[irishcoffee]

I think here you're assuming wealth was the limited resource referred to, were it might be other things.

[javert]

I can't think of something they can justifiably compete over, except security, in which case it's only jusitifable when the other party is initiating threats.

[danneu]

How about global clout?

[javert]

That does not seem like a justifiable thing to compete over, to me.