Third World is Changing

url (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/opinion/2007/August/opinion_August24.xml§ion=opinion&col=)

This article on Third Word fully reminded me of a film from yesterday's classroom regarding the children who are at risk in the developing nations--the ones who are becoming prostitutes on the street begging for money and are being abused by the society. They are the most vulnerable to the society in the third world today. The article was painting the future of the third world: the mid-century China is assumed to become the world's largest economy, India the third largest, and lastly Brazil the sixth with the richest per head and with the best distribution of income throughout the society. But some bad things might happen to the third world for a reason such as war, revolution, economic mismanagement, and climate disasters. In Brazil, the policies of the re-elected Luis "Lula" da Silva and his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, are designed to improve the poor and create a better income distribution. "Lula" wanted to go for quality growth, also quality in education as well so Brazil can further itself faster. Brazil has a Bolsa Familia programme, a cash transfer programme in the world, which improves the distribution of income by making payments to those families that send their children to school. As a result, they have improve Brazil's educational systems and earning prospects of families, as well as to enhance economic growth. Brazil has been focusing mainly on the quality of education, especially introducing university education, and it has to work its way to decrease income inequalities. It is amazing to acknowledge how Brazil is working its path to development and to improve its macro economic policies. Now Brazil can consider if it is necessary to offer both India and China a run for their money. The article sort of sees Brazil as the successful Third World in the future.

It is unfortunate for India and China, that are currently dealing with inequality crisis as well as a sharp decrease in the impoverished population.

Economists believed that rising inequality is the necessary price that has to be paid for fast growth, but it is considered false. Even my own country Taiwan and South Korea, including other East Asian economies would mix the policies of high growth, low poverty, and improved income distribution would go together.