The West is a rather nebulous term that is booted around a lot and is sometimes used as a synonym for "America" or, more correctly, the "American Empire." It is only fitting that we should try to nail it down and give it a more concrete definition. Here is my understanding of the term.
The West is the English-speaking world as a projection of global and hegemonic power. This essentially involves five phenomena:
(1) The concrete phenomenon: i.e. the actual English-speaking countries themselves. This is America, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. It also includes all the islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean directly controlled by these nations, as well as British-controlled Gibraltar and the UK sovereign base areas in Cyprus. This is the core.
(2) The spiritual phenomenon: the consciousness and coordination of a common interest and purpose between these component parts, with deference to the respective weights of the component parts. Essentially this means that it is dominated by America, but not uniformly so. Indeed, originally it was dominated by the UK, but the balance of power swung decisively to America in WWII.
(3) The attitudinal phenomenon: the projection of this power to other nations by alliance and dominance. In this respect, the most important has been the European members of NATO -- this has extended Western power deep into Europe since the 1940s -- and Japan, which has given it a dominant position on the Asian littoral. Add to this, various alliances in the Middle East, which have changed over time. Together this has given the West a dominant and hegemonic position over the World.
(4) The residual phenomenon: the power of the West is so overweening that large areas that are world that are not included in its empire, alliances, or zone of dominance, are effectively at its mercy and can only exist independently as long as the West allows them to. These include the entire New World south of the Rio Grande -- yes, Cuba and Venezuela too -- the entire continent of Africa, and the maritime dependent areas of Asia and the Middle East, like Egypt, India, and Indonesia.
(5) The antipathic phenomenon: the only limitations on Western dominance are the vast continental Eurasian nations, essentially China and Russia, with Iran to a smaller extent, along with occasional rebellions or disaffection among Western allies, including, France, Germany, and Turkey. It is wrong to see the French and Germans as integral parts of the West. Starting in the 1950s they have often tried various forms of largely passive aggressive behaviours to drag themselves out from under the heels of the West. The UK's relations with the EU and Brexit can even be viewed in these terms.
What the West definitely is not is a body of democratic or liberal values. It is an Oceanic geopolitical system built up by the UK in the 18th and 19th centuries, and largely taken over by the USA in the 20th. It's connection to so-called democratic values is purely coincidental.
A further note, the West is often seen as intimately connected with Israel. This is a false perception. The Israeli connection is essentially a quirk of US domestic politics on the evangelical side. Israel, in no real sense, is part of the West, although it has been an unofficial participant in the West's alliance system during Soviet penetration of the Middle East in the 60s and 70s. More accurately, a close connection to Israel weakens the West by provoking unnecessary animosity among Middle Eastern countries, which are susceptible to infiltration and counter alliances from the Eurasian nations.
(3) The attitudinal phenomenon: the projection of this power to other nations by alliance and dominance. In this respect, the most important has been the European members of NATO -- this has extended Western power deep into Europe since the 1940s -- and Japan, which has given it a dominant position on the Asian littoral. Add to this, various alliances in the Middle East, which have changed over time. Together this has given the West a dominant and hegemonic position over the World.
(4) The residual phenomenon: the power of the West is so overweening that large areas that are world that are not included in its empire, alliances, or zone of dominance, are effectively at its mercy and can only exist independently as long as the West allows them to. These include the entire New World south of the Rio Grande -- yes, Cuba and Venezuela too -- the entire continent of Africa, and the maritime dependent areas of Asia and the Middle East, like Egypt, India, and Indonesia.
(5) The antipathic phenomenon: the only limitations on Western dominance are the vast continental Eurasian nations, essentially China and Russia, with Iran to a smaller extent, along with occasional rebellions or disaffection among Western allies, including, France, Germany, and Turkey. It is wrong to see the French and Germans as integral parts of the West. Starting in the 1950s they have often tried various forms of largely passive aggressive behaviours to drag themselves out from under the heels of the West. The UK's relations with the EU and Brexit can even be viewed in these terms.
What the West definitely is not is a body of democratic or liberal values. It is an Oceanic geopolitical system built up by the UK in the 18th and 19th centuries, and largely taken over by the USA in the 20th. It's connection to so-called democratic values is purely coincidental.
A further note, the West is often seen as intimately connected with Israel. This is a false perception. The Israeli connection is essentially a quirk of US domestic politics on the evangelical side. Israel, in no real sense, is part of the West, although it has been an unofficial participant in the West's alliance system during Soviet penetration of the Middle East in the 60s and 70s. More accurately, a close connection to Israel weakens the West by provoking unnecessary animosity among Middle Eastern countries, which are susceptible to infiltration and counter alliances from the Eurasian nations.
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