Why some countries are smart and others laggards

Talking (or writing) about famine can elicit unexpected reactions, including jokes.There was this one reported in the Tanzanian Mail on Sunday of 7/8/2011 by acorrespondent on the current famine in East Africa. It went something like this: When the Rwandan leaders want to start an important project, they send an official to attend a seminar in Tanzania and as sure as night follows day, he will come across a bored Tanzanian researcher who has a complete blueprint somewhere with the complete designs for the project in question.
The New Times
Joseph Rwagatare