The west could carry out effective action and invest in infrastructure, but our serious unacknowledged issues with corruption prevent effective execution. It's less blatant than in other countries because we have a veneer of the rule of law, but there is still incredible corruption. The real issues hit hyperspeed when the "Citizens' United vs FEC" ruling was made since it codified a lot of the corrupt practices by equating cash to speech, incentivizing a lot of the current grift in politics.