The normal state of humans for almost their entire history until the modern age was abject poverty–just imagine any third-world culture today without the conveniences brought to it by first-world nations. No air conditioning, no modern medicine, no food storage, no motorized transportation, none of it.

Essentially every invention that improves quality of life the world over comes from a small minority of exceptional persons, and almost all of THEM from high-IQ first-world nations.

Where first-world peoples create first-world society, and then are driven out, the society quickly reverts back to third-world status.

“This is what is known as ‘bad luck.’ ” — Robert A. Heinlein

https://x.com/thebrancashow/status/2001100144679522640?s=46

• The post quotes a December 17, 2025, video by attorney Andrew Branca, who credits Western innovators for escaping historical poverty through inventions, citing Robert Heinlein’s quote and examples like Zimbabwe’s decline after white exodus.
• @Zs496S1 responds by highlighting economic interdependence, arguing first-world prosperity requires third-world consumers for products including arms, without which innovators would face starvation akin to developing nations.
• Global trade data supports this: in August 2025, emerging markets like Mexico ($29.2B) and China ($8.3B) accounted for about 20% of US exports, illustrating reliance on diverse buyers for sustained innovation (OEC.world).