Russians are constantly asking themselves this question, "aren't we taking up the area in vain".
The corollaries to these questions may surprise you, though.
I can see how you are are offended by this question, though. People in California had a long thought about it and has decided for the whole world that this question is not permitted, like they decide everything for the whole globe.
I am not in California. Rest assured, though that not only is my family background from one of your “middle section” countries in question, I have many Ukrainian and Russian friends. Let us not pretend you’re referring to some incipient Middle Eastern or Central/South Asian Chaadayev here.
I can't believe none of your Ukrainian and Russian friends grade countries in terms of whether they take up the area in vain. They may not use this specific wording, though they might as well do.
I wonder if "middle section" countries also use the arguments that they were so great N centuries ago that they don't have to reason their existence today.
Actually, what my Russian advisor (studied at MEPhI and Kurchatov) said was that establishing industry in Russia is a less effective use of money than just pumping oil esp. taking into account the cost of heating the factories so it might as well be moved to Malaysia where the climate is better. He also said Turkey was better than Sochi for vacation. Does that answer your question?
As you can see he is thinking about that all right.
The question for him is whether we want to uproot the world and rebuild it in the most energy-efficient way possible. That would affect most everyone in the world: I'm not sure the Malays want to be that global industrial hab. Perhaps they enjoy their jungle more than hosting industry for the whole world. Seeing as they already have lots of it.
