Culture, Peoples and Leadership: who commands?

The leadership of a nation, of a territory, is not simply a consequence of the personal abilities of a leader or the economic power of a state, but is rooted in the culture of the people it expresses. As noted by Dario Fabbri, a well-known geopolitical analyst, every form of government, even the most tyrannical, derives legitimacy from the culture and collective identity of the people it represents. Culture, understood as the set of values, traditions, narratives, and shared perspectives, is the true engine that defines not only the identity of a people but also the ways in which that people relates to the world and builds its own destiny.

Culture and forms of government

Forms of government are never imposed from above without the explicit or implicit consent of a significant part of the population. Even in tyrannical regimes, the support of social groups that see in the figure of the tyrant a reflection of their own aspirations or fears ensures the stability of the system. This implies that there is no “universal” or intrinsically superior form of government. Democracy, often considered the ideal model, is not necessarily the system desired by all peoples at every historical moment.

Fabbri challenges the Eurocentric idea of political progress, which interprets the history of nations as an inexorable march towards democracy. Leadership and institutions, on the other hand, reflect the values and cultural tensions of a community. When these values change, the system of government can evolve or collapse, but always as a result of internal dynamics related to collective identity.

Empires, clients, and strategic culture

Dario Fabbri introduces a fundamental distinction between empires and colonies, or rather between sovereign powers and “clients.” Empires, like the United States or China, base their supremacy not on mere economic factors, but on a deep strategic culture, the ability to build long-term visions, and the attitude to shape the world according to their cultural priorities. Colonies or clients, like much of Europe and, according to Fabbri, also Italy, live instead off the economy. Their existence is tied to a short-term perspective, dominated by material interests and dependence on larger powers.

Empires are architects of the future, capable of defining the direction of the international system. Clients, on the other hand, merely follow the rules set by empires, accepting a subordinate position. This relationship is not imposed solely by force, but is the result of a cultural and strategic deficiency in societies that agree to live exclusively off the economy. The lack of a strong collective vision and a shared strategic projection deprives these nations of the ability to self-determine, relegating them to the role of extras in global history.

Culture as a driver of leadership

Culture, understood as a shared narrative and a set of identity values, allows peoples to exercise command and sovereignty. It is not economic or territorial resources that determine a people’s ability to govern their own destiny, but the strength with which they can imagine and represent themselves as a historical subject. This principle is found in the history of peoples who, despite lacking significant material resources, have imposed their presence in the world thanks to a strong and cohesive culture.

An emblematic example is offered by the Arab peoples, who at moments of maximum cultural and religious expression were able to generate vast empires, founded on a common identity and the will to project themselves beyond their own borders. Similarly, the Roman Empire or the British Empire owe their strength to the ability to build a universal narrative and attract other communities into their system of values.

On the contrary, when the culture of a people flattens into a weak or fragmented identity, the economy ends up taking over as the sole engine of society. This phenomenon is evident in Western countries that, despite having immense wealth, seem unable to generate long-term strategic visions. These countries risk transforming into “joint-stock companies,” where material well-being is the ultimate goal, but the lack of a strong cultural identity makes them vulnerable to internal and external crises.

Leadership and self-determination

Leadership does not arise from economic power, but from a people’s ability to imagine and project themselves as a global actor. A community that lives for the “here and now,” settling for superficial well-being and reducing one’s culture to a sum of consumption, renounces the possibility of self- determination. Fabbri emphasizes how this trend is particularly evident in Europe, where many countries seem to have resigned themselves to a subordinate role, accepting external governance in exchange for ephemeral economic stability.

The fundamental question then becomes: who really commands? It is not the leaders, who represent the collective will, nor the economy, which is a tool and not an end. It is the peoples who command, to the extent that they can express a strong, directional, and projective culture. A culture that does not merely preserve the past, but continuously renews itself, responding to the challenges of the present with a clear vision of the future.

The relationship between culture, peoples, and leadership highlights a truth often overlooked: power does not reside in institutions or the economy, but in the ability of a people to envision themselves as protagonists of history. Empires are built on culture and strategy, while clients live on economy and dependence.

The choice between being subjects or objects of history depends on the willingness of a community to invest in its own culture as a tool of self-determination and sovereignty.

Dario Fabbri Human Geopolitics. Understanding the world from ancient civilizations to current powers. Mondadori, Milan, 2022.