Imagine what their countries would be like without the oil. Cultural attitudes mean things, and have consequences. The problem is, race/poverty pimps start whining if you say things that are a little too uncomfortably true. Can you imagine what Mexico would be like, without the benefits it gets from bordering on the U.S.? There are a lot of wonderful Mexican people, but what a rotten culture.
Yes, poverty pimps think that all the worlds ills are due to poverty and never take into account spiritual darkness to the point that their culture allows no enlightenment as to right, wrong, the ability to define the difference between the two and act on that difference.
Right now what pitiful amount of universites there are left in Afghanistan are filling up quick with women wanting to be doctors. They can educate people over there till the place is full of people holding college degrees, but their spiritual darkness will only eventually pull them right back to the stone age just like it did 25 years ago, and 1,500 years ago.