Comments by "Persona" (@ArawnOfAnnwn) on "Why Poor Countries Have So Many Natural Resources - VisualEconomik EN" video.

  1. That's far too simplistic and patently untrue. Most African countries arose in conditions of absolute destitution, and that has hardly resulted in them turning into developed powerhouses since. Meanwhile places like the UK or France haven't been poor for centuries.
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  2. The 'resource curse' argument is far too convenient, as it simply ignores all the cases of nations that're rich and ALSO have plentiful natural resources. Norway is the usual example given, but even the US fits here and it's the richest nation of them all. Point that out and you usually just get a canned carve-out ala 'exceptions prove the rule' (how convenient!), or else some moral posturing about countries needing to also be capitalist, democratic or even at the more racist end, they'll go on about IQ or 'culture'. Resources aren't necessarily a curse. If they were, you wouldn't have countries all over the world still seeking them out, and treating discoveries of them not as a curse, but a blessing. Some nations don't use their resources well, others do. But the resources weren't the problem.
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  3.  @Eoin-B  Sanctions aren't "leaving them alone". Sanctions are literally an offensive economic tool. Usually it extends beyond just not trading with them yourself, but using whatever tools at your disposal to prevent them trading with others too.
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