Development patterns and the survival of nations |
HISTORY offers a sobering lesson: no nation has survived prolonged chaos caused by its failure to generate sustainable growth.
States that remain trapped in short-term survival strategies eventually lose coherence, legitimacy and relevance. In contrast, societies that endure and prosper do so by consciously choosing long-term development pathways—paths that transform people, institutions and national character. Growth is never accidental. It follows identifiable patterns shaped by deliberate choices. These patterns are not merely economic formulas; they are social, political and intellectual frameworks that determine how nations evolve. At the heart of all meaningful development lies a simple truth: people, not institutions alone, are the true engines of national progress. When empowered, people become magnets for productivity, innovation and stability.
The most fundamental development pattern is societal tolerance. In diverse societies—composed of sects, ethnicities, cultures and ideologies—tolerance acts as the glue that holds the social fabric together. Where tolerance thrives, cooperation replaces conflict, trust replaces fear and prosperity becomes possible. Where intolerance dominates, societies descend into chaos, fragmentation and vulnerability to internal collapse or external domination. History illustrates this reality vividly. The disintegration of the (erstwhile) Soviet Union was not merely an economic failure or a geopolitical setback; it was also a failure of social integration. As a shared Soviet identity eroded, ethno-nationalist movements in the Baltics, the Caucasus and Central Asia gained momentum. Rising intolerance and exclusion weakened cohesion, leading to fragmentation into fifteen independent states. The........