Annals of Self-Defeating Policies: The Washington Post featured an article over the weekend about how population growth caused by a lack of family planning in the Philippines has exacerbated poverty in the country. One key factoid is that while the Philippines and Thailand had roughly equal populations and growth rates in 1970, today the Philippines has 91 million people to Thailand’s 65 million. Perhaps not coincidentally, Thailand is also rather less poor than its more populous neighbor. The causation here is not obvious, of course: it could be that the type of government that, like the Thai state, can implement a successful family planning program is also the type of government that can more effectively fight poverty. But the article certainly makes a case that the effects of the Philippines’ sustained high population growth have led to a negative outcome for its citizens. One other thing that stands out is that 90% of Filipinos wish they could get contraception from the government. Instead of instituting a program, however, the president extols the rhythm method, thereby underlining the political power of the Catholic Church, which is strongly against the government providing contraception.
The Downward Spiral: Reuters notes that the approval ratings of Peruvian president Alan Garcia have fallen to 26%, with 70% disapproval. This in a country that had 9% GDP growth in 2007 and an astonishing 11.5% year-on-year growth this February. As the article notes, food price increases account for a substantial portion of the decline. However, Garcia’s downward trend in polls began even before the rise in food prices acquired its current momentum. Many analysts have suggested that some of the poor poll numbers reflect annoyance caused by the disconnect between the government’s constant trumpeting of its macroeconomic feats and the reality that things have improved only slowly in terms of poverty reduction. This helps explain why in Peru’s poorest areas, the South and East, Garcia’s approval numbers stand at a dismal 14% and 11%, respectively. See this page of Peru’s El Comercio newspaper for the poll findings; though they are in Spanish, the charts on the page make the trends fairly clear. The other element of the poll that stands out is corruption being the most frequently named of Peru’s most serious problems for the first time ever. The poll consultant notes this can be viewed in a semi-positive light, as economic growth has diminished concern over unemployment and poverty. However, a string of recent scandals has also likely contributed, along with the perception that the resource bonanza caused by GDP growth is being misspent.
I Guess Everything’s All Better Then: The Voice of America notes that the UN will be closing up its human rights office in Angola at the government’s request. Reactions from UN personnel emphasized regret over anger, perhaps in order to maintain a relationship with the government. The article also alludes to the fact that there are still human rights problems in Angola but does not specify what they are. The Countries at the Crossroads 2007 report, however, reveals that while the situation has improved tremendously since the end of civil war, extrajudicial executions, forced evictions, and pressure on human rights defenders, particularly in the enclave of Cabinda, all remain pressing problems. In addition, with no elections since 1992 and feeble institutions, the environment for domestic rights advocates to press for reforms is far from ideal.
Photo Credit: Blaine Harden for the Washington Post
