[Banthum]

You're implicitly comparing western cultures to an imaginary perfect culture, or to modern free (Western) countries. This is not reasonable.

You should compare cultures that share similar options: those living around the same time in geographically similar regions.

>I feel like most people act pretty much the same way and organize themselves in the same way, when prosperity permits.

Saudi Arabia vs Canada today.

Japan 1937 vs Israel today.

Britain 1939 vs Germany 1939.

The only reason you don't care about Anglo Saxon culture is because you're fully immersed in it and always have been. You think that Western cultural norms are actually universal human nature. They're not. They're a quirky weird aberration held by 15% of humanity and falling.

[princetontiger]

Exactly. I've been to police states. They aren't fun.

Look at the state of countries. Most are in chaos 100% of the time. France went through a huge revolution in the 1700 and 1800s and still kept First World status. Chinese people dream of Paris. China has been mired in Third World statues for centuries, and will remain in it.

I've traveled around the world, and there's a huge difference in people. Some people understand the world and how it works (the West), while others don't.

There's a line INFINITELY long line to settle in the West, and ZERO to settle anywhere else (unless you're a European who wants to backpack around some third world country)

I grew up thinking that all countries were the same, but after traveling, it only drove in me further how sacred the Western world is. I am very proud of it.