The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good

With Economics, Politics, Diplomacy, History, and a critical scholarly view all rolled into one, The White Man's Burden makes a great read. Adding a thoroughly researched chapter about efficacy of aid in the literature of developmental economics, it brings to fore an angle which was conveniently overlooked by many.

I've come to this rather late, as in this game the 6 years since publication has changed the story to some extent, but the basic message is still entirely valid. Easterly argues entirely correctly, that top-down planning in aid projects has been at best unsuccessful in most cases, and often downright harmful. He looks at the World Bank, for which he worked, the IMF and inter-country and big 'make poverty history' type projects, and demonstrates their futility. Instead of Planners, he argues persuasively, what is needed is Searchers - people on the ground looking at ways of dealing with specific issues of poverty, and finding ways of being answerable to the requirements of the poor themselves. Highly recommended.

Très bon livre parfaitement articulé et argumenté même s'il ne représente pas vraiment mes idées. Les critiques qu'Easterly fait de l'aide au développement mais aussi des actions de libéralisation de l'économie forcée via le FMI sont clairement frappées du bon sens. Son idée de "piecemeal progress" est là aussi très intéressant, le développement prend du temps et des échanges entre les gouvernements et les pauvres c'est une évidence. Seul problème de son argumentaire, l'idée qu'au final c'est toujours le marché à lui seul qui trouvera la solution. Le marché et les éternelles anecdotes de tel ou tel pauvre qui s'en est sorti brillamment comme si chaque pauvre était nécessairement un Bill Gates en puissance à qui on a juste pas donné sa chance. Un livre important pour quiconque s'intéresse au débat sur l'aide au développement aujourd'hui, bien loin des clichés habituels.

Fica claro que ajuda internacional de nada adianta para o fim da pobreza. Não que seja algo ruim ou mesmo que deveria ser descontinuada, mas apenas desenvolvimento interno baseado no dinamismo dos indivíduos, mercados livres e governos responsáveis chegará a este fim. A parte I é bem esclarecedora (1 - 163), a partir daí fica uma leitura mais cansativa e pouco proveitosa.

The White Man's Burden: A Timeless Warning That Rings Truer Than Ever in 2025 Twenty years on, William Easterly's *The White Man's Burden* remains a searing indictment of Western aid's well-intentioned failures—and a blueprint for real change. Easterly dismantles the "Planners'" arrogance: top-down schemes from the IMF, World Bank, and USAID that flood the Global South with billions, only to breed dependency, corruption, and stifled growth. Drawing on decades of economic data from Africa to Asia, he exposes how these interventions ignore local knowledge, prioritizing flashy metrics over sustainable solutions. Yet Easterly isn't just a critic; he's a champion of "Searchers"—everyday innovators, entrepreneurs, and activists who drive bottom-up progress. In 2025, amid the multi-crisis whirlwind Edgar Morin warned of—global warming entangled with widening inequality and echoes of economic colonialism—Easterly's prophecy feels prophetic. The U.S., saddled with $38 trillion in debt, grapples with eroding hegemony: proxy wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, deepening social rifts at home, and complicit support for authoritarian regimes from Syria to Egypt. Meanwhile, hope flickers in BRICS-led green tech revolutions and the unyielding resilience of grassroots communities adapting to climate chaos. Echoing Strauss-Howe's generational theory, we're at the precipice of a Fourth Turning: crisis birthing renewal every 80 years or so. Easterly equips us for it, urging humility, feedback loops, and accountability over hubris. To students, policymakers, and changemakers: This isn't just a book, it's a moral compass. Read it, reckon with our shared mistakes, and commit to justice. The world's not waiting; it's demanding we get it right this time. **5/5 stars** – Essential reading for anyone who believes aid should heal, not harm.

This book provides the reader with detailed information about foreign aid and its negative impact on developing countries or so-called third-world countries. The description is based on empirical data, intensive researches and properly collected documents (materials) as well as longstanding experiences of the author in the sector of foreign aid and related institutions of the world. The book is therefore, worth to be read. I furtheremore, believe that every world citizen who has the chance to read this book, should be informed about this crutial subject matter.