The "network effect" seems to be affecting everything: The rich get richer, and everybody else fights for scraps. It's winner-take-all. This applies to countri

The "network effect" seems to be affecting everything: The rich get richer, and everybody else fights for scraps. It's winner-take-all. This applies to countries also, not just individuals. If your country can't quite keep up with cutting edge manufacturing and services, you lose in the global trade competition and can't afford to give your citizens up-to-date college education, exacerbating the slide.