- Title: Bad Samaritans; The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism
- Author: Ha-joon Chang
- Published: 2008
- Publisher: Bloomdbury Press, New York
- ISBN -10: 1-59691-399-1
- ISDN-13: 978-1-59691-399-8
“Bad Samaritans” is the book to show how neoliberal ideas hurt developing countries rather than helping hem.
When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.
from the book
It is a myth that the success of Western developed countries(UK, US, France, etc.) is due to their adoption of free-market capitalism. Also, it is not true that Eastern Asian countries’ economic miracles stem from the free market and free trade.
Countries are poor not because their people are lazy; their people are ‘lazy’ because they are poor.
from the book
Developed countries, which had built their economies through protectionism, now force developing countries to adopt free market and trade; this can be a selfish “kicking the ladder” action or a naïve belief in neoliberal ideas.
In recommending free trade to developing countries, the Bad Samaritans point out that all the rich countries have free(ish) trade. This is, however, like people advising the parents of a six-year old boy to make him get a job, arguing that successful adults don’t live off their parents and, therefore, that being independent must be the reason for their successes. They do not realize that those adults are independent because they are successful, and not the other way around.
from the book
The Free trade/market is the result of the economic development, not the cause of it.
Chang advocates the “infant industry” argument, arguing that developing countries need time to prepare to compete in the global market. Protection does not guarantee development, but development without protection is very challenging.
Scriptorium 