What did the Spanish, French, Portuguese, British and now Americans have in common with those they wish to control? Not a common language, certainly. They don't have a common consensus on the extent of state activity amongst themselves, let alone with everyone else. Democracy? Not on your Nelly.
What they do have - and what's all that matters - us that they know how to deal with disparate governments without presuming to have a single cure-all magic solution for everybody's economic and political problems.