No, the UN does not promote world hunger in text

• A text, published on the UN website, has been controversial since July 5.

  Many Internet users share it, explaining that it glorifies hunger in the world as an essential tool of capitalism.

• The article, first published in 2008, was suppressed by the UN, which justifies misunderstood satire.

• The author, an academic expert on world hunger, refutes satire as provocation, and explains that he describes the capitalists' use of hunger for what it really is.

Has the UN betrayed itself by publishing a text advocating world hunger?

This is the hypothesis of many Internet users since the discovery of the article "The Benefits of World Hunger" on the website of the United Nations (UN).

“For many people, hunger has an important positive value.

It is, in fact, fundamental to the functioning of the world economy.

Hungry people are the most productive, especially where there is a demand for labor.

»

This excerpt, like many others, seems to justify a policy that starves a part of the world's population less reluctant to do the most difficult jobs.

A policy which would be the bedrock of the capitalist economy and would ensure the comfort of the other part of the world.

Many readers are appalled by the cynicism of this analysis and clearly see in it a strategy of the UN and its rulers to enslave the populations.

"You can clearly see the New World Order game now," said one on Twitter.

The day after its publication, the text disappeared from the site, but its backup in the Web archives was found and the link shared by hundreds of Twitter users.

Could the UN have caused a Streisand effect around a secret document unveiled by mistake?

Intriguing theories are on the rise in recent days, but they are mostly wrong.

takes stock.

FAKE OFF

The article was first published on the UN site in 2008 by George Kent, an American, then a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hawaii.

Retired since 2010, he was named professor emeritus there, as confirmed by the institution's website.

On July 5, the article was republished on the UN Chronicle, the online magazine run by the organization's communications, which defines it as "providing authoritative information and discussion on the activities of the entire United Nations system”.

Heavily heckled when the content of this text went viral, the communications team decided to withdraw it on July 6.

According to the justification given by the magazine's Twitter account, the article is an attempt at satire, which proved to be a failure in terms of the reactions.

Contacted by

, a spokeswoman for the UN Chronicle maintains this explanation word for word.

George Kent denies it, however.

Reached by our editorial staff, the author of the article says he is surprised by such agitation around this paper, written 14 years ago.

Completely absent from social networks, he began to receive insulting messages, letters and calls without understanding the reason.

Informed of the controversy by an Indian journalist, he wanted to clarify things: his article is not a satire, nor does it extol the merits of poverty in the economy.

The professor has worked on malnutrition and food insecurity for decades.

He is the author of numerous publications and books on possible solutions to end world hunger.

Very committed, it was a conference in India on the subject that inspired him to write this article.

While the program is intended to fight extreme poverty, one participant, a farmer, objects that reducing this poverty would lead

a drop in the number of people who would agree to work for him.

A simple observation of capitalism

It is a revelation for George Kent who understands that people benefit from this chronic hunger, yet they are the ones who have the power to end it.

A situation that leads to resistance to efforts to combat extreme poverty.

“I didn't want to justify the economic model, but simply explain how it works.

In other words, this publication is to be read at face value, “unfortunately, this is how the world works.

»

Sorry that his publication could be seen as a provocation and be used for misinformation purposes by sites around the world, George Kent hopes however that this controversy will lead as many people as possible to look into the subject of his work.

Those who wish to get an idea can always consult the French version on

website .

Company

Fact-checking: Discover our service on Whatsapp to fight against “fake news”

Planet

Climate: What are the five (essential) issues of “ecological planning”?

• Economy

• fake-off

• UN

• Hunger