![](https://cos-cdn.shuashuati.com/pipixue-web/2020-1231-2005-12/ti_inject-812ce.png)
I n m o s t p e op l e ‘ s m i nd, g r o w t h i s a ss o c i a t e d w i t h p r o s p e r i t y . 1) . E qu a l l y a x i o m a t i c , h o w e v e r , i s t he no t i on t h a t i n c r ea s e d p r e s s u r e on d w i nd l i ng n a t u r a l r e s ou r c e s m u s t i n e v i t a b l y l ea d t o a d e c l i ne i n p r o s p e r i t y , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n a cc o m p a n i e d by a g r o w t h i n popu l a t i on. s o, w h i c h i s c o rr e c t ? W h a t g r o w t h a dv o c a t e s m ea n, p r i m a r i l y , w h e n t h e y s a y g r o w t h i s n e c e s s a r y f o r p r o s p e r i t y i s t h a t g r o w t h i s n e c e ss a r y f or t he s m oo t h f un c t i on i ng of t he e c ono m i c s y s t e m . I n one a r e na t he a r gu m e nt i n f a vor o f g r o w t h i s p a r t i c u l a r l y c o m p e l l i ng a nd t h a t i s w i t h r e g a r d t o t he T h i r d W o r l d. 2) . B ut i s i t ? C ou l d i t be t h a t g r o w t h , e s p e c i a l l y t he g r o w t h of t he w ea l t h i e r c oun t r i e s , h a s c on t r i bu t e d t o t he i m pov e r i s h m e n t , n o t t he a dv a n c e m e n t , of T h i r d W o r l d c oun t r i e s ? I f n o t , h o w do w e a c c ount f or t he d e s p e r a t e s t r a i t s t h e s e c oun t r i e s f i nd t h e m s e l v e s i n t od a y a f t e r a c e n t u r y of d e d i c a t i on t o g r o w t h? 3) . W h a t good i s g r o w t h t o t he p e op l e of t he T h i r d W o r l d i f i t m ea ns t he c onv e r s i on of p ea s a nt f a r m s i n t o m e c h a n i ze d a g r i b u s i n e ss e s p r od u c i ng c o mm od i t i e s not f or l o c a l c on s u m p t i on but f or e xpo r t , i f i t m ea ns t he s t r i pp i ng of t h e i r l a nd of i t s m i n e r a l a nd o t h e r n a t u r a l t r ea s u r e s t o t he b e n e f i t of f o r e i gn i nv e s t o r s a nd a h a nd f ul of t h e i r l o c a l c o ll a bo r a t o r s , i f i t m ea ns t he a ss u m p t i on o f a c r u s h i ng f o r e i gn i nd e b t e dn e ss , t he p r o c ee ds of w h i c h go e s n o t i n t o t h e d e v e l op m e nt of t he c oun t r y but i n t o t he pu r c h a s e of e xp e n s i ve c a r s a nd t he buy i ng of l uxu r i ous r e s i d e n c e i n M i a m i ? A d m i tt e d l y , t h i s i s a n ov e r s i m p l i f i c a t i on. B ut t he po i n t , I b e li e v e , r e m a i ns v a l i d : t h a t g r o w t h i n und e r d e v e l op e d c oun t r i e s c a nnot s i m p l y be j udg e d i n t he a b s t r a c t ; i t m u s t be j udg e d b a s e d on t he t r ue n a t u r e of g r o w t h i n t h e s e s o c i e t i e s , on w ho b e n e f i t s a nd w ho i s h a r m e d, on w h e r e g r o w t h i s l ea d i ng t h e s e p e op l e a nd w h e r e i t h a s l e f t t h e m . 4) . S o, do w e n ee d g r o w t h f or p r o s p e r i t y? O n l y t he a dop t i on of ze r o g r o w t h c a n p r ov i de t he a n s w e r . B ut t h a t i s a t e s t not ea s il y und e r t a k e n. M od e r n e c ono m i e s a r e i n c r e d i b l y c o m p l e x ph e no m e n a , a t r i bu t e t o m a n ‘ s a b i l i t y t o o r g a n i z e a nd a c h a ll e n g e t o h i s a b i l i t y t o und e r s t a nd. 5) . B ut i f t he p r o s p ec t o f l ea p i ng i n t o t he e c ono m i c unkn o w n i s f ea r- i n s p i r i ng, e qu a ll y s o i s t he p r o s p e c t o f l e tt i ng t h a t f ea r p r e v e nt us fr om a c t i ng w h e n t he f a il u r e t o a c t c ou l d m ea n un t o l d m i s e r y f or f u t u r e g e n e r a t i ons a nd p e r h a ps e nv i r on m e n t a l c a t a s t r o ph e s w h i c h t h r ea t e n our v e r y e x i s t e n c e . A. W h e n c on s i d e r e d i n t h i s w a y , i t j u s t m i ght be t h a t i n t he p r e s e nt c on t e xt g r o w t h i s m o r e d e t r i m e n t a l t o t he w e l l - b e i ng of t he w r e t c h e d of t he ea r t h t h a n b e n e f i c i a l . B. T o s e e h o w t h i s m i ght be t he c a s e w e m u s t l ook a t t he i m p a c t of g r o w t h on T h i r d W o r l d c oun t r i e s - t he r ea li t y , not t h e a b s t r a c t s t a g e s - o f - e c ono m i c - g r o w t h t h e o r y a dvo c a t e d t h r ough r o s e - c o l o r e d g l a ss e s by a c a d e m i c i a ns of t he d e v e l op e d w o r l d. C. S o m e T h i r d W o r l d c oun t r i e s c on s i d e r g r o w t h a s t he p a t h t o p r o s p e r i t y , but o t h e r s do not t h i nk s o. D. W e j udge h o w w e l l t he e c ono m y i s do i ng by t he s i z e of t he G r o s s N a t i on a l P r odu c t ( GN P ) , a m ea s u r e , s upp o s e d l y , of g r o w t h. E. T o a r gue a g a i n s t g r o w t h, o t h e r t h a n popu l a t i on g r o w t h, i n li ght of T h i r d W o r l d pov e r t y a nd d e g r a d a t i on s ee m s c a ll ou s . F. A ny t h i ng t h a t a ff e c t s t h e i r f u n c t i on i ng, s u c h a s a po li c y of ze r o g r o w t h, s hou l d not be p r opo s e d w i t hout a w a r y p r ud e n c e a nd a s e l f - doub t i ng hu m ili t y . G. s o m e p e op l e t h i nk t h a t t he p r o s p e r i t y of t he e c ono m y s hou l d be j udg e d on l y by t he g r o w t h of i t .