the.world.is.flat-第102章
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by HIV…AIDS； malaria； TB； and polio； and who do not even enjoy steady electricity
or potable water。 Many of these people live in shockingly close proximity with the
flat world。 While in Bangalore I visited an experimental school； Shanti Bhavan； or
〃Haven of Peace。〃 It is located near the village of Baliganapalli； in Tamil Nadu
Province； about an hour's drive from downtown Bangalore's glass…and…steel high…tech
centers…one of which is aptly called 〃The Golden Enclave。〃 On the drive there； the
school's principal； Lalita Law； an intense； razor…sharp Indian Christian； explained
to me； with barely controlled rage in her voice； that the school has 160 children；
whose parents are all untouchables from the nearby village。
〃These kids； their parents are ragpickers； coolies； and quarry laborers；〃 she said
as we bounced along in a jeep on the potholed roads to the school。 〃They come from
homes below the poverty line； and from the lowest caste； the untouchables； who are
supposed to be fulfilling their destiny and left where they are。 We get these children
at ages four and five。 They don't know what it is to have a drink of clean water。
They are
used to drinking filthy gutter water； if they are lucky enough to have a gutter near
where they live。 They have never seen a toilet； they don't have baths。 。 。 They don't
even have proper scraps of clothing。 We have to start by socializing them。 When we
first get them they run out and urinate and defecate wherever they want。 ＇At first＇
we don't make them sleep on beds； because it is a culture shock。〃
I was typing frantically in the back of the jeep on my laptop to keep up with her
scalding monologue about village life。
〃This 'India Shining' thing ＇the slogan of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party； BJP；
in the 2004 election＇ irritates people like us；〃 she added。 'You have to come to the
rural villages and see whether India is shining； and you look into a child's face
and see whether India is shining。 India is shining okay for the glossy magazines；
but if you just go outside Bangalore you will see that everything about India shining
is refuted 。。。 ＇In the villages＇ alcoholism is rife and female infanticide and crime
are rising。 You have to bribe to get electricity； water； you have to bribe the tax
assessor to assess your home correctly。 Yes； the middle and upper classes are taking
off； but the 700 million who are left behind； all they see is gloom and darkness and
despair。 They are born to fulfill their destiny and have to live this way and die
this way。 The only thing that shines for them is the sun； and it is hot and unbearable
and too many of them die of heatstroke。〃 The only 〃mouse〃 these kids have ever
encountered； she added； is not one that rests next to a computer but the real thing。
There are thousands of such villages in rural India； China； Africa； and Latin America。
And that is why it is no wonder that children in the developing world…the unflat
world…are ten times more likely to die of vaccine…preventable diseases than are
children in the developed flat world。 In the worst…affected regions of rural southern
Africa； a full one…third of pregnant women are reportedly HIV…positive。 The AIDS
epidemic alone is enough to put a whole society into a tailspin： Many teachers in
these African countries are now afflicted with AIDS； so they cannot teach； and young
children； especially girls； have to drop out either because they must tend to sick
and dying parents or because they have been orphaned by AIDS and cannot afford the
school fees。 And without education； young people cannot learn how to protect
themselves
from HIV…AIDS or other diseases； let alone acquire the life…advancing skills that
enable women to gain greater control over their own bodies and sexual partners。 The
prospect of a full…blown AIDS epidemic in India and China； of the sort that has already
debilitated southern Africa； remains very real； largely because only one…fifth of
the people at risk for HIV worldwide have access to prevention services。 Tens of
millions of women who want and would benefit from family…planning resources don't
have them for lack of local funding。 You cannot drive economic growth in a place where
50 percent of the people are infected with malaria or half of the kids are malnourished
or a third of the mothers are dying of AIDS。
There is no question that China and India are better off for having at least part
of their population in the flat world。 When societies begin to prosper； you get a
virtuous cycle going： They begin to produce enough food for people to leave the land；
the excess labor gets trained and educated； it begins working in services and industry；
that leads to innovation and better education and universities； freer markets；
economic growth and development； better infrastructure； fewer diseases； and slower
population growth。 It is that dynamic that is going on in parts of urban India and
urban China today； enabling people to compete on a level playing field and attracting
investment dollars by the billions。
But there are many； many others living outside this cycle。 They live in villages or
rural areas that only criminals would want to invest in； regions where violence； civil
war； and disease compete with one another to see which can ravage the civilian
population most。 The world willbe entirely flat only when all these people are brought
into it。 One of the few people with enough dollars to make a difference who has stepped
up to this challenge is Microsoft chairman Bill Gates； whose 27 billion Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation has focused on this huge； disease…ravaged；
opportunity…deprived population。 I have been a critic of some of Microsoft's business
practices over the years； and I do not regret one word I have written about some of
its anticompetitive tactics。 But I have been impressed by Gates's personal commitment
of money and energy to address the unflat world。 Both times I spoke to Gates； this
is the subject he wanted to talk about most and addressed with the most passion。
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〃No one funds things for that other 3 billion；〃 said Gates。 〃Someone estimated that
the cost of saving a life in the U。S。 is 5 or 6 million… that is how much our society
is willing to spend。 You can save a life outside of the U。S。 for less than 100。 But
how many people want to make that investment？
〃If it was just a matter of time；〃 Gates continued； 〃you know； give it twenty or thirty
years and the others will be there； then it would be great to declare that the whole
world is flat。 But the fact is； there is a trap that these 3 billion are caught in；
and they may never get into the virtuous cycle of more education； more health； more
capitalism； more rule of law； more wealth 。。。 I am worried that it could just be half
the world that is flat and it stays that way。〃
Take malaria； a disease caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes。 It is the greatest
killer of mothers on the planet right now。 While virtually no one dies of malaria
today in the flat world； more than 1 million people die from this disease each year
in the unflat world； about seven hundred thousand of them children； most of them in
Africa。 Deaths from malaria have actually doubled in the last twenty years because
mosquitoes have become resistant to many antimalarial drugs； and commercial drug
companies have not invested much in new antimalarial vaccines because they believe
there is no profitable market for them。 If this crisis were happening in a flat country；
noted Gates； the system would work： Government would do what it needed to do to contain
the disease； pharmaceutical companies would do what they needed to do to get the drugs
to market； schools would educate young people about preventive measures； and the
problem would be licked。 〃But this nice response works only when the people who have
the problem also have some money；〃 said Gates。 When the Gates Foundation issued a
50 million grant to combat malaria； he added； 〃people said we just doubled the amount
of money ＇worldwide＇ going to fight malaria 。 。 。 When the people who have the need
don't h
