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Reading this review - and others - I was reminded of Ralph Peters essay 'Spotting the Losers: Seven Signs of Non-Competitive States'

http://www.carlisle.army.mil/USAWC/Parameters/Articles/98spr...

Which doesn't really explain 'why' but does set out in concise form 'what failure looks like'.




It seems like "discouraging or prohibiting work" is the common theme, among both these and extractive institutions. Which may be too tautological to be useful: in cases where work isn't worth doing or is outright prohibited, less work/science/innovation gets done.


Which may be too tautological to be useful

Depends on what you need it to be useful for.

Understanding the root problems in a philosophical sense? Maybe not.

A rough guide for where to put a factory, do business with, startup ideas? Useful.


Reading those "failure factors" reminded me of much of the current Republican party.




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