In Soviet Hell and the blasted avenues of Mogadishu, I saw what our society could become

Daily Mail ^ | 13th March 2010 | Peter Hitchens

[Brugmansian]

Windows were filthy as a matter of course in Soviet Russia. In the five years I worked there, I never saw a clean one.

Rats, on the other hand, were commonplace and played merrily among the rubbish bins of apartment blocks and in the entrances of railway termini.

While most citizens struggled to survive in this suburb of Hell, however, a secret elite enjoyed great privileges: special living spaces, special hospitals, special schools, special lanes along which the Politburo's limousines roared at 90mph.

Soviet power had taken on the responsibilities of God, but its commandments were very different. In fact, Soviet Communism used the same language, treasured the same hopes and appealed to the same constituency as Western atheism does today.

Soviet power was the opposite of faith in God. It was faith in the greatness of humanity and in the perfectibility of human society. The atheists cannot honestly disown it . . .

[afraidfortherepublic]

This article had me confused at first — but this is written by the OTHER Hitchens — Christopher’s BROTHER. I was wondering how such a clear view of the evil rampant in Moscow and Mogidishu balanced with the virulent hatred of Mother Teresa displayed by Mr. Hitchens. Easy. Two different writers.

One can only pray that the Hitchens we read so often in the US can reclaim his Christian roots before the end.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

. . . most citizens struggled to survive in this . . . Hell, however, a secret elite enjoyed great privileges: special living spaces, special hospitals, special schools, special lanes along which the Politburo's limousines roared at 90mph. . . a command economy [that functions] most effectively if there is plenty of fear . . . [where a] coarse, ugly, slang-infested and bureaucratic tongue [dominates the] . . .enormous and intrusive totalitarian state power [that] is an enemy of civility, consideration and even of enlightened self-interest.

Well, we'll still be able to say, "It's better than Mogadishu!"

Obama is the biological and ideological issue of 1960s Marxist-Alinsky campus/street revolutionary rabble.

Welcome to their world.

BTW, my recollections are that the 1960s Marxist-Alinsky campus/street revolutionary rabble had no use for the Soviet Union (beyond monetary support). Their heroes were Mao, Ho, Che, Castro. . . .

[2banana]

I came to the conclusion, and nothing has since shifted it, that enormous and intrusive totalitarian state power is an enemy of civility, consideration and even of enlightened self-interest.

I also concluded that a society which was de-Christianised would also face such problems, because I have seen public discourtesy and incivility spreading rapidly in Britain.

This decline struck me very hard when I returned in 1995 after nearly five years in Russia and the United States, and the rapid vanishing of Christianity, as the last generation of believers ages and disappears, seems to me to be a major part of it.

I do not think I would have been half so shocked by the squalor and rudeness of 1990 Moscow if I had not come from a country where Christian forbearance was still well established. If I had then been able to see the London of 2010, I would have been equally shocked.

Where America is heading. We have forgotten what the Golden Rule is based on...

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)

[Countyline]

No doubt this is a warning to Americans.

“We have given you, the United States of America, a Republic, if you can hold on to it.” paraphrased

____________________________________________________________ http://www.freestateproject.org/about/essay_archive/freestate_02sep03.php

excerpt ...
A Free State...If You Can Keep It
by Robert F. Hawes Jr.

It is said that, at the close of the Constitutional Convention, a woman approached Benjamin Franklin and asked him what type of government had been decided upon by the delegates. Franklin stated: “We have given you a Republic, if you can keep it.”

Franklin, of course, also believed that the Constitution could only last as long as the people themselves could sustain it:

“In these sentiments, sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults; if they are such; because I think a general government necessary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered; and I believe, further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.”
____________________________________________________________

We must be vigilant, our future depends on it. We are very threatened and in danger to lose it now.

[ought-six]

“Obama is the biological and ideological issue of 1960s Marxist-Alinsky campus/street revolutionary rabble.”

He is that.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

I greatly prefer the writings of Peter Hitchens over those of Christopher. They are quite a bit less frequent, but I find them a lot more coherent and cogent. He gets to his point easier, IMO, than Christopher, and has as much or more to say.

[flash2368]

Hmmmm... lets see, that business with the Russian elites kinda sounds like Detroit, South LA, and lots of other places in the U.S.... with Pelosi and the rest of congress flying over in government jets and enjoying all the special perks congress has voted itself... wonder why all those unfortunate people below who voted for them think they are so great?

[antiRepublicrat]

In fact, Soviet Communism used the same language, treasured the same hopes and appealed to the same constituency as Western atheism does today. ... It was faith in the greatness of humanity and in the perfectibility of human society.

Not even close. See that word there, "faith."

The atheists cannot honestly disown it.

Uh, yes we can just as much as horrible governments built on religion can be disowned by the religious. Do you feel any guilt about being religious because of the oppressive Muslim governments? Didn't think so.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I confess that I hadn’t realized until this morning that there were two of them! I’ll pay closer attention when reading in the future! LOL

[NoExpectations]

pure ignorance

[Yardstick]

Wow, fantastic piece.

[NoExpectations]

good article about his faith and reconciling with his atheist brother http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255983/How-I-God-peace-atheist-brother-PETER-HITCHENS-traces-journey-Christianity.html?printingPage=true

[denydenydeny]

Soviet power was the opposite of faith in God. It was faith in the greatness of humanity and in the perfectibility of human society. The atheists cannot honestly disown it.

Great column.

[rbg81]

The author would luv Detroit!

[Persevero]

Atheism is a religion, too.

I have no guilt about any horrible government built on religion -

which government is built on religion I might ask?

[esquirette]

All of them.

[Persevero]

Yes, in so far as that man is a religious being and every single conscious one of us has religious belief(s) -

I’d agree with you.

Every person is religious. Every family has a religion. Every city, every state.

And our culture is our religion, externalized.

[esquirette]

We don’t have to go to Russia. Just look at Detroit.

[wintertime]

I came to the conclusion, and nothing has since shifted it, that enormous and intrusive totalitarian state power is an enemy of civility, consideration and even of enlightened self-interest. I also concluded that a society which was de-Christianised would also face such problems, because I have seen public discourtesy and incivility spreading rapidly in Britain.

Christians believe that we are all children of God and therefore brothers and sisters. This belief along generates great respect for life and for our fellow travelers on this journey on earth.