There are simple life truths that apply to most people. A few can defy them, most can’t, and the masses, never. (“Individuals have conquered themselves. Nations and large bodies of men, never.”—John Adams)
For example: Going downhill is easier than going uphill. Being lazy requires less effort than working hard. Self-control is far more difficult than licentiousness. Lies are believed more readily than truth because lies are more pleasant to human ears and tell us what we want to hear. Being ignorant and stupid is easy and comfortable; gaining knowledge and wisdom demands a supreme struggle.
That’s just a few interesting, and undeniable, maxims. The truly virtuous and strong of character can conquer themselves. But, “is there any virtue among us?” James Madison asked. Virtue is hard to obtain and maintain. Some people do it. Most don’t. Nations never for long.
Since America is full of people, the above maxims apply here as well. The wise and knowledgeable see the nation going downhill. Individuals do that. It’s the easiest path. And politicians always follow the people because they want their money and praise.
Politicians are the class most guilty of every one of the above adages.
Here is another: Victory over evil requires sacrifice and great cost; defeat only wants cowardice and submission. The Republican Party has absolutely no clue what that means. But then, that Party is made up of people, and politicians, and the above truths apply as much to them as anyone.
“Individuals have conquered themselves; nations and large bodies of men, never.” Almost never.
One sure way that “history repeats itself” is in the above proverbs. The battles we fight, individually as humans and collectively as nations, are consistently entailed in these sayings. Because virtuous victory is so costly, and decadent evil so pleasant, eventually evil wins. And it never gives up. Never. I don’t know why, but evil never gets weary. Well, yes, I do know why. Evil, as noted, is easy. It is the downhill path, the path with the least, or no, resistance. The licentiousness path of pleasure. So, virtue ultimately despairs because it travels uphill, against the tide, and becomes weary.
Every empire of the past built on virtue, courage, bravery, industry, and character has now disappeared into the dustbin of history. Not one remains. “Individuals can conquer themselves; nations and large bodies of men, never.” Or, at least, “not for long.”
Is America next?
Civilization fights the same battles over and over again, sometimes only in principle, sometimes in actuality. America has just been reminded of the great sacrifice of thousands of men—and in many ways, the entire country—made on June 6, 1944. We were going uphill. It wasn’t easy. But it was accomplished because we had great people then, men and women of virtue who were willing to sacrifice, many of them making the ultimate sacrifice, for freedom. So, occasionally, Mr. Adams is inaccurate. On very few occasions, “nations and large bodies of men” can rise above evil and conquer it. Adams’ generation did it.
But, oh, the cost, the cost. A monumental cost. But America won. And we saved the world. Not just in Europe, but in Asia. I’ve told some friends in China, “If it wasn’t for America, you’d be speaking Japanese right now.” None of them has ever denied it. Unfortunately, all China did was exchange one barbaric tyranny for another.
We fought, we won, it was exhausting. We wanted to rest. We wanted to relax. We wanted to enjoy the fruits of our victory. We wanted to sleep. So, we did.
And today, we fight the same enemy—socialist totalitarianism—that we defeated in Nazi Germany and (eventually) Soviet Russia. Only this time, the enemy isn’t in another country. It crept into our own. It’s the Democratic Party.
The Democrats are trying to give us the same system, socialist totalitarianism, that America fought so exhaustively to defeat 80 years ago. But evil never stops folks. It never gives up. It ALWAYS reappears. It’s the comfortable way.
Downhill is easier than uphill. Self-control is more rigorous than licentiousness. Lies run around the world while truth is putting its boots on. And it never, never slows down.
We are going to have to defeat it again.
But, the serious question is, can we? “Individuals can conquer themselves; nations and large bodies of men...” not often.
Can we do it again?
Rome had to do it several times and finally became the bully herself. But even that great empire eventually ran out of gas, and couldn’t keep the barbarians from climbing the walls. Where is the British Empire today? A shattered husk, empowering the very savages it once tried to civilize. America fought that empire, fought a continent, fought slavery, fought Germany (twice), fought Japan, fought the USSR; do we have anything left to fight the profligate miscreants roaming our streets that now rule the Democratic Party?
“A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has [first] destroyed itself from within.” Will Durant
We defeated atheistic, leftist, totalitarian socialism twice, as it existed on foreign shores, in hot and cold wars. And then we slept. And while we were sleeping the enemy merrily arose from within our own borders.
We fought it in Germany. We fought it against the USSR. Now, we are having to fight it on our own shores and in the halls of Congress. Civilized humanity fights the same battles, over and over, again.
Remember: victory over evil requires sacrifice and great cost; defeat only requires cowardice and submission.
Eventually, every empire grows old, grows weary, grows unable to find the strength to overcome death. It happens to humans, too, which is why we all die in the end.
Does America have enough will left to survive?
How many must die this time to save us from our current totalitarian, fascist crisis?