WCJ Comments on The National Security Strategy of the United States of America (17 September 2002)

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vii. Expand the Circle of Development by Opening Societies and Building the Infrastructure of Democracy

“In World War II we fought to make the world safer, then worked to rebuild it. As we wage war today to keep the world safe from terror, we must also work to make the world a better place for all its citizens.”

President Bush – Washington, D.C. (Inter'American Development Bank) – March 14, 2002

WCJ Comments The National Security Strategy of the United States of America Report - 17 September 2002
No.		The NSS Report	Comment
1		A world where some live in comfort and plenty, while half of the human race lives on less than $2 a day, is neither just nor stable. Including all of the world's poor in an expanding circle of development — and opportunity — is a moral imperative and one of the top priorities of U.S. international policy.	Charity, compassion and generosity should not be confused with justice. This confusion has lead to many conflicts and has caused Mankind much suffering. The envy‐based philosophy of Socialism is based on such confusion. The issues of justice arise only out of a relationship between people. A person can inflict an injustice on another person by interference with his freedom, person, or property against his will or by failure to fulfill a contractual obligation. Also injustice can be caused by a person acting in a judicial capacity, by failure to resolve a dispute justly. Issues of justice do not arise just because one person is richer than another person. If, however, one person is so poor as to suffer hardship and another person is sufficiently rich to be able to alleviate the other person's hardship, then he should help such person on the grounds of charity and compassion. Such alleviation of genuine hardship is also a duty of government. People in position of hardship, where the hardship is not caused by other people, are not victims of injustice. They are lucky that other people have resources to help them. In those cases where “poverty” is purely relative, that is, some people are richer than others, then those who are less rich should not envy those who are richer than themselves, and governments should not use their powers to pander to envy. What is true of persons in this case is true of nations. But freedom of movement of individuals across national frontiers and free contract‐based commercial interactions between people, rather than “master‐and‐servant” based “employment” will lead to a natural creation and distribution of wealth, between nations and individuals.
2		Decades of massive development assistance have failed to spur economic growth in the poorest countries. Worse, development aid has often served to prop up failed policies, relieving the pressure for reform and perpetuating misery. Results of aid are typically measured in dollars spent by donors, not in the rates of growth and poverty reduction achieved by recipients. These are the indicators of a failed strategy.	This is true.
3		Working with other nations, the United States is confronting this failure. We forged a new consensus at the U.N. Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey that the objectives of assistance — and the strategies to achieve those objectives — must change.	That is a positive development.
4		This Administration's goal is to help unleash the productive potential of individuals in all nations. Sustained growth and poverty reduction is impossible without the right national policies. Where governments have implemented real policy changes, we will provide significant new levels of assistance. The United States and other developed countries should set an ambitious and specific target: to double the size of the world's poorest economies within a decade.	Freedom of movement, establishment of a workable legal framework and banking systems at national and supra-national level would lead to a more equal distribution of wealth around the world.
5	a	The United States Government will pursue these major strategies to achieve this goal: Provide resources to aid countries that have met the challenge of national reform. We propose a 50 percent increase in the core development assistance given by the United States. While continuing our present programs, including humanitarian assistance based on need alone, these billions of new dollars will form a new Millennium Challenge Account for projects in countries whose governments rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom. Governments must fight corruption, respect basic human rights, embrace the rule of law, invest in health care and education, follow responsible economic policies, and enable entrepreneurship. The Millennium Challenge Account will reward countries that have demonstrated real policy change and challenge those that have not to implement reforms.	These strategies are undoubtedly well‐meant. But not all human well‐meant intentions yield the intended results. It is naive to think that the American government can directly transplant American ideas to other countries, and achieve success. Nor is everything American necessarily good even for the American people themselves. While establishment of honest, competent and effective government in all countries of the world is necessary, this should not be confused with americanization or westernization¹, which are not. Different countries have different customs, traditions, and way of life, which could be different from those of the United States, but not necessarily inferior to those of the United States. Use of alcohol, sexual promiscuity and homosexuality are seen as abominations even by some American citizens, and will not be welcome in some countries. Nor is the philosophy of “industrial relations” or “labor relations” with its trade'unionism, strikes, and labour disputes is to be seen as a blessing which has to be transplanted to other countries. Nor would it be right to expect that other countries' governments become honest, competent and effective, while the Government of the United States will be exempt from such requirements. The “policing” of governments should not be done by one nation, motivated by its “national interests”, but by a supra'national police, and a supra'national system of justice, which will not favor any nation at other nations expense, but will see them all equal under the law.
	b	Improve the effectiveness of the World Bank and other development banks in raising living standards. The United States is committed to a comprehensive reform agenda for making the World Bank and the other multilateral development banks more effective in improving the lives of the world's poor. We have reversed the downward trend in U.S. contributions and proposed an 18 percent increase in the U.S. contributions to the International Development Association (IDA) — the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries — and the African Development Fund. The key to raising living standards and reducing poverty around the world is increasing productivity growth, especially in the poorest countries. We will continue to press the multilateral development banks to focus on activities that increase economic productivity, such as improvements in education, health, rule of law, and private sector development. Every project, every loan, every grant must be judged by how much it will increase productivity growth in developing countries.	This is welcome.
	c	Insist upon measurable results to ensure that development assistance is actually making a difference in the lives of the world's poor. When it comes to economic development, what really matters is that more children are getting a better education, more people have access to health care and clean water, or more workers can find jobs to make a better future for their families. We have a moral obligation to measure the success of our development assistance by whether it is delivering results. For this reason, we will continue to demand that our own development assistance as well as assistance from the multilateral development banks has measurable goals and concrete benchmarks for achieving those goals. Thanks to U.S. leadership, the recent IDA replenishment agreement will establish a monitoring and evaluation system that measures recipient countries' progress. For the first time, donors can link a portion of their contributions to IDA to the achievement of actual development results, and part of the U.S. contribution is linked in this way. We will strive to make sure that the World Bank and other multilateral development banks build on this progress so that a focus on results is an integral part of everything that these institutions do.	This is good.
	d	Increase the amount of development assistance that is provided in the form of grants instead of loans. Greater use of results‐based grants is the best way to help poor countries make productive investments, particularly in the social sectors, without saddling them with ever‐larger debt burdens. As a result of U.S. leadership, the recent IDA agreement provided for significant increases in grant funding for the poorest countries for education, HIV/AIDS, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and other human needs. Our goal is to build on that progress by increasing the use of grants at the other multilateral development banks. We will also challenge universities, nonprofits, and the private sector to match government efforts by using grants to support development projects that show results.	This is good.
	e	Open societies to commerce and investment. Trade and investment are the real engines of economic growth. Even if government aid increases, most money for development must come from trade, domestic capital, and foreign investment. An effective strategy must try to expand these flows as well. Free markets and free trade are key priorities of our national security strategy.	This is right.
	f	Secure public health. The scale of the public health crisis in poor countries is enormous. In countries afflicted by epidemics and pandemics like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, growth and development will be threatened until these scourges can be contained. Resources from the developed world are necessary but will be effective only with honest governance, which supports prevention programs and provides effective local infrastructure. The United States has strongly backed the new global fund for HIV/AIDS organized by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and its focus on combining prevention with a broad strategy for treatment and care. The United States already contributes more than twice as much money to such efforts as the next largest donor. If the global fund demonstrates its promise, we will be ready to give even more.	One of the factors in the spread of AIDS is American and European sex tourism. This activity should be stopped and prevented.
	g	Emphasize education. Literacy and learning are the foundation of democracy and development. Only about 7 percent of World Bank resources are devoted to education. This proportion should grow. The United States will increase its own funding for education assistance by at least 20 percent with an emphasis on improving basic education and teacher training in Africa. The United States can also bring information technology to these societies, many of whose education systems have been devastated by HIV/AIDS.	Education is important. But one of the most important aspects of education is moral education. The United States have a very poor record in this area, which resulted in the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as of use of alcohol and drugs, in the USA and around the world.
	h	Continue to aid agricultural development. New technologies, including biotechnology, have enormous potential to improve crop yields in developing countries while using fewer pesticides and less water. Using sound science, the United States should help bring these benefits to the 800 million people, including 300 million children, who still suffer from hunger and malnutrition.	These are good intentions.

Notes:

¹⁾ “Westernization” means promotion among young people of “pop” music, mini skirts among women, use of alcohol and drugs, sexual promiscuity and homosexuality. These behavioral patterns are now widespread in the Western Democracies, and Western politicians, who seek to retain their waning popularity, which in the past was based on the myths of “right, left and center”, are increasingly rejecting morality and boasting their tolerance to drugs and homosexuality or even openly declaring that they themselves use drugs or are “gay” (homosexual) to attract the votes of the corrupted and mislead by them youth.

There is also a belief among some Western political theorists that promoting this culture among the Muslim youth in the Middle East will lead to “democratization” of the “non‐modern regimes” and a “shift of the balance of power” to “favor the West”. This theory is actively promoted by the Likud Zionists in their attempts to weaken the Arab and other Islamic states and to further their objectives of territorial expansion of Israel.