Why are some countries still so rich and others so poor

[IndigoRed]

With all the technology, healthcare and education why is the world still so divided? With some places being rich while others being torn in wars and crimes, forcing people to hide or become refugees. What are your thoughts on the issue?

You mentioned technology. Actually, technology itself can cause the disparity. Expensive technology for others, seems elitist. Even if the whole of humanity should have access to life-changing technology, money and power still take the front seat. It’s similar to what is discussed about the new 5G technology.
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/409047-experts-worry-5g-could-widen-digital-divide
What are your thoughts about this?

[tapercha]

What causes a “misallocation of resources”? In Smith’s day and in the country where he lived (Britain) it was mainly bad government policy. Under mercantilism, the British crown established monopolies that were protected against the rigors of competition in the marketplace. Tariffs and quotas did much of the same thing. Medieval guilds operated under anticompetitive conditions – controlling output, prices and entry into such crafts and trades as textile workers, masons, carpenters, carvers, glass workers, etc.

[interknit]

As we look around the world today, we see many vestiges of these practices plus new ones – government created labor monopolies, currency controls, land use controls, etc. Plus, Hernando de Soto has brought our attention to something else. In Adam Smith’s England the existence of stable government and the rule of the common law was taken for granted. In many parts of the world, that is not the case.

[Hardware.walletxid]

My country is in middle of list but could be better

[AlligatorBites]

The principle is somehow similar to what we are experiencing in the society. There are some people who are rich, others are poor. Somehow it roots from where the individual came from. He is lucky if he came from a well off family. Same as a country, who already had money and power from the beginning of time. Another thing is resources and the proper utilization of it. For example, the Arab countries know how to make use of their oil resources to become rich.

[jersti]

Let’s return to our simple picture of economies as having capital, labor and an efficiency factor. Capital is valuable because it increases output directly and also because it increases the productivity of labor. Yet Jones reports that capital-output ratio is remarkably stable across countries. Its average value is very close to one, meaning that an extra dollar of capital gives you an extra dollar of output. Even the poorest countries tend to have a capital-output ratio very close to the U.S. value.   So differences in physical capital contribute almost nothing to differences in GDP per worker across countries. It has also been documented that the marginal product of capital is very similar in rich and poor countries.

[MollyWalk01]

In some countries there are no resources, such as oil and gas for example. Others were colonies of different other countries and they were under the pressure of them, under the immediate complete political control, so they didn't have a chance to develop normally.

[Goldleader]

Corruption and greed can destroy the most vibrant economy just take a look at Venezuela. The inflation has reached milllion figure , currency render worthless, item beyond the reach ordinary citizen etc. 

[ankhmary]

i think it depends on the government how the rule their country

[Llaux]

There are many reasons for these problems. Religion, politics, wealth, bad ethics. Technological advancement doesn't mean improvement of life quality for all, it means a better life for those who can afford it. What we need and we are going through is ethical advancement, getting our morals right. We live in a world where the president of one of the most powerful countries doesn't think (I'm not gonna say believe because that's a fact, not a ghost story) that global warming is real.

[galactic123]

wars and crimes

You gave a partial answer to your own question right there.  Other reasons that there are many, many, many poor countries include dictators who decide who may or may not prosper (if they dont like you, you are out of the game), as well as backwards customs and religious beliefs that quickly slows down societies. Countries where women are second class citizens, who are not allowed to work, and such. Heck, even countries where people are not really allowed to own things, causing them to depend 100% on whathever the government / general / king / emperor gives them or allows them.

Yes advanced countries often abuse poor countries, that is true. But many of these poor countries are / have been extremely flawed societies for a long time anyhow. Flawed in ways that hinders progress overall, even if left in peace. Not to mention when ruled by some all-powerful psychopath...

[Lintormi]

Yes, everything is simple. It can not be all the rich, it is not a priori possible. Money flows from one to another. Similarly in countries. Some people have smarter people, more developed politics, economics, and so on.

[Coffeemaker]

It's boil down to leadership .if the leader are corrupt then the country will suffer in Long run

[daniel08]

In my own opinion it is because of government which is the reason why some other countries are rich because of the technology that there economy is growing so fast that people can benefit from it , their people have work to sustain their everyday living , and some countries are poor because their government is corrupt and all they want is for themselves.

[maxou8524]

Because we have weak economic government systems in many countries.

[LUCKMCFLY]

With all the technology, healthcare and education why is the world still so divided? With some places being rich while others being torn in wars and crimes, forcing people to hide or become refugees. What are your thoughts on the issue?

I think everything depends on their governments and the degree of progress they want to see in their countries, because they will always influence the good management they want to do, as long as it is covering interests for the nation and not for the ruler, where interests are intertwined particular that is what produces all the corruption, that is why some countries are richer and the poor will continue to be poorer.

[pavlooster]

I think a country needs to have a good governance system to be successful. Good governments usually lead to economy growth, they will create the proper incentives for people and businesses to produce and improve their method of production. While bad government, you know the corrupt one, will inhibit or has slower economy.

[bitcoin31]

The system is orrganized that's why the country who are rich but remember not means the country is rich they all rich because there is some citizens there are poor. My country is in the thrid world country and I hope soon the economy of this will rise like the other country.

[semobo]

With all the technology, healthcare and education why is the world still so divided? With some places being rich while others being torn in wars and crimes, forcing people to hide or become refugees. What are your thoughts on the issue?

Some countries have well knowledged leaders and also enough army and resources to become rich while other countries may lack some of it either resource or man power for managing their country.

[erikalui]

Because of debt mostly. There are many countries that keep increasing their debt and then they become incapable of paying it even though they impose everything on their citizens in the form of taxes.