[Cronos]

Western Europe colonized and brought civilization to virtually the entire planet.

Err.. no it didn't. Inventing written languages -- Mesopotamia, inventing a phonetic alphabet -- Pheonicia, the first monotheistic religions -- Israel and Persia (Zoroaster), the development of maths -- India, the development of geometry -- Greece (Greek ain't Western European, it belongs to the orthodox, Easter sphere). Western Europe colonized a large proportion of the world, but didn't civilise it. Western Europe in say 1400 was still primitive compared to the Eastern states. It did not "bring" civilisation anywhere except to sub-saharan Africa.

And I'm not harping about hunter gatherers to villagers, I'm talking about cities, planned cities and trading -- that was developed in Mesopotamia, Persia (Elam), Egypt, the Indus valley and Phoenicia. Western Europe in 3000 B.C. was neolithic, stone age. Ditto in 2250 BC when the pyramids were built. The GReeks developed their civilisation from the Egyptians and Persians and other mid eastern civilisations (and enhanced it), the Romans borrowed from the Greeks and Etruscans.

[Dog Gone]

It did not "bring" civilisation anywhere except to sub-saharan Africa.

And, um, the entire Western Hemisphere.

[wardaddy]

Who colonized the world and where are the civilizations you tout now?

That Tigres Euphrates thingie has seen better days hasn't it?