RE:Gotta Think Positive - Get Your Energy Up HigherThere is very little correlation between being better off and being happy on a national basis. Two of the happiest counties in the world according to Nat Geo are Costa Rica and Bhutan. Meanwhile many European countries are miserable.
People do not always do what is in their economic self-interest. Witness Slovakia losing ground after splitting from the Czech Republic or many satellites of the old Soviet Union now struggling.
Many of us overlook the huge continuing role of religion in many Spanish speaking cultures. It seems to me that if the priests are behind the dissension, then this is where we should be concentrating our efforts. Being a bit of an agnostic, I haven't a clue how to go about the public relations offensive, but promising new schools and religious seminaries might be a start.