How did the West remove poverty and is that path towards prosperity achievable for the developing world?

Question

How did post-Industrial Revolution Britain and other Western nations including the USA improve the conditions of its industrial workers and remove hunger and poverty? How long did it take to achieve? And can the same path to prosperity and wealth be a model for sustainable economic development in the developing countries of India, China, Latin America and Africa? Is it possible to follow a purely capitalist free-market economy to let that happen or will the space the government vacates be taken over by the mafia, drug lords, extremists and fundamentalists who'll further erode the development with their parallel government and economy? What do you think? Please provide some sources or texts for further reference and discussion.

For those who are unaware of the extent of poverty in the developing countries, the UN defines the poverty line as living on less than $1 a day.

Mortgage of private property is one thing and removing poverty is another. What do the homeless people begging in the streets have to mortgage?

Answer 1

The real reason:
Private Property Rights

http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Capital-Capitalism-Triumphs-Everywhere/dp/0465016146/sr=8-3/qid=1161227163/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-7870909-1100821?ie=UTF8&s=books

If you are writing a paper or if you just want to understand why some countries are rich and others are poor, this is the book that everyone on the planet who cares about poverty should read.

Britain developed a system of private property rights. What countries/territories did the British colonize? USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong.
After WWII, thoses private property rights were instituted in Japan. After the Korean War, those private propoerty rights were instituted in South Korea.
It is not a coincidence that people in countries with a good system of private property rights are not living in squalor.
.

Answer 2

The UN needs to amend that to adjusted income. Try making $1000 a year in America and see if you don't live exactly as the Sudanese and the Haitians do. Did you know there are more than 90,000 homeless just in Los Angeles alone. Who have the clothes on their back and a shopping cart. The truth is America has more infrastructure. That is what the other developing countries need. SO that when crisis happen they are ready. Also America has information and education. Our elementary through high schools stink but our universities are among the top in the world and that gives us an advantage. that is also where the developing countries need to grow. more college educated people. I heard only 1% of the world gets to go to college. That is a statistic that needs to change.

Answer 3

Zak links to an excellent book on the subject. To private property rights, I'll add free markets, and something de Soto's book talks a lot about, an environment of legal customs that respect property rights and limit bureaucracy so that people can legally establish businesses and buy property, and use their property as a basis to acquire capital.

Otherwise, business activity and property ownership are driven underground and growth and capital formation are stunted.

Answer 4

The west did not by any means remove poverty. The countries themselves are not poor due to strong economies which are in turn due to good use of resources, but there are several poor citizens of western countries.

Answer 5

HA! capitalism baby F the poor and make with the money money money!