Coups have long been part of political tradition. Indeed, Julius Caesar orchestrated a coup and was subsequently the victim of another coup. Many Roman emperors, such as Claudius, came to power in coups, as did King Jehu of Israel. In the late 20th century coups occurred most commonly in developing countries, particularly in Latin America (e.g. Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina), Africa and Asia (Pakistan), but also in the Asia Pacific (Fiji and the Philippines) and in Europe (e.g. Greece, Portugal, Spain, and the Soviet Union). S ...

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Coup d'état, Coup d'état - History, Coup d'état - Recent forms of coup, Coup d'état - Types of coups, Coup d'état - Post-military-coup governments, Coup d'état - Important coups in the 19th century, Coup d'état - Important coups in the 20th century, Coup d'état - Recent coups and coup attempts, Coup d'état - Currently-serving leaders who came to power via coups, Coup d'état - Reference

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To define what is typical of Western society and Western culture, it is necessary to understand its context. At different times and in different contexts, the definition of the West (also called the Occident) varies. It is not always clear which definition is being used. Western world - Historical. Hellenic division: The Hellenic division between Greeks and "barbarians" predates the division between East and West. The contrast was between Greek-speaking culture of mainlan ...

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Western world, Western world - Western countries, Western world - Historical, Western world - Cold War, Western world - Post-Cold War, Western world - Further definitions, Western world - Western life, Western world - Western thought

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There have been many criticisms of the 'End of History' thesis. Some of these include: Islamic Fundamentalism. Some critics state that Islamic Fundamentalism (as represented by Osama Bin Laden for example) stands in the same relation to 21st century democracy as, for example, Stalinism and Fascism did in the 20th century (i.e. as a fundamental intellectual alternative). Fukuyama discusses this briefly in The End of History. He argues that Islam is not an Imperialist force like Stalinism and Fascism: i.e. that it has littl ...

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The End of History and the Last Man, The End of History and the Last Man - Fukuyama's thesis, The End of History and the Last Man - Misinterpretations, The End of History and the Last Man - Support, The End of History and the Last Man - Criticisms, The End of History and the Last Man - Notes, The End of History and the Last Man - Publication history, The End of History and the Last Man - External sources

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20th century - Science and technology. The assembly line and mass production of motor vehicles and other goods allowed manufacturers to produce more and cheaper products. This allowed the automobile to become the most important means of transportation. The invention of heavier-than-air flying machines and the jet engine allowed for the world to become "smaller". Space flight increased knowledge of the rest of the universe and allowed for global real-time communications via geosynchronous satellites ...

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20th century, 20th century - Overview, 20th century - Important developments, events and achievements, 20th century - Science and technology, 20th century - Wars and politics, 20th century - Culture and entertainment, 20th century - Disease and medicine, 20th century - Natural resources and the environment, 20th century - Significant people, 20th century - World leaders, 20th century - Scientists, 20th century - Humanities, 20th century - Business, 20th century - Aerospace pioneers, 20th century - Spiritual figures, 20th century - Artists, 20th century - Music, 20th century - Film, 20th century - Writers and poets, 20th century - Sports figures, 20th century - Decades and years

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Political scientist Samuel P. Huntington has argued that the defining characteristic of the 21st century will be a clash of civilizations. According to Huntington, conflicts between civilizations will supplant the conflicts between nation-states and ideologies that characterized the 19th and 20th centuries. Currently, world civilization is in a stage that has created what may be characterized as an industrial society, superseding the agrarian society that preceded it. Some futurists believe that civilization is undergoing another transformation, ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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Another group of theorists, making use of systems theory, look at civilizations as complex systems or networks of cities that emerge from pre-urban cultures, and are defined by the economic, political, military, diplomatic, and cultural interactions between them. For example, urbanist Jane Jacobs defines cities as the economic engines that work to create large networks of people. The main process that creates these city networks, she says, is "import replacement". Import replacement is the process by which peripheral cities begin to r ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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"Civilization" can also describe the culture of a complex society, not just the society itself. Every society, civilization or not, has a specific set of ideas and customs, and a certain set of items and arts, that make it unique. Civilizations have even more intricate cultures, including literature, professional art, architecture, organized religion, and complex customs associated with the elite. Civilization is such in nature that it seeks to spread ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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As discussed above, "civilization" has a number of meanings, and its use can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. However, "civilization" can be a highly connotative word. It might bring to mind qualities such as superiority, humaneness, and refinement. Indeed, many members of civilized societies have seen themselves as superior to the "barbarians" outside their civilization. Many 19th-century anthropologists backed a theory called cultural evolution. They believed that people naturally progress from a simple state to ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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Literally, a civilization is a complex society, as distinguished from a simpler society. Everyone lives in a society and a culture, but not everyone lives in a civilization. Historically, civilizations have shared some or all of the following traits: Intensive agricultural techniques, such as the use of human power, crop rotation, and irrigation. This has enabled farmers to produce a surplus of food that is not necessary for their own subsistence. A significant portion of the population that does not devote most of its ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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The Commission findings regarding government secrecy in the early Cold War period have led to a reevaluation of many public perceptions regarding the period. By 1950, the United States Government was in possession of information which the American public did not know: proof of a serious attack on American security by the Soviet Union, with considerable assistance from an enemy within. Soviet authorities knew the U.S. government knew. Only the American people were denied this information.^{See also:}

Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy, Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy - Members, Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy - Cold War Secrecy, Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy - Loyalty, Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy - Notes, Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy - Reference, Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy - External link

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Civilization has been criticized from a variety of viewpoints and for a variety of reasons. However, few critics have objected to all aspects of civilization; rather, most have argued that civilization brings a mixture of good and bad effects, and that the bad outweigh the good. The best known opponents of civilization are people who have voluntarily chosen to live outside it. These include hermits and religious ascetics who, in many different times and places, have attempted to eliminate the influence of civilization over thei ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

Read more here: » Civilization: Encyclopedia II - Civilization - Negative views of civilization

Literally, a civilization is a complex society, as distinguished from a simpler society. Everyone lives in a society and a culture, but not everyone lives in a civilization. Historically, civilizations have shared some or all of the following traits: Intensive agricultural techniques, such as the use of human power, crop rotation, and irrigation. This has enabled farmers to produce a surplus of food that is not necessary for their own subsistence. A significant portion of the population that does not devote most of its ...

See also:

Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions. By the most minimal, literal definition, a civilization is a complex society. Technically, anthropologists distinguish civilizations in which many of the people live in cities and get their food from agriculture, from band and tribal societies in which people live in small settlements or nomadic groups and subsist by foraging, hunting, or working small horticultural gardens. When used in this sense, civilization is an exclusive term, applied to some human groups and not others.

Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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"Civilization" can also describe the culture of a complex society, not just the society itself. Every society, civilization or not, has a specific set of ideas and customs, and a certain set of items and arts, that make it unique. Civilizations have even more intricate cultures, including literature, professional art, architecture, organized religion, and complex customs associated with the elite. Civilization is such in nature that it seeks to spread ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

Read more here: » Civilization: Encyclopedia II - Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity

Another group of theorists, making use of systems theory, look at civilizations as complex systems or networks of cities that emerge from pre-urban cultures, and are defined by the economic, political, military, diplomatic, and cultural interactions between them. For example, urbanist Jane Jacobs defines cities as the economic engines that work to create large networks of people. The main process that creates these city networks, she says, is "import replacement". Import replacement is the process by which peripheral cities begin to r ...

See also:

Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

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There have been many explanations put forwards for the collapse of civilization. Edward Gibbon's massive work "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" began an interest in the Fall of Civilizations, that had begun with the historical divisions of Petrarch[[1]] between the Classical Period of Ancient Greece and Rome, the succeeding Dark Ages, and the Renaissance. For Gibbon:- "The decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the cause ...

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Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

Read more here: » Civilization: Encyclopedia II - Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations

Political scientist Samuel P. Huntington has argued that the defining characteristic of the 21st century will be a clash of civilizations. According to Huntington, conflicts between civilizations will supplant the conflicts between nation-states and ideologies that characterized the 19th and 20th centuries. Currently, world civilization is in a stage that has created what may be characterized as an industrial society, superseding the agrarian society that preceded it. Some futurists believe that civilization is undergoing another transformation, ...

See also:

Civilization, Civilization - Senses of the word, Civilization - 1: Literal and technical definitions, Civilization - 2: Broader sense, Civilization - 3: Human society as a whole, Civilization - 4: A standard of behavior, Civilization - 5: Superior vs. less complex societies, Civilization - What characterizes civilization, Civilization - Civilization as a cultural identity, Civilization - Civilizations as complex systems, Civilization - The future of civilizations, Civilization - The Fall of Civilizations, Civilization - Negative views of civilization, Civilization - Problems with the term civilization, Civilization - Early civilizations, Civilization - Mesopotamia, Civilization - Egypt, Civilization - India, Civilization - China

Read more here: » Civilization: Encyclopedia II - Civilization - The future of civilizations

This definition however is obviously rooted in a late 20th century concept of democracy, and differs from what democracy would have meant in another era, or what it is thought to ultimately lead to, in a given political theory. For example, a very extreme democratization that delegates decision to very small units without any central control is sometimes referred to as anarchization. That term however is as controversial as anarchy itself, and will have quite different implications based on ideology: Orthodox Marxism proposes t ...

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Democratization, Democratization - Ideologies and extremes, Democratization - Factors affecting democratization, Democratization - Empirical research, Democratization - Democratization movements, Democratization - Democratization in other contexts, Democratization - International bodies, Democratization - Corporations, Democratization - The Internet, Democratization - Notes

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The revolution in Portugal initiated the process which political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, called the "third wave of democratisation;" a process of democratisation which then spread to Greece, Spain and Latin America. Soon after the 25th, all of the hundreds of political prisoners were liberated from prison. Exiled opposition political leaders, like Álvaro Cunhal and Mário Soares returned to the country in the following days and were received in apotheosis. One week later, May 1st was legally celebrated in the streets for the first t ...

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Carnation Revolution, Carnation Revolution - Context, Carnation Revolution - Events, Carnation Revolution - Consequences, Carnation Revolution - Freedom Day, Carnation Revolution - External References

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The term "superpower" was first used in this context in 1930, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, but did not pick up as a primarily descriptive term for the USA and USSR until the immediate post-war years (in the 1920s the term was used to describe electrification). The term in its current political meaning is relatively new and was coined for the first time in the book The Superpowers, written by W. T. R. Fox, an American foreign policy professor at the Columbia University in 1943. Fox used this word to identify a new ...

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Superpower, Superpower - Origins, Superpower - Criteria, Superpower - Current factors, Superpower - Possible factors, Superpower - The Cold War era, Superpower - The Soviet Union, Superpower - The United States, Superpower - Power distribution after the Cold War, Superpower - The United States as the remaining superpower, Superpower - Potential superpowers, Superpower - Major Powers, Superpower - Second superpower

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Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Allegations of hypocrisy and influence of radical groups. Some opponents of the anti-war movement point to the prominence of groups such as ANSWER and NION and suggest that the movement has been "hijacked" by small radical parties. For example, a November 4, 2002 article [27] by Sherrie Gossett in the right-wing WorldNetDaily makes many of the same criticisms of ANSWER, IAC, Workers World, NION, and the RCP as the Albert/Shalom article quoted above; most of the sources she ci ...

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Post-September 11 anti-war movement, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Background, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Immediate reaction to the attacks, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - An anti-war movement forms, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Left anti-war organizations and rallies, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Left and anti-war in the U.S., Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Anti-war in Europe, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Anti-war in Canada, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Criticism of the anti-war movement, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Allegations of hypocrisy and influence of radical groups, Post-September 11 anti-war movement - Allegations of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism within the European anti-war movement

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The term Western is usually associated with the cultural tradition that traces its origins to Greek thought and Christian religion. (See Western culture.) Some cornerstones in this tradition are arguably: deductive reasoning, rule of law, also Christianity had major influence in the western thought, especially the last 1500 years. Western society may be thought of as following an evolution that began with the Greek philosophers of Athens such as Solon and Socrates. It continued through the Roman Empire and, with the addition of ...

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Western world, Western world - Western countries, Western world - Historical, Western world - Cold War, Western world - Post-Cold War, Western world - Further definitions, Western world - Western life, Western world - Western thought

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