Yet another reminder of how complex economic structures can overpower the best of intentions and of how companies (and other actors) need systems-like actics- that can provide structure and coherence to their actions..

“Justice Eta, a Nigerian infant, has an ink spot on his tiny thumb to show he was immunized against polio and measles thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. But Justice still faces respiratory trouble, which locals call ‘the cough’ and blame on fumes and soot spewing from 300-foot flames at a nearby oil plant owned by Itallian energy giant Eni, whose investors include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Part one of an L.A. Times investigation reports that the world’s largest philanthropy pours money into investments that are hurting many of the people its grants aim to help. With the exception of tobacco companies, the foundation’s asset managers do not avoid investments in firms whose activities conflict with the mission to do good.

from slashdot