Why do some nations succeed - and others fail? Presidential candidate Mitt Romney offered an opinion -- that it's all about culture -- and he suffered withering criticism for that view. His assertion that a superior culture explained why the Middle East's only democracy was more successful than the Palestinian territories was predictably called racist by the Palestinians. They complained, as well, that the remark overlooked the trade restrictions imposed on them. Oh well, blame it all on Israel.  Romney's remarks were rooted in the rich intellectual legacy of David S. Landes, a distinguished Harvard scholar whose lucid critiques on economic development, in numerous books and articles, prompted many too call him a neoconservative. Critics labeled him a "Eurocentric" -- a view he embraced because, well, a Eurocentric analysis did indeed explain Europe's economic success compared to other parts of the world. David S. Landes died on August 17, at age 89, and his...(Read Full Post)