From an article at Jacobin magazine, Feb. 2019: "From 1980 to 2000, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank imposed brutal structural adjustment programs that did exactly the opposite: slashing tariffs, subsidies, social spending, and capital controls while reversing land reforms and privatizing public assets — all in the face of massive public resistance. During this period, the number of people in poverty outside China increased by 1.3 billion. In fact, even the proportion of people living in poverty (to use your preferred method) increased, from 62 percent to 68 percent. (For detailed economic data and references to the relevant literature, see Chapter 5 of The Divide.)" - by Jason Hickel -- and the IMF continues its failed strategy. A disgrace. Full article: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/02/steven-pinker-global-poverty-neoliberalism-progress The world economic powers could easily convert part of the $317 trillion of total world savings into programs aiding the poorest countries and peoples. Applying 5% a year would invest $15 trillion a year into the impoverished countries, that is also equal to total income of the U. S. national income, approximately. Wealth is mostly wasted in today's global economy, it represents layers of speculation achieving nothing for humans, except the smallest minority. It is beyond ridiculous and more aptly described as tragic. Rana Faroohar, columnist at Financial Times, notes in her book Makers and Takers that only 15% of all wealth enters the real economy. Tragic for over half of humanity. Nice article, clear, concise.