Loading ...I’ll bet money they import more than they export. I’ll bet all their consumer products are made in China et al.
For a country to prosper, they have to self produce their own needs (like China) and export or sell excess products to other countries to bring in more money to their country. Similar to cooking at home, rather than going out for dinner every day.
The growing poverty and anger causes unusual different people (like Trump) to get elected. Then the global powers bash the leader and add sanctions to the country. (like shutting down the pipeline)
Let’s not forget the prior $145 oil they were selling must have helped a lot but later it crashed to $28/bbl. IMO there have been subtle wage and price controls in this country to keep inflation down and or profits up.
But it’s time to be happy because the whole mess is in reverse and after 2008 there is nothing left to take from here. And Trump broke the ice and lots of permanent changes were started like tariffs and the Supreme Court.
PS a lot of Americans have gotten hand outs to keep the game going. Even the climate change agenda jobs are like hand out jobs. They are not practical don’t produce anything we need, and a burden to others not in the “system”. And China is also in the system getting practical wealth creating jobs and selling excess production to other countries.