Razorback, great post! I have wondered in the past the correlation between a nation's socio-economical situation and corruption of its leaders. I was not totally aware of the correlation poverty and geography. I will propose that the reason that the United States is the anomaly has to do with its worldview throughout her history. Protestantism is briefly mentioned but with a materialistic slant. I will go out on a limb being a conservative Christian and say that the Bible encourages wealth as long as it is not a spiritual distraction. As far as a nation and its use of resources to gain wealth, it is explicitly commanded in at least 2 Biblical passages. The most convincing to me is Genesis 1:28 to have dominion and use resources of the land. Kill the deer catch the fish to eat, grow and harvest where conducive, mine and refine safely. It comes down to a matter of stewardship. Should the US have declined to utilize her resources and abilities merely because we were founded with religious guiding principles? Certainly not. The simple reason for her sucess, is the reason this video says she is the exception to the rule. Go worth and multiply, have dominion, but remember the LOVE of money is the root...

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I take exception with the religion aspect. The video is only looking at the richest nations as they stand *today*. It fails to take into consideration how they became rich and what role religion played. In the West, which *are* the richest countries, the Protestant Work Ethic combined with the Industrial Revolution produced great wealth for many.

Going on from there, their explanation of why the poorest are so very religious is flatly false as well. This plays out very clearly when they try to explain why America is the exception. It goes back to the Protestant Work Ethic, not because the "American God" wants you to be rich. America (and Britain) was the host of a great Protestant missions movement to those poorer countries so they should have the same "God". We'll see more of this bias in a moment.

When the video gets to Modesty, it should recognize the influence Christianity specifically had on forming Western culture and the role Islam had in facilitating the Renaissance in the West. But it can't because it has already demonstrated its bias against religion earlier in the video. Alas, the makers fail to be modest themselves.

I agree with their point about sympathy but they've already made the point that 50% of the problem is institutional, namely corruption, and that *is* something we wouldn't do. It certainly doesn't make it the fault of the poor people in that country but the video goes on to point to the 10% of the fault that lies with the parts of geography they point to as why we should be sympathetic.

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At 3:30, the narrator exposes his bias.

Bean and ahnyerkeester said it very well so I'll not repeat.

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While an interesting video, I got the oily feeling I was listening to an Amway person or used car salesman the entire time. My mind wasn't honing in on the half-truths, doctored information and lies directly, but the BS alarm was definitely going off.

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