Do US investments cause starvation and environmental damage?

Question

I just saw a Franklin Templeton Investments commercial that showed a peasant woman walking through a traditional Asian market. The commerical suggests that by investing through this company, you can help transform her life so that she can walk through a western style grocery store. I was appalled by the frozen foods section and the wall-to-wall plastic packaging. This is very bad for the world's environment. It's also bad for most of the people in those countries who will not be able to afford food in these affluent grocery stores.

American investments overseas can lead to higher GNP, but it has also inevitably leds to higher rates of starvation.

Thanks NBC for bringing the French Open to TV, however, has anyone at Franklin Templeton Investments thought throught the consequences of their globalization efforts?

Answer 1

I haven't heard this theory of higher rates of starvation after external investment.  I think its telling that you choose to ask if it is US investments causing this problem, vs any outside investment.

So what is inevitable about higher rates of starvation after such investment?

Answer 2

I disagree with you.  There is no rational reason, in fact it is contrary to rational, that higher per capital GDP for a poor nation should result in higher starvation.  What does trigger higher rates of starvation are farm subsidies and tariffs.  Open market investment in Pareto improving.

Answer 3

In a competitive world, yes. In utipia, no.

Currently most of the world leaders have delegates at a convention in Rome, discussing this problem. The press has built a hysteria that serves the UN well, as their main goal is to find more money for their programs ( noble programs, that need support ). In the process, there's been a lot of bashing, mostly directed at the U.S., and European farm vs fuel debate.

Here's a link to a list of articles from around the globe that exemplify the hysteria, and the bashing.

http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user...

You may be interested in the recent discovery of an unknown tribe in South America. Search with Yahoo, it's recent news. Imagine that, people without technology that pollutes, money that corrupts, governments that exploit, etc. This is how people live without foreign investment, do you want to live that way?