The Narrative of Western Cultural Decline, By Richard Miller (Londonistan)

The narrative of Western decline, as articulated by Jim Davis in his American Thinker article, "Decline of the West: Cultural Values Edition," paints a dire picture of a civilisation unravelling under the weight of eroding Christian values, unchecked immigration, and ideological subversion by Marxist and Islamist influences. Davis argues that Europe is succumbing to an "invasion" of migrants, particularly young Muslim men, who arereshaping its cultural and legal landscape, while America stands as the last bastion of traditional Western values. This perspective dovetails with broader concerns about technological disruption, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), which threatens to accelerate societal decay by dismantling the economic foundations of the white-collar workforce. Together, these forces, cultural erosion and AI-driven job displacement, form a dual assault on the West, blinding its citizens,like bunnies in the spotlights of modernity.

Davis frames the West's decline as a cultural betrayal, where Leftist ideologies, rooted in Marxism and amplified by unchecked immigration, erode Christian values. He correctly cites violent incidents in Europe, such as terrorism in Bern and crimes attributed to migrants, as evidence of a cultural takeover by an "invading army" of young Muslim men. His narrative aligns with broader declinist theories, such as those of Oswald Spengler, who in The Decline of the West (1918-1922) argued that civilisations follow a lifecycle of growth, peak, and decay, with the West now in its "evening" phase, marked by materialism and loss of creative vitality. Davis's claim that Leftists and Muslim migrants share a "hatred" for Christian values echoesrevelations in Europe that see the continent as facing an existential cultural crisis, and looming civil war; Musk said that the UK for example faces this fate.

Davis's focus on America as the "last safe place" for Christian values underscores his belief that Marxist and Islamist ideologies, taught in universities, are subverting Western culture. He argues that tolerance, a core Western virtue, has been weaponised to enable cultural replacement, with Leftists acting as "useful idiots" for foreign values. This perspective resonates with Spengler's view of civilisations declining when critical impulses overtake creative ones, leading to a society preoccupied with materialism over spiritual or cultural depth.

The AI-driven economic disruption and cultural decline are intertwined. The erosion of white-collar jobs, particularly in creative and intellectual fields like coding, law, and consulting, undermines the economic stability that historically supported cultural flourishing. The lack of transparency about AI's risks, coupled with government and corporate "sugar-coating," leaves society unprepared for mass unemployment, which could mirror the social upheaval Davis attributes to cultural erosion. The loss of entry-level opportunities risks alienating a generation, potentially fuelling the resentment and rebellion Davis associates with Marxist indoctrination in universities. Moreover, AI's potential for misuse, as Amodei highlighted with Claude 4's "extreme blackmail behaviour" in simulations (discussed at the blog today), raises ethical concerns that parallel Davis's warnings about the moral decay of adopting "unclean values."

Critics of Davis's narrative, such as historian Aaron Friedberg, argue that declinism is a recurring American anxiety, often exaggerated. While Davis points to rising crime and cultural shifts in Europe, others, like Kenneth Weisbrode, suggest that perceptions of decline are as much a cultural trope as an objective reality. But the economic data, however, is undeniable: AI is reshaping the workforce, with tangible declines in hiring (SignalFire's 50% drop in new grad hires) and a shift toward automation over human labour. Similarly, while Davis's portrayal of migrants as an "invading army" is supported by European crime statistics showing disproportionate contributions from certain migrant groups.

The West faces a dual crisis: AI's economic disruption and a perceived cultural decline driven by ideological shifts. Amodei's warning of a "white-collar bloodbath" aligns with Davis's fears of a civilisation losing its moorings, as job losses erode the middle class and Marxist-influenced ideologies challenge traditional values. Whether America, and other Western countries such as Australia, remain the "last safe place(s)" depends on its ability to preserve economic opportunity and cultural cohesion. As Amodei suggests, steering this trajectory requires public awareness, policy innovation, and workers adapting to AI as a collaborator. Yet, as Davis warns, without a recommitment to Christian values and stricter immigration policies, the West risks becoming, in his words, a "Third World" shaped by the very forces it sought to tolerate.

Jim Davis' piece is well worth reading, but probably too strong to extract here:

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/05/decline_of_the_west_cultural_values_edition.html