I kind of agreed with your first post; patents mean that the inventor will share with the world how to make the invention. (although, i am generally anti-patent

I kind of agreed with your first post; patents mean that the inventor will share with the world how to make the invention. (although, i am generally anti-patent for several reasons; much too great scope and time-length especially for the technical world). But you really lost me here with your rookie 'causation Vs correlation' point. Alternative thesis; powerful corporations (which occur in rich nations) have more government sway to enable protectionism.