Editing Clash of Civilizations (section)

==Modernization, Westernization, and "torn countries"==

Japan, China and the [[Four Asian Tigers]] have modernized in many respects while maintaining traditional or authoritarian societies which distinguish them from the West. Some of these countries have clashed with the West and some have not.

Perhaps the ultimate example of non-Western modernization is Russia, the core state of the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] civilization. Huntington argues that Russia is primarily a non-Western state although he seems to agree that it shares a considerable amount of cultural ancestry with the modern West. According to Huntington, the West is distinguished from Orthodox Christian countries by its experience of the [[Renaissance]], [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]], the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]; by overseas [[colonialism]] rather than contiguous expansion and colonialism; and by the infusion of [[Classical antiquity|Classical]] culture through [[ancient Greece]] rather than through the continuous trajectory of the [[Byzantine Empire]].

Huntington refers to countries that are seeking to affiliate with another civilization as "torn countries". [[Turkey]], whose political leadership has systematically tried to Westernize the country since the 1920s, is his chief example. Turkey's history, culture, and traditions are derived from Islamic civilization, but Turkey's elite, beginning with [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] who took power as first President in 1923, imposed Western institutions and dress, embraced the [[Latin alphabet]], joined [[NATO]], and has sought to [[European Union–Turkey relations|join the European Union]].

Mexico and Russia are also considered to be torn by Huntington. He also gives the example of Australia as a country torn between its Western civilizational heritage and its growing economic engagement with Asia.

According to Huntington, a torn country must meet three requirements to redefine its civilizational identity. Its political and economic elite must support the move. Second, the public must be willing to accept the redefinition. Third, the elites of the civilization that the torn country is trying to join must accept the country.

The book claims that to date no torn country has successfully redefined its civilizational identity, this mostly due to the elites of the 'host' civilization refusing to accept the torn country, though if Turkey gained membership in the [[European Union]], it has been noted that many of its people would support Westernization, as in the following quote by EU Minister Egemen Bağış: "This is what Europe needs to do: they need to say that when Turkey fulfills all requirements, Turkey will become a member of the EU on date X. Then, we will regain the Turkish public opinion support in one day."<ref>[http://www.euractiv.com.tr/ab-ve-turkiye/article/bagis-fransanin-tutumunda-degisimin-basladigini-goruyoruz-027174 Bağış: Fransa'nın tutumunda değişimin başladığını görüyoruz | AB ve Türkiye | EurActiv.com.tr<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109202339/http://www.euractiv.com.tr/ab-ve-turkiye/article/bagis-fransanin-tutumunda-degisimin-basladigini-goruyoruz-027174 |date=January 9, 2016 }}</ref> If this were to happen, it would, according to Huntington, be the first to redefine its civilizational identity.