Posted on 05/19/2024 7:23:09 AM PDT by karpov
Back when there were still two Germanys, one a parliamentary democracy aligned with the West and one a Soviet satellite surveillance state, I had trouble remembering which was the Federal Republic and which the Democratic Republic—until I realized that the one calling itself democratic wasn’t. Even today, North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The least democratic regimes in the world pretend to be the most democratic.
Then as now, Marxists and those who have learned from them often justify abuse of language by redefining the key term. Words come to mean their opposite. To the Soviets, “true” democracy wasn’t a matter of voting for one of two indistinguishable parties, but of justice. So used, the word “true” means “false.”
On paper, the Soviet Constitution of 1936 was the most liberal in the world. It granted universal suffrage, direct elections, the right to work and equal status to all ethnicities. It also established freedom of conscience, religion and speech. In practice, of course, none of it was true. The Soviets persecuted religious believers and arrested people for the mildest criticisms—even for supposedly anti-Soviet thoughts. The right to work meant the obligation to work, often in appalling conditions and with lateness punishable by exile to Siberia.
Other examples come to mind. Think of some “peace” movements. My Russian history teacher, Firuz Kazemzadeh, recalled that after World War II ardent pacifists in Western European cities asked people to sign petitions demanding unilateral disarmament. Kazemzadeh was well aware that the Soviets, who were rebuilding their military and surreptitiously solidifying control of Eastern European countries, sponsored European peace movements. If you had expansionist aims, wouldn’t you want your enemy to disarm?
The Marxist impulse is always to accuse your opponent of what you are doing or plan to do.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
“When people are forced to remain silent when they
are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced
to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense
of probity. To assent to obvious lies is...in some small way to become
evil oneself.“ -Dalrymple
The Budweiser resistance
It’s a pity the Russians didn’t enforce the constitution they had.
The Soviet Constitution shared more than a few similarities with the US constitution. The rights to home security, property, private correspondence, freedom of religion & conscience, equality before the law, and the right to earn/keep earnings and to leave inheritances were all there.
All considered, it wasn’t bad for peoples who had only known Mongol hordes and Czars for the past thousand years.
Despite these guarantees, the Soviet Union was a slave state from its inception. How could oppression live side-by-side recognized assurances of so many personal rights?
Slavery was certain because the Soviet system lacked institutions designed to secure liberty.
Similar to post-1913 American governance, the Soviet constitution set up internal contradictions. While it guaranteed certain rights and free will, the Soviet constitution purposely neglected to provide governing institutions to secure those rights.
At least history provided Russians with an excuse, for they had never known free government.
History doesn’t leave Americans such an easy out. Since the 17th Amendment, America has transformed from the freest nation on earth to one on the cusp of hard tyranny.
Oh, and the Soviet Union had elections too.
It is long past time to reclaim free government. The 17th Amendment must go.
Russia didn't do that.
Plus there's huge incentives for the power 'elties' of any country to take over because 'it's easier' and besides the elties always think they're smarter than the people. Look at the 51 'intelligence' thugs and goons who signed the letter about Hunter's laptop being Russian Disinformation.. - there's NOT ONE of 'em who doesn't think they're smarter than average citizens - and smarter than elected officials. AND that THEY could make better and FASTER decisions.
Sadly for all of us that type when they do get power create totalitarian hellholes.Every time.
WHEN THEY have the power - their first step is to take out people who might not agree on how wonderful they are. Because in their minds 'they have to 'maintain order. Here, there, and everywhere it never works.
Intelligence 'elites' can't point to one country where a band of intelligence or military 'elites' took over and it worked. Well, worked for the country - not just for themselves.
That too...
yes, and “saints obama and hillary” tried, and failed!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.