israel s economy grew much faster in the 1990s than it had in the 1980s. the miracle romney was praising had to do with new policies rather than deep culture. despite all this evidence, most people still believe that two cultures in particular, islamic and african, inhibit economic development. but the two countries that will next achieve a gross domestic product of $1 trillion happen to both be muslim democracies. turkey and indonesia. and of the ten fastest growing economies in the world right now, seven are in africa. the world is changing, and holding on it fixed views of culture means you miss its changing dynamics. while culture is important, it s the shared historical experience of people that is reflected in institutions and practices, but culture changes. german culture by 1955 was very different from what it was in 1935. europe was once a hotbed of violence, nationalism, and war. to date it is post national, almost pacifist. the united states was once an isolationis