Old world logic, that even in the old world wasn't completely valid. America innovated because of its labour scarcity. Only with mechanisation could she exploit her vast riches. People rich places remained behind.

As Yuval Harari clearly points out, it going to change even more radically. Machines replaced physical labour and expelled labourers from the land to the cities, into service and office jobs. Today AI and automation will render more and more people useless.

We know only too well from history that there is no more destructive force on earth than masses of useless and aimless people. The more you have of them the greater the liability for peace and prosperity in that specific country and its neighbours in the near future.