re: Failed State Puerto Rico Has More Protests

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I'm actually interested in why it is so systemic in that area of the world that none of these countries can get out of their own way and not suck.

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The elites are largely holdovers from the Spanish colonial period, and they are a class unto themselves, ruling these countries for their own personal benefit.

They are culturally and ethnically distinct, and they do not have much in common with the middle and lower class.

They’ve also given up on the middle and lower class, accepting the status quo as a permanent condition. Provided their families are comfortable and happy - they are content.

The problem goes back to the colonial system. The Spanish did not incorporate native people into the power structure, the way the British did. They destroyed the existing ruling class, rather than coopt it. Without the upper class, things would fall apart. But with them, things will never improve.