Why are the poor, poor?

Walter Williams tells us; it's the government, of course.  More or less, virtually every third world/"developing" country that fails to advance economically is one in which, to use the example of Egypt, the poor man who wants to open a bakery needs to wade through regulations and red tape for a year and a half.  Big companies can devote the manpower to deal with this; the little guy, not so much.

As one who has traveled to a developing nation (Malaysia), I can also comment that all that regulation does not produce better, safer products.  Rather, those heavily regulated food stands--and often even the restaurants at good hotels--were likely to cause a great deal of "digestive acceleration" among those who did not know the rules of what not to eat. 

So if you want poverty, ask the government to do a little more for you.  If you're particularly "lucky," a bout of dysentery might be in the cards as well.  As for me, I'm thinking that the private sector might have an interest in "repeat business" and might take a bit better initiative to keep me safe.