re: A question about Middle-Eastern countries

Lots of tribalism with various ethnic and religious groups having populations intermingled together.

Competition for scarce water resources.

Technology rendering the few natural borders relatively indefensible.

Arbitrary borders drawn up in the 20th century that illogically bundle disparate groups together and separate populations from the resources they rely on (Iraq is especially unstable because of this).

Islamic prohibitions against usury prevented the creation of financial sectors that could create money multipliers and build national economies of scale.

Communist influence during the Cold War that prevented economies from growing.

“Resource curse” as all profits from oil extraction go to a small corrupt elite as the peasants get nothing. Elites don’t have to GAF about the peasants since they don’t contribute to oil extraction nor are they a significant market. They only exist as mouths to feed or soldiers.