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This book is listed as #1 best seller in “Fascism” on Amazon. Is this a mistake or a misconception? This book mostly focuses on communism, and should thus be under Communism not fascism.
Live by Lies is a book ironically with a positive message despite the dystopic warnings it lays down through past parallels and current warning signs. Rod Dreher's command of Russian Communist history is welcomed in a current world where no one talks about this subject enough. His title is based off an essay by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and justifiably so, Solzhenitsyn is an obvious inspiration for this book in many areas.
As someone who is only 22, I have been studying this time in history for three years. Not only because of how taboo it seems to be in academic circles, or how ignorant the people are on this, but my interest lies in how past communism can show us how to avoid a similar situation.
Dreher covers everything that is important in this contemporary struggle. He openly talks about the technocracy that has not only come into fruition, but has invited itself into our homes by our own will. Paraphrasing a great line "Orwell worried about a future where books were burned, that is not where we are. Huxley warned of a world where all books and information are open to all, yet no one cares. This is where we are at." Beautifully illustrated, and can be greatly appreciated by those who have read 1984 and Brave New World.
Most people who are aware of these tyrannical attempts to destroy the soul will not be surprised by much of his studies and passages. However Dreher has a raw talent to put these seemingly complex evolution of totalitarianism into an easier format for people who have decided not to delve into these subjects. Live not By Lies can serve as a great book for people fresh, or even people who are well advised in these harsh realities. For new beginners it can open them to new sources, new ways of thinking or simply educating them on the truth of communism. On the latter, for advanced readers, it can serve as a solitary book to solidify research and to open more avenues of study.
Dreher intelligently laid out first hand accounts of surviving communism. The contrast of Russian anti-communist, and contemporary Western pro-consumer culture is best explained in this book. Privacy is a precious commodity for the Russian anti-communist, the thought that Americans gladly sell their privacy through "Big Data" horrifies them. Who can blame them?
Americans are voluntarily selling their freedoms as we speak. It happened through the Patriot Act to fight "Global terrorism" in response to 9/11, it has happened again during the Pandemic "to keep us all safe" from the "invisible enemy". Some of the conclusions of the anti-communist came down to believing most people prefer soft-totalitarianism instead of freedom. Why? Freedom is not easy. Freedom means responsibility and discipline in one's own conscience. Leaving our fate in the hands of the state is easy, takes no thought at all. From my experience living in a foolish blue state, many people believe that corrupt politicians will pay for all their problems.
Dreher's sources are concrete, he is clearly well versed in many cultural critics both past and living. This brings in the many questions of why communism is so attractive to many ignorant people. Without spoiling too much of the book, it brings back what I read from Theodore Kaczynski's recent publications on society and technology. Both books hit the mark on social media and it's devastating effect on society's mental health. This includes one of the topics being, the atomization of people. Isolation, loneliness, depression at an all time high.
Why are suicides at a higher rate than ever before seen when Western society has everything it materialistic desires? This is due to the lack of higher purpose, which Dreher goes into great detail. Even going as far as saying the Bolshevik's of the 1917 Revolution, perpetrators of the Red Terror were more spiritual than the modern day progressive. The Bolsheviks did not believe in God, but they believed in a higher metaphysical purpose. Today there is no belief in any god or purpose by the machine of progressive tyrants, they are the gods of their own egotistical religion.
Why did I begin saying Live by Lies is ironically positive? After the first half of the book which describes the coming soft-totalitarianism in the West, and the use of technology illustrated by China to subdue its citizens with the "Social Credit System". The second half of the book purely focuses on tragic first hand experiences of gulag survivors and families who kept their honor and faith through a system of lies. This is an incredible part of Dreher's work, a page turner.
Dreher allows the survivors to show their true faith, and resistance to communism by their deeds and actions in life. This is very important, this allows the distinction between being hypocritical and being one of action. Some may misconceive the religious aspect of Dreher's message is to seek suffering, and misery to strengthen the soul. This is not the case and is not encouraged. It is encouraged that if a time of suffering befalls upon you, then take that time to develop spiritual strength, to not let the system destroy you. Dreher wonderfully compartmentalizes Solzhenitsyn's experience from his "Gulag Archipelago''. After all of the torture, suffering and misery and witnessing barbarity to unimaginable levels, Solzhenitsyn became closer to God then ever before. Many other stories illustrate this example of suffering and overcoming it.
A couple of these stories brought out sorrow in me, I teared on a few of the survivor's accounts and stories. Despite knowing the horrors of communism from studying the subject for a long time, these personal accounts really hit me in the gut. Not just the sheer horror man inflicts on man, but the amazing fortitude of the "victims". The "victims" did not break down spiritually, they did not become hateful or bitter. They embraced God and Jesus in such an unimaginably painful way.
Let me emphasize the word victim. One of the people Dreher interviewed was a documentary filmmaker. The filmmaker searched for stories to honor "victims", but eventually the amazing spirit of these people made him realize they were not victims, but "heroes".
"Heroes". That is a word that we hear too much in the west today. A word that has been diluted, it's meaning construed for current political narrative. Using the word "hero" for these transcendent survivors does not do justice for me due to the watering down of that word "hero". The modern progressive would look down on such men of true heart and courage. The modern progressive labels their dictators and oppressors of freedom as heroes. No I have a better word for those brave souls who died in what they believed in. They were "Champions of the Soul".
I am not a religious man, I do not speak of Jesus or God that much. But after reading this, I feel truly ashamed at my doubts in faith. These men died for their beliefs, like many other great men of our time. The beauty of such courage and love should be proof enough of God and Jesus. For that brings the question. If God is a mere illusion, then why do the communist try so hard to eradicate our connection with the metaphysical? Because they declare themselves God, they want to be the molders of our reality, they want to erode us into empty vessels for them to fill and molest to their heart's content. They are filled with jealousy that man can love something higher than this mortal journey.
This book leaves me hopeful that the spirit of man can endure even the darkest of realities. Orwell believed in the endurance of the human spirit as well, and Dreher highlights this in his book. Read this book, whether you agree or not with some of the author's views or his first hand sources. More people need to be aware of the past and history or we will have no future.
4.5/5 Page turner, needed more focus in some segments but nevertheless had a strong message.
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