ABSTRACT
There is perhaps no social objective that can find as nearly unanimous acceptance today as that of economic development. I doubt that there has been a single government anywhere in the last 30 years that has not asserted it was pursuing this objective, at least for its own country. Everywhere in the world today, what divides left and right, however defined, is not whether or not to develop, but which policies are presumed to offer most hope that this objective will be achieved. We are told that socialism is the road to development We are told that laissez-faire is the road to development We are told that a break with tradition is the road to development. We are told that a revitalized tradition is the road to development We are told that industrialization is the road to development. We are told that increased agricultural productivity is the road to development We are told that delinking is the road to development We are told that an increased opening to the world market (export-oriented growth) is the road to development. Above all, we are told that development is possible, if only we do the right thing.
