"It's like that drive to improve the world just doesn't exist in some cultures. It's not the land, american indians had the resources to do it if they wanted. B

"It's like that drive to improve the world just doesn't exist in some cultures. It's not the land, american indians had the resources to do it if they wanted. But they didn't. Almost no cultures did, except Europe." Your thesis that non-European cultures had no drive to "improve the world" because they're not dominant today just does not make sense. Many Native American societies were quite advanced technologically. The fact that imperialistic Europeans defeated them with a combination of disease and a technological achievement borrowed from the Chinese (gun powder) in no we speaks of their ability to improve their own lives with technology. Your question is valid, and I don't think there there's one answer. From my experience in the developing world it's usually some combination of civil strife and poor communication that impedes basic innovation. Constant political and economic instability makes it difficult for people in many of these societies to think about anything beyond the very basics. My point is, that while valid, your question is unimportant. The fact is these issues exist, and Amy Smith is one person doing something about it. It quite easy to masturbate over complex, over-generalized questions with limited information, but much harder to get off your ass and make a real difference. Those who do should be applauded.