Overall it seems like a well reasoned article. But as a side note, I have often seen people say something like "despite being blessed with natural resources" w

Overall it seems like a well reasoned article. But as a side note, I have often seen people say something like "despite being blessed with natural resources" when talking about poor nations. While it feels reasonable to think that a nation with lots of natural resources should be relatively well off, it's not. Or rather, it is 19th century (and earlier) thinking. Sure, natural resources can help a nation reach wealthy status. But only by 19th century standards. Not by modern standards (unless they have a truly astounding amount per capita). Contemporary levels of wealth only come from manufacturing and knowledge industries.