Any analysis of this kind is by necessity an oversimplification of complex reality, but I have lived, traveled, and done business in several 'developing' countr

Any analysis of this kind is by necessity an oversimplification of complex reality, but I have lived, traveled, and done business in several 'developing' countries, and this makes a LOT of sense to me. In my experience, when most adults in a country can earn a living and feed their children, people don't take to the streets. These findings by complex systems theorists also remind me of a powerful map I saw in the book "Collapse" by Jared Diamond (of "Guns, Germs, and Steel" fame) -- a map showing that the areas around the planet which are currently suffering from the most political, institutional, and even societal breakdown also happen to be those that have suffered the most ecological damage, such that self-sustaining agriculture is not a viable option for them in the immediate future.