I admit to have fallen prey to some of the myths surrounding poverty. Specifically, the myth of how "ineffective" aid is and has been. While always a proponent of it, I was unaware of the amount of abject poverty that has already been eliminated in my lifetime. I had a definite sense of improvement, but no sense of the scope.
I've tried to explain some of the things presented in this letter to radical liberal friends. They can't believe that the world is or has in any way gotten better over the last few decades, I find it frustrating. They all think that I'm a market capitalist scumbag.