The Great Escape: Derivation, Inequality, and the Paradoxes of Progress

This text is a profound analysis of Angus Deaton's economic thought, centered around his groundbreaking work on humanity's historic emergence from poverty and disease. The author deconstructs the mechanisms of the "Great Escape," while also pointing to the accompanying "Great Divergence," which deepens the gap between global regions. The article thoroughly discusses the intertwining of health, finance, and political agency as the foundations of contemporary inequality. Healthcare systems, including the American market model and the British NICE system, are critically examined. A key element of the discussion is an analysis of foreign aid through the lens of Bauer's dilemma and the hydraulic illusion, which sheds new light on the effectiveness of official development assistance (ODA). This compendium of knowledge on the paradoxes of progress compels reflection on the ethics and effectiveness of global resource management.