Western civilization can save us — again

At the Munich Security Conference, U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio declared, “We are part of one civilization: Western civilization,” and listed bonds of shared history, Christian faith, culture, language, ancestry and the sacrifices of forefathers. The speech drew a standing ovation.

Many younger Americans, the piece notes, have little sense of what that civilization means. A 2011 National Association of Scholars report found none of the nation’s top colleges required a survey course in Western civilization and only 32 percent even offered one as an elective; in 1964, 80 percent had some form of introduction.

Instead, universities often emphasize an account of Western history as imperialism, colonialism, exploitation, environmental despoliation, misogyny and white supremacy.

United States, Munich

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