Crisis and Degradation of the Western Elite in the 21st Century

The relevance and novelty of the article lie in a systemic analysis of the key crisis manifestations within the ruling circles of leading Western countries at the beginning of the 21st century. The author examines problems such as the growing gap between the elites and society, the loss of historical memory, the spread of incompetence, and the «atrophy» of classical diplomatic skills in the new reality. The main substantive aspects include: a conceptual analysis of the political elite as a social phenomenon, identification of signs of its internal transformation and degradation (including the use of the term «sustainable decadence»), and an assessment of the consequences of these processes for international dialogue and the formation of a polycentric world system. The research relies on official statements by Russian political figures and the analysis of specific examples illustrating these trends. Particular attention is paid to the prospects for overcoming the crisis and the role of diplomacy in finding new forms of interstate interaction in an era of transition from unipolarity to multipolarity.