The concept of oversimplification of foreign policy is explored in this podcast episode, pointing out the flaws in categorizing countries in a clean and distinct manner, as this fails to take into account the complexities and nuances of different nations' histories and cultural make-ups.
The idea of East Coast vs West Coast mentalities is a way of simplifying and categorizing complex overlapping realities. At a larger scale, people can consider themselves citizens of the West and have a more global perspective.
The idea that countries are fundamentally divided into distinct and fixed civilizations, as proposed by Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations," fails to account for the complexities of cultural identity and the drivers of world conflicts.