DISINFO: The West is decadent, corrupt, rotten, and has reached its final phase

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: The West is decadent, corrupt, rotten, and has reached its final phase

SUMMARY

The West is decadent, corrupt, rotten, and has reached its final phase. Corrupt and decadent individualism is a characteristic of the West and has poisoned Slavic societies, but such individualism is not part of the Slavic world.

RESPONSE

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the decadence of the West, which is allegedly collapsing. This narrative describes the liberal West as a materialistic, immoral, corrupt and perverted society that subverts traditional values

The broad theme about a decadent, corrupt and dying West, frequently spread by pro-Kremlin outlets, often aims at consolidating the image of Russia as a morally superior alternative to Western decadence.

There is no factual basis to support the article’s sweeping claims about the decadence, immorality and corruption of Western societies. It is not true, for example, that Western countries are more corrupt than non-Western countries. According to the 2020 edition of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index the 11 least corrupt countries in the world are mostly Western (two are non-Western), with a score of 77 points or higher, While Russia scores 30 points and is in 129th place.

Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the article’s apocalyptic claims about Western societies being in their “final phase”, suggesting that these societies are collapsing and dying. On the contrary, the central values and achievements of the modern West, and of Europe in particular — liberal democracy, the rule of law, human rights, equality before the law, freedom of conscience and expression, rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state — are still very much alive and continue to be a source of inspiration for people around the world.

Read similar cases claiming that Western liberal civilisation is decadent, materialistic, hedonistic and perverse, that Western civilisation is corrupt and is dying, the barbarians that it welcomes will inherit its ruins and that the West hates Russia because of its strong state and traditional value system

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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