Are We Sleepwalking Into Collapse?

Are We Sleepwalking Into Collapse?

The fall of the Roman Empire is one of history’s most instructive lessons. A great culture, advanced technology and engineering, a legal system—everything eventually crumbled. But it wasn’t just external forces that caused its downfall. The real collapse happened from within. Rome fell because its elites decayed, corruption spread, populism thrived, and the values that built its power were abandoned. Looking at today’s world, it’s hard not to see unsettling parallels.

Rome: Greatness and Decline

At its peak, the Roman Empire was a marvel—grand cities, sewage systems, aqueducts, and legal structures that provided centuries of stability. But what made it strong also became its undoing. Irresponsible leaders, the erosion of public discourse, political demagoguery, institutional decay, and short-sighted policies left it vulnerable.

The barbarian invasions were merely the final blow, not the true cause. Rome lost because it let its foundations rot. The invaders simply stepped into the void Rome had created for them.

The 21st Century’s Internal Barbarians

Today, the biggest threat to Western civilization isn’t migration or external enemies—it’s the forces within. The real modern-day barbarians aren’t outsiders but those who, often under the banner of populism, are dismantling institutions, values, and the cultural heritage that democracy was built upon.

These are the political manipulators, media demagogues, and populists who undermine science, law, and the arts. Their goal isn’t progress but maintaining power through division and chaos. Democracy, while theoretically the best system, often proves helpless against those who cynically exploit its mechanisms for their own ends.

Populism: A Tool of Chaos

Much like Rome’s decaying elites, today’s populism distracts people from real issues. Instead of tackling real problems, it serves up “bread and circuses”—catchy slogans replacing genuine debate and intellectual reflection. It erodes the foundations of civilization, stripping away the principles that have ensured its endurance for centuries.

This isn’t just about migration or external threats. A culture that has been the bedrock of civilization is losing its meaning. Values like the sanctity of human life, the stability of alliances, predictability, clear moral distinctions between oppressor and victim, democracy, individual rights, the common good, education, and progress are being replaced by shallow, short-term slogans designed to mobilize the masses. Society, much like Rome in decline, is starting to resemble a spectacle where distraction takes precedence over substance.

Unpredictability and Chaos: The Currency of Power

Rome didn’t collapse overnight. One of its greatest weaknesses was the instability created by short-sighted decisions driven by political and financial interests. The modern world is no different. Instead of values guiding decisions, money dictates everything—controlling politics, media, and public sentiment. Rather than building lasting structures, today’s leaders prioritize immediate gains, even at the cost of long-term collapse.

In this climate, predictability becomes a luxury. Stable alliances give way to fleeting arrangements dictated by shifting political winds. What seemed certain yesterday is overturned today if the price is right.

Can We Avoid the Fall?

History teaches us that civilizations don’t collapse in a single moment—it’s a slow, internal decay. If democracy is to survive, it must evolve, becoming more resistant to manipulation, populism, and those who, while pretending to serve the people, are actually tearing down its foundations.

This isn’t about shutting the world out but about resisting chaos. It’s about safeguarding the culture and values that made the West great, rather than surrendering them to those who either fail to understand their significance or actively seek to dismantle them.

The modern world stands at a crossroads. We can learn from history—or allow it to repeat itself once again. Decline is not inevitable, but avoiding it requires awareness and action. Do we have the strength and the will to prevent it? Or, like the Romans, will we allow our achievements to be undone—not by outsiders, but by those who have long been inside, waiting for the moment to bring it all down?