Letter from Bill and Melinda Gates - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The annual letter from the Gates Foundation focuses less on what the Foundation has done over the past year and more on three myths that we need to overcome in order to realize the full potential for growth around the globe.
The myth that resonates most with me is the idea that poor countries are doomed to stay poor. Adherence to that myth contributes to the idea that the U.S. is falling behind in the world when, perhaps, a better analysis might be that we are all becoming more equal. As Fareed Zakaria wrote, we are witnessing "the rise of the rest."
Americans need to become comfortable with the idea of global equality as a goal. Robert Reich has a movie entitled "Inequality for All." In fact, inequality for anyone IS inequality for all. We need to work toward global equality just as we did in the 1960s for equality among Americans. This is not a goal where war can help. It is a goal that is best pursued through compassion and a willingness to see ourselves as part of a larger family.
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