Infant mortality has shrunk to a third of its former level. Compared to us, of course, India is still poor. Compared to what it could be, it is still poor. There are huge problems, above all the gulf in living standards and opportunities between rich and poor. But compared to the past, living standards and opportunities for ordinary Indians have improved out of sight.
Progress always happens unevenly.
But the fact is that, gradually, humanity is leaving poverty behind. It could be happening faster, if the rich countries such as Australia had not selfishly reduced their development aid, if trade rules were not biased towards the interests of rich countries, if the debt left by past mistakes were written off. Some of those opposing the World Economic Forum are people who campaign tirelessly and unselfishly on these issues, and I salute them. But we must understand how living standards rise. The extraordinary growth of the past 200 years has been produced by the exponential spread of technology, knowledge, capital, markets, workplace organisation and social organisation that has enabled us to perform far more work, or better work, with the same effort.