Empire in Decline: When Pseudo-Conservatives confuse Chaos for Revival

Crescent International

As the so-called liberal elite—more accurately described as the pseudo-liberal establishment—continues its retreat from key decision-making positions within western regimes, an equally hollow pseudo-conservative force appears to be stumbling into power.

Rather than restoring order or coherence, this emerging bloc is accelerating the unraveling of the established imperial framework through a volatile mix of ideological confusion and political amateurism.

While the political incompetence of the self-proclaimed “conservatives” is frequently on display—particularly through their flagship socio-political movement, MAGA—the deeper ideological incoherence of this quasi-fascist current often escapes serious scrutiny.

This oversight is unsurprising.

Identifying such systemic contradictions demands a level of analytical rigor rarely found in sensationalist media or the performative discourse of social media.

The term conservative traditionally refers to individuals or institutions committed to conserving or preserving established norms, institutions, or values.

But this begs the question: what exactly is it that today’s western conservatives are trying to preserve?

A superficial reading, shaped by mainstream narratives, might point to Christian nationalism as the defining ideal.

However, this is a lazy oversimplification.

A closer look at the political, intellectual, and personal histories of leading western conservatives reveals that many are far removed from Christian values and lifestyles.

Conservatives are, in essence, outdated liberals clinging to yesterday’s liberal orthodoxy, albeit repackaged in a crude nationalist aesthetic.

This dissonance is not lost on thinkers such as Aaron Renn.

Contemporary western conservatism is largely defined by a single unifying framework: the preservation and resurgence of western hegemony.

From Canada’s Stephen Harper to Germany’s Alice Weidel, the common thread is a yearning to restore western dominance—a goal often cloaked in alarmist rhetoric about defending “western civilization” from Muslims.

Ironically, it is this very objective that may hasten the decline of the west-centric global order.

By framing Muslims as the existential threat, these movements create dangerous blind spots, diverting attention from the real and pressing internal challenges their societies face—challenges that have little, if anything, to do with Islam.

The clearest embodiment of this reality is the erratic and incoherent policymaking under the Trump regime.

In the United States, the internal cannibalization of the conservative movement has already begun and is especially visible due to the primitive and emotionally driven nature of American political discourse.

One particularly vivid manifestation is Steve Bannon’s increasingly public attacks on Elon Musk—an example of ideological fragmentation within the movement.

This internal collapse is also more visible in the US than in Europe due to a growing realization among the MAGA base that unconditional support for Israel may be detrimental to America’s domestic interests and foreign policy credibility.

Given the constant barrage of political spectacle under Trump, we will avoid focusing too deeply on the MAGA phenomenon here.

Instead, let us turn our attention to Europe—a more “sophisticated” manifestation of western neo-colonialism, though no less troubled.

Europe’s political landscape is more deeply rooted in its historical consciousness than the carnival-like chaos of American politics.

Yet even there, the signs of deep internal decay are emerging.

It is only a matter of time before modern-day fascist mimicking political movements across Europe begin cannibalizing each other.

If history is any guide, this process will be particularly brutal.

At present, the European version of this phenomenon is unfolding in slow motion.

For instance, Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) was recently expelled from its pan-European parliamentary group, Identity and Democracy.

This rupture signals not only ideological divergence but also strategic fragmentation.

There are several reasons why this European cannibalization is progressing more slowly.

Intellectually, the European left remains more robust and far more popular than its American counterpart.

The pseudo-liberal elite in Europe, though weakened, still retain pockets of influence.

Moreover, the twin specters of Islam and Russia continue to dominate domestic narratives in many European countries, offering diverse political movements a shared external “enemy” to rally against—for now.

Still, the trajectory is ominous.

Europe, a continent that twice plunged the world into devastating wars, may once again draw on its historical memory to justify nationalistic revanchism.

It is not difficult to imagine a future where one nation’s sense of unjustly denied “rights” ignites a geopolitical chain reaction on the European continent once again.

When the inevitable intra-right infighting among Europe’s far-right factions reaches a critical point, the consequences will extend beyond the continent.

The geopolitical implications will be significant—not only for Europe but also for Russia, Türkiye, and perhaps the broader Global South.

We will explore those ramifications in the second part of this analysis.

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