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What is your reference point for "west"? West of what? Among modern geopoliticians, it is pretty unambiguous what The West means, and this discussion is about which nations are currently share the criteria.
The West is all the places in the world whose culture, society and institutions are mainly derived from Western Europe and which have a first world standard of living.
The West is all the places in the world whose culture, society and institutions are mainly derived from Western Europe and which have a first world standard of living.
That's my simple definition.
hmm. So is Istanbul a city of the west or the east?
Countries can change over time as per the example you gave above (Czechia)
Why?
Generally speaking yes.
Australia and NZ are multicultural countries. Sure they remain predominantly white, but that’s due to historical reasons. The percentage of foreign born increases annually.
What about Japan?
I think Christendom is central to Western culture and identity, and specifically the Protestant and Catholic Christians. My definition of the West is the former non-Soviet Europe and its derived cultures. Australia is mostly a Western culture derived from British and Irish original immigrants and its later immigrants have assimilated into that Western culture. I personally am not white but am American and I've become assimilated into the American culture.
Japan is not a Western country because its not in Western Europe AND not derived from European settlers, and because its not a Christian nation. Japan is a First World, advanced country but not Western. Argentina is a Western derived culture (the only one in Latin America without a large indigenous component) but its economic issues prevent it from being Western. Mexico and Brazil have too much indigenous culture to be Western and are economcially too backwards.
From an Asian and Eastern perspective, any white majority country basically.
I'm of Asian descent and I and my family certainly don't include Russia, Eastern Europe, or anywhere in Latin America (not even white majority Argentina) to be Western. Greece is also not a Western country.
There are some nations that have become LESS Western over the years.....
1. Greece - used to be the "cradle of Western civilization" but today is a backwards economically failed nation. Would be like Venezuela if not for EU bailouts. I hardly even see Greece as European anymore
2. South Africa - It was a Western nation when the Afrikaners were dominant. The white South African culture is Western but now the country is dominated by the Black South African population and culture which is non-Western
3. Turkey - increasingly moving closer to the Middle East and away from Europe, rise of radical islam especially under Ergodan, more and more hijabs on the streets, etc.
4. Israel - Was founded by Western Ashkenazi Jews, but the Israeli population is increasingly dominated by Mizrahi Jews and by Eastern European and and Russian immigrants whose cultures are non-Western
5. USA/UK/Australia - the trend will only be downward if illegal immigration continues unchecked and the immigrants who come do not assimilate into our culture
I think Christendom is central to Western culture and identity, and specifically the Protestant and Catholic Christians. My definition of the West is the former non-Soviet Europe and its derived cultures. Australia is mostly a Western culture derived from British and Irish original immigrants and its later immigrants have assimilated into that Western culture. I personally am not white but am American and I've become assimilated into the American culture.
Christendom is central to EUROPEAN, not "Western" identity.
Quote:
Japan is not a Western country because its not in Western Europe AND not derived from European settlers, and because its not a Christian nation. Japan is a First World, advanced country but not Western.
Not "European," but still "Western," since it became so integrated into Western economic and political system, but Japan is rather an exception from the rules.
There are some nations that have become LESS Western over the years.....
1. Greece - used to be the "cradle of Western civilization" but today is a backwards economically failed nation. Would be like Venezuela if not for EU bailouts. I hardly even see Greece as European anymore
2. South Africa - It was a Western nation when the Afrikaners were dominant. The white South African culture is Western but now the country is dominated by the Black South African population and culture which is non-Western
3. Turkey - increasingly moving closer to the Middle East and away from Europe, rise of radical islam especially under Ergodan, more and more hijabs on the streets, etc.
4. Israel - Was founded by Western Ashkenazi Jews, but the Israeli population is increasingly dominated by Mizrahi Jews and by Eastern European and and Russian immigrants whose cultures are non-Western
5. USA/UK/Australia - the trend will only be downward if illegal immigration continues unchecked and the immigrants who come do not assimilate into our culture
I think you might be exaggerating ever so slightly.
Christendom is central to EUROPEAN, not "Western" identity.
Not "European," but still "Western," since it became so integrated into Western economic and political system, but Japan is rather an exception from the rules.
I think to be Western a country must be Western European or descended from Western European settlement like Australia and New Zealand. But just having these characteristics isn't enough hence Argentina, Greece, Brazil, and Mexico not being Western nations. If a country is non-Western AND isn't founded as a European colony then there is no way it can be Western.
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