Natural resources not responsible for prosperity of nations

Jun 29, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor;
Many Guyanese are very ignorant of the fact as to what really makes a nation prosperous. I have been hearing a lot of talk about how far behind we are in comparison to other countries that are about the same age of us. Street corner political analysts and reputable political advisers speak of the vast amount of resources Guyana has, and how we all ought to be wealthy people, living like sheikhs and kings. Little do they know that the prosperity of a nation has very little to do with the resources of that nation.
Besides Liberia, there are several countries in Africa and elsewhere that possess vast amount of natural resources, but the people are extremely poor. Civil disorder is tearing their people apart, and there is no way out in sight. In spite of the many natural resources of these countries, many of them survive on aids and grants. The level of inflation keeps spiraling out of control and their Income Per Capita is amongst the lowest in the world. Had it not been for heavy investment in certain parts of Africa by the Chinese, many African countries would have had nothing to show as far as their development is concerned.
On the other hand there are some countries with virtually no natural resources, but they are within the elite club of industrialized countries, technologically advanced countries, and so on. The key factor that is responsible for the prosperity of a nation is the average IQ of its population. According to Science and the Wealth of Nations, a country must have an average IQ of 90 and over to be able to run a technologically advanced civilization. The resources of countries that do not have a reasonable pool of intelligent people who are armed with the capital to develop the resources leave room for foreign companies to take advantage of these countries. We have been seeing this happing over the past 50 years in Guyana. From one multi-national company to another, the trend continues.
The IQ of a nation determines the quality of life its citizens live. It is what determines whether they live a life of crime, broken homes, and low life expectancy on one hand. On the other hand a nation’s average IQ is also responsible for higher standards of living, low mortality and stable family relationships. Why is the average IQ level in some countries higher than other countries? Is it the educational opportunities that are available in some countries? Is it the culture of the people that are part of the society of a country, or is it the genetic make-up of the people of some countries? I would say that all three can have an effect on how intelligent the people of a country is, but I am more inclined to believe that our genetic make-up is one of the main restrictions that is preventing some country from achieving a high IQ average, and advance rapidly.
Historically some civilizations were more developed than others. Some built complex ancient cities with drainage and irrigation, and sewer systems, and had better knowledge of science and the universe in which we live; while some civilizations, until recently, have always lived in caves and stick shacks. Some civilizations created complex languages that are still in existence today, including alphabets and their own scripts, and the ability to read and write their languages, while some just survived by means of spoken dialects.
What resource does a country like Japan possess? ‘Nada’! However, Japan is amongst the top 10 most advanced countries in the world. We also know that the high level of their intelligence and skill are not attributed to the 20th and 21st century alone, but they made remarkable advances in metalworking – a skill that had not been indigenous to them.
Unless Guyana is prepared to open its doors and welcome intelligent people into our society, and not humiliate them and treat this with mistrust; unless these people feel a strong sense of belonging to the Guyanese society, and not looked at with scorn; unless people with the skills and resources are encouraged to remain in Guyana, and also feel a sense of belonging, there is no hope for this place. The Coalition has been doing everything to alienate Guyanese. Bai Shan Lin is just one company that has allegedly stepped over the line, but there are thousands of Chinese who are law abiding citizens and are contributing to the development of Guyana.
What is wrong with someone showing strong attachment to their motherland? The US and Canada have opened their doors to immigrants from all over the world, and the immigrants are sending millions back to their home country. What is the big deal about this once taxes are paid? This is how the free world operates. Guyana needs creative and innovative people integrated into our society. There is certainly going to be some problems with the first generation, but eventually everything is going to be fine… and do not expect a skilled laborer that assembles digital billboards to earn the same as a man pushing a trolley down the road with a few rotten eggplants.
Fazal Gafoor

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