Thanks for this perspective. It had to be told. For those equating the term 'West' or 'Western' with democracy, freedom and peace, it is the same west that colonized every non-western part of the world for their financial gains. This is not to undermine the western contributions to these ideas, but as the old saying goes about United Kingdom, they were ’socialists at home, imperialists abroad’ (back when socialism was still a legitimate goal in the UK). Peace and non-violence are just as ingrained in eastern philosophies. The difference is that the west evolved and rose as the eastern civilizations decayed and disintegrated. But instead of following a cycle, the world is increasingly moving towards becoming a homogeneous society with mostly common beliefs and goals - some good and some not so much.