The basis for trade, the assurance of good faith and stronger economic ties all stem from the credibility a country can project. And credibility is acquired with huge sums of money spent on products and services of high repute legitimizing entry and participation in the world of the elite; to be seen as the owners of technology and art, of culture, as purveyors of the exclusive.
The practice of acquisition is most important to economically viable third world nations. This has given rise to a running confusion between product and process.
The term nation building most commonly refers to bolstering national pride and confidence through the erection of structures which reflect the can-do of its people. Architecture is nation building's vehicle of choice. Not just any sort of architecture but one legitimized by brand reputation, one recognized sufficiently as a product in order to galvanize the favour of world opinion; an architecture sufficiently divorced from context in order to look like it could belong in dubai, or frankfurt, or beijing, or lille. An architecture purchased as high art of the geographically non contextual.
Failing to realize the contextual difference between product and process, the third world indulges in acquisition with the confidence borne of ignorance, false achievement and the miscontrued belief of process and expertise as commodity.
Human nature applies across scales of reference. Most of us, being products ourselves of first world influence seek admission as individuals into the world of credibility, repute and image.
In essence, we dream the same dreams as the third world.