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The Ninth Commandment and Dr. Goebbels
The ninth commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” seems simple and clear. In any civil situation lying about one’s fellow citizen is not only morally wrong but destroys the very fabric of civil society. It should not be surprising that it is included in the ten commandments but it is almost deceptive in its simplicity and directness.
We normally just think of not gossiping or a news story falsely accusing someone. However, there are larger lies that often we don’t associate with the ninth commandment. For instance when 70 million American voters are dismissed in their concern over the integrity of a recent election and a crude pejorative is thrown at them such as “deplorable”, “racist”, or “cult”, this is bearing false witness against thy neighbor on a grand scale.
Of course, we must pay our respects to the greatest proponent of “bearing false witness against thy neighbor on a grand scale”, Dr. Joseph Goebbels. Here is his full maxim.
In short, the biggest lie of all is to bear false witness against humanity itself. This can only be effectively accomplished by using the full coercive power of the state to repress the truth. Yet, this is just the very same sin that the ninth commandment is designed to condemn but writ very very large. We don’t normally think that big about the ninth but with the likes of Dr. Goebbels in the world and the new post-modern perverse mentality all the rage we had better start to recognize this sin for what it is. Here is a man who has picked up where Dr. Goebbels left off.
I have tried to move our attention here on Ricochet to these really huge lies. Marxism and Environmentalism (now extended to the microverse of disease prevention) are two of the most persistent offenders that produce huge lies (false witness against humanity) and have resulted in hundreds of millions of deaths. Klaus Schwab acts as if these documented horrors didn’t happen. In classic Goebbels like fashion, he presents his huge lies over and over. His cures for these non-existent problems have the most dangerous possible effects that humanity could face. Inclusiveness and the environment are not problems at all but lies perpetrated against a capitalist democratic society. His cure, Marxist Authoritarianism, would cause poverty, tyranny, and genocide the triumvirate of disaster that is the result of all such socialist projects.
The Great Reset is a Great Lie. We must fight the repression/suppression of the truth. Let Freedom Ring and let the Blessings of Liberty flow to the entire world. May Klaus Schwab join his colleague Dr. Goebbels’ at his exclusive mountain retreat in hell. Let them plan a reset of hell together. Best of luck.
I will not be so quick to skim over the ninth commandment again.
Published in General
“Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. 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. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.”
― Theodore Dalrymple
BPD,
Yep, the Davos Grandee figures he can outlast us as he enjoys his vacation like conference and the adulation of the naive. So it is first important to know your adversary and know that he is immoral. Keep concentrating on kicking this pompous jerk in the shins and then you won’t end up acquiescing to the big bs.
Regards,
Jim
“For instance when 70 million American voters are dismissed in their concern over the integrity of a recent election and a crude pejorative is thrown at them such as “deplorable”, “racist”, or “cult”, this is bearing false witness against thy neighbor on a grand scale.”
Anna Egorova, a Soviet attack pilot in WWII, wrote an outstanding memoir. In discussing her childhood, she remembers her mother’s prayers….”kneeling before the icons, as she firstly listed all our names, the names of her children, begging God for health and wisdom for us, and then at the end of each prayer repeating: ‘God save them from slander!’ Back then in my childhood, I didn’t understand that word…but (when her brother was arrested as an Enemy of the People) it was exposed before me in all its terrible nakedness”
Egorova herself became a target of slanders: after being shot down and captured by the Germans…and eventually freed by Soviet forces..she was turned over to SMERSH an (acronym of ‘Death to Spies’, a real thing, not just a fixture in American spy movies). The Soviet regime considered anyone who had been taken prisoner to be a traitor, and many such individuals were sent to Siberia or shot out of hand. In Anna’s case, parachuting out of a burning plane was construed as surrendering, and she was interrogated for 10 days, being called a “Fascist bitch” among other epithets.
One might hope that Americans in 2020 would learn from all the well-documentated horror stories about what can happen when totalitarian practices rule.
Dave,
Thanks for bringing us this tale from not so long ago. The truth is in short supply. Whether it is falsely accusing a President, wildly exaggerating the threat from a virus, or stealing an election, those that play fast and loose with the truth are all around us. Whenever we can stick our thumb in the liar’s eye we should do so.
Regards,
Jim
Maintaining a lie against dissidents requires this thing we call “othering.” That seems the gravest false witness to foster attitudes to see, and treat, others as less human, deserving less respect because they disagree.
We are too quick to believe lies that suit our preferred narrative. Especially when narratives are pushed by those in power, and where disagreeing can make like difficult.
Yes, but also “othering” is the opposite of “unity”, and does often represent reality. The Dems/ MSM/ Socialists/ even Communists push one view, and the conservatives/ Americans see the truth, and that the other folks really are “other”. Sometimes there can be no compromise between two opposing views — conservatives cannot live in peace with aggressive socialist
aggressorscriminals and provocateurs.