Arguably, in earlier centuries, it was competition within Europe that generated unparalleled dynamism and prosperity across much of the continent. To be sure, this was also a time of wars.
可以说，在过去几个世纪中，是欧洲内部的竞争造就了欧洲大陆大部无与伦比的活力和繁荣。诚然，这段时间战争频仍。但是，这并不意味着集中化是确保和平的最佳方式，更不用说唯一方式了。