Why worth a mention here?

Well, it was the rather nasty knee-jerking re "filthy medieval country" - something I hear often enough about my area of the world and in particular now in dismissive terms regarding the Lebanese war.

I'll quote Sathnam's reply, by way of amusement before getting on to business:

I am from the English West Midlands, not India, and that while Wolverhampton is indeed filthy and medieval, it is a city not a country. Furthermore, I could barely believe someone could be stupid enough to send such a racist message from an e-mail address revealing not only their identity, but also that of their employer. There was absolutely nothing to stop me from cc’ing his boss in a violent reply.

Never been to Wolverhampton myself.

But getting back to the point, what struck me here was the degree to which it strikes a chord on the sensation I have gotten - now especially, but over the years, for the somewhat overdone contempt which all things developing world / emerging markets are held in, and the misesteem as it were.

There are real reasons, of course, and it is empty to take the position - as the "Global South" whanker academic/activist types tend to do - that this is mere blind prejudice on the part of arrogant rich.

At the same time the meprise tends to blind. I rather think it blinded the Israelis to the reality, for example, of Hezbullah achieving real organisational vigour. It often blinds people to opportunities in these markets. And it leads to misestimation - or better misspecificaiton of the problems faced.