I am not disputing past atrocities or still ongoing exploitation. However, reducing everything to "they exploited others for X years" strikes me as dishonest.

I am not disputing past atrocities or still ongoing exploitation. However, reducing everything to "they exploited others for X years" strikes me as dishonest. Some are born into wealth and don't accomplish anything. With others it's the exact opposite (but harder, duh). Could be just luck but I am not convinced. Take a look our neighboring Russia just across the Black Sea. By far the biggest country in the world, and yet their society sucks. I would like to know what drives these things