170. "The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general welfare of all its people."
The author asserts that the greatness of nation is measured by the general welfare of its people rather than the accomplishment of an elite group such as its rulers, artists, or scientists. In my view, the statement overestimates the influence of a genius group to the greatness of a country. After all, if the wellbeing of the individuals that include the very elite is not guaranteed, how can the achievements can make the country great?
If we measure “greatness” of a country by its economic status, GNP per capita is the criteria that can be looked at. GNP per capita indicates the average income of individuals in the country and it is seen that the countries with high GNP is regarded as a developed country. These are the countries that have a significant power and voice in international politics.
Admittedly, many geniuses of a country, with their contribution, made their country well known to the world. However, as far as the greatness of a country is concerned, many times, the existence of the great rulers or artists has been irrelevant to it. For instance, Freud left Austria, partly because of the annexation of Natzi, spent rest of his life in London. If his wellbeing was warranted in Austria, perhaps he must not have had to leave his country, contributing more significantly to the advancement of the psychology in Austria rather than in England.
In this global era, the contribution of the elite group is not necessarily limited to its own country. Consider Japan who willingly adopted Western culture and technology. With its advanced technology compare to other Asian countries, Japan was able to exert its power to colonize many other countries and this significantly contributed to the economic and political growth of Japan.
In sum, although the contribution of rulers, artists, or scientists may contribute to the greatness of their countries, if the wellbeing of its people that encompass these elites themselves is not assured, it is possible that the country may not benefit from the achievement of such individuals. In fact, in this global era, it is possible that other countries that can offer the wellbeing of the individuals benefit from these elites.