I think it is also useful to consider some civic consequences of depletion of non-tradable professional workforces. In countries where premature deindustrialization from import competition and IT and industrial automation have reduced the number of clerks, engineers, and factory workers, teachers, policemen, and nurses not only perform their professional roles but may also be the school board, the church organizers and donor pool, the newspaper’s customer base, the treasurers of the local government, and maybe the base of a democratization movement. The nurse from Lagos at the medical post may be the only sympathetic, knowledgeable outsider to whom the village girls can look for advice or role modeling
To be fair, I can imagine remittances help thicken the civic fabric. Maybe by financing private school tuition for a nephew, or a family member’s internet cafe business / print shop
Thank you for this info. Am i understanding correctly that advocacy for taxes on sugary drinks is estimated to be 55x more effective than donation to givewell’s recommended charities?