The speaker claims that a nation’s greatness does not hinge on the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists. Instead, he asserts that a nation’s greatness is ensured by the welfare of all its people. This argument is self-serving and ignores the possibility that a nation’s greatness can be enhanced by its rulers, artists, or scientists

True, a nation’s greatness does not hinge on the accomplishments of rulers, artists, or scientists. However, a nation’s greatness is enhanced by the achievements of those groups. The scientific discoveries of Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Alexander Fleming, and Marie Curie transformed humanity. Their achievements have given mankind the ability to travel into space, cure disease, and communicate across vast distances. Likewise, the advancements in art and literature that have resulted from great thinkers and writers such as Shakespeare, Dante, Oscar Wilde, and Jane Austen have given mankind beauty, insight, and inspiration. Furthermore, the achievements of the rulers and artists of nations such as China, Egypt, and the Roman Empire have distinguished their nations from others, and the combined efforts of the rulers, artists, and scientists of a nation can elevate that nation to greatness

The speaker’s assertion that ‘

the surest indicator of a great nation is actually the welfare of all its people’ is questionable. Nations such as the United States, Canada, and Western Europe were founded on the subjugation of native peoples and the exploitation of their labor. Though their people benefited from the wealth these nations generated, they also suffered terribly. The mistreatment of native peoples in the United States led many to rebel against British rule and form the United States of America, which became a superpower based on its superior military might and technological innovation. Similarly, the exploitation of native peoples by European countries led to many wars, such as those between England and France, which devastated those countries. The mistreatment and exploitation of native peoples by nations such as the United States, Canada, and Western Europe can detract from a nation’s greatness. No nation is perfect, and a nation’s greatness cannot be ensured by ignoring its darker past

In sum, nations can achieve greatness through the achievements of their rulers, artists, and scientists, but a nation’s greatness will not be ensured solely by the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists.