Re: The cargo cult theory
Interesting post. My source material describes the "cargo cult" as a religion. And this makes sense. A crashed plane falls from the sky laden with strange and exotic "things" why not worship the provider that sends such and anticipate a return---hmmmm, could be stretched into a metaphor for christian doctrine.
To better understand the events you describe check out the economic theory of convergence. This better explains the emulation you observed. The falacy being adequate premises were not established; namely infrastructure development.
Enjoyed the post.
Publius