Brooks Gets It Right

The disaster in Haiti is unspeakably horrible. However, the reason the disaster is so great - according to this article by David Brooks - is due to Haiti's poverty. In that article Brooks outlines the reasons why poverty persists in Haiti and in other places.

I couldn't agree more and readers can refer to my previous blog post concerning World Vision for more of my thoughts on the foolishness of much economic development that doesn't address the underlying worldview - and thus life habits (Brooks' main concern) - of the people being aided.

As well, the Brooks article provides a nice opportunity to share a resource I've greatly benefited from in the last 6 months or so. Wayne Grudem is someone who has recently done a lot of thinking about poverty fighting and economic development. You can hear audio of the results of his research - presented to his own Sunday School class so lay people ought to listen - here. A pdf of the notes he handed out is worth its weight in gold and can be found here.

On Grudem's recommendation I'm presently making my way through David Landes' monumental THe Wealth and Poverty of Nations. If you're into thinking about economics, economic history, or economic development it's a good read.