Economic Security and the War of Two Worlds

Abstract

Harmony is not the most obvious characteristic of relations between the developed and developing worlds. The common interests of which so much is spoken and so little done do not appear to lead to significant levels of cooperation. The developing world is anxious to secure a share in power which the developed world is as anxious to deny. As the developed world has most of the cards, there is little prospect of the developing world going away satisfied from any negotiation. Fortunately for the developing world it has on its side an intense sense of guilt felt in many influential quarters in the North. Without that, they would leave the negotiating table with even emptier hands. They might do better if their proposals were better thought out. The following chapter on the Common Fund illustrates three facts about North–South relations. The first is that a great deal of time is wasted on inadequately considered proposals.