Sam Weaver
The Big Lie (Große Lüge): Part I
By Sam Weaver
Life is full of irony; dramatic or otherwise. Irony is defined by my tattered Old World Collegiate Dictionary (sense 1) as "a method of humorous or subtly sarcastic expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense [the irony of calling a stupid plan 'clever']." Dramatic irony (sense 2) is "the contrast, as in a play, between what a character thinks the truth is, as revealed in a speech or action, and what an audience or reader knows the truth to be." The gist of this article is perhaps best captured in sense 3: "a combination of circumstances or a result that is the opposite of what is or might be expected or considered appropriate [an irony that the firehouse burned]."
Modern conventional wisdom declares that Adolf Hitler was the ultimate right-wing extremist. Modern liberal (i.e., "Progressive") politicians, pundits, preachers and professors have staked (and/or enhanced) their careers upon how many of their constituents, readers/listeners/viewers, congregants and/or students they can convince of this notion — that modern conservatives are just like Hitler. (See: The ideal political philosophy)
To truly appreciate both the irony and the absurdity of this, one must at least be familiar with the following three things: Conventional wisdom, American Liberty & Justice, and Mein Kampf.
Conventional Wisdom
John Kenneth Galbraith popularized (if not coined) the term "conventional wisdom" in his book, The Affluent Society (1958). Galbraith was a committed Keynesian and a "father" of modern liberal ("Progressive") economics. He was a Progressive. He believed, sincerely, that the common sense of the vast majority of individual Americans and the economic principles and ideas of America's founding were holding us back. He, his hero, John Maynard Keynes, and "Progressive 'educators'" such as John Dewey and Harold Ordway Rugg had a much "better" idea. They would forgo the common sense of the American people and the principles upon which the United States of America was founded. It was all just group-think; "conventional wisdom" that was hopelessly rooted in old, outdated ideas of a mythical Creator and Author of Law.
Here is the irony:
Conventional wisdom has shifted today. It is still group-think; but it neglects the notion of common sense and it has utterly rejected the very idea of a Supreme Creator and Author of Law. Conventional wisdom today is the "wisdom" of man — smart and educated men like Galbraith, Keynes and Rugg. It is the "wisdom of this world." [I Corinthians 3:19] It is the totalitarian ideology of countless power-craving ("Progressive") experts — religious/social "leaders," politicians, bureaucrats, media pundits, lawyers, judges, union bosses, scientists and professors. Reject the "wisdom" of these "experts" at your own risk. You will be deemed a "racist," a "shill for corporate interests," an "extremist," or much worse.
American Liberty & Justice
The United States of America was founded upon a fairly broad set of basic principles and ideas. The most fundamental, and important, idea is this: Mankind has a Creator. Man's Creator is also the Ultimate Author of Law (i.e., the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God). This idea — this knowledge — is the source of true Liberty and true Justice. It is what has made the United States of America truly exceptional among all other nations.
Liberty
The rights of man are endowed by his Creator. No king, no church, no powerful group of men — not even a voting majority — has either the authority or the just power to grant or to take away individual human rights under any circumstances. Americans are all but absolutely free to think, to say and to do anything and everything they want unless or until they violate the Law. Rule of Law is Liberty. Rule of man is tyranny.
Justice
Essential justice is achieved under two circumstances: 1) whenever tyranny (i.e., the "wisdom," "good intentions," power; propaganda — the "rule" — of man) is suppressed and the Rule of Law is upheld. 2) Whenever the act of one person who violates the God-given rights (the life, liberty, property, safety, and/or dignity) of or a legal agreement/contract with another person is punished and/or recompensed to the fullest extent of the law. Any violation of just law is a violation of the social contract. Violations of law require at least some forfeiture of rights and liberties. What is the meaning of justice otherwise? [I will attempt to address this question in a later article with a discussion of "social justice."]
The only legitimate purpose of government is to defend individual liberty and to uphold justice. Anything more is tyranny. Anything less is anarchy.
The only irony here is evident in the philosophies and the words of those who would subvert the truth; that would reject the Source and/or diminish the meaning of Liberty and Justice for their own selfish aims and their own lust for power and control.
Mein Kampf (Caution: Great irony here!)
Adolph Hitler's demented "manifesto," Mein Kampf ("my struggle;" Arabic: "my jihad"), was written behind bars. Hitler was a narcissist, to be sure, but he went beyond Narcissism. He was, perhaps, the quintessential megalomaniac. His "love" for Germany and the German ("Aryan") people was not patriotism. Call it "nationalism" if you will, but Hitler's "love" for Germany was grounded in two things: 1) his — and others before him — preposterous ideas of "history," and 2) his desire for power and control and his love for himself. He knew what was best for the German people far better than they did. He offered hope and change to a large sector of the German population while ignoring other sectors and demonizing many (primarily, the substantial Jewish sector).
Two words appear in Hitler's jailhouse screed more than any other: "propaganda" and "Jew" (or "Jewish," or "Jewry"). The word "war" is a close third. Even from his jail cell, Hitler understood the power of propaganda and the value of a scapegoat. [NOTE: This statement, this truth, is even more appalling if you look up the origin of the word "scapegoat!"]
As "der Fueher," Hitler's Master of Propaganda was Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels is famous (infamous) for saying this*:
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."
Here is irony:
Hitler did not learn the power of propaganda from Goebbels. Goebbels did not learn it from Hitler. They both learned it, primarily, from American "Progressives" such as Woodrow Wilson, John Kenneth Galbraith, Harold Ordway Rugg and Margaret Sanger. Oh, and also from Vladimir Lenin!
More irony:
The wisdom of America's Founders and Framers — and of the American people [i.e., the religious (moral), political (ethical/structural), economic (fiscal) and scientific (physical) principles, ideas and values that established the United States of America] — was dismissed by John Kenneth Galbraith as "conventional wisdom." Today, the "conventional wisdom" of many if not most politicians, bureaucrats and lawyers; economists and CEO's of large corporations; scientists, researchers, teachers and professors; and even many prominent religious "leaders" discards the wisdom of the Founders and Framers. In with new conventional wisdom; out with the old. Are we better off? Is this progress?
Is this mere coincidence? Is it a vast "left-wing" conspiracy?
I do not believe in coincidences. I believe in God. God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. He has ultimate control over all things and events, but He does give all humans free will. A couple of decades ago, I was intrigued by — and drawn into — some conspiracy theories. Through study, research, reason, prayer and, eventually, a relationship with Jesus Christ, I abandoned most conspiracy theories for basically the same reason that I now reject coincidences. No man — or even a large, wealthy and influential group of men — is smarter or more powerful than God.
How did we get here (modern conventional wisdom — a powerful, bloated, out-of-control federal leviathan upon which so many of us are now dependent) from there (the wisdom of our Founders — which demands that the powers of the national government be limited, specific and few and the liberties of the people be strong, sacred and defended)?
Stay tuned, and — please — be patient. I will at least try to answer these and many other questions in this series. As always, I invite and strongly encourage your input! I want to learn from your perspective no matter what your perspective is!
Will there be sarcasm in this series? Perhaps. Subtle sarcasm? Almost certainly! But there is nothing at all humorous about what "progressives" — the purveyors of modern conventional wisdom — are doing to our beloved USA! They didn't learn from Hitler, they taught Hitler! They did it by way of the Big Lie (Große Lüge). This series will be my attempt to expose the Big Lie.
*I cannot prove beyond a shadow of doubt that Goebbels actually said this. I know that some people have disputed the authenticity of the quote. However, the preponderance of evidence suggests to me that the quote is legitimate.
© Sam Weaver
April 16, 2011
Life is full of irony; dramatic or otherwise. Irony is defined by my tattered Old World Collegiate Dictionary (sense 1) as "a method of humorous or subtly sarcastic expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense [the irony of calling a stupid plan 'clever']." Dramatic irony (sense 2) is "the contrast, as in a play, between what a character thinks the truth is, as revealed in a speech or action, and what an audience or reader knows the truth to be." The gist of this article is perhaps best captured in sense 3: "a combination of circumstances or a result that is the opposite of what is or might be expected or considered appropriate [an irony that the firehouse burned]."
Modern conventional wisdom declares that Adolf Hitler was the ultimate right-wing extremist. Modern liberal (i.e., "Progressive") politicians, pundits, preachers and professors have staked (and/or enhanced) their careers upon how many of their constituents, readers/listeners/viewers, congregants and/or students they can convince of this notion — that modern conservatives are just like Hitler. (See: The ideal political philosophy)
To truly appreciate both the irony and the absurdity of this, one must at least be familiar with the following three things: Conventional wisdom, American Liberty & Justice, and Mein Kampf.
Conventional Wisdom
John Kenneth Galbraith popularized (if not coined) the term "conventional wisdom" in his book, The Affluent Society (1958). Galbraith was a committed Keynesian and a "father" of modern liberal ("Progressive") economics. He was a Progressive. He believed, sincerely, that the common sense of the vast majority of individual Americans and the economic principles and ideas of America's founding were holding us back. He, his hero, John Maynard Keynes, and "Progressive 'educators'" such as John Dewey and Harold Ordway Rugg had a much "better" idea. They would forgo the common sense of the American people and the principles upon which the United States of America was founded. It was all just group-think; "conventional wisdom" that was hopelessly rooted in old, outdated ideas of a mythical Creator and Author of Law.
Here is the irony:
Conventional wisdom has shifted today. It is still group-think; but it neglects the notion of common sense and it has utterly rejected the very idea of a Supreme Creator and Author of Law. Conventional wisdom today is the "wisdom" of man — smart and educated men like Galbraith, Keynes and Rugg. It is the "wisdom of this world." [I Corinthians 3:19] It is the totalitarian ideology of countless power-craving ("Progressive") experts — religious/social "leaders," politicians, bureaucrats, media pundits, lawyers, judges, union bosses, scientists and professors. Reject the "wisdom" of these "experts" at your own risk. You will be deemed a "racist," a "shill for corporate interests," an "extremist," or much worse.
American Liberty & Justice
The United States of America was founded upon a fairly broad set of basic principles and ideas. The most fundamental, and important, idea is this: Mankind has a Creator. Man's Creator is also the Ultimate Author of Law (i.e., the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God). This idea — this knowledge — is the source of true Liberty and true Justice. It is what has made the United States of America truly exceptional among all other nations.
Liberty
The rights of man are endowed by his Creator. No king, no church, no powerful group of men — not even a voting majority — has either the authority or the just power to grant or to take away individual human rights under any circumstances. Americans are all but absolutely free to think, to say and to do anything and everything they want unless or until they violate the Law. Rule of Law is Liberty. Rule of man is tyranny.
Justice
Essential justice is achieved under two circumstances: 1) whenever tyranny (i.e., the "wisdom," "good intentions," power; propaganda — the "rule" — of man) is suppressed and the Rule of Law is upheld. 2) Whenever the act of one person who violates the God-given rights (the life, liberty, property, safety, and/or dignity) of or a legal agreement/contract with another person is punished and/or recompensed to the fullest extent of the law. Any violation of just law is a violation of the social contract. Violations of law require at least some forfeiture of rights and liberties. What is the meaning of justice otherwise? [I will attempt to address this question in a later article with a discussion of "social justice."]
The only legitimate purpose of government is to defend individual liberty and to uphold justice. Anything more is tyranny. Anything less is anarchy.
The only irony here is evident in the philosophies and the words of those who would subvert the truth; that would reject the Source and/or diminish the meaning of Liberty and Justice for their own selfish aims and their own lust for power and control.
Mein Kampf (Caution: Great irony here!)
Adolph Hitler's demented "manifesto," Mein Kampf ("my struggle;" Arabic: "my jihad"), was written behind bars. Hitler was a narcissist, to be sure, but he went beyond Narcissism. He was, perhaps, the quintessential megalomaniac. His "love" for Germany and the German ("Aryan") people was not patriotism. Call it "nationalism" if you will, but Hitler's "love" for Germany was grounded in two things: 1) his — and others before him — preposterous ideas of "history," and 2) his desire for power and control and his love for himself. He knew what was best for the German people far better than they did. He offered hope and change to a large sector of the German population while ignoring other sectors and demonizing many (primarily, the substantial Jewish sector).
Two words appear in Hitler's jailhouse screed more than any other: "propaganda" and "Jew" (or "Jewish," or "Jewry"). The word "war" is a close third. Even from his jail cell, Hitler understood the power of propaganda and the value of a scapegoat. [NOTE: This statement, this truth, is even more appalling if you look up the origin of the word "scapegoat!"]
As "der Fueher," Hitler's Master of Propaganda was Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels is famous (infamous) for saying this*:
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."
Here is irony:
Hitler did not learn the power of propaganda from Goebbels. Goebbels did not learn it from Hitler. They both learned it, primarily, from American "Progressives" such as Woodrow Wilson, John Kenneth Galbraith, Harold Ordway Rugg and Margaret Sanger. Oh, and also from Vladimir Lenin!
More irony:
The wisdom of America's Founders and Framers — and of the American people [i.e., the religious (moral), political (ethical/structural), economic (fiscal) and scientific (physical) principles, ideas and values that established the United States of America] — was dismissed by John Kenneth Galbraith as "conventional wisdom." Today, the "conventional wisdom" of many if not most politicians, bureaucrats and lawyers; economists and CEO's of large corporations; scientists, researchers, teachers and professors; and even many prominent religious "leaders" discards the wisdom of the Founders and Framers. In with new conventional wisdom; out with the old. Are we better off? Is this progress?
Is this mere coincidence? Is it a vast "left-wing" conspiracy?
I do not believe in coincidences. I believe in God. God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. He has ultimate control over all things and events, but He does give all humans free will. A couple of decades ago, I was intrigued by — and drawn into — some conspiracy theories. Through study, research, reason, prayer and, eventually, a relationship with Jesus Christ, I abandoned most conspiracy theories for basically the same reason that I now reject coincidences. No man — or even a large, wealthy and influential group of men — is smarter or more powerful than God.
How did we get here (modern conventional wisdom — a powerful, bloated, out-of-control federal leviathan upon which so many of us are now dependent) from there (the wisdom of our Founders — which demands that the powers of the national government be limited, specific and few and the liberties of the people be strong, sacred and defended)?
Stay tuned, and — please — be patient. I will at least try to answer these and many other questions in this series. As always, I invite and strongly encourage your input! I want to learn from your perspective no matter what your perspective is!
Will there be sarcasm in this series? Perhaps. Subtle sarcasm? Almost certainly! But there is nothing at all humorous about what "progressives" — the purveyors of modern conventional wisdom — are doing to our beloved USA! They didn't learn from Hitler, they taught Hitler! They did it by way of the Big Lie (Große Lüge). This series will be my attempt to expose the Big Lie.
*I cannot prove beyond a shadow of doubt that Goebbels actually said this. I know that some people have disputed the authenticity of the quote. However, the preponderance of evidence suggests to me that the quote is legitimate.
© Sam Weaver
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