| Editor's note: Regarding a perceived decaying Social & Political Order, Critics highlight declining trust in democratic institutions, escalating geopolitical rivalries, and growing wealth concentration as signs of a late-stage institutional breakdown. Anthropologist Joseph Tainter argues that societies collapse when the cost of maintaining their bureaucracy, infrastructure, and energy systems exceeds the benefits they provide. Modern civilization requires massive energy inputs just to maintain aging power grids, supply chains, and legal systems. |
Paris was once the cultural capital of Western civilization. Today's Paris is a very different place than it was back in the ‘60s, or the way it was portrayed in movies like "An American in Paris" or "Amélie." The last time I was there, just before the COVID hysteria, the area around the Arc de Triomphe was overrun with poorly dressed and poorly behaved migrants, mostly from Africa.
Now the invading barbarians, abetted by local cucks, have gotten completely out of control. The situation is much more serious than it was in the late 60s and early 70s when students could be heard chanting "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Western Civ has got to go." It seems the student Yahoos, reinforced by mobs of migrants, are about to get their wish.
So what is Western civilization? It has unique characteristics that make it far different from and superior to any other civilization. I love certain aspects of Chinese culture like martial arts, Taoism, and Peking Duck. Even India has brought a few things to the party, like yoga and curries. Compared to Western Civilization, however, everything else is a rounding error.
Let me list a few things that are basically—indeed almost entirely—unique to Western Civ. Some other cultures have adopted elements of them and have prospered as a result. But it's often just a veneer. If the West falls as a culture, as a civilization, most other parts of the world will likely degenerate radically:
- Free thought. Free thinkers are unique to the West. They’re being overwhelmed by political correctness and fear of thought crimes.
- Free speech. Everywhere in the West, the language is being corrupted. There are notions and even words that you dare not utter for fear of being prosecuted and jailed.
- Free markets. Free markets allow free thinkers, inventors, businessmen and industrialists to put their thoughts into practice, to the benefit of all. But the public fears them and wants more regulation and protections.
- Limited government. Everywhere, the hoi polloi are clamoring for more government, bigger government, socialism, and even communism.
- Individualism. Every other culture in the world has tried to quash this essential aspect of the West. It’s being replaced by identity politics wherein you are no more than a member of a group.
- Rationality. It's said that this is a white vice. Science and logic are thought to be destroying the world. They’re being replaced by superstition.
- Liberty. This concept wouldn't even exist without the West. It's now seen as a danger where we need to hide in Safe Spaces.
- Concept of progress. Many now prefer a static society where everybody is maintained by a guaranteed annual income. Progress is dangerous because it leads to inequality where some are left behind.
- Privacy. In the primitive pre-Western world, everyone knew what everyone else was doing. We're reverting to that with omnipresent Flock cameras and the surveillance state.
- Property rights. They're being replaced by the concept of "You'll own nothing and be happy."
- Rule of Law. In other societies, law was what the king, the emperor, or the sultan said it was. Justice is being washed away in the West, delegitimized by millions of Kafkaesque laws and regulations.
Industry and enterprise. People have been taught to hate these Western virtues, thinking that they endanger Mother Earth and lead to inequality. Entrepreneurs are to be feared. Everybody should become an employee.
These concepts are unique to Western civilization. But Europeans, that is to say white people, have been taught that they're evil and destructive. As a result, the West is collapsing from within, from self-hatred and a terminal lack of self-confidence. "Conservative" political parties are devoid of any moral center, have no core philosophy, and stand for nothing. Almost without exception, Western leaders are actually traitors to the concept of Western civ. Americans foolishly supported Trump, mistaking his bravado for wisdom.
Government policy is heavily responsible for the decline of Europe, both directly and indirectly.
Governments are directly responsible for the wholesale import of alien races, cultures, languages, traditions, religion, and beliefs, not as visitors, but as permanent residents. Worse, they are actively subsidized with free food, free apartments, free cash, and DEI-style hiring preferences.
It’s not just Europe, but every Western country. I like to joke that there’s nothing wrong with Canada that importing 50 million Nigerians and 50 million Indians can’t cure. Of course Canada would cease to exist. But it would be interesting to see who wins the resulting race war.
Immigrants today are totally different from the waves who arrived in the 19th and early 20th century. They were mostly penniless, but were opportunity seekers—the best type of person—who integrated and made their way. Many of today’s migrants to the West, however, are attracted by welfare benefits. They see current residents as obstacles to be looted and conquered.
Governments are indirectly responsible for making higher education free almost everywhere. Academia is a magnet for the leftist, Marxist, and Woke professors who have been indoctrinating naive students for generations. They hate the idea of Western civilization and everything it stands for. Their students and the general public have adopted their opinions. Professors with classical and traditional views have basically been ostracized and canceled.
The situation can only get worse because new immigrants, predictably, are very political and essentially taking over government at all levels, in both Europe and the US.