Rich and Poor Nations Why?
There are a number of reasons why some nations in the world are much more wealthier and dominant in the world and a number of reasons why some are so poor and weak. Also, there are many nations that are full of natural resources that have the potential to become wealthy and fail to do so. For decades there has been much debate on actual causes and also theories. In the 18th century people believed that societies living in places that were really hot were lazy. Today, people still say climate and geography play a role. (Deeran 2009)
Others feel that if poor countries can create better institutions and improve their government, (change), then things could get better. Some feel that richer countries need to reach out to the poorer countries more by offering assistance such as technological and educational. Digging deeper, you may wonder why some nations settle for warlords running their country. It doesn’t all come down to education. If you ask me, I think it has more to do with politics. (Deeran 2009).
It might even be safe to say that religion plays a role in the reason why some nations are poorer than others. There have always been societies that solely follow their religious beliefs in regards to how they live. Some nations consider themselves living the basic simple life by choosing not to fall into the gap of consumerism. They live a very nonchalant lives and are content to do so. Those nations that choose this way of life also don’t consider themselves poor.
There are however, a number of places such as Africa and India that have and continue to suffer dearly. There are many places in Africa such as the Congo, Niger, and Ethiopia that are in constant turmoil. This however is largely due to politics and renegades as well as guerillas, not to mention the sexual violence that runs rampant. (Karmaker 2009)
Take a look at countries that are resource rich yet still poor. Take a look at Nigeria. They are viewed as the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world and can provide up to 3 million Barrel per Day which in turn adds up to a lot of money. Nigeria is viewed as being on the wrong side of human development. They are forever ranked the lowest when it comes to educational, sanitation, capacity building, health and so on. Countries like this deal with corruption, taxation, revenue volatility and more.
All in all, in my personal opinion, some countries are rich and some are poor because of society itself or members within that society in each country. In North America, history tells how America grew and the same for Europe. A lot of it had to do with politics and society. I’m not one to agree with blaming it on the weather. I think society knows who to blame many of the times.
References
Deeran, Stefan (2009) Why are Some Nations Rich While Others Are Poor? Retrieved October 6, 2010 from http://www.bnet.com/blog/intercom/why-are-some-nations-rich-while-others-are-poor/3315
Henslin, J. M. (2008). Social problems: A down-to-earth approach (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Karmaker, Arijit (2008) The 10 Poorest Countries in the World. Retrieved October 6 2010 from http://www.hottnez.com/the-10-poorest-countries-of-the-world/
