I have been reading F. A. Hayek's The Road to Serfdom and - today of all days, I reach this chapter in his great and extraordinarily insightful work:
http://www.crossroad.to/Excerpts/books/revolution/hayek/serfdom-11.htm
Chapter 11: The End of Truth
"In this particular case the perversion of the meaning of the word has, of course, been well prepared .... by many of the theoreticians of socialism. But 'freedom' or 'liberty' are by no means the only words whose meaning has been changed into their opposites to make them serve as instruments of totalitarian propaganda. We have already seen how the same happens to 'justice' and “law,' 'right' and 'equality.' The list could be extended until it includes almost all moral and political terms in general use.
"... the confusion becomes worse because this change of meaning of the words [or in this case the New Testament and the teachings of Christianity itself] describing political ideals is not a single event but a continuous process, a technique employed consciously or unconsciously to direct the people....
"It is not difficult to deprive the great majority of independent thought. But the minority who will retain an inclination to criticize must also be silenced.... Since many parts of this code will never be explicitly stated... every act of the government, must become sacrosanct and exempt from criticism. If the people are to support the common effort without hesitation, they must be convinced that not only the end aimed at but also the means chosen are the right ones."[p.175]
"The word 'truth' itself ceases to have its old meaning. ...it becomes something to be laid down by authority, something which has to be believed in theinterest of the unity of the organized effort and which may have to be altered as the exigencies of this organized effort require it.
"The general intellectual climate which this produces, the spirit of complete cynicism as regards truth which it engenders, the loss of the sense of even the meaning of truth, the disappearance of the spirit of independent inquiry.... Perhaps the most alarming fact is that contempt for intellectual liberty is not a thing which arises only once the totalitarian system is established but one which can be found everywhere among intellectuals who have embraced a collectivist faith and who are acclaimed as intellectual leaders even in countries still under a liberal regime."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main post:
Here we have the Orwellian United States manifesting itself in more than one form.
The TV show Duck Dynasty, which features a family that runs a very successful duck-calling (hunting) business in its work and lifestyle, has been a marketing triumph. You can't go to a Wal-Mart without seeing blankets or shirts with the faces of these grizzled country boys staring at you.
The Robertson family places a great amount of emphasis on their faith. They are Christians and make no attempt to hide this.
Recently, the leader of the clan, Phil, made his views on homosexual behavior known to the world during an interview with GQ. He made use of common sense and also cited an easy-to-understand passage from the New Testament. The standard and perfectly coordinated calls of feigned outrage resulted in Phil being dropped from the show, at least for now.
Make no mistake, the way these people operate has a coordination, timing, and synchronizing of their lies and hatred that would make Operation Overlord look like a plan that was thrown together at the last minute.
I will avoid the sacking that Phil was dealt and treat another part of the report - one that will likely not be brought by many - the mega-Orwellian WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH* play of lies that the radicals employ to deceive a compliant and often willingly ignorant public.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/duck-dynastys-phil-robertson-indefinite-666808
GLAAD [I think it stands for the Fay and Lesbian anti-Deafmtion Alliance but what they are is an alliance that enages in defamtion] on Wednesday condemned his remarks as "some of the vilest and most extreme statements uttered against LGBT people in a mainstream publication" and said "his quote was littered with outdated stereotypes and blatant misinformation."
[The blatant lies made by glad were apparently insufficient in their eyes, so they decided to lie about what? Yes, you got it, they lie about what Christians believe. Below is a classic example of what is being done on a routine basis in the US today - a lie about a lie about yet another lie. The idea is to demonize individuals who believe in something by employing viciously false assertions about the very system in which the person believes. GLAAD lies (1) by stating that Phil lies (2) about being a Christian, and they lie about what Christianity says about certain sinful acts.(3)]
"Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil's lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe," GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said. "He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans -- and Americans -- who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. Phil's decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors, who now need to re-examine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families."
[Did you get that? Christians do not believe that homosexual acts are sinful]
"Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil's lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe," GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said. "He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans -- and Americans -- who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. Phil's decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors, who now need to re-examine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families."
[Did you get that? Christians do not believe that homosexual acts are sinful]
The human rights campaign joined in with more lies about the "values of faith communities"
"The Human Rights Campaign also slammed Robertson for his remarks.
“Phil Robertson’s remarks are not consistent with the values of our faith communities or the scientific findings of leading medical organizations," president Chad Griffin said in a statement. "We know that being gay is not a choice someone makes, and that to suggest otherwise can be incredibly harmful. We also know that Americans of faith follow the Golden Rule -- treating others with the respect and dignity you’d wish to be treated with. As a role model on a show that attracts millions of viewers, Phil Robertson has a responsibility to set a positive example for young Americans -- not shame and ridicule them because of who they are. The A+E Network should take immediate action to condemn Phil Robertson’s remarks and make clear they don’t support his views."
Any body that designates itself to be a church or synagogue that denies that fornication, adultery, or homosexual acts are anything but sinful does not function as a church, etc., but the grass-roots type of Orwellian Newspeak/Doublethink will consistently tell you otherwise.
The idea is simple but right of the totalitarian playbook; misrepresent groups that hold positions contrary to theirs to persuade the average individual that his own group condones whatever the radicals want condoned. They will also march out people who claim to be Christians (and sometimes a renegade pastor or priest), have them assert that Christianity does not prohibit this type pf activity. If you hold to the positions of your group, you will be labeled as a hypocrite who refuses to believe the fictional position of your group that has been manufactured by the radicals.
Bearing false witness was an abominable sin for two reasons. In the days before forensic evidence, the vast amount of evidence in a trial was the testimony of a witness. That was the practical aspect of a law when one's word was the only thing of any real value when obtaining proofs. The second and most important aspect is that, when you lie about person or a group, you attack what they are.
When one bears false witness he is stealing the most important thing that an individual or group possesses and the only thing of this world that an individual can take with him to the grave - his reputation.
*http://thehotgates480bc.blogspot.com/2013/04/fourth-grade-students-essay-doublethink.html
"The Human Rights Campaign also slammed Robertson for his remarks.
“Phil Robertson’s remarks are not consistent with the values of our faith communities or the scientific findings of leading medical organizations," president Chad Griffin said in a statement. "We know that being gay is not a choice someone makes, and that to suggest otherwise can be incredibly harmful. We also know that Americans of faith follow the Golden Rule -- treating others with the respect and dignity you’d wish to be treated with. As a role model on a show that attracts millions of viewers, Phil Robertson has a responsibility to set a positive example for young Americans -- not shame and ridicule them because of who they are. The A+E Network should take immediate action to condemn Phil Robertson’s remarks and make clear they don’t support his views."
Any body that designates itself to be a church or synagogue that denies that fornication, adultery, or homosexual acts are anything but sinful does not function as a church, etc., but the grass-roots type of Orwellian Newspeak/Doublethink will consistently tell you otherwise.
The idea is simple but right of the totalitarian playbook; misrepresent groups that hold positions contrary to theirs to persuade the average individual that his own group condones whatever the radicals want condoned. They will also march out people who claim to be Christians (and sometimes a renegade pastor or priest), have them assert that Christianity does not prohibit this type pf activity. If you hold to the positions of your group, you will be labeled as a hypocrite who refuses to believe the fictional position of your group that has been manufactured by the radicals.
Bearing false witness was an abominable sin for two reasons. In the days before forensic evidence, the vast amount of evidence in a trial was the testimony of a witness. That was the practical aspect of a law when one's word was the only thing of any real value when obtaining proofs. The second and most important aspect is that, when you lie about person or a group, you attack what they are.
When one bears false witness he is stealing the most important thing that an individual or group possesses and the only thing of this world that an individual can take with him to the grave - his reputation.
*http://thehotgates480bc.blogspot.com/2013/04/fourth-grade-students-essay-doublethink.html
piece, Harris suggested a penguin replace St. Nick as a Christmas mascot so as to appeal to children of all races.