CB, that's not mystifying. When you build something and somebody else knocks it down or steals it every time, it doesn't take long to figure out that building something isn't rewarding.
It doesn't take much of a meme to figure out. New immigrants get on and do it in the USA in the first generation. They don't need generations of memeing.
Hence, intelligent Russians played chess instead of trying to achieve much. The Irwin Jacobs [QUALCOMM] equivalents were filling in time, keeping a low profile while the apparatchiks ran the joint and confiscated what they wanted. Some were employed in making rockets, nukes and stuff, at low pay. Same in China - the talented amused themselves as best they could under the cruel yoke of the proletariat thugocracy.
Americans show up in Iraq with guns. A month later, you won't find rapid capital formation. The locals know that the Americans will soon leave and they'll be back where they started.
If you think building things is easy, that's underestimating what it takes to create and build things, such as the Segway, a CDMA2000 phragmented photon cyberphone and a Globalstar satellite.
People who don't build things think it's easy and that's why they happily confiscate the production of the producers who become wealthy. The wealth seems like ill-gotten gains. We have that psychological socialist disease rampant in New Zealand [which is why we've gone from about number 2 or 3 in the world from a wealth per capita place, especially with quality of life included, to bottom of the OECD and heading for banana republic status].
Some would argue that the USA isn't exactly a civil society. Needing security in depth shows it's uncivil. People don't leave their doors unlocked these days. They are armed and dangerous! A civil society doesn't feel threatening.
I like the old joke about Mahatma Ghandi, who, when asked what he thought of British civilisation, said it would be an excellent idea. We have Indian friends [from Cochin] who prefer the civilization of India to other options. Different people think different ways of life are civilized.
The Iraqis can't pitch in and fix things. They have no money. They have no oil [unless the USA gives them some money from it]. They have no capital equipment. They have no property rights. Everything was looted. They fear for their lives. They are no doubt keeping low profiles. Wisely in my opinion.
I see no mystery whatsoever [other than why on earth you see a mystery].
When the Twin Towers were destroyed in New York, there was a vast amount of resources which could be brought to bear. Iraq doesn't have those resources. They need food, medicine, security, property rights, rule of law ... all that good stuff you take for granted, before they can even get started. A few young Americans hanging around a street corner, armed to the teeth and fingering the trigger isn't quite enough. Not surprisingly.
Mqurice |
