In a globalized world influenced by a US hyperpower for 60+ years, countries, especially small ones, are allowed to thrive with the beneficence or indifference

In a globalized world influenced by a US hyperpower for 60+ years, countries, especially small ones, are allowed to thrive with the beneficence or indifference of powerful countries. Taiwan, S.Korea, Japan all become rich and industrialized via protectionist authoritarians governments supported by US interests and protection umbrella. Opposite for US sanction countries. A lot of EU would not have recovered into wealthy countries postwar without similar US support. Much of the geographic constraints stopped mattering when a unipolar country controls all trade routes and dictates winners and losers. Of course competent local governance determines whether beneficence could translate into long term wealth, and a host of cultural factors determine if interests with benefactors can align long enough for such wealth production systems to emerge, but whether that wealth equitably distributed is another question.