[hinckley buzzard]

Those interested in the nature of underdevelopment and the stubborn failure of third world to "catch up" will do well to peruse The Mystery of Capital by Hernando DeSoto. He goes far more clearly to the source than this pop book writer. DeSoto is unique in my view because he not only asks "Why don't they catch up?" but also, "How did we do it so successfully?"

He reveals that, shockingly, no contemporary government analyst had the faintest idea of why the West flourished under capitalism, why the trillions of dollars lavished on the third world vanished largely without a trace, despite vigorous local informal economies in those lands, or what to do to make it turn out better. The answers are neither obvious nor facile

A trenchent analysis based on illustrative case studies, national data and history, the book offers a wealth of insight into just why the West has been so successful in contrast to other regions. His discussions of American history are worth the price of the book itself.

[7thson]

I have yet to read the entire article but I am intrigued by DeSoto's questions, the ones you stated. Could it be that possibly the reason we succedded is because of Christian values. I do not mean to say because we follow Christ and God, we are smiled upon. I mean to say the basic teachings of Christ such as love, trust, forgiveness, and mercy enabled us to expand while others who did not practice these attributes become stagnent. Just my opinion.