When you say "economic perspective" I believe you mean a financial or poorly monetary one. Any econ course would teach you that economics is really based around

When you say "economic perspective" I believe you mean a financial or poorly monetary one. Any econ course would teach you that economics is really based around preference and opportunity cost, which is inclusive of the non-monetary attributes you bring up to dismiss the "purely economic perspective". Thus your argument, if framed in economics, is that countries are choosing a worse option, considering their alternatives. This is a valid argument to make, but it's not consistent with your introduction.