Peiman Salehi – Political Analyst & Writer

By Peiman Salehi
Original article on Al Mayadeen (Arabic) Source: Russian platform “Geopolitika” | Published

Photo: Al Mayadeen

The Moral Collapse of Liberalism Is a Civilizational Turning Point

The moral collapse of liberalism is not merely a political shift—it marks a civilizational turning point. As Western hegemony retreats, a historic opportunity emerges: to build a world rooted in justice, diversity, and spiritual depth.

Once considered the final form of political evolution, liberalism—which promised liberty, dignity, and prosperity for all—has morphed into a tool of domination. It wages wars in the name of peace, imposes sanctions that strangle populations, and exports cultural nihilism under the guise of “universal values.”

The betrayal is profound: the very civilization that claimed to defend human dignity now tramples it to preserve global dominance.

The Ethical Bankruptcy of Liberalism

The contradictions of liberalism are exposed across the globe. Under banners like “human rights” and “freedom,” liberal powers have waged devastating wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya. Sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, and Syria have inflicted unbearable suffering on civilians. Far from securing peace, liberalism has institutionalized coercion.

Internally, liberal democracies suffer from erosion. Inequality has reached historic extremes, public trust in institutions is collapsing, and surveillance states are rising. Censorship masked as fighting “disinformation” and growing social disintegration reveal a system unable to fulfill its own promises.

Philosophically, liberal universalism has been unmasked as Western particularism. Institutions like the UN, IMF, and World Bank do not serve humanity—they advance the interests of the Atlantic oligarchy. Their loan conditions and austerity mandates have only deepened poverty and dependency in the Global South.

The Rise of Civilizational Resistance

In contrast, a new wave of civilizational resistance is rising—not based on narrow nationalism, but on alternative visions of being, knowing, and organizing societies.
• Iran promotes an Islamic model of governance rooted in spiritual sovereignty.
• Russia reclaims its Orthodox and Eurasian identity.
• China integrates Confucian socialism, blending tradition with modernization beyond Western paradigms.
• Latin America revives Bolívarian solidarity.
• Africa slowly reconnects with its indigenous wisdom traditions.

This resistance is not a retreat into isolation—it is an assertion of multipolarity and the right of different cultures to define modernity on their own terms.

Toward a Multipolar World

The unipolar era is over. The emerging world order is inherently multipolar, shaped by diverse civilizations. Where liberalism sought homogenization, the future belongs to plurality.

Strategic partnerships—like those among Iran, Russia, and China—BRICS expansion, and increasing Global South cooperation show that resistance is not just defensive. It is a creative endeavor to build an alternative world system based on respect rather than domination.

These civilizations, rooted in rich cultural and spiritual traditions, possess a resilience that consumerist liberal modernity lacks. Meanwhile, the West suffers from demographic decline, ethical exhaustion, and strategic overreach—and cannot reverse the tide. The center can no longer hold.

The Fall of Empire, the Rise of Civilizations

The moral collapse of liberalism is more than a political crisis—it’s a civilizational failure. As Western hegemony crumbles, there is a chance to construct a world that honors justice, diversity, and spiritual meaning.

Civilizational resistance is not born of hate—it stems from love: for tradition, for identity, and for a future in which the human being is more than a mere economic unit, but a dignified being with transcendent worth.

In this new era, the empire fades—and civilizations dawn.
In the dawn of the Age of Civilizations, intercultural dialogue must replace the monologue of a decaying order.