Corruption

The Secrets of Intangible Wealth

A good read about why corrupt nations are unable to prosper regardless of the amount of aid they get. I wonder how much "intangible wealth" the US has lost in the last 7 years? I like to see numbers being put on these concepts, because I agree that they are by far the most important factors in any country's prosperity.

Excerpt:

A Mexican migrant to the U.S. is five times more productive than one who stays home. Why is that?The answer is not the obvious one: This country has more machinery or tools or natural resources. Instead, according to some remarkable but largely ignored research—by the World Bank, of all places—it is because the average American has access to over $418,000 in intangible wealth, while the stay-at-home Mexican's intangible wealth is just $34,000. Intangible wealth are things like the trust among people in a society, an efficient judicial system, clear property rights and effective government. All this intangible capital also boosts the productivity of labor and results in higher total wealth. In fact, the World Bank finds, "Human capital and the value of institutions (as measured by rule of law) constitute the largest share of wealth in virtually all countries."


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The Money Political Party

I've been saying this for 20 years, but no one listens to me Sad.

Excerpt:

The Money Party is a small group of enterprises and individuals who have most of the money in this country. They use that money to make more money. Controlling who gets elected to public office is the key to more money for them and less for us. As 2008 approaches, The Money Party is working hard to maintain its perfect record.It is not about Republicans versus Democrats. Right now, the Republicans do a better job taking money than the Democrats. But The Money Party is an equal opportunity employer. They have no permanent friends or enemies, just permanent interests. Democrats are as welcome as Republicans to this party. It’s all good when you’re on the take and the take is legal.This is not a conspiracy theory. There are no secret societies or sinister operators. This party is up front and in your face. Just follow the money.


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