The whole premise of this topic is on our interpretations of "The Great Nations". In my humble view Great Nations are those which do not seek greatness in imposing themselves on others, rather, they work hard for capacity building of themselves. One should try not to intermingle Great with powerful. Also, one is not expected to write on the premise that Great nations become great due to their policies.
One can counter argue as well. But, it should be like Great nations fight not in the battle fields but on other fronts.