I read something not too long ago about how the government and business form the basis of civilization. Government levels the playing field, or at least sets some rules, that allows businesses to operate. Government keeps the pirates out of the marketplace, punishes thieves, and collects taxes to pay for these "services". Governments can be democratic, autocratic, socialist, corrupt, or honest. Businesses will adapt to survive. With "bad" governments, some businesses may be crushed while others are given licenses to print money. With "good" governments, all businesses are free to compete on their merits.
On top of this we have civilization: art & science. It takes a certain amount of surplus to fund things like music, painting and microbiology studies. Having an organized society is one way to generate a surplus.
There is a third element that is necessary for a civilization to flourish and that is indoctrination. It comes under a variety of names: education, brainwashing, socialization, cultural conditioning. It gives people the basic behaviors that allow them to interact with other people in their society.
Reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic are a step up from this.
This is why converting the Mid-East to democracy is going to take a long time. Those people are still living in the Middle Ages. Bringing them into the present is not something can be done overnight. We will be lucky if it can be done in a hundred years.
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Yep. This about sews things up.
[You said "funding things like"...tear-or- ism?
Picasso said that Art is a demanding mistress,...and so is the "t" word.] There IS a LOT of surplus over there, just NOT in the hands of the regular folk.
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