• BombOmOm@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Both Canada and the US have a solid middle class and residents enjoy quite a bit of freedom. Norway is also near the top of the list, and have made oil into a huge boon for the citizenry.

    The biggest thing is countries need to either have a diverse economy or they need to use the oil wealth to build such an economy. Many of the countries on that list have not and they are in for a bad time when the oil runs dry or others simply produce enough that they no longer matter. Venezuela should be higher on that list, but they really screwed themselves. (Countries like China, despite producing a fair bit of oil, actually import a shitload via sea routes they have no ability to protect. It’s actually a huge vulnerability for them if they find themselves on the wrong side of a blockade.)


    But, back to the point, it isn’t so much that oil makes your country shit. It’s just that oil happens to exist heavily in a region filled with shit countries (and don’t be mistaken, their are many shit countries in the world). The Middle East has been a disaster area for a long, long, long time.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Both Canada and the US have a solid middle class and residents enjoy quite a bit of freedom. Norway is also near the top of the list, and have made oil into a huge boon for the citizenry.

      I agree on those points, and you’re supporting mine. Of the top 10, only 3 are generally desirable. OP was wanting oil in their country. I’m pointing out that there’s less than a 30% chance that it would turn out well for their country. I also didn’t directly point out that even if it turns out well for their country, there’s nothing saying it would turn out well for OP. There are still those in poverty in those 3 desirable countries.