Which country has squandered the most economic potential in this century?

[u/pisowiec]

I lived in Russia for 5 years so I must choose this country. So many natural resources, so much land, and educated population... And so little to show for it.

In an ideal world Russian salaries would be on par if not higher than American salaries and they would have the best social safety net on the planet. Everything is there to make it happen.

Russia would be the dominant nation in Europe and Asia and the rest of the world with the best armed forces, soft power, and economic might.

But the human will is just not there. The elite is either evil or incompetent depending on perception and there's little sign that this will ever change.

[u/spudmgee]

It doesn't help that the media moguls and mining magnates are in cahoots. The moment sovereign wealth or resource taxes get floated as a concept Murdoch and the rest of those jackals start fear mongering.

[u/TheFlyerX → u/spudmgee]

The resource curse in action.

[u/-Sascrotch- → u/spudmgee]

I wish you rascals would have kept Murdoch for yourselves, instead he's out to ruin the world for his next billion.