cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/46788659
Looking at how much conflict natural resource-rich countries (oil, gold, diamonds…) seem to attract, I wonder whether such wealth is more a curse than a blessing.
Many regions with scarce natural resources, adapted & perform very well. Some of the richest are examples (Switzerland, Luxembourg, Singapore…)
Looks to me like the greed for them attracts conflicts: civil wars, invasions etc. Cultural, ethnic, religious reasons often just seem to be used to cover it.
Plus all the environmental destruction / pollution that come with the extraction & processing.
Large deposits of natural resources that are scarce, yes. But mostly when there is also is a lack of some natural resources required for life (water, arable land, etc.), so it’s easier to repress the people living there en masse.
