I wonder how South-Korea, Vietnam, Japan and some eastern European countries recovered so quickly from devastating wars to at least have positive economic growth and stable social environments, but in Africa it has been over 20 years in most places, and still nothing. Yep, still slavery, colonialism and whatever other evils which befell them from the West.
I believe Samuel Huntington's book ("Clash") has already answered your wonderment. The countries with a civilizational/cultural tradition (not necessarily Western) were able to resume it even after major disruptions, sort of "return to the roots". And it is those roots which are now being seen plainly, just like they were visible in (most of) the past. Examples are everywhere - Czech, Poland, Hungary, Croatia (Western); Belarus, Russia, Serbia (East Orthodox); Middle East (tribal/Islamic); Central Asia (tribal/Islamic+ weak Orthodox transplant from Russia); African countries (weak western transplants on underlying tribal societies) and so on. So it is the roots and quality thereof which shows.
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