DevelopEcon

"the problem with development economics is that it attracts the least-developed economists."

That's Fritz Machlup (speaking some time ago), cited by Don Boudreaux, who also points to William Easterly's op-ed in today's Washington Post:

This is not to say that all Western aid efforts in Africa are condemned to fail. Aid groups could search for achievable tasks with high potential for poor individuals to help themselves. To do so, they would have to subject themselves to independent evaluation and be accountable to the intended beneficiaries for the results.

Now that PT Bauer has been vindicated, development economics may finally bare fruit.