Justus For All

Instapundit points us to this Strategy Page post about Nigeria

The army and navy forces in the Delta Region are facing better armed and equipped local gangs, and are not able to shut the gangs down. Tapping into oil pipelines and stealing oil continues, and this provides the gangs with a steady cash flow. The better armed gangs are branching out into more ambitious attacks on oil company operations in the Delta. Payrolls are a favorite target. The region is becoming more dangerous, and unruly.

While this is interesting and troubling in its own right, and can have some pretty major effects on us right here I think in some ways the bigger picture is even more interesting, brought to mind partially by this Skeptical Optimist post, especially the second half.
One of the often overlooked prerequisites for economic prosperity is rule of law. Without a protections of people and property, no economic progress is possible. In most places in America, this is so much a given that we seldom think about it.

There are places here where it is a problem. The high crime rate in inner cities is probably a much bigger factor preventing those who live their from escaping from poverty than anything else. Crime both hurts the poor directly and greatly retards any economic development.

However serious a problem this may be in some American cities though, it is even worse in other parts of the world. Much of Africa is particularly troubled in this regard, and that explains why all the aid Western governments have pumped into the region has done little, if anything, to improve conditions there.

Rule of Law that respects and promotes individual property rights is a huge assett to any country. No amount of natural resources or foreign aid can make up for its lack.