Louis Proyect wrote:
The same exact problems exist throughout the third world. To get a handle
on this, you can't depend on IMF/World Bank data. You have to understand
something about the society. For example, Brazil has a vast number of
homeless children. How would the World Bank or the IMF or
Doug:
Hmm, forget stats and watch a movie? What would Lenin say?
I am not for forgetting statistics. I use them liberally in articles I have
posted to PEN-L on Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba and Colombia. But they are
embedded in a historical materialist analysis drawing upon scholary
material. If
Provided you understand what they're measuring, there's also no shame in
using IMF or World Bank data. These two organizations have a lot of
power, and as a result they can get prompt figures out of a lot of
countries on a lot of things. The UN, lacking such power, tends to be
about five years
I have little quarrel with the substance of Lou's latest argument -- my
weasel words were provided you understand what they're measuring. As
far as I understand it, in general the data that UN and Bretton Woods
agencies report are gathered by national governments, not directly by
these agencies.
One thing to note about the HDI: as far as I know HDI values are not
comparable from year to year. Each year's index is standardized within
the range of countries. In other words it is not based solely on a
country's performance but rather relativized.
Moreover, many of the international
I have little quarrel with the substance of Lou's latest argument -- my
weasel words were provided you understand what they're measuring. As
far as I understand it, in general the data that UN and Bretton Woods
agencies report are gathered by national governments, not directly by
these agencies.
