The statement might sound provocative, but Louw is responding to a a pair of critiques he hears often: That economic development is akin to exploitation and that the gap between rich and poor is growing dangerously large. But Louw says that the focus on economic inequality is a distraction from a more important metric.
"The world is experiencing the most amazing accomplishment of humanity: The virtual elimination of poverty," says Louw. "It's strange that as that happens, we are talking about it as if there is more of it."
Reason TV's Zach Weissmueller interviewed Louw about how his anti-Apartheid activism turned him from a Marxist into a libertarian, the factors driving Africa's incredible growth, the lessons other countries can learn from Botswana, South Africa, and even Rwanda, and how mobile phones and digital currencies are changing life in the developing world.
