How to Save a Culture

Confronting the Catastrophic Downfall of Western Excellence

Henri-Frédéric Amiel’s quaint adoration of the Western spirit, “le culte de la chose bien faite,” is laughably naive and outmoded in today’s context. Let’s get real here: the Western obsession with efficiency and precision, once the backbone of its superiority, has degenerated into a farcical shadow of its former glory. Amiel, trapped in the 19th century, couldn’t possibly fathom the dismal trajectory we’re witnessing.

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A Judaeo-Christian ethic-driven obsession with doing things right? A historical curiosity, nothing more. The once vibrant reality that Amiel romanticized is now a hollow echo. The West’s past accomplishments, towering over other civilizations, are history, not a blueprint for the future.

Fast forward to Emmanuel Todd, a philosopher with his finger on the pulse of reality. His latest work, “The Defeat of the West,” is a cold splash of truth that will shock the complacent. Todd shatters the delusional optimism of Amiel. The West’s so-called “winning combination” of perfectionism? A joke. Todd sees the West not as a paragon of efficiency, but as a civilization desperately trying to stave off its collapse.

Todd’s analysis is incisive. The West has not only exited its golden era of active progress, which Amiel naively celebrated, but it has also surpassed the zombie-like phase of blind, directionless motion. We are now in “stage zero” – a complete and utter breakdown of the cultural and religious vigor that once fueled Western civilization. The West’s fabled cult of efficiency and perfection? Dead and buried. There’s no cultural force left to sustain it.

I know this is a 747…

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The West’s era of dominance, rooted in a culture of doing things right, is over. Those clinging to Amiel’s outdated ideals are refusing to see the reality. Todd’s perspective isn’t just a theory; it’s a wake-up call to acknowledge the West’s steep decline and the urgent need for a radical reevaluation. The sooner we face this truth, the better we can prepare for what comes next.

If Emmanuel Todd's grim prognosis for the West holds any water, we're staring down the barrel of a seismic shift in global dynamics. Echoing Curzio Malaparte’s brutal honesty, it’s time to face the music: the West, once a beacon of progress and stability, is kaputt – broken, defunct, done for.

Let’s not underestimate Todd’s prescience. Remember his 1970s brainchild, “The Final Fall,” where he nailed the Soviet Union’s demise? Back then, his ideas were dismissed as fanciful, even absurd. The Soviet Union looked indestructible, a leviathan in the global order. Todd's use of demographic data as a harbinger of collapse seemed far-fetched, almost laughable. But who’s laughing now? Within a blink, the Soviet Union crumbled, just as Todd had foreseen.

However, it’s naïve to pin the Soviet collapse solely on demographic trends. That's an oversimplification of a complex, multifaceted meltdown. But give credit where it’s due: Todd had the insight to spot the subtle yet critical signs of impending doom – signs that most blissfully ignored.

Fast forward to today, and the West is the new patient on the operating table. The symptoms of its decay are no longer whispers; they're screams for those willing to listen. These aren't mere mechanical failures; they’re deeply rooted in cultural erosion, a far more insidious and perilous ailment. A smattering of recent incidents exemplifies this breakdown – not just in systems and structures, but in the very cultural fabric that once held the West together.

The writing's on the wall, and it's time to read it. Dismiss these signs at your peril. The West’s decline isn't a distant possibility; it's an unfolding reality. The question now isn't about preventing the fall – it's about preparing for what comes after. We're witnessing a historic unraveling, and the future will be about navigating this new, uncharted reality.

Political Corruption

It’s not just a developing world phenomenon; it’s alive and festering in the so-called 'land of the free.' Take Arizona’s Kari Lake, a Republican Senate candidate, and the latest poster child for this rotten saga. Suspected of being robbed in the 2022 governor’s race, she’s now ensnared in a fresh scandal that reeks of deep-seated corruption.

A few weeks back, Lake drops a bombshell: a recording of a despicable bribe offer from her own party’s state chairman. Picture this: a hush-hush meeting in her own home, where this figure whispers of shadowy “people back East” – a not-so-subtle nod to America's deep state puppeteers. Their offer? A blank check to get Lake out of the Senate race, clearing the path for some puppet they can string along. It’s an offer that would make a mob boss blush.

Lake, to her credit, turns it down flat. But let’s not mince words here. This isn’t just garden-variety graft. This is a grotesque leap into a new realm of moral decay, even by American standards. Readers from countries routinely dismissed as “third world” might shrug at such news, but here’s the kicker: this kind of brazen corruption isn’t supposed to happen in the United States, the so-called beacon of democracy and transparency.

Yet here we are, witnessing a corruption scandal that could easily fit into the darkest corners of global politics. It's a stark reminder that the U.S. isn't immune to the same rot it often accuses others of harboring. This incident isn’t just a blip; it’s symptomatic of a deeper, more malignant crisis eroding the very foundations of American democracy. It’s time to wake up and smell the corruption: America’s political system is not just flawed, it’s fundamentally broken.

Academic Corruption

Let's shine a light on the dark underbelly of America's academic ivory tower, where integrity is crumbling faster than a house of cards. Harvard University, the supposed bastion of scholarly excellence, is now embroiled in a scandal that reads like a bad academic thriller. Claudine Gay, the university's president, forced to resign over multiple counts of plagiarism – in a body of work that barely passes for scholarly.

Harvard's reputation, once unassailable, is now in tatters. But let's not pretend this is just about one individual’s fall from grace. Gay's appointment itself was a red flag – a decision seemingly rooted more in ticking the right political boxes than in academic merit. Her plagiarism scandal isn't just a personal embarrassment; it's a symptom of a systemic rot infecting not just Harvard, but the whole of American academia.

And as if to add insult to injury, another scandal brews within Harvard’s walls. Allegations have surfaced that researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, manipulated images and data in their research. The scandal includes Dana-Farber’s own CEO, Laurie Glimcher. The alleged method? A juvenile Photoshop job. It's hard not to scoff at the irony – researchers at one of the world's most prestigious institutions resorting to tactics you'd expect in a high school project.

Dana-Farber’s response? A parade of platitudes about "accountability and integrity" from their research integrity officer, Barrett Rollins. But no amount of well-crafted statements can mask the stench of deceit that's now seeping through the halls of Harvard. These allegations aren't just shocking; they're a seismic shift in our perception of academic integrity. The mere suggestion of such trickery would have been unthinkable until recently. Now, it’s our reality.

This isn’t just about a few bad apples. It’s about a system that’s broken at its core, where academic prestige is overshadowed by a culture of deceit and superficiality. Harvard's scandals are a glaring warning sign: the pillars of academic integrity and intellectual rigor in America are not just cracking – they’re collapsing.

Mechanical Breakdown

Let's turn our gaze to the once-mighty realm of American aviation, where the decay of excellence is as clear as day. Boeing, the titan of aerospace, akin to Harvard's status in academia, is now emblematic of a distressing decline. The recent incidents with Delta and Alaska Airlines are case in point. Just imagine: brand-new Boeing jets, fresh off the assembly line, losing exit doors mid-flight due to missing critical components. It’s not just alarming; it’s a staggering display of incompetence.

These mechanical failures are not mere mishaps; they're ominous signs of a systemic meltdown. As a staunch advocate of Boeing, I've always favored its aircraft over Airbus, championing the authentic flying experience it offered. To me, Airbus was just a computer with wings. But times have changed, and so have my loyalties. Now, I find myself comfortably seated in the cockpits of A320s, A321s and A330s, appreciating their reliability. The thought of pursuing a type rating for a commercial Boeing aircraft? Unthinkable now. My trust has shifted, and Airbus — next to Gulfstream - has earned its place as my preferred choice in the skies. The question is: for how long will these two manage to keep quality up given their own pushes into diversity hiring strategies?

This is the world of Henri-Frédéric Amiel’s “cult of excellence,” now crumbling before our eyes. brought to its knees by lazy, constantly whining, pink-haired snowflakes in athleisure wear. What happened to this once-celebrated Western tradition of meticulous precision and quality? The foundational principles of Western industry have evaporated into thin air.

Sure, in some parts of the world, such negligence might be shrugged off as the norm. But we're talking about the western world, where, not so long ago, professional integrity and duty were held in the highest regard. This isn’t just a slip; it's a nosedive into mediocrity and obsolescence.

The implications are chilling. The cultural matrix that once underpinned Western excellence is cracking, perhaps beyond repair. These aren’t just freak accidents; they're symptoms of a cultural malaise that spans from the ivory towers of academia to the factory floors of industry. The professional integrity that once defined these institutions is fading fast.

Emmanuel Todd, having declared his latest book his final work, might want to rethink that. The unfolding saga of Western decline offers a goldmine of material for his analytical prowess. His insights are needed more than ever as we witness this unsettling transformation. From academia to aviation, the signs are everywhere, and they demand our urgent attention. The West is not just faltering; it's fundamentally failing, and the need for a critical examination of this decline is more pressing than ever.

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The true power to shape this world has always lain in your hands. Choose well.

Today, as we face cultural decay and systemic collapse, let this be our rallying cry: Stand up and fight for our culture, for our values, and for our future! Heart and determination trump propaganda and mediocrity, let us embrace that unyielding spirit. Let us decide, this very day, to never accept second place in safeguarding our heritage, our integrity, and our excellence.

It’s time to step out from the shadows of complacency. Will you be just another bystander, or will you rise to make this day count? Pour your heart and soul into this battle. Let those who have forgotten the value of hard work, integrity, and excellence fear your resolve. Make them remember who we are, what we stand for, and why our culture is worth fighting for.

Every action, every decision, every moment from here on – make it count. Rewrite the narrative of decline with your actions. Today is the day we decide our fate, not as passive spectators, but as warriors determined to revive and preserve our ailing culture.

If we stumble, we will rise stronger. If we face obstacles, we will push through with relentless force. Our adversary may be gigantic, but our will is unbreakable. Today, we fight with every fiber of our being – not just for victory today, but for the restoration of our cultural pride and integrity.

Are you ready to take up this challenge? Are you ready to make every day, every moment, count? Let’s step out and fight with the spirit of warriors, unyielding and fierce. Let’s make every day a turning point in our collective journey. Stand up, fight, and make every day count for our culture, our values, and our future!

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