re: Why are “Hitler” and “Nazi” comparisons off limits?

Live not by lies

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(Long)

Rod Dreher begins his introduction to “Live Not By Lies” by quoting Alexander Solzhenitsyn, survivor of and writer concerning the Soviet gulags. Solzhenitsyn writes, “There is always this fallacious belief: ‘It would not be the same here; here such things are impossible.’ Alas, all the evil of the twentieth century is possible everywhere on earth.” (p. ix) With this premise asserted in the very opening pages of the book, Dreher then documents three things. First, the totalitarianism of the Soviet block countries is advancing in the west—specifically in America. Second, the book spends a great deal of time recounting the lives of those that survived the communist totalitarian regimes. And finally, the book applies the knowledge and experience of the communist survivors to how Christians might survive what is coming in America.

Part One of the book is “Understanding Soft Totalitarianism.” These four chapters are meant to awaken American readers to the reality of the growing ‘soft’ totalitarianism we face, rather than the ‘hard’ that was in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries. Dreher uses Hannah Arendt when. Building his definition of totalitarianism. He writes, “a totalitarian society is one in which an ideology seeks to displace all prior traditions and institutions, with the goal of bringing all aspects of society under control of that ideology. A totalitarian state is one that aspires to nothing less than defining and controlling reality. Truth is whatever the rulers decide it is.”

The difference between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ totalitarianism is centered upon the way it is enforced. Rather than being enforced by ‘government decree’ as in ‘hard’ totalitarianism, ‘soft’ totalitarianism is enforced by ‘the persuasiveness of consumer capitalism.’ (p. xv)

Dreher argues that “Many conservatives today fail to grasp the gravity of today’s threat, dismissing it as mere ‘political correctness’—a previous generation’s disparaging term for so-called ‘wokeness.’” (p. 8) Conservatives fail to see that this ideology has begun to establish itself in ‘corporate America’, having graduated from college campuses. Dreher writes, “Today…dissenters from the woke party line find their businesses, careers, and reputations destroyed.” (p. 8-9) This is the way ‘soft’ totalitarianism has become, and is being established into mainstream America. It “masquerades as kindness, demonizing dissenters and disfavored demographic groups to protect the feelings of ‘victims’ in order to bring about ‘social justice.’” (p. 9)

Dreher argues that “The public will support, or at least not oppose, the coming soft totalitarianism, not because it fears the imposition of cruel punishments but because it will be more or less satisfied by hedonistic comforts.” He says, “people will surrender political rights in exchange for guarantees of personal pleasure.” (p.10-11) He goes on to say that “Christian resistance…has been fruitless… Because the spirit of the therapeutic has conquered the churches as well—even those populated by Christians that identify as conservative.” (p. 13) In short, Christians are unprepared to suffer for their faith because “the idea of bearing pain for the sake of truth seems ridiculous.” (p. 13)

Throughout these arguments, Dreher brings in anecdotal evidence from those that lived under totalitarian regimes. Those that once lived under the heavy hand of totalitarian governments have been warning those willing to listen for years, that totalitarianism has come to America. Is Dreher an alarmist? Perhaps, but even those, like myself, well acquainted with the works of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Richard Wurmbrand, Orwell, and Huxley—we see signs all around us that we’re already waist-deep in soft-totalitarianism. It has happened hard and fast—becoming especially apparent with the MeToo movement, and most of all in the horrific year that has been 2020.

I’ve spent most of this review in the relatively brief first part of “Live Not By Lies” because this is what is ncessary to grasp the importance of this book. But the true and lasting value of the book will be in the “how-to” portion that is most of the rest of the book. This truly is a “Manual for Christian Dissidents.” This book distills the best of what is most needed from the lives and legacies of those that survived the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries. If you have time, read those works as well. But at least begin with this book. This will begin the process of preparing to “Live in Truth” as Dreher puts it. Christians must begin preparing now, or we will not be prepared for what is coming. We need to prepare our hearts and souls to survive what is designed to destroy us. But God reigns. He brought a remnant out of the 20th century, and he will bring a remnant out of this one.