And that means multinational organizations that cooperate with one another as well as stable geopolitics. Which depends upon good leadership.

I remember back in the 90s one would often go to airports and run into groups of evangelical Christian returning from missions to Africa and feeling ashamed of not doing something similar. I had good intentions, but they in some sense were walking the walk, even if perhaps they were Bible-thumping in a way to which I might object. At least they were going over there and seeing how people lived and doing something. I'm sure they did at least if not primarily a little latrine-digging work and/or brought some food/medicine to embody their message.

Has this faded with the rise of populist nationalism? I honestly don't know. The America Firstish tone seems to imply it has. 

I do know that the left/public health/ESG world does have a focus on this stuff, if not a firm handle. And Gates has been a good leader in this regard, so it is disheartening to see him vilified. Ditto for Soros

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