Jared Diamond - Diamond Theory

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In comparison to societies that used inclusive behaviors, that encouraged development, Acemoglu and Robinson also argue that extractive behaviors are why some countries seem to generate wealth in the short-term, but ultimately result in poverty in the long term. Extractive colonies primarily extract resource and literally nothing else. They sought to deter development of local trade and private investments in the local economy. There was little safeguarding of rights and property, and severe forced labor. In their argument Acemoglu and Robinson suggest that these extractive and exploitive behaviors lead to a vicious cycle in many underdeveloped countries.

In my opinion, I think that both Diamond’s and Acemoglu and Robinson’s arguments are useful in answering the question of why some countries are wealthier than others. In regards to Diamonds argument, I think that geography might play a role, but I don’t think it’s as significant as he suggests. He argues that it is all due to geographic chance, but Acemoglu and Robinson, easily dismiss this claim. Like Diamond argues, the Fertile Crescent and the abundance of wheat in Eurasia would explain how the were able to develop faster and were able to be some of the firsts to colonize other parts of the world. However, I also think that the inclusive and extractive behaviors of the Europeans when colonizing the rest of the world and the creation of settlement and extractive colonies was the ultimate reason societies either failed or survived. So in conclusion, I don’t believe that one argument is better than the other, but rather that they work together in order to answer the question.

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