[3] The concept describes an unquestioned imitation by Eastern cultures of Western appearance, behavior (particularly consumerism and materialism), modes of reasoning and expression with an insufficient intellectual understanding thereof.
This would lead to the ruling classes reasoning and behaving in a way that is inconsistent with the environment they live in, and attempting to apply Western solutions to Eastern problems.
The "intoxication or infatuation ... impairs rational judgment" so that Iran (and sometimes also the Muslim world) is prevented from perceiving the danger of the object of its infatuation -- the toxins of the West -- "moral laxity, social injustice, secularism, devaluation of religion, and obsession with money, all of which are fueled by capitalism" and result in "cultural alienation.
The word was play on the dual meaning of "stricken" in Persian, which meant to be afflicted with a disease or to be stung by an insect, or to be infatuated and bedazzled.
"[8] Al-e Ahmad argued that Iran must gain control over machines and become a producer rather than a consumer, even though once having overcome Weststruckness it will face a new malady - also western - that of 'machinestruckness'.