Is there such a Thing as "Western Civilzation" ?

[Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil]

Yes, I feel the same way about the Czech. Actually, I wrote this in the “Brexit and the Irish Border Conundrum” thread that led me to start this one:

@Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil

…

Finally, the “Eastern Wave” of the early 2000s may have been a mistake. A move that was both noble and pragmatic but which led to real problems. Listening to Hungarian or Polish leaders, it’s clear that they come from a very different reference point. And of course, it’s played into the hands of the “we’re not racist but we’re concerned about ethnic homogeneity” crowd. I must admit I’m a bit surprised by the veer to the right in the Czech Republic, though. I always saw it as the most Western-looking of these countries.

@Tamerlane

No? Russia doesn’t have experience with colonialism on a global scale? Russia, one of the participants in the Great Game?

Russia, like Manchu China, expanded over land rather than over sea. But they expanded enormously and colonialism is colonialism :).

You know, as soon as I posted it, I remembered Russia’s eastward expansion :o.

Still, I’m on the fence about this. There’s no doubt that it covered a vast area but it was also contained on one continent, albeit a huge one. There was no Russian presence in Africa or Oceania and only a relatively short-lived one in America. Colonialism may be colonialsim but was Russia’s as global as Spain’s, Britain’s or France’s ?