Theres another part where he discusses how normalized it becomes. Everyone has this vision of this dramatic scene of KGB agents running through a stormy night and kicking down doors while dragging people away kicking and screaming, but he says its not like that. Agents would calmly approach people out in public, politely ask someone if they are indeed whoever, and then say something like "please come with us sir" and that was it. It was so quick, normal, and a non event that everyone would go along with it.
Marx and Engels were Germans. Marx lived “for decades” in London and died there. Communism is a German invention and it was the West who coddled the communists.
If they had guns maybe it would have worked, but in reality Hitler would have murdered them all, it probably would have been worse, main thing is to stay armed so you can fight back.
This was Stalin hes talking about in Russia, not Hitler. But either way, the point is that once it gets to that point its too late. Its easy to fantisize about fighting some rebellious war against a tyrant, but the reality is you most likely wouldnt do anything. Once its gone its gone, thats why liberty is so precious and needs to be safeguarded.
Solzhenitsyn understood the critical manpower equation here. In any such tyrannical regime, the subjects, even if weak and unorganized, still massively outnumber the tyrant's enforcers by orders of magnitude. Even if you can't win the fight individually: knowing they'll kill you anyway, take one or more with you. If enough dissenters resist in such a manner, the State runs out of bodies long before populace does.
I keep meaning to read the book. I need to get on that
Thanks, saving this
Do read it
It's hard as HELL to read, the sheer evil portrayed hurts. Eyeopening how close we've always been to that sort of tyranny.
Try Under the Sign of the Scorpion next.
The worst is that it's all true
Fuck your shekel
"We didn't love freedom enough." Look around at all the mask sheep and those words will send a chill down your spine.
Theres another part where he discusses how normalized it becomes. Everyone has this vision of this dramatic scene of KGB agents running through a stormy night and kicking down doors while dragging people away kicking and screaming, but he says its not like that. Agents would calmly approach people out in public, politely ask someone if they are indeed whoever, and then say something like "please come with us sir" and that was it. It was so quick, normal, and a non event that everyone would go along with it.
Yup!! You get it! Peace, Friend
Should have purged the commies from government when FDR was sucking their dicks.
Should’ve listen to Patton and attacked Russia after Hitler was defeated.
Nothing could be truer.
There was a reason why FDR called Stalin Uncle Joe.
So sick - FDR knew what Stalin and his minions had done before, during, and after the Red Terror.
Marx and Engels were Germans. Marx lived “for decades” in London and died there. Communism is a German invention and it was the West who coddled the communists.
It's weird how much people will give up for the promise of free stuff. We're seeing it now.
If they had guns maybe it would have worked, but in reality Hitler would have murdered them all, it probably would have been worse, main thing is to stay armed so you can fight back.
This was Stalin hes talking about in Russia, not Hitler. But either way, the point is that once it gets to that point its too late. Its easy to fantisize about fighting some rebellious war against a tyrant, but the reality is you most likely wouldnt do anything. Once its gone its gone, thats why liberty is so precious and needs to be safeguarded.
Totally, it's important as a society to never get to the point where your rights to own a gun are taken away. That's the tipping point.
Solzhenitsyn understood the critical manpower equation here. In any such tyrannical regime, the subjects, even if weak and unorganized, still massively outnumber the tyrant's enforcers by orders of magnitude. Even if you can't win the fight individually: knowing they'll kill you anyway, take one or more with you. If enough dissenters resist in such a manner, the State runs out of bodies long before populace does.
This quote has stuck with me for 20 years
I am reading my way through this book. It has more to do with torture than the actual arrests, though the opening chapter is very much worth a read.