I disagree. In a first-world country, an ambitious person might claw his way up to being regional director of cardboard issues for the EPA, and could earn low s

I disagree. In a first-world country, an ambitious person might claw his way up to being regional director of cardboard issues for the EPA, and could earn low six figures. In a third-world country, that same ambitious person would get to that same level of authority, with the same proportionate salary -- and would be earning many times that amount in bribes. Outside of Western countries, there are very few things an ambitious person could achieve that do not in some way translate into money.