Its worth giving credit where its due though. It was the Gridanians that founded the Eorzea Alliance. I see them as a well intentioned but very conservative people. None of the nations of Eorzea are without some flaws.

Also I'm pretty new to the lore but as I understand it, it was what Ampador did and the War of the Magi that lead to the Elementals driving everyone out in the first place. Didn't the 1.0 White Mage story have some suggestion that it was the abuse of magic during the Magi war by all groups that caused the Elementals to trigger a Calamity? I never played 1.0 so my knowledge of those details is second or third hand.