[lsy]

I don't know that this is super well-founded: It seems similar to the "Fremen Mirage" [1], and misses that in most cases the society that escapes war for longer will have time and energy to build infrastructure and accumulate resources that provide a decisive advantage in conflict and defense. Looking back at history it's rare that the "virile fighting" nation/group wins against a more "civilized" adversary that's better organized and resourced.

[1] https://acoup.blog/2020/01/17/collections-the-fremen-mirage-...

[DocTomoe]

Of course, then we have groups like 'The United States of America', which has been at war basically every single hour in the last 100 years, and seems to be doing just right. At some point, you become powerful enough so that infrastructure does not help against you anymore (and may even become a liability: The conflicts the US does the worst in is wherever guerrilla warfare is waged, not where there are highways and telecommunication networks).