Posted on 06/26/2021 3:54:20 AM PDT by Kaslin
"Live not by lies" was the challenge issued by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, upon his departure from the Soviet Union, to individuals still condemned to live behind the Iron Curtain — especially to those who were well aware of the suffocating mendacity that permeated communist societies. Rod Dreher's book gives the same advice to Americans today, especially to Christians who are expected to mouth obvious lies or face social ostracism and economic devastation — punishments administered occasionally by leftist judges and government officials but most frequently by tech giants, woke corporations, and P.C. media sycophants.
Dreher was inspired to write his book by heroic dissidents who refused to bend the knee to communist tyrants and saw a similar tyranny becoming ensconced in the United States. These moral giants are astonished that the primary beacon of freedom during their years of oppression has become a society where speech and actions disapproved by secular elites are regularly squelched and punished. Religious freedom, for example, is being reduced to the freedom to gather in congregations where (at least for now) marriage is affirmed by a priest, rabbi, or minister, a freedom that doesn't extend beyond meeting walls to how a baker runs his business.
Admittedly, the totalitarianism Americans face is not the "hard" Soviet variety of which socialist-sympathizing Millennials are overwhelmingly ignorant. Those regimes committed horrific crimes against political prisoners. To cite one example given by Dreher, a row of twenty or thirty priests were shot in the face, one after the other, as each affirmed his faith in God.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
The government does too much. Why on earth would I want the government to do anything?
Just finished this good read.
Thank you for posting
Precisely.
Yep it’s much worse than the government not doing anything. America faces two existential threats.
*The rise of China replacing us as the world’s great power
*The rise of neo-Marxism within America
The government is doing nothing against these threats, it is enabling them. Even Trump could only make minor pushes against them.
For much of America, traditional religion has been replaced by the false god of consumerism, as presented by Madison Avenue.
“Living by lies?” How about the massive lie presented in TV ads, promos and PSAs that, apparently, the vast majority of Americans are negro. Not only that, but the negroes are uniformly successful, intelligent, family-oriented, live in gated communities and drive luxury cars.
Oh, and most marriages are biracial.
As the twit in the White House would say, “C’mon, man.”
Lost me with this sentence beginning the 3rd paragraph:
“Admittedly, the totalitarianism Americans face is not the ‘hard’ Soviet variety of which socialist-sympathizing Millennials are overwhelmingly ignorant.”
Americans do “face” that version, it’s just not quite apparent yet. But if the ‘Rats are not stopped, that stage is virtually certain.
The author is as complacent as a wet dishrag.
Opinion: Does anything in the Constitution truly authorize the USA government to act on either of those matters?
Possibly interesting reading...
https://www.americanforeignrelations.com/A-D/The-Constitution-The-war-power-in-practice.html
“By this time, France was involved in several wars, and Hamilton’s concerns about the force and nature of the treaties was evident: Did they obligate the United States to assist the French in their foreign adventures?”
...
“In 1798 France repeatedly raided and seized American vessels. When asked whether a new law that increased the size of the navy authorized the president to initiate hostilities, Hamilton stated that he had not seen the law and that, if it did not grant the president any new authority but left him “at the foot of the Constitution,” then the president had only the power to “employ the ships as convoys, with authority to repel force by force (but not to capture) and to repress hostilities within our waters, including a marine league from our coasts. Anything beyond this must fall under the idea of reprisals, and requires the sanctions of that department which is to declare or make war.”
...
As president, Thomas Jefferson acknowledged that his powers of war were limited to defensive actions. In his first annual message to Congress in 1801 he reported the arrogant demands made by the pasha of Tripoli. Unless the United States paid tribute, the pasha threatened to seize American ships and citizens. Jefferson responded by sending a small squadron to the Mediterranean to protect against the threatened attack. He then asked Congress for further guidance, stating he was “unauthorized by the Constitution, without the sanction of Congress, to go beyond the line of defense.” It was left to Congress to authorize “measures of offense also.” Jefferson’s understanding of the war clause underwent no revision. In 1805 he informed Congress of the dispute with Spain over the boundaries of Louisiana and Florida. Jefferson warned that Spain evidenced an “intention to advance on our possessions until they shall be repressed by an opposing force. Considering that Congress alone is constitutionally invested with the power of changing our condition from peace to war, I have thought it my duty to await their authority for using force.”
Should we try to be the world’s policeman? Maybe not, except where our own interests are at stake. Once a problem becomes clear to all its neighbors, some may band together and either address it themselves, or ask for our assistance and leadership. We can help educate them about problems. If we are invited by an ally, that’s one thing. We do need allies, because we never know when they might be in a position to help us. But for us to unilaterally and arbitrarily decide we need to needlessly interfere in other countries’ internal affairs (except for intelligence gathering), that seems to be a different matter altogether.
We will have to address the threat of China, but only where they threaten our allies and our trade. (Not to mention the trivial matter of our own physical security, of course.)
Like in the Korean war, we must support our allies or we will eventually have none. Sometimes the best defense IS a good offense.
E pluribis unum...unity should be our strength, but today divided we fall. China seems apparently united.
As goofy as those commercials are, keep in mind they are selling things to the depicted people - not pretending it is real. Biracial couples with caramel children means targeting three ethnic groups at once.
Not buying it, kearneyirish2
You don’t have to; there is no other reason to do it. The content itself is ludicrous to anyone with eyes.
“ Admittedly, the totalitarianism Americans face is not the “hard” Soviet variety…”
Ah but the American government is much more accomplished at lying…much more accomplished, with far better tools and far better control of information than the Soviets could ever dream to have. When it comes to lying, the American government is to the Soviet as Jupiter is to Pluto.
In modern life in the West, there are easily 100 lies about life and “science”and human civilization for a single truth. In the American government, that ratio is easily 10,000 to one.
Halfway through this profound and enraging book. every page has sections underlined with margin notes. I appreciate his honesty in noting that you cannot have an honest conversation with SJWs, it is merely a waste of breath. A refreshing perspective when far too many “Christians” are gutless pansies who feel the Eleventh Commandment is “Be nice.” Such of these are not Christians. They are Therapeutic Moralists.
“The government does too much. Why on earth would I want the government to do anything?”
That should be the motto for anyone who believes in freedom. I have for years told people that the government is NOT in the business of solving problems but it IS in the business of CREATING PROBLEMS which it then PRETENDS to try to solve, all the while lining the pockets of those on the government payroll with money stolen from the others who are not in the club.
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