The American Spectator

p> INDEXES OF FREEDOM br> Re: Shawn Macomber’s Privately Generous : /p>

As the recently returned to the private sector United States Executive Director at the World Bank, I read with interest your recently published article “Privately Generous.” I want to commend you for spotlighting the Hudson Institute’s Index of Global Philanthropy.

I made frequent references to the Index, and to the Wall Street Journal/Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom, in many discussions among the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors regarding aid strategies of specific countries and the World Bank’s policies of general application. Many developing country representatives appreciate the role of remittances and private philanthropy for the reasons cited in your article. Most Europeans, however, resisted our insistence that remittances and private philanthropy be taken into account in keeping “score” regarding rich country generosity, probably for the reasons also cited in the article.

The results were sometimes ludicrous. For example, many annual meeting communiques extolled the virtues of European sponsored global airline ticket taxes to be dedicated to development and downplayed or failed to acknowledge the far more important roles of remittances and private charitable giving. In addition to different cultural perspectives, what this really boils down to is simple anti-Americanism and competition to curry favor with developing country governments.

p>The Institute should keep up the good work as it is a vital resource for those of us who agree with its rationale, and an important response to advocates of ODA (official government assistance) who claim that neither remittances nor private philanthropy should count when comparing relative anti-poverty efforts because they can’t be measured reliably. br> — Robert Holland /p> p> AMNESTY STOPS HERE