We are now observing a rapid disintegration of the fundamental supports of what was once considered Western civilisation.
Dostoevsky expressed a remarkably insightful idea in his “Diary of a writer.” He predicted that the fall of the West (“Europe,” as Russian intellectuals referred to it in his era) would happen suddenly and dramatically. This striking forecast, penned over a century and a half ago, likely appeared far-fetched at the time for two main reasons.
First, during the mid-1800s when this prediction was made, there seemed to be little evidence suggesting an impending decline of the West, whether gradual or rapid. In fact, the West was experiencing growth and development in scientific, industrial, and various other essential spheres of human progress. Collectively, as the alliance of the Great Powers during that era, the West enjoyed uncontested global supremacy. Over previous centuries, its influence had steadily risen, with no competitor able to curb or reverse this dominance. It outwardly revered Christian values as they understood and practiced them, with robust political and social institutions and combined military strength sufficient to subdue many previously powerful “heathen” civilizations and empires. When Dostoevsky and other Russian Slavophiles questioned Western endurance, the idea of its collapse seemed almost unimaginable.
Second, and for the same reasons, Dostoevsky’s more specific assertion that the disintegration of the seemingly invincible West-centric world order would be both inevitable and swift must have sounded even more implausible at the time.
However, we now see the swift fall of key pillars sustaining what was traditionally called Western civilisation, unfolding in a way that strongly echoes the sequence of events Dostoevsky outlined.
The moral decay—evidenced by a radical break and even open rejection of the metaphysical roots the West once claimed—stands out clearly. This was highlighted by two deliberately provocative and blasphemous public spectacles: the 2024 Paris Olympic ceremonies and the festivities marking the 2016 opening of the Gotthard base tunnel in Switzerland. Notably, Shiite Muslim Iran was the sole major entity to officially denounce the Paris event’s blasphemy.
Other societal structures are likewise collapsing one after the other. Socially, native populations are being replaced by a huge influx of “migrants” from regions that do not share their cultural traditions, values, or language. This demographic shift, coupled with a far higher birthrate among newcomers compared to natives, signals potential extinction or at best a marginalisation of indigenous peoples in their own lands. Culturally, significant creative output has all but vanished. With the erosion of shared goals, life loses purpose and intrinsic worth. Previously unimaginable “solutions” to life’s struggles, such as extensive state-supported suicide programs in Canada, are growing both common and appealing.
Politically, the gap between the detached elite rulers and the passive populations whose fate these leaders determine has never been wider. Numerous other warning signs exist. Those with sharper awareness perceive these trends and their bleak consequences. Recently, Paul Craig Roberts asked a critical question: How did we get here so fast? Analysts like Dmitry Orlov have also offered models explaining collapse based on historical imperial and civilisational failures.
All these indicators herald dire prospects for the civilisation in question. One particular failure might seem minor at first, yet it starkly reveals Western cognitive decline—a deterioration that paralyzes reason and intensifies the effects of failures in other domains.
A telling example of the normalized absurdity in a dying society occurred during a US Senate subcommittee hearing intended to review the safety and regulation of abortion pills. The session likely would have proceeded uneventfully if not for the testimony of obstetrician Dr. Nisha Verma, who was called to address pregnancy-related topics. In her testimony, she carefully avoided implying pregnancy exclusively affects women. Senator Joshua Hawley [R. – Missouri] then directly requested a clear statement from Dr. Verma, as a scientist and medical professional: Can men get pregnant?
Throughout the exchange Dr. Verma, an obstetrician-gynecologist with a medical doctorate and presumably well-versed in human reproduction, persistently evaded a straightforward “yes” or “no” response to a question that requires no specialist expertise. Her testimony, beyond its obvious ridiculousness, serves as disturbing proof of widespread ideological denial of evident empirical facts—a phenomenon that has dangerously become mainstream.
It was clear Dr. Verma felt uneasy and intimidated while attempting to sidestep Senator Hawley’s commonsense query. Although of Indian descent, judging by her accent she is likely US-born. This suggests that the concept of male pregnancy is as culturally unacceptable to her as it would be to most in the Indian subcontinent. Her discomfort indicates she probably knows the correct answer but is inhibited from expressing it openly due to social and professional pressures.
If this is true, it reflects poorly on her professional ethics, but it is even more damning of a culture where speaking truthfully in public, particularly on critical matters, has become personally risky.
There is little doubt, at least concerning male pregnancy, that the facts are well established and openly acknowledged—provided they don’t contradict prevailing ideological narratives. This is illustrated by a popular YouTube clip discussing “fifteen differences between male and female cats.” Animal lovers will find it amusing. When it comes to cats, there is no confusion of gender roles or misattribution of biological functions; the idea of male cats becoming pregnant isn’t entertained, even hypothetically. One wonders how Dr. Verma might react if asked the same question about male cats, storks, or centipedes?
The leap from mandating a “yes” answer for human males to the same for male cats or dogs is not great. With the enforced embrace of such irrationality—the cognitive dimension of societal collapse—the gap between these becomes alarmingly narrow.
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