PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS

There is an interesting phenomenon developing in Papua New Guinea on the matter of problems of the nation.

Overseas commentators are being criticized on the basis that they could not possibly know.

Some members of the brigade of elderly Australians together with the occasional PNG writer claim that only PNG people know, particularly the rising intellectual class. Please click:

TIME FOR ACTION WITH DYSFUNCTIONAL PNG

This is nonsense. An educated class has to go through an apprenticeship before the Martyn Namorongs can take their place. 

Martyn is doing well as a voice for the nation. Please click:

PAPUA NEW GUINEA - SEX TIME BOMB

Overseas writers who are well read may get the message 90% right.

The writer below was including PNG in a general prediction of ethnic cleansing. But he got the corrupt sale of land right. Please click:

The tyranny of unicameral majoritarianism

Study called Developmental Economics shows that PNG is part of the global village of developing nations with a broad range of common problems. Please click:

Bibliography on the economic development and industrialization of ...

books.google.com › Social Science › Developing Countries

Bibliography on the economic development and industrialization of underdeveloped areas:

Paul A. Baran ... Developing countries: economics and politics ...

The common problems include the following:

reliance on primary and extractive industry,

limited secondary production,

inbalance of imports over exports,

limited down-stream processing,

foreign companies denuding nations of resources,

reliance on foreign expertise,

limited rural infrastructure,

urban areas developed at expense of rural areas,

drift to the urban areas,

poverty and crime,

tribalism,

high birth rate,

high mortality of women and children,

high mortality from malaria and HIV/AIDS,

increasingly high inflation in poorer developing nations,

underemployment and unemployment,

low wage structure,

reliance on technical support, and

corruption in government and business,

To the credit of the Australian Army in decades past, there has been focus on developing countries in education of soldiers and officers.

Soldiers and officers on posting to Papua New Guinea frim 1970 to1990 were given briefings on development problems of the nation. 

They took a 4 week course at the then RAAF School of Languages.

That period reflected a strong respect for Papua New Guinea people on the part of the Australian military.

Standards dropped once foreign aid was privatized.

As an Army Education officer, I worked in preparation of soldiers for the Australian Army Certificate of Education (AACE1) and officer promotion studies to Captain and Major (2F and 3F).

In officer promotion studies to Captain, a standard study topic was  "Constituents of National Power" involving the check-list of:

land, labour, capital, resources, industries (primary, secondary and tertiary), technology, transport, infrastructure, education and training, communications, ideology, defence and alliances.

There is nothing here that does not relate to Papua New Guinea as a developing nation.

According to the scale, PNG was a level 2 nation.

East Timor remained at level 1 while Australia was rated level 5.

Japan rated highly but for total dependence on overseas raw materials.

Major B. D. Copeland BA BEdSt
Tutor in Current Affairs
Australian Army (retired)