Bill Gates: 'By 2035, there will be almost no poor countries left in the world'

[fujiyama]

66. A tad premature me thinks

That's just 21 years from now. Two big problems poorer nations face is religious fanaticism and endemic corruption. Those are cultural issues that even Bill Gates' money can't solve. Religious extremists are holding back much of Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia (it's no coincidence that East Asian countries, the least religious have made great economic progress over the last half century). That same religious fervor is responsible for the pathetic treatment of women in many societies as well.

As for corruption, I guess that's a real chicken or egg question. Are poor countries poor due to corruption, or does poverty cause the sort of endemic corruption? It's evident that corruption thrives in poor countries. Can outside aid influence that? And to what extent.

But props to Gates for his work on getting vaccines distributed and putting money towards diseases like malaria, which big pharma sees no profit in.