[Captain Walker]

On the other hand, weak people and soft countries won't fix problems until they reach a level of extreme disorder...

That's simply a consequence of elected government. The problem has to reach a point where the majority of people reach the conclusion that it's a problem that requires fixing.

Until then, you either move or you grind your teeth and endure it.

[RoosterRedux]

That's simply a consequence of elected government.

Very true in that elected government, in and of itself, is a slow-to-react mechanism.

But some governments and their electorates are weaker and less reactive than others. France has been notoriously weaker and slower to react than most.