Lesson 2: Theories of Economic Disparity

August 25, 2022

Review:

• Syllabus and Course Overview
• Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
  • agricultural practices spread easily in mideast/eurasia
  • easily domesticated animals were plentiful in mideast/eurasia
  • both facilitated development of technology

Presentation:

• Niall Ferguson – 6 Killer Apps of Prosperity
  1. competition
  2. scientific revolution
  3. private property rights
  4. modern medicine
  5. consumer society
  6. work ethic

• The “Rest” have caught up to the West – Hans Rosling
  • Watch The Best Stats You’ve Ever Seen 
• My alternative, hierarchical “Prosperity Apps”
  • Peace
  • Public Health + Sanitation
  • Market Economy (no “stupid central planning”)
  • Education and Infrastructure (invest in the future)
  • Equal opportunity
    • gender (family planning, education)
    • racial (social harmony)
    • economic (domestic capacity utilization)

• Watch Asia’s Rise – How and When (15 min)

Assignment:

• Complete 30 Most Populous Countries Map Quiz
• Complete 25 Major World Cities Map Quiz
• Watch How not to be Ignorant about the World (19 min)