This is what happens when you can see the good things, but you don't actually ask anyone about it. So they can see the better cars, technology, and so on, but don't ask anyone. Like imagine if the author has bothered to ask anyone while he's being a tourist "hey how does your government work, at various levels? It's all just warlords and dictatorships right?" And they'd chuckle and say we vote on things and have elected officials. Like western condescension knows no bounds especially about things they can't even be bothered to research a little bit.