September 7, 2006
"The Man Who Fed the World"
Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970? You may be forgiven for not remembering, given some of the prize's dubious recipients over the years (e.g., Yasser Arafat). Well, then: Who has saved perhaps more lives than anyone else in history? The answer to both questions is, of course, Norman Borlaug.From the Wall Street Journal. Order the biography here. Why aren't they teaching about Norman Borlaug in our schools? When we can't celebrate real heroes, what does that say about us?Who? Norman Borlaug, 92, is the father of the "Green Revolution," the dramatic improvement in agricultural productivity that swept the globe in the 1960s. He is now the subject of an admiring biography by Leon Hesser, a former State Department official who first met Mr. Borlaug 40 years ago in Pakistan, where they worked together to boost that country's grain production. "The Man Who Fed the World" describes, in a workmanlike way, how a poor Iowa farm boy trained in forestry and plant pathology came to be one of humanity's greatest benefactors.
Posted by David on September 7, 2006 8:52 AM
Borlaug is politically incorrect. His system calls for extensive use of fertilizers, and Our Betters would rather see people starve than fed with fertilized crops. Our Betters do not actually want the poor fed. They want the poor reduced in numbers by attrition and birth control.
Borlaug was born in Minnesota, by the way, and is a graduate of Luther College in Iowa, which I attended for a year.
Posted by: Lars Walker on September 7, 2006 9:23 AM
Most of the American history that I've read puts far too much emphasis on the role of the Federal Government, and the President in particular. Equivalent flaws probably occur elsewhere, but it's pretty silly for a country supposedly established in opposition to monarchy.
Posted by: dearieme on September 7, 2006 10:10 AM
What it says about us is that we are more interested in sensationalism and self-promotion than in service and dedication. Values demonstrated more in the action than in the vocalization.
Posted by: Sarah on September 7, 2006 12:52 PM
You might consider that saving lives through the discovery of penicillin and antibiotics rivals the claim of "saving the most people" for the topic of your post.
Posted by: Peter Waksman on September 14, 2006 7:01 PM
cronaca.com