by Jeff Thomas, International Man:

Just as people go through a lifespan that consists of different stages, so empires tend to follow a pattern of stages.
They tend to start off slowly, making progress as a result of industriousness, understanding that progress is dependent upon hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit.
This is important to understand, as it’s the one essential in the growth of a nation. No nation becomes an empire through complacency or a lack of productivity. Welfare states do not become empires, although most empires end up as welfare states.