Quote Originally Posted by Tellos Athenaios View Post
Sure, but let's be realistic here: the difference between 1 and 10 units of economic output if you share it with 10M people is rather more appealing than the difference between 100 and 110M people given how prices will differ in the 1 unit vs the 100 unit stage. It's the same reason a 0.1% growth in the USA might amount to far more than 10% growth in Kenia, but 10% growth in Kenia buys the Kenians rather more lunch than 0.1% growth does the Americans.
That goes back to the resource curse. When wealth is found and not created, it is far too easy for those in power to abscond with it. As the article mentioned, the commodity industry might boost GDP, but it doesn't produce many jobs.