I know every country in the world has a contribution to mankind progress but which three countries do you think are, politically speaking, a lamp post to everyone else (Opt US out it`s an obvious pick) My three would be UK, Turkey and Russia, (in no particular order, my fourth would be France). I think Turkey is the elephant in the room no one notices.
Countries that set the trend
For the last twenty or thirty years and so, and politically, other than the US, I would say UK, China, Russia. Germany would be my fourth pick.
China has gained massive political/economic influence in the last 20 years. Although the western countries don't see them quite favorably, their influence in Asia and Africa is huge.
fleabay said:
The fact that you can label a whole country as ‘Muslim’ shows how undiverse and unevolved it is.
I understand your standard. most Muslims will label Europe, and not just Europe, as Christian (even if most Europeans don`t see themselves as being Christians). From one perspective (wide brush) you can split the world into Christians (everyone in the western world fits here) and Muslims (Middle East , Africa and some other places). Turkey is light years ahead of the rest of the Muslim world.
They are at the gates of Europe and yet they have been a decent/quite neighbor. It`s not a crime driven country like Albania or Mexico. It`s a very stable country given the stuff it`s made from.
Western Turkey from roughly Istanbul to down the Aegean coast is quite modern, quite secular, but very tourism-driven. Inland and to the east can be a bit more like what people think of when they think “Middle East”.