The issue of diversity is overblown. The most failed state in Africa is the most homegenous one: Somalia. But then again, Botswana is very homogenous and does p

The issue of diversity is overblown. The most failed state in Africa is the most homegenous one: Somalia. But then again, Botswana is very homogenous and does pretty well. Rwanda, Lesotho, Burundi and Swaziland are countries that actually fit precolonial states. You got civil wars and coups and a crazy monarch out of this but also some nice stories later. ++++++ The part that should be discussed more often is neither democracy nor nation part of the nation-state but the state part. Post colonialism failed because it is colonialism with different rulers and may be more confusion. The needs for a state, an army, a capitol and a bureaucracy was taken for granted and never actually discussed. So is the role of the traditional chiefs (in some places they're on goverment payroll). At the same time, expectations have always been high for what the government is supposed to provide. Places that never had an industrial revolution are trying to somehow do it with generous pension funds and environmental rules. That's way more nuts than the idea of having elections or whatever people think about when they say democracy.