Not a Construct: The World As It Really Is

The idea of the "developing world" still lives, at least in the mind of Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Developing, of course, is a world that lacks a real definition, like say "Hope" or "Change". The three legs of Madam Clintions stool for her notion of national security are: military power, diplomacy and development. Her appointment of 36 year old Rajiv Shah to head USAID she hopes will make the nation more secure. Mr. Shah, who is an MD and a development wonk for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will disburse about $50 billion a year suppose to help developing world to overcome whatever obstacles USAID stands in their way of "development." $50B will in essence make him a king maker to the 3rd World.

The problem is not development or lack of development that causes people to drive airplanes into sky scrapers or bomb buses or subway trains, it is crazy ideas that attract unstable people.
Chief among the crazy ideas is the notion that 3rd people are noble savages and that the Western World corrupted them with colonialism. The fact that the withdrawl of colonialism from the 3rd World has produced few democracies but plenty of tryrannical regimes has not dissuaded the disciples of Rousseau and Marx that their ideas are wrong.

33 years ago I faced two friendly mentor-professors during my comprehensive examination in Asian History at UC Santa Cruz and they scowled as I prophesied that the withdrawl of the colonial powers from "3rd World" countries, would return those "nations" to their state: tyranny. The facts are in, Japan, Korea and Korea are the only true democracies in Asia and that was a result of nearly 50 years of US tutelage. China is now emerging as a state, greater than Imperial Chin. Africa is now a tribal morass and killing field. Uganda's witches exercise human sacrifice and protocol officers will have to deal the how to handle the new Zulu president of South Africa as he takes on his 5th wife. Latin America is re-entering the age of the Junta with leaders like Hugo Chavez and other leaders squashing democracies, just as people got use to voting. The world continues to be a dangerous place an reality has a way of kicking one in the butt if they don't believe it.