The West has long enjoyed an unrivalled era of peace and prosperity in recent history. Its culture has come to dominate and influence every other; its military, a shining example of strength and unparalleled might; its metropolises, a beacon of freedom and modernity. However, under the veneer of this seemingly unmatched hegemony is a festering rot that is beginning to crack the very edifice of Western civilization itself... In this detailed analysis, touching on most of recorded human history, we delve into the cyclical patterns of the rise and fall of civilizations. The symptoms of their initial outburst and their eventual withering, and how this compares to our current experimentation in the social construct known as civilization. As such, taken holistically, this book can provide a good point of reference to understand where we are in this current cycle and, most likely, where we are going.