Myth: John Stossel Reports the Facts

[JasonCIAHudson]

South American economies that incorporated free market principles are growing at a much faster rate (Chile, Brazil). China is only growing fast because they have a billion people and have slowly privatized their economy. Learn your facts and history.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@JasonCIAHudson China didn't just privatize. It used transitional institutions, like dual track pricing, village enterprises. Heritage Foundation index of economic freedom ranks Brazil poorly. Brazil has regulations on foreign investment, high government spending, and major state owned banks. See goo(dot)gl/0n6ze

Learn ur facts. Health programs cut child mortality rates in 1/2 in Latin America, Middle East, East Asia. *Free market solves all* mantra is outdated since world financial crisis

[larsiemannen]

@FightGlobalPoverty : Funny that the free market was not the reason of the financial Crisis. You Should look up 'Peter Schiff' or 'Austrian economics'. What govt does can private does much better mainly because they are honest. Humans are born egoists. They should practice this in a rational way, and it's not rational to let others live your life! Remember! The biggest problem with socialism is that you eventually will run out of everyone elses money!

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@larsiemannen Typical free market mantra. Says the housing bubble, derivatives, bank failures was ALL government. Even though public health programs have been wiping out world wide diseases, such as measles, and drastically reduce child mortality around the world.

[larsiemannen]

@FightGlobalPoverty Free Market is the only way to live a life. It puts individual to its interest. If most men don't want to cure measles, o drastically reduce child mortality, it should be like that. Forcing someone to live a life is never good. Never. Period.

[Anarkokommunist]

1:29 : now THAT's a black woman! 

[ugotpimp]

stossel is awesome!

[FightGlobalPoverty]

John Stossel is a fraud. He says foreign aid doesn't help the poor, while he ignores health programs that have drastically reduced child mortality around the world.

Massive vaccination programs and public health initiatives have cut the under-5 mortality rate in half in Latin America, East Asia and the Middle East since 1990. They have also achieved drastic reductions in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Mozambique as well.

But that is ok. John Stossel likes the free market..............

[mpc91]

@FightGlobalPoverty - What is so hard to understand that while foreign aid may be used for a useful program here and there, if these governments needed to rely on the prosperity of their own people rather than handouts from foreign governments they would be in a far better shape to take care of themselves.

You use FightGlobalPoverty as a monniker, but you seem to oppose the free market, which does more to fight poverty than anything else, and support foreign aid, which supports poverty.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@mpc91 I don't oppose the free market. I oppose the mantra *free market always good, government always bad.* Especially when international health programs have wiped out diseases around the world.

[goingwithzed]

@FightGlobalPoverty Its unfortunate that John Stossel tries to point at root problems in societies and they are ignored by those searching for periphery pursuits in helping the symptoms. Solving it all at once would be ideal but what about when that saved child grows up within abuse, a fatherless household, no education. As a guest once said ... "Technology and businesses have helped more people crawl out of the mud than anything else known to humans, ever, including financial aid." Empowerment.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@goingwithzed The developing world has also drastically increased educational enrollment. For example, secondary school enrollment increased from 49% to 87% from 1990 to 2002 in Latin America, according to the World Bank's 2005 Development Indicators.

Stossel ignores improvements in child mortality, health, sanitation and education because they do not fit into his *Business good, government bad* mantra.

[serialkiller1990]

@FightGlobalPoverty

Nothing is perfect. The fact is that the government almost always does a better job then government, and the narrative is that government good, business bad ,because somehow politicians are angels. He wants private charity instead of government.

There had been many studies that show that money that was intended to help gone to dictators or got lost in bureaucracy.

The fact is that the best thing that can happen to them is self sufficiency.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@serialkiller1990 NGO's often need to work with schools to reach children and government health workers in massive immunization, health education and hygeine programs. Stossel's government bad, business is good model functions in his own mind.

[ab1tchslap]

John Stossel is in favor of fighting poverty as opposed to fighting the symptoms of it.

[pimpdalyrical]

maybe because his whole point is that throwing money into Africa won't do the same thing as flying in somebody to change how things are done, like the WHO and Unisef did, dumbass.

[jaykonia]

@Fight Global Poverty: Without free market policies in the United States, there wouldn't be such great technology to transfer to these countries.

[CloudsofBliss]

@jaykonia

Wrong. They did and didn't work. free market isn't going to work in these countries.

[jaykonia]

@Fight Global Poverty: Without free market policies in the United States, there wouldn't be such great technology to transfer to these countries.

[danielzopola]

John Stossel reports on economical issues not health issues. He doesn't say that government help doesn't help at all. His point was that public help but just a few people due to its extreme inefficiency.

And finally his main point was that it is fault of African governments that Africans are poor. If you want to help people campaign to free the economy and then people in their own self-interest will rise from the poverty, as it's happened in Hong-Kong or Taiwan.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@danielzopola Public help is wiping out Measles throughout the world and Africa. Why didn't John Stossel report this? The Measles Intiative has vaccinated 600 million children since 2001.

/watch?v=axYibL_6cMc

[danielzopola]

@FightGlobalPoverty Because he was reporting on the economy not the health care. How hard is it to understand?

Besides the best way to stop the disease is a better health care, and this one can be achieved by making people rich, what can be achieved only by endorsing free market capitalism. Somehow you don't here about Measles in Taiwan, or Hong Kong. They managed to fight it, themselves, thanks to capitalism which made them rich.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@danielzopola Stossel's video also discussed food aid and malaria charities, and it claimed government charities will not reach the poor or will not work. This was incredible considering UN programs have cut most of the developing world's child mortality rate in half since 1990.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

@danielzopola We have far more control over disease than economic growth. Most of the developing world, such as Latin America, has tried free market reforms but has slowed down since the 1980s. Successful countries, such as China, did not follow textbook free market models.

.

This video from gapcast describes how the transfer of health technology has reduced mortality rates at levels that could not be achieved by economic growth rates alone.

.

/watch?v=yXTKFsSbxcM

[libralssuck]

@danielzopola Cant explain much to a person who thinks Government is the answer dude ...no matter how hard you try ...you will never convince them that people can do things on their own ...and do it better then if someone is holding their hand....same kind of person that thinks the minimum wage helps the poor

[dragonflychainsaw]

keepig these children healthy and educating them is the only hope of pulling these countries up out of the third world status

[larsiemannen]

yes, we need free trade and economical imperalism

[willzyx1980]

"South America" didn't try free market reforms; certain South American countries did. And those countries have been more successful than their neighbors at reducing poverty.

Instead of attacking John Stossel, a journalist, for not including all of your pet issues in his 5 minute news clip, why don't you do some serious reading on the subject?

Try economist Hernando DeSoto's books The Other Path and The Mystery of Capital. Or try Johan Norberg's book In Defense of Global Capitalism.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

willzyx, please name one country other than Chile.

According to the IMF, every other country in Latin America has grown more slowly from 1980 to 2000 than it did from 1960 to 1980, even though most countries opened up to trade in the 1990s.

[Eastsideweezy]

Oh come off it rate of growth isn't a useful metric across such a wide time line unless you look at the definitions that went into compiling the stats. Growth from a agrarian economy into a basic industrial economy is huge much like increasing from 1 to 2 is a 100% increase where as 100 to 110 a magnitude smaller change as but the net increase is much larger.

Also lots of these nations are in huge debt from their growth projects funded by external capital.

Come on now..

[larsiemannen]

yep, and Afrika is the only continent which had a resession the last 30 years. All places where economics at, at some level, have increased their total wealth.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

No, South America also has had a horrible slump since 1980. Yet most of South America drastically reduced their child mortality rates during the same period.

According to the IMF, the per capita GDP shrank in Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela from 1980 to 2000.

According to UNICEF, Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru cut their child mortality rate in half since 1990.

/watch?v=Hk_5mqYiCm0

[larsiemannen]

Okey but it still lack of capitalism which is the problem. Some of your countries are relied on what OPEC defines price on oil (with how much there should be available).

Free trade is only thing that can help poor people

[FightGlobalPoverty]

The under-5 mortality rate was cut in half in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and others from 1990 to 2006. Please refer to UNICEF's 2008 State of the World's Children report.

Free market ideologues, like John Stossel, preach unsupported mantras, while they ignore major global health revolutions and the important role of foreign aid.

/watch?v=jEuuO2-L9no

[SaviorOfLogic]

Isn't UNCEF a charity who gives the meedicine and stuff directly to the poor people.

And isn' the foreign aid Stossel was talking about was where the State just handed out money to the leaders.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

UNICEF is the United Nations Children's Fund. 64% of UNICEF's funding came from governments in 2001.

UNICEF works with governments around the world to mobilize vast networks of health workers. This has created massive immunization programs that have drastically reduced global child mortality rates.

Why didn't John Stossel report this?

[SaviorOfLogic]

He probably didn't report it because it would be somewhat irrelevent, as his segment was about foreign aid (to another government), not charity.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Foreign aid includes the development of health, sanitation and infrastructure, as well as emergency relief. That is only irrelevant to free market ideologues.

[larsiemannen]

Because what UN is doing is not the most important work to stop poverty, rather the free market and interesting, productive projects. I'll bet those poor Afrikans don't mind economical imperalism, so work can be moved over there, instead of lazy, fat white people in europe.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Economic growth and public services, such as health and sanitation, are BOTH vital.

[grumpone]

Exactly.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Please read my video description. UNICEF, the CDC, and Red Cross have vaccinated 600 million children for Measles since 2001.

[stealthswimmer]

They can't do ALL bad with all the stuff they do ,lol

[grumpone]

Why didn't he report? Because WHO and UNICEF didn't do squat, just squandered your money into their bureaucratic marsh pit.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

The WHO and UNICEF have cut the child mortality rate in half Asia, North Africa, and Latin America since 1990 by wiping out diseases like Measles and Polio. Human life is worth reporting about.

[grumpone]

Let me guess you got those "statistics" from the WHO and UNICEF? Nothing like a bit of fudging the numbers to keep themselves needed and in search of more funds to spill down the drain...

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Here's the ugly face of smallpox. How often do you see it now?

watch?v=LtQ5JSW2eNk

[stealthswimmer]

The WHO does some good, while at the same time the WTO (SUPPOSEDLY for free trade) grants patents to drug companies...for example for Diflucan, and prevents the generic version of the drug from being sold to AIDS patients in Africa. So yeah, they do some good while doing some bad, and often do things that literally go exactly opposite to their goals. It's a clear display of inefficiency.

[siggensax]

south america also tried to protect their business from foreign competition, that also failed.

[revolutionaryluddite]

Don't watch this stupid pretentious garbage.

Watch what an African economist has to say:

watch?v=h_h3VXlHIUE

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Aid DOES succeed in wiping out disease and reducing child mortality rates. Child mortality rates have fallen 75% in the Mid East, Asia and Latin America and 30% in Africa since 1970.

Dr. D.A. Henderson discusses the smallpox eradication program.

/watch?v=LtQ5JSW2eNk

Dr. Samuel Katz, codeveloper of the measles vaccine, calls the measles initiative one of the greatest achievements in public health.

/watch?v=Rsh05odtpBo

You call that stupid pretentious garbage?

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Most development economists are more humble than you. They admit they have tried everything, including free market reforms, but haven't created growth.

William Easterly describes many failed strategies in *Elusive Quest for Growth.* He also emphasizes most developing economies slowed after the 1980's even though they improved health, education, infrastructure, inflation and deficit spending in other articles.

Plot the heritage economic freedom index against growth. They don't correlate.

[revolutionaryluddite]

You can receive as much aid as you want. If the government believes you to be a child who is incapable of living your life for yourself, it will not matter.

In Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi has demanded that aid cease because it only perpetuates dictatorial rule.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

*it will not matter*

Massive health campaigns do matter. Programs from the WHO, UNICEF, Red Cross, Rotaries, and MSF have wiped out smallpox, polio, and now measles. 600 million have been immunized against measles since 2001.

This has cut the child mortality rate in half in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Bolivia, and many others since 1990.

/watch?v=axYibL_6cMc

[BRYAN351]

What good is wiping out smallpox if the people all die of starvation instead because they're poor? Vaccinations only shifts the death toll from a disease to starvation, because there are more people with the same small amount of food.

Even if the USA wasn't bankrupt, we still shouldn't support the rest of the world. The ONLY way for people to get out of poverty is for them to become producers and to stop being parasites. Permanent handouts only perpetuate parasitic behavior.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Hi Bryan351,

International health programs are not merely shifting death tolls. They are creating huge declines in mortality rates and major increases in life expectancy.

The child mortality rate fell from 250 to less than 50 per 1,000 in the Mideast, North Africa, Latin America and East Asia since 1970. It even fell in Sub-Saharan Africa from 277 to 160 per 1,000 since 1970.

This video describes the increase in life expectancy.

/watch?v=ITlC6ubhSh0

[FightGlobalPoverty]

People can produce far more if they are not being permanently maimed and killed by disease.

Health programs use community volunteers to educate the public about nutrition, child care and sanitation. This empowers the rest of the world.

watch?v=M2PgL7f9sdE

The US only spends 0.15% of its income on official development assistance, but this is preventing 1/3 of humanity from dying.

What good is it wiping out smallpox? Take a close look at what smallpox is.

watch?v=LtQ5JSW2eNk

[revolutionaryluddite]

If someone were to put a nine millimeter hole in the side of Robert Mugabe's head, that would do more for the people for Zimbabwe that every aid program ever set up there combined.

watch?v=pR0xdp7KccU

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Mugabe is an extremely evil person that should be overthrown. If it wasn't for aid groups operating in the trenches, millions would have already died in the Congo and Zimbabwe.

/watch?v=aDOuk3g3ZmQ

/watch?v=VNInagmnKow

[FightGlobalPoverty]

There are many great private orgs.  Doctors without Borders vaccinated three hundred thousand children for measles in the Congo last year. Now when is John Stossel going to say UNICEF and the WHO are vaccinating hundreds of thousands?

[FightGlobalPoverty]

I think it is wonderful that the Rotary International and Gates Foundation have saved millions of lives by contributing to the eradication of polio.

I also think it is wonderful the WHO helped wipe out small pox and that UNICEF, the CDC and Red Cross have vaccinated 600 million children against Measles since 2001. This has drastically reduced child mortality around the world.

watch?v=ALlj0T6UTq4

Why didn't John Stossel report this?

[danejcook]

Well maybe they should cure AIDS then if they are so great.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

There is great hope. The mass vaccination campaigns against smallpox, polio and measles have created a global network that can rapidly distribute an HIV cure once it is developed.

The Measles Initiative is now focusing on India. Its goal is to save 150,000 lives per year. Why didn't John Stossel report this?

/watch?v=wF4KqTcJNac

[HHODork]

but how many lives are impacted as a result of helping the 150k? If private aid can help save 150K lives and have a smaller impact on other people then private aid is better for all. I think thats his point. But if government aid causes dictators to become empowered and then cause the military deaths of 200K people you are in the hole 50K lives, true?

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Millions of lives are impacted. The Measles Initiative has vaccinated 600 million children since 2000.

/watch?v=axYibL_6cMc

Mass vaccination campaigns have drastically reduced child mortality rates. For example, Bolivia, Laos, and Bangladesh have reduced their child mortality rates by 50% since 1990. John Stossel didn't report this because it didn't fit in with his ideology.

watch?v=ALlj0T6UTq4

[afridge13]

Your video description that Stossel "wanted to conclude private aid works and government aid always fails" is a strawman of his position. Stossel doesn't say that Government aid "ALWAYS fails". Obviously Government provides aid. Stossel's point is that Government does a poor job at delivering aid, and that private aid does a much better job.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

*Stossel's point is that Government does a poor job at delivering aid, and that private aid does a much better job.*

Then how do you explain the WHO and UNICEF have wiped out Smallpox, Polio and now Measles?

Dr. Sam Katz, co-developer of the Measles vaccine, has called the Measles Initiative one of the greatest achievements in human health history.

/watch?v=Rsh05odtpBo

Stossel ignored this and showed a private charity at the end of his video because it didn't fit in with his ideology.

[angrylaserhobo]

Poverty will not disappear with free market laws, but it will have a strong effect on it. The strangling bureucracy in some third world countries has an extremely negative effect on both output and foreign investment.

You are right that by itself capitalism is not the answer (as seen in a simple case study of China vs Russia's economy), but it's also worth noting that China's development really took off when it deregulated it's market.

[njloetz]

Its about choice. If we indiscriminately gave all of our money to one and only one organization, they would have no incentive to use it to its best potential. (Monopoly) The competition for donations is what makes aid programs in Africa successful.

Hes also suggesting that the Kenyan government isnt trustable. Im sure that isnt a shocker to anyone.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

The Measles Initiative has vaccinated 600 million and wiped out 75% of measles deaths in six years. It is partnership of the CDC, UNICEF, the UN Foundation and the Red Cross.

John Stossel didn't report this because it doesn't fit in with his views. He only showed a small clip of one small private charity at the end.

[beezalax13]

Your missing the point. Stossel is not saying charity is bad. He is saying that government is not very efficient at it. There have been lots of homes built in the Katrina areas. Most of the homes were built by Habitat(private org). FEMA and other government run agencies have done very little compared to Habitat. It's all the government bureaucracies and regulations that have slowed the process down drastically compared to private organizations. The same is true with foreign aid.

[beezalax13]

And I am knocking UNICEF. It is an outstanding organization. But I have worked in both the private and public sectors. It is very clear that private organizations (both for profit and not for profit) do almost everything better. Christian organizations (private) do spectacular work when it comes to foreign aid.

[beezalax13]

*...am NOT knocking...

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Thanks for the excellent comment beezalax13.

I also have some experience with nonprofits. The state centrally collects money and funds local private nonprofits. So it is hard to make such a distinction.

ALL nonprofits need to be monitored to keep them honest, including private ones.

Outside sources need to review their finances and make sure money is going to programs and not being pocketed by managers and fundraisers.

Charity rating services focus on this heavily.

[beezalax13]

Good point. I agree that there should be oversight. Although, It can get to a point where the rules, regulations and red tape do more harm than good. Also, privately run organizations are more flexible and innovative. I am all for government funding, it's government management that can cause problems. The failure of government management during Katrina is just one example.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

The best oversight for all nonprofits is based on financial transparency rather than regulations.

For example, the most corrupt nonprofits don't want to release financial information about their CEO's inflated pay to charity rating services.

The most effective strategies need the cooperation of citizens, private nonprofits, and government. This video is an excellent example.

/watch?v=y01_8wlQW5k

[mexaguil]

There is no free market and the rule of law in Russia. Do you think Venezuela and Bolivia are free markets? The freest country in South America is Chile which is also the most prosperous and the liberalization of China is what is bringing it out of poverty. You will never ever get a country out of poverty without property rights and the rule of law. If you want to feed a man for a day give him a fish, if you want to feed him for a life time teach him how to fish.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

You are overlooking the importance of institutions. China partially liberalized its agricultural sector because its farmers would have collapsed if it had immediately eliminated state subsidies. Russia tried to use shock therapy before it had the institutions to support it and collapsed.

Shock therapy was invented in Bolivia. South America tried to adapt Chile's reforms. It has been engaged in privatization and the reduction of trade barriers for decades. The continent has stagnated.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Economic development is very complex and major UN programs have suceeded in wiping out diseases.

John Stossel is an ideologue that neglects important facts that don't fit in with his simple views. That undermines his investigative reporting.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

OPEN LETTER TO JOHN STOSSEL

Dear Mr. Stossel,

Why didn't you report the WHO and UNICEF have programs that have wiped out polio, reduced measles, and saved millions of lives?

The job of an investigative reporter is to report the facts so that we can implement real solutions to complex problems.

My site lists heavy criticisms about foreign aid in *Open Letter to a Good Fan* in its personal profile. Yes, there is corruption and aid should NOT be designed to industrialize an economy.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

My site also shows aid has saved millions of lives when it has been used to fight disease.

You only devoted a small part of the end of your video to private donors in order to fit your ideology.

Please remember you are an investigative reporter and become committed to showing all of the facts. Investigative reporters are the world's eyes and ears.

WHO's Global Polio Eradication Initiative cuts polio cases from 350,000 per year in 1988 to 1,000 in 2004.

watch?v=JSBekNIFTeI

Scott

[FightGlobalPoverty]

.

.

.

[yboldt14]

You've said nothing about the issues of corruption that was at the heart of Stossel's piece.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

There is corruption. Huge programs from UNICEF, that are properly monitored and implemented, are saving many lives.

John Stossel didn't report this because it didn't fit in with his narrow ideology.

Are you satisfied?

[psw003]

Nope, Stossel's program was about the ineffectivness of wealth transfers. I think you need to watch it agian.. If you think free market economics was not responsible for HongKongs rise out of poverty then what was?

[FightGlobalPoverty]

So a wealth transfer that wipes out polio and saves millions of lives is ineffective?

I did watch the video. John Stossel says foreign aid only goes to corrupt governments. He ignored UNICEF programs that have wiped out diseases.

5:31-5:45

Jeff Sachs: Our government can find practical ways to ensure that the money that we are giving for real things there reach the real people.

John Stossel: We can do that in Africa? We can barely do that in America.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Countries develop when they have the proper institutions.

That is why free market reforms uplifted Hong Kong, have failed to stimulate growth in much of South America, and caused Russia to collapse.

That is also why success stories, like South Korea and China, don't follow standard free market models.

The world isn't so simple. Industrial development doesn't eliminate the need to stop diseases now. We need both.

Development doesn't automatically follow simple free market changes.

[mexaguil]

There is nothing wrong with charities erradicating disease, the problem is governments.

[FightGlobalPoverty]

Do you believe the WHO's Global Polio Eradication Initiative was a mistake? It cut polio cases from 350,000 per year in 1988 to 1,000 in 2004.

watch?v=JSBekNIFTeI