There are lots of political myths. One of them is the idea that it’s morally and economically imperative for “rich nations” to give foreign aid to “poor nations.” You’d probably get virtually unanimous agreement with that idea if you asked it around the faculty lounges at Chapel Hill and Duke.
But it’s false. Economists led by the late Peter Bauer came to understand that decades ago. For a good discussion, read Marian Tupy’s NRO article here.
