Generously interpreted, past loans reflected naïve optimism that with a bit of seed money, politically and economically backward countries would generate majestic growth and effortlessly repay their loans. A not-so-generous interpretation of modern aid history is that rich countries’ legislatures were too cheap to give outright grants to the poorest countries, and could be persuaded to help out only if they were told that the money would be repaid.
往好里说，过去的贷款反映了人们天真的乐观想法，认为只要有了种子基金，政治和经济领域的落后国家就可以实现真正的发展，并毫不费力地偿还贷款。还有不那么宽容的解释，那就是现代援助史中的富国议会吝啬到不愿为贫困国家直接提供赠款，而只有得到还钱的许诺后才可能同意帮忙。