Tijekom posljednjih nekoliko stoljeća, zapadne su kulture bile vrlo dobre u stvaranju općeg prosperiteta za sebe. Povjesničar Niall Ferguson postavlja pitanje: Zašto zapad, a ne drugi? On smatra da je u pitanju 6 velikih ideja zapadne kulture -- naziva ih 6 ubojitih aplikacija -- koje promoviraju bogatstvo, stabilnost i inovacije. A u ovome novom stoljeću, kaže, ove aplikacije dostupne su svima.

Niall Ferguson: 6 ubojitih aplikacija prosperiteta

The rapid rise of Western wealth and dominance since 1800 hinged on six key societal 'killer apps'—from competition to modern medicine—that fostered innovation, health, and economic growth. By the 1970s, Western nations, though just 19 percent of the global population, commanded two-thirds of the world's wealth. These advantages are no longer exclusive, as places like Shanghai now top global math rankings and East Asian countries lead in patent filings. The rest of the world is adopting and adapting the same institutional tools, closing the gap faster than ever before.