Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.16 $; site inmet.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!harvard!bbnccv!inmet!janw From: janw@inmet.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Re: (micromotives & macrobehavior) Message-ID: <28200123@inmet.UUCP> Date: Wed, 25-Sep-85 14:40:00 EDT Article-I.D.: inmet.28200123 Posted: Wed Sep 25 14:40:00 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 1-Oct-85 10:05:11 EDT References: <3476@topaz.UUCP> Lines: 46 Nf-ID: #R:topaz:-347600:inmet:28200123:000:2256 Nf-From: inmet!janw Sep 25 14:40:00 1985 /* Written 8:07 pm Sep 21, 1985 by carnes@gargoyle in inmet:net.politics.t */ > Jan Wasilewsky writes: > > > The problem of poverty hinges on wealth creation, NOT on its > > distribution. To verify this, list nations, first in the order of > > per capita GNP; then according to *per capita consumption of pro- > > tein*. This is a nice indicator because it tells you how the > > great mass of citizens live. The rich can only eat so much pro- > > tein, so they cannot distort the picture. I haven't done it be- > > cause I have no doubt of the result. Distribution takes care of > > itself, one way or another. > > I don't understand this paragraph, so I hope Jan will elaborate. Let > me suggest that empirical research often holds surprises for those > who are confident in their theories, so I'd recommend it. You are right: this is imprecise. I meant that the rank of a country as a per capita protein consumer should (if my assumption in the first sentence of your quote is correct) strongly corre- late with its rank in the per capita income table. I believe the correlation would be even stronger if personal income instead of GNP is listed. That would mostly affect the case of the USSR where government military consumption constitutes a large chunk of GNP (official American estimates are based on nothing reliable, but Sakharov once estimated 40% to 50%). It doesn't matter much since no reli- able GNP data exists on the USSR, either. As for my not doing the calculations - don't you see, that is the beauty of it: I made the prediction without looking first: an honest bet. (Of course, on my part, it was based on some idea of the situation in some of the countries. It is not a blind shot). Anyway, here's your chance to prove me wrong. Honestly, if you do, I'll change my mind about relative unimportance of distribution system vs. production. (And if you make a reciprocal promise, I'll agree to do the research). > I'm not sure I understand Jan's point about the per capita > consumption of protein, but I will mention the case of Zaire, which > has one of the lowest such rates in Africa, if not the world. And its per capita income (in 1975) was $127. Jan Wasilewsky