Will the truth make itself “known in deeds” – and will it happen in time to prevent disaster?
Roger Scruton wrote the following in 2006, almost a decade and a half ago. The subject matter is immigration, but it’s relevant to a lot more than that particular subject:
The destructive effects of liberalism are not usually felt by the liberals themselves—not immediately, at least. The first victim of liberal immigration policies is the indigenous working class. When the welfare state was first conceived, it was in order to provide insurance for poorer members of the indigenous community, by taxing their income in exchange for the benefits which they may one day need. The rights involved were quasi-contractual: a right of the state to levy contributions in exchange for a right of the citizen to receive support. The very term used to describe the deal in Britain—“national insurance”—expresses the old understanding, that the welfare system is part of being together as a nation, of belonging with one’s neighbors, as mutual beneficiaries of an ancestral right. The liberal view of rights, as universal possessions which make no reference to history, community, or obedience, has changed all that. Indigenous people can claim no precedence, not even in this matter in which they have sacrificed a lifetime of income for the sake of their own future security. Immigrants are given welfare benefits as of right, and on the basis of their need, whether or not they have paid or ever will pay taxes. And since their need is invariably great—why else have they come here?—they take precedence over existing residents in the grant of housing and income support. Those with a handful of wives are even more fortunate, since only one of their marriages is recognized in European systems of law: the remaining wives are “single mothers,” with all the fiscal advantages which attach to that label. All this has entailed that the stock of “social housing” once reserved for the indigenous poor is now almost entirely occupied by people whose language, customs, and culture mark them out as foreigners.
It is not “racist” to draw attention to this kind of fact. Nor is it racist to argue that indigenous people must take precedence over newcomers, who have to earn their right of residence and cannot be allowed to appropriate the savings of their hosts. But it is easier for me to write about these matters in an American intellectual journal than in an English newspaper, and if I tried to write about these things in a Belgian newspaper, I could be in serious trouble with the courts. The iron curtain of censorship that came down in the wake of Powell’s speech has not lifted everywhere; on the contrary, if the EU has its way, it will be enshrined in the criminal code, with “racism and xenophobia”—defined as vaguely as is required to silence unwanted opinion—made into an extraditable offense throughout the Union.
And this may be the most interesting part of all [addition in brackets mine]:
The problem with censorship, as John Stuart Mill pointed out a century and half ago, is that it makes it impossible for those who impose it to discover that they are wrong. The error persists, preventing the discussion that might produce a remedy [early], and ensuring that the problem will grow. Yet when truth cannot make itself known in words, it will make itself known in deeds. The truth about Hitler burst on the world in 1939, notwithstanding all the pious words of the appeasers. And the truth about immigration is beginning to show itself in Europe, notwithstanding all the liberal efforts to conceal it.
What’s happening in the US now? Perhaps – if we are fortunate – it’s the truth showing itself about the left. And if we’re very fortunate, it’s the truth about the left, showing itself in time to prevent disaster.
I have my doubts that it’s showing itself in time. Or perhaps it’s more correct to say that it would be in time, if so many people weren’t blinded by the incessant propaganda of the left, supported and spread by the MSM and the school system as well as a host of other institutions the left has taken over.
Today I’ve been thinking of this old post of mine, and the words of author Azar Nafisi on the Iranian revolution she had supported when it was happening and she lived in the US, a support she lived to regret when she returned home to Iran after the revolution [emphasis mine]:
I spoke passionately at the rallies; inspired by phrases I had read in novels and poems, I would weave words together into sounds of revolution. My oppressive yearning for home was shaped into excited speeches against the tyrants back home and their American backers…
When in the States we had shouted Death to this or that, those deaths seemed to be more symbolic, more abstract, as if we were encouraged by the impossibility of our slogans to insist upon them even more. But in Tehran in 1979, these slogans were turning into reality with macabre precision. I felt helpless: all the dreams and slogans were coming true, and there was no escaping them…
In later months and years, every once in a while Bijan [Nafisi’s husband] and I would be shocked to see the show trials of our old [Iranian] comrades in the U.S. on [Iranian] television. They eagerly denounced their past actions, their old comrades, their old selves, and confessed that they were indeed the enemies of Islam. We would watch these scenes in silence…I turned and asked Bijan, Did you ever dream that this could happen to us? He said, No, I didn’t, but I should have.
Getting caught up in the cray-cray: what 911 will look like after the police are defunded.
https://youtu.be/2-V2arHXwq8
Everyday censorship:
Ivanka Trump Dropped as Commencement Speaker for Wichita State University
The problem with censorship, as John Stuart Mill pointed out a century and half ago, is that it makes it impossible for those who impose it to discover that they are wrong.
–Roger Scruton
neo: That’s a brilliant bit! Thanks.
“if so many people weren’t blinded by the incessant propaganda of the left, supported and spread by the MSM and the school system …”
There are many things to be upset about. Still, in my view, if I could only change one thing it would be the media.
I truly believe that there is much that would self-heal if only the media came anywhere near to being fair.
JimNorCal:
I completely agree.
I actually think “fake news” is too trivial a term for it. I’m not good at coming up with catchy names, but what it is is Big Lies and Orwellian propaganda of great cleverness and unity of purpose.
neo/anyone: Where’s a good place to start with Roger Scruton?
So many books, links. So little time.
neo:
Your observation on whether or not we have enough time is correct. I do not have a good feeling about the upcoming election. Unfortunately for all of us, except the thugs, we just may have run out of time.
Tommy Smother, “The only valid form of censorship is the right to not listen.”
The left seeks the one ring, an authoritarian state that is willing to murder tens of millions who refuse to kowtow. Yes they hate djt, but they hate we deplorables more. They are not my fellow countrymen, they are my enemy. They need to flee to their imaginary utopia, STFU, or die.
huxley…. for scruton start here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHw4MMEnmpc
The Truth will certainly make itself known.
But … not necessarily in your, mine, nor anybody living today’s lifetime.
Skynet / robo-authority, will never be able to take over from a freedom loving, free-speech loving society.
But now I’m imagining a China-like total drone surveillance society of lazy, comfy poverty for almost all — the men get paid $15/hr to play video games all day long.
Lots of folk accept this. It comes to support some “social justice”. It stays because … robots. Including sex-bots who give as many orgasms as desired (better than The Orb in Woody Allen’s Sleeper).
“You and me babe.
How about it?”
(Mark Knopfler at Madison Square Garden, 2019 – he was also in Bratislava!
didn’t go, tho. 🙁 ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF_gCy-4y3w
Comment:
I remember my wife and I going to visit my sister and her husband. And we were all sitting around outside in front of his garage and he says, “Man…you’ve got to hear this.”
So he goes inside and cranks his stereo and I hear ‘The Sultans of Swing’ for the first time.
“Who the f**k is that!” I say.
“Dire Straits”, he tells me.
“Who?”
That was over 40 years ago…and it is one of those memories that is as clear as if it was yesterday.
Thanks, Mark!
Thanks, Huxley, for Scruton. On beauty.
Conservatives love beauty. Far more than Originality.
Beauty is like virtue, and originality is like cool.
Democrats prefer cool. Which is often more photogenic in movies, but not a good ideal.
Europe is a fait accompli.
The US has only a small chance of escaping complete Democratic takeover in November. Then borders will not exist, mail vote fraud will be normal, doctors will no longer practice (they will all be drafted into Federal service), all meds will be from Ezekiel Emanuel-controlled Federal pharmacies (to avoid inessential drugs for the elderly), the thought police will be everywhere, and Modern Monetary Theory will prevail (to H with deficits, gotta have guaranteed annual income, more for blacks because of oppression).
“..if only the media came anywhere near to being fair.” – JimNorCal
https://babylonbee.com/news/cnn-death-star-blows-up-alderaan-in-mostly-peaceful-demonstration
I went to this post for the headline, and stayed for the essay that captures the difference between the Left and conservatives (I’ve quit using the mislabeling of “liberal” or even “progressive” – since they are not either one).
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/06/08/extreme-cringe-speaker-nancy-pelosi-unites-the-new-black-pander-party/
Words and deeds.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/06/06/anger-games-economic-rebound-antithetical-to-the-class-warfare-plan/
I’m kind of afraid to see the answer to that last question.
https://twitter.com/Ymarsakar/status/1270320522568650752?s=20
I have shifted to Ymar’s world and Ymar’s course. So I am collecting my debriefings there, hosted by Grim. Twitter is nice for grasping the emotional state of humanity and the President (Trump) uses it too, but it can’t hold the density of information required. Other people have done videos enough that I have the links to them by now, but I’ll use a simpler format and structure.
Recommended for All Here:
“The War On Cops”
By (The Great)
Heather MacDonald
(2016)
__________________
I listened to Dennis Prager interview Heather yesterday & immediately ordered the book for
Single $-Dollars from eBay. I have read her wonderful, “The War On Boys”.
This may be tangential; and I may be late to the table.
But, I wonder how many people are aware that the martyr George Floyd spent five years in prison for armed robbery, and had another conviction for theft with a fire arm? (Don’t know the resolution of the second conviction.)
I am only aware of this because I did a Duck Duck Go search on the statement by the Police Union spokesman that Floyd was a violent criminal. It turns out the the NY Post had reported it; but, I have seen nothing else.
This parallels the lack of reporting that the police were actually responding to a 911 call that Floyd was intoxicated and out of control. (Turns out that he had meth and fentanyl in his system). Reports have generally said the police accosted him simply for passing a bogus $20 bill. Not true.
All of this makes me wonder what might have transpired that the viral video does not show. Maybe someday the cops will be able to elaborate if they survive long enough in the climate of hate that has been manufactured.
Neo:
I have my doubts that it’s showing itself in time. Or perhaps it’s more correct to say that it would be in time, if so many people weren’t blinded by the incessant propaganda of the left
———–
One other result of “cancel” style censorship/denunciation is that those in power have no idea how many people disagree with them, but are hunkering/cowering. I think many Americans are still lip-syncing Liberal slogans and striking poses they have been told are fashionable (and safe) – but will vote based on reality.
Read Dalrymple’s famous account of how Glasnost precipitated a rapid collapse of Soviet authority. People who’d gone through life feeling that they were the only ones who felt something was wrong suddenly knew that millions thought as they did. The power of the Soviets to impose anything on the populace devolved pretty quickly.
Trump’s election was a Glasnost moment. People who knew in their guts that the politics of racial preferences and sexual identity were oppressive nonsense, that the radicals had gone off the rails, suddenly saw that millions of people voted against what “everybody knew” to be Good and Progressive.
The Left has spent much of its time since trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle, and to shore up its authority with even more extreme claims and shriller attack (call it the “pay to attention to that man behind the curtain” tactic). Unfortunately for them, this has revealed their true nature even more – accelerating the Glasnost effect.
It seems they are now moving into a more dangerous attempt to incite a real revolution.
But millions of Americans will not be induced to forget what they’ve learned. And they know that millions of their neighbors agree with them. No pollster will be able to measure this group until they step into a voting booth. But I think they will be… huge.