It seems to me that you may be making a mistake in assuming these counties do no in fact have their priorities straight, only that those priorities do not align with most people's interests.

The purpose of a system is what it does, not what it consistently and persistently fails to do.

Far too long and far too much, people have assumed a good will of our governments because we have intenionlaly been conditioned to accept with blind faith that "democracy" is a universal "good", never asking oneself why the tiny psychopathic ruling class would be such vehement proponents and rabid advocates of "Our Democracy"™, a supposed rule by majority. It appears that not everyone gets as suspicious of things that contain inherent fundamental contradictions.