Bottom Billion
The Billion-Dollar Question
In Paul Collier’s book, “The Bottom Billion” he addresses the reasons why particular countries like Haiti, Bolivia, Cambodia, North Korea, and Africa are currently in poverty. Collier’s believes there are four traps that people little attention to, “the conflict trap, the natural resources trap, the trap of being landlocked with bad neighbors, and the trap of a bad governance in a small country.” (Collier 5) He also stresses since 1980 world poverty is falling for the first time in history (Collier x) and the bottom countries are poorer than they were in 1970. (Collier 9) But Collier has confidence that these struggling countries can save themselves, “Change is going to have to come from within the societies of the bottom billion, but our own policies could make these efforts more likely to succeed, and so more likely to be undertaken.” (Collier 12) Collier explains the ways these countries could get help is through aid, military intervention, laws, and trade policy. The most effective method to help these struggling countries would be through continuous aid from the wealthier nations, not just giving large sums of money, but in ways so they can increase there own wealth, creating jobs, better institutions, and opportunities for people to get educated.
The first trap mentioned by Collier is the conflict trap, “Seventy-three percent of people in the bottom billion have recently been through a civil war or are still in one.” (Collier 17) After a civil war the country suffers, “Civil war reduces income”, “A civil war doubles the risk of another civil war”, and “Both economic losses and disease are highly persistent: they do not stop once the fighting stops”. (Collier 19,27,28) To alleviate the conflict trap Collier believes there are two points of intervention, post conflict and deep prevention. (Collier 177) Collier says aid to post conflict societies, “used to be too little too soon” and “phased over a decade rather than dumped in
In Paul Collier’s book, “The Bottom Billion” he addresses the reasons why particular countries like Haiti, Bolivia, Cambodia, North Korea, and Africa are currently in poverty. Collier’s believes there are four traps that people little attention to, “the conflict trap, the natural resources trap, the trap of being landlocked with bad neighbors, and the trap of a bad governance in a small country.” (Collier 5) He also stresses since 1980 world poverty is falling for the first time in history (Collier x) and the bottom countries are poorer than they were in 1970. (Collier 9) But Collier has confidence that these struggling countries can save themselves, “Change is going to have to come from within the societies of the bottom billion, but our own policies could make these efforts more likely to succeed, and so more likely to be undertaken.” (Collier 12) Collier explains the ways these countries could get help is through aid, military intervention, laws, and trade policy. The most effective method to help these struggling countries would be through continuous aid from the wealthier nations, not just giving large sums of money, but in ways so they can increase there own wealth, creating jobs, better institutions, and opportunities for people to get educated.
The first trap mentioned by Collier is the conflict trap, “Seventy-three percent of people in the bottom billion have recently been through a civil war or are still in one.” (Collier 17) After a civil war the country suffers, “Civil war reduces income”, “A civil war doubles the risk of another civil war”, and “Both economic losses and disease are highly persistent: they do not stop once the fighting stops”. (Collier 19,27,28) To alleviate the conflict trap Collier believes there are two points of intervention, post conflict and deep prevention. (Collier 177) Collier says aid to post conflict societies, “used to be too little too soon” and “phased over a decade rather than dumped in