----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- 
Should Tony Brewer's recommendation that someone track the early history of development
economics be addressed, I'd bet (a small amount of money) that one would find a close
relationship to the need to contain or defuse national liberation movements. Before WWII,
little academic discourse was directed at the colonies themselves. With the growth in
indendence movements during and following WWII, the attention of academics, in particular
those closely associated with policy-makers, was drawn to these countries--not just in
economics, but also in political science, sociology, etc. While several economists were
unquestionably sympathetic to independence and real economic development (as opposed to
mere growth in GDP), the majority (I bet) were intent on developing theory and policy
recommendations that (a) explained economic retardation as a result of anything but
colonization (and I do remember several readings when I studied this stuff in the '60's
that emphasized the noon siesta, etc.), and/or (b) focused on programs that would assure
continued economic dependence on the "powers" while undertaking a modicum of modernization
that would present the appearance of progress.
 
At the policy level, were not the Alliance for Progress, the Peace Corps (initially headed
by the former director of the C.I.A.), et al. symptomatic of this effort?
 
Tony Brewer's suggestion would be most worthwhile to implement. 
 
John Henry 
California State University, Sacramento 
 
 
------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ 
For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]