The strength of civilization lies in its assimilative power, Professor Budil points out. We are only as strong as the extent to which we can impose our norms, values and way of life on members of other civilisations.
And this is precisely why the West is losing. It is not at all because we appear superficial and amoral to others. On the contrary, it seems that this is what they often find attractive, as the statistics on visits to porn sites show.
So we are not able to offer an attractive model of civilization and we substitute military force.
There was a time when we could offer others rationality, personal freedom and general well-being. It resonated. And it resonated even in the Islamic world. I’m not saying in entire societies, but the educated Islamic classes admired Western thought. But that’s over. The West has changed, and all we can offer them is drudgery and a miserable standard of living, because, after all, American corporations have to make profits. We can’t offer them rationality because then they won’t buy Western products. We can’t offer them business, because that would be competing with American companies. We cannot offer them freedom, because they would start to question whether it is profitable to cooperate with us. We are not able to make them mental members of the West because the West does not need more people. The West needs more slaves.
So we are not able to offer an attractive model of civilization and we substitute military force. But as we are seeing in Ukraine, we do not have enough military force either.
