Why Canada succeeded & Argentina failed?

Wow this thread degenerated quite quickly.  I think you're taking flyingzone's thesis too personally pinquin.  In relative terms Canada has succeeded in increasing its power in the world over the past century, Argentina's has gone backwards.  It's not as big a difference as comparing Haiti and Dominican Republic but all the same, Argentina started off better than Canada and had its rate of growth kept pace, it ought to have been at least in the G7 by now.  No amount of posting pictures of cheerleaders will negate that.  

The failure of South America is a cultural issue; crime, corruption and lack of emphasis on education.

I am going to lean on some economists speculations on South America that the reason why their business and government institutions are so corrupt is because they are not open enough to the global market. If you look at many Western European countries and Canada and the U.S you see that they are very open with the international markets. If more South American countries become more open in foreign trade that will cause transparency and will in turn help limit corruption.

Edited by Ponce de Leon - 10-Dec-2007 at 21:09