Governance plays an essential role in determining the level of development experienced by a country. Governance corruption, international and external conflicts are some of the factors that contribute to underdevelopment in a country. Cuba and Iraq are examples of countries endowed with natural resources, but they experience low economic growth and development due to poor governance, conflict, unfair judicial institutions among other factors. For instance, Cuba ranks the 31st country among the 32 states in the America region indicating that the nation has not achieved the level of development as other countries in the area (Ruffin, 2016). Similarly, Iraq is endowed with natural resources such as oil, but it has not experienced the expected level of development. This paper shows that governmental corruption, conflict, unfair judicial systems, racial disparities, and misuse of natural resources as some of the reasons behind failure of development in Iraq and Cuba.
Governmental Corruption
Poor governmental practices are among the common causes of crime in less developed countries such as Cuba and Iraq. In a situation where there is a high rate of political corruption, there is a misuse of resources as leaders focus on using natural resources to meet their interests rather than serving the needs of the citizens. Iraq ranks the 11 th nation in terms of corruption out of 180 countries indicating that poor governance has contributed to poor economic performance in the country (Abbas & Ismail, 2017). As a result of corruption, there exist several cases of misuse of funds evident through the existence of many unfinished schools and hospitals in the country. For instance, the costs of undeveloped countries are exaggerated. The elites and cronies in the country voice out their needs and perception about development but political and project leaders remain reluctant to implement such ideas. Corruption leads to mismanagement of funds and natural resources in a country compromising other developmental projects such communication and infrastructural communities.
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The state control of Cuban economic growth and development is full of corruption with majority of people experiencing challenges in making viable decisions. Corruption emerges from less involvement of private sectors in decision making regarding development projects. Regarding crime rate, Cuba is ranked the 56 th country across the world resulting in increased concern for people to develop adequate information related to an increase in development in the region (Ruffin, 2016). Most of the crime activities end up unnoticed due to poor governance and lack transparency in the country. However, their effects reveal through the country’s lag in implementing developmental projects especially the poorly constructed roads. Though there is commitment in ensuring there is access to education and healthcare facilities to its citizens, it is evident that most of developmental projects such as road infrastructure in Cuba are less developed resulting in weak economic growth in the country. Just like in Iraq, most of the developmental projects in Cuba are less developed thus making it difficult to achieve development through other sectors. High level of corruption in Cuba means that it becomes challenging for the government and project officials to be held reliable and accountable for misuse of funds.
Internal and External Conflict
Cuba and Iraq have experienced high rates of internal and external conflicts causing stability in both countries. Instability makes it challenging for both government and private sectors to make viable and long-term investment decisions. Since the year 1879 and 1880, Cuba has been experiencing a series of wars with the country seeking mechanisms for achieving independence in economic decision making. Though most of the wars experienced in Cuba are internal conflict, their effects are equal to those of external strife when it comes to economic growth and development. For instance, Castro revolution after being released from prison contributed to a high rate of revolution in the region thus increasing the ability of a country to make investments (Frank, 2018). Castro’s promise indicated that Cuba will experience a change in its approach to development. Just like Iraq, the United States experienced conflict such as bay pig invasion supported by the United States.
Iraq has a legacy in involvement in wars thus causing instability in the country. Uncertainty has contributed to the inability of both government and private sectors to make investments capable of increasing economic growth and development in the region. For instance, the three gulf wars experienced in Iraq have exposed the country to international economic sanctions. In effect, people lack incentives to invest and divert resources into developmental projects (Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, 2015). Most of the funds are directed to military investment to protect the country from internal and external invasions. In the years 2003, the United States under President George W. Bush created an attack in Iraq leading to mass destruction of property and killing of people thus preventing development in the region (Abdulrazaq & Stansfield, 2016). Wars lead to mismanagement of funds as well as failure to create an opportunity for the government to meet the needs of the public through developmental projects.
Misuse of Natural Resources
There are issues associated with increased cases of misuse of funds and natural resources in countries such as Iraq and Cuba. For instance, Iraq has a lack of sound environmental protection policies that are resulting in misuse of water and agricultural resources. For example, ecological neglect in Iraq has resulted in increased issues of upstream diversion of rivers by Iraq’s neighbors, and little focus on implementing agricultural improvement projects (Abdulrazaq & Stansfield, 2016). Despite the achievement of development through the export of crude oil, Iraq also is in a position for achieving growth by implementing economic irrigation systems to support agricultural production. However, poor maintenance and control of irrigation schemes in the country have resulted in decline in production associated with agricultural activities. It is perceived that the poor development of agriculture in the country and a high rate of misuse of available resources remains a fundamental aspect for explaining poor development in Iraq.
Similarly, Cuba is endowed with natural resources such as Zinc, copper, and nickel as minerals that would assist the country in meeting its developmental agendas. However, poor management of extraction and usage of such resources contributes to the decline in the level of development (Williams, 2018). Most of the leaders in Cuba divert majority of their resources to serve personal interests rather than serving the interests of the citizens. In most cases, there is disagreement on the areas that leaders should divert the use of resources thus leading to a misallocation of resources. For instance, there is emphasizing on creating access to education and healthcare ignoring the importance of diverting funds to infrastructural and information technology in development. These projects create an opportunity for project leaders to divert most of their resources in development opportunities thus preventing access to growth in the country.
Unfair J udicial Systems
Cuba and Iraq have common characteristics when it comes to the functioning of the legal systems in the country. The similarity of the judicial systems originates from the fact that they are never fair in making decisions. For instance, judicial systems are supposed to independent from government manipulation. However, Iraq’s legal systems operate by receiving guidelines from the government, and the rulings are made to serve the interests of government officials. In effect, there is less support for private institutions to increase the rate of economic growth through investment (Abdulrazaq & Stansfield, 2016). Over the last decade, Iraq has been experiencing a decline in the creation of viable decisions that support economic growth in the country.
Similarly, Cuba also experiences control of the government in controlling the judicial system in the country. Judiciary is one of the essential aspects of the Cuban government. Though the legal system is supposed to work independently, courts in Cuba remain under control of the government executives undermining the effectiveness of their operations. For instance, majority of judges make decisions under the influence of the government thus minimizing the effectiveness of institutional operations (Frank, 2018). The issue of government unfairness results from inability of the courts to make fair judgments especially on matters relating to corruption leading to improper functioning of institutions. For example, Castrol promised to change the judicial system that operates independently, but it becomes challenging for the institutions to function independently.
Ethnic Disparities
Ethnic disparities and racial discrimination have become a challenging aspect of economic growth and development in Iraq and Cuba. Iraq has made a significant move in reducing poverty and promoting development in different regions across the country. However, there is considerable disparity in regional development as some of the communities do not experience full benefits of government investment. For instance, majority of people especially the poor have less access to education services, sanitation, and development in the healthcare sector (Abdullah, Gray, & Clough, 2018). Inequality in development project indicates that there is accumulation of resources among the minority poor thus undermining the effects of development in the country. Iraq comprises of three different ethnic groups and unbalanced development based on geographical location threatens the universal access to economic growth and development in the country.
Racism based on ethnicity also exist in Cuba though it is rarely talked about in the country. The whites in the country constitute more than 85% of people in Cuba are whites while the other tribes constitute only 20% of the population (Williams, 2018). Though racisms and provision of resources based on ethnicity is rarely experienced in Cuba, developmental projects are rarely achieved through the development in the country. For instance, most of the leading roles are associated with whites thus minimizing the effectiveness of leadership in the country. Most of the prominent roles in the country especially most beneficial institutions increase an opportunity for ensuring that the state receives economic development. For example, the tourism industry consists of a majority of whites indicating that there is undermining of the effectiveness of dark-skinned people in the development of the country. Unemployment in the country also contributes to less growth in Cuba as 85% of the jailed people in the country are dark skinned.
Conclusion
Political corruption, lack of independent judicial system, ethnicity and disparities, as well as conflict appears to reasons behind a decline in economic growth and development. Corruption leads to misallocation of funds as leaders allocate resources to serve their interests rather than creating resources such as infrastructure and social amenities to create an opportunity for development in the country. Conflict in Cuba and Iraq contributes to less development as there are fewer incentives to invest due to instability. Battle scares away potential investors as well as causing damage to property for local investors. Misuse of natural resources in Cuba and Iraq has contributed to an increased level of underdevelopment as they are used in a manner such that they fail to serve the interests country by creating an opportunity for countries to develop the accessibility of natural resources.
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