This still begs the question of why they have the social structures they do. Why does the Third World create stagnant, Big Man-based economies instead of economies where goods and services are transferred easily in millions of impersonal exchanges? Could it be that, for example, Nigeria is Nigeria because it is run by Nigerians and Sweden is Sweden because it is run by Swedes? I don’t deny that there are environmental factors, but that’s only half the picture.
I agree too, and I would argue that that is unfortunately where Protestantism gets you. But, as you note, we digress.