Debunking third-world myths
In the rather lengthy comment thread on my child labour post, one point that was made went as follows:
If all you see worldwide is an improved quality of life, then you might be looking at surveys funded by investment banks, businesses and governments. Reports about severe violations of human and environmental interests are repeatedly leaking to the public, although the government is doing everything to avoid such reports, abolishing freedom of information and opinion, punishing citizens for giving information to journalists, imprisoning critics.
Not only does it make me fear for my own safety, but also for the safety of Hans Rosling, of whose TED lecture Jonathan Davis over at Limbic Nutrition reminded me.
If you haven’t seen it, you really should. Even if you’re not at all interested in the data, the data visualisation is spectacular.
making fun of imprisoned Chinese journalists, eh? Lame.
I’m sorry. I didn’t realise you were talking about Chinese journalists. I mentioned global statistics on quality of life, and thought your reference to “surveys funded by investment banks, businesses and governments” (note the plural) indicated that your response was made in the same global context.
No, of course I’m not making fun of imprisoned Chinese journalists, and I apologise if I gave that impression.
For what it’s worth, I have very serious problems with the Chinese government. I should qualify: more serious problems than I have with governments in general. The Chinese ruling party remains, for all its spotty attempts to “harness advanced production techniques”, an autocratic, repressive and communist regime. (Though I don’t believe that refusing to buy Chinese goods is a solution to that particular problem either.)