[FITZ]

Those are interesting links, are there any articles about any more-or-less succesful Latin countries like Costa Rica which has allowed at least partially for a middle class? I think the whole problem in all these countries is that they try democracy but they don't have large middle classes and that's the only way you can have democracy work.

[backhoe]

You hit the nail on the head- the great problem in all those countries is that most people are dirt poor, a very few are amazingly rich, and there's little between. A large middle class is the key to success with most any type of representative government.