"Western Civilization was born around 400 AD, after the total collapse of the Western Roman Empire, leaving a vacuum for new ideas to flourish that were impossible in Classical societies. In either view, between the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Renaissance, the West experienced a period of considerable decline, known as the Middle Ages, which include the Dark Ages and the Crusades. The knowledge of the ancient Western world was preserved during this period due to the survival of the Eastern Roman Empire; it was also greatly expanded by the pre-Islamic Arab world and the concurrent ascendency of the Islamic Golden Age. The importation of both the Ancient and new technology from the Middle East and the Orient to Renaissance Europe represented “one of the largest technology transfers in world history”." (Wikipedia)
Though "Western" has been a term associated with the world culture that is Not Asian, Americans typically view themselves collectively to be the success of "The West". Geographically, there has been a friendly global competition between "Western" players where the prize is acknowledged leadership and fortune. The competitive tournaments exist on a daily basis relative to capital markets. Individual performance is irrelevant when the collective team can accomplish larger goals. The goal of the West is to spread its hegemony.
What happens when the term "The West" can no longer be defined relative to geographical, post-Roman terms? Globalization has removed geographical constraints and 1,600 years has seen an evolution of society that's not easily defined. Relative to the culture of Western society, this definition has become one of historical value only. There is no longer a "West" on the current globalized Planet Earth...
