I have recently been turned on by a friend to Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. Being here in Brazil and not having the luxury of a fully stocked library with books in English, I opted to search for it online. I came across a National Geographic show, in 18 parts which I have been watching. Fascinating stuff. It all came about when thinking of the relation of intelligence and wealth in colder climates. I have now found that the Middle East, also formerly known as the “Fertile Crescent”, was the beginning of the technological advancement in the way of farming versus hunting and gathering. Since that area specifically had more animals that could be domesticated along with major cereal crops naturally growing there, specifically wheat and barley, they then started to farm. Food being something that one could leverage over which also started the inequality that we see today. I buy it. I totally makes sense.

My question now is… So we have continued to develop and if natural resources are what, in the past, started to separate one country from another, where does that leave us now? I live in Brazil which is unbelievably rich in resources. Boasting the most tapable water, third largest reserve of oil, copper, iron, a host of other minerals, lots of land, and the Amazon Forest. São Paulo is South America’s financial business leader and the third largest in the world. The land mass of Brazil is the size of the continental USA and they are free from natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis… so they can build freely. Half of the country touches the ocean with beautiful beaches stretching for hundreds and hundreds of miles.

Being a developing country, a euphemism that I have opted to use as when I say “third world country” I am looked at in shock amongst the rich business people of the city. They have a huge uneducated labor force which can do whatever the top what them to do and are ladden with political corruption at all levels. Where does this leave them?