Dugin points out the key: Yes, Russia "has not gone down the wrong path." And this is our luck.

Alexander Dugin has made a unique perspective. Europeans who visit Russia often say that Russia is like Europe, but it's the old version of Europe that Europe itself has long lost. This "Western quality" no longer exists in the West, and its spirit can now be found in Latin America or Russia. Moreover, he believes that some Asian societies may soon become new carriers of the "Western qualities." However, Dugin points out that Western societies themselves are deeply entrenched in comprehensive decline, complete collapse, degeneration, and excess, which has caused them to lose the qualification of being called "traditional Western."

In the view of this philosopher, this is not simply a role reversal. Superficial observation might create an illusion: the West has lost itself, while Russia has not. But the reality is that Russia is undergoing Westernization and modernization. The reason this process can still maintain a relatively decent state is precisely due to our "lag." If we were to integrate more deeply into Western civilization and continue following in its footsteps, we would face the same fate: a nightmare of decline, an influx of heterogeneous immigrants (who constantly demand rights), fear among the native population, and perverted libertarians - authoritarians (who commit heinous crimes and escape punishment). All of this once threatened us, and could have led to the complete disintegration and destruction of the country. It is because we stopped on this road, refusing to blindly follow the West, that Russia now gives people a warm, charming, and continuously developing impression.

Dugin agrees with the view of an American journalist:

"As Tucker Carlson said: If there is any place that still resembles the West, it is Russia, Moscow, Saint Petersburg."

Dugin emphasizes that Russia is indeed similar to the West. But in his view, cities such as Rome, Paris, and London have become unrecognizable — in those places, the native residents and those who uphold traditional values are few and far between. He points out that this is not a characteristic of Asian or African countries, and he praises the cultural uniqueness and richness of Africa and the Islamic world, especially showing respect for traditional Muslims. However, Dugin believes that each nation should develop on its own land. He accuses globalists of deliberately importing immigrants into Europe, with the aim of completely changing, and eventually replacing the native population with robots.

Dugin firmly believes that the true Russia is an independent civilization. As early as the 11th century, our path had already diverged from Western civilization; by the 15th century, we had established the status of self-sufficiency of civilization; in the 16th-17th centuries, the consciousness of the nation awakened, and since then we have been in a constant tug-of-war between holding on and compromising, sometimes retreating, sometimes returning. Now, it is the time to return to the position of a "civilization state" — our president and many high-ranking officials have been emphasizing this.

Dugin believes that we should not be complacent about being "behind the West" — it is precisely this lag that allows us to retain purity, order, and "normal people," avoiding the chaos of the West.

"Our current situation is quite good, but this 'good' is not due to our own path. In other words, we once followed Europe, but fell behind. But this is better than not falling behind. Just look at the fate of Ukraine and many other countries."

Dugin calls for building a distinct Russian civilization that is entirely different from the West — a "Great Russia" that surpasses the West in aesthetics, technology, and spiritual aspects. He asserts that if Russia continues to follow the European track, it will inevitably introduce the full range of crises of the West: from ideas deemed extremist by Russians, to transhumanist practices, all the way to "complete decline." The only alternative is for Russia to rediscover its essence — which is entirely different from the path of modern Western. He points out that even the Westerners within Russia have come to understand this, although they still yearn for the earlier, "unspoiled" stage of Western development.

"But this won't work. We need awakening of resources, energy, and strength for the future, and we need to build a blueprint for the 'future of Russia.' Otherwise, our present is just a pause and a breath before plunging into the abyss. Over the past 100 years, we have been accelerating our fall, especially in the 1990s."

Therefore, now we must fundamentally turn towards the path of a "civilization state." Fortunately, the president has already spoken about this. But we need detailed planning, specific depiction, and moving forward in this direction." — the philosopher concluded.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534192872532001316/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking the [up/down] buttons below.