The new UN Millenium Project report on specific actions, programs and costs to “halve extreme poverty and save the lives of millions of children and hundreds of thousands of mothers each year by 2015” is exactly the kind of effort I was dreaming about when I wrote Land of the Penny Pinchers. I truly hope that an effort led by Jeffrey Sachs, one of the most well-known and intelligent economists today, has a decent chance of success though I note with sadness:
“Britain itself [host of a related conference later this Spring] has pledged to double aid by 2013 to 0.7 percent of its national income. The United States, which currently allocates less than 0.2 percent for aid, has not made a comparable pledge.”
Wouldn’t a pledge by the American government, in response to the release of this report, to increase foreign aid in support of the efforts laid out be a great message to send during the week in which Bush is re-inaugurated?
BillSaysThis 