Technological development works according to its own logic. If x change works better, everyone will adopt it, due to the competitive advantages it brings.
It is almost (there’s your out I guess) a phenomenon outside of human control. The rate of change may be moderated by other factors, but these may not be apparent or correctly identified to the humans in charge.
So why isn’t the Philippines a great nation? I would suspect that it was because they were too busy eating one another until Europeans taking over the world helped them out. Why isn’t Spain or any European nation a great nation anymore? I would say that it’s because they don’t have a great Constitution and the ruling classes, unbound by a supreme law, keep the people as serfs and peons. You should thank God for America for not being a slave serf.
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Except they don't.
So your argument is not reality based because humans do not jump through their little hoops like you think they should.