Arnold Toynbee, Karl Marx, and Max Boot

Arnold Toynbee asserted there had been, historically, around 20 world civilizations

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Study_of_History

When he wrote the above-cited work, 

he asserted there were five civilizations still surviving:

Western, Orthodox Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and Sinic.

We can argue over the proper names and precise extents of each, but the idea should be clear.

In the 19C, Karl Marx had a different way of dividing the world, into the oppressors and the oppressed

"Workers of the world, unite!".

Now, in 2024, here comes Max Boot, who writes of an "alignment of evil", which he defines as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, 

all of whom are united by "anti-Americanism".

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/06/20/russia-china-iran-north-korea-alignment/

"The Russia-North Korea pact bolsters a growing ‘alignment of evil’

The democratic world needs increased solidarity to counter Russia, China, Iran and North Korea."

Well, Russia is the descendant of the Orthodox Christian civilization, China of course is the descendant of the Sinic civilization.

So Max Boot and his ilk would have us at odds with two and a half of the four non-Western civilizations.

I say, yuck!

Enough with your perpetual conflicts.

Some say, "But wait. Russia, China, and many of the Muslim countries aren't democracies."

I say, it is up to the people in those countries, nations, or civilizations to decide what form of government they desire, what works best of them.

It should not be up to the U.S. to decide for them.

Each society should be allowed to make its own decisions on how it should be run.

We see this clearly in Russia.

Some say Putin is a dictator, or an authoritan, or an autocrat.

But many say he reflects the majority view of the Russian people.

It seems hard to argue with that.