

Bolivia, The Saudi Arabia of Lithium - ojbyrne
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/world/americas/03lithium.html

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nikblack
so thats why they are all so chilled out

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Rod
And Brazil is the world's sugar daddy:
[http://current.com/items/89112645/the_world_s_sugar_daddy.ht...](http://current.com/items/89112645/the_world_s_sugar_daddy.htm)

Maybe the time has come for South America. They're rich in natural resources.
Let us hope these resources are used for the benefit of the peoples. not just
the ruling kleptocracy.

~~~
electromagnetic
I believe the potential for the ruling parties to reap all the rewards from
North America were all present, but the long history of the populating nations
and sheer political disobedience certainly put a stop to that notion.

I hope that South America's political heritage will win out and they'll follow
suit of NA into leading nations. Portugal is a post-empire country, and
hopefully this will imbue the Brazilians with a healthy demand of respect when
trade starts becoming more important.

Sadly the reason I think Africa is a different story is because for thousands
of years they've had the choice between doing as they're told and staying
alive or protesting and dying. I believe it doesn't help that literacy and
information aren't as prevalent there, which certainly hurts people knowing
their fair rights so everyone would stand up for them and not just a few.

~~~
Rod
I didn't get the point you were trying to make when you mentioned that
Portugal is a post-empire country. How relevant is that to the future of
Brazil? Or South America in general?

