the last country of freedom & possibility?

In 1970 a KGB operative from the USSR, an expert in Indian culture and languages, found himself disgusted with the Soviet system and made his way to the West.  His migration was at great personal risk, but he had decided he must be free and so he defected to the United States.

In 1984, G. Edward Griffin conducted an indepth interview of the ex-KGB operative, Yuri Bezmenov, which was essentially a study of comparison and contrast between the United States and the USSR.  A portion of that interview is in the video below.  It's important, as you watch this video, to remember that this interview is from 1984 - amazing how no one heeded his warnings and we are so much further down the path to total communism/socialism than we were then.

In 1984, Mr. Griffin billed Mr. Bezmenov as "one of the world’s outstanding experts on the subject of Soviet propaganda and disinformation and active measures." And while I've been unable to find anything on or from Mr. Bezmenov within the past few years - IF he is still alive, I have to believe that this moniker would still stand.

In November of last year, Useless Dissident transcribed a different part of this same interview.  It's a great read that gives you a little bit of Yuri's background and where he's coming from in making the statements he makes in the above mentioned interview.

Very early in that interview - remember this was 25 years ago - Mr. Griffin put forth the following question:

"In this country, at the university level primarily, we read and hear that the Soviet system is different from ours, but not that different. And that there is a convergence developing between all of the systems of the world, and that really it doesn’t make an awful lot of difference what system you live under because you have corruption and dishonesty and tyranny and all that sort of thing. From your personal experience, what is the difference between life under Communism and life in the United States?"

It's clear that, although few of us realized it at the time, we were already well down the path to the  one world 'convergence', let alone collectivism, that Mr. Griffin mentions in his question.  And today we're running down that road with the [uninformed] blessing of a good percentage of the population.

It's obvious that we never did heed bezmenov's recommendations for the proper, America-appreciating  education

of our youth and our citizens - So is it now too late for the U.S.? 

What of the "force" he speaks of?  Obama has been in office less than 30 days and we are further down the road to complete socialism than any could have thought would be possible after 30 months.

The constitution is worse than, as Thomas Jefferson warned, a 'mere thing of wax' in the hands of the Judiciary - It is now nothing even worse than that in the hands of the most horrible Congress in the history of our country.  The graceless bunglers making up this current Congress is working hard to reduce our country to a country of collectivism.

And if we don't stop it now, it will be too late.

Comments

[Brooke]

Long time, no see!

We may have to have another Revolution to restore America to her former glory.

[Americaneocon]

Interesting post, Heidi! Convergence ... sounds like an Obama buzzword!

[Miradena]

Great reminder, Heidi - Isn't it amazing how quickly we have forgotten lessons that were drilled into us in high school? Whatever happened to our healthy fear of a Communist take-over?

Gone are "politically incorrect" depictions of double agents that once were evident even in Bullwinkle cartoons, as heavily accented Boris and Natasha plotted to take over the world. Instead we are being convinced that the only threat we have to our well-being is Global Warming.

Propoganda is still powerful. If Obama shouted: "Workers of the World, Unite!" - Americans would rally behind him. Unfortunately, few would recognize that this line is straight from the Communist Manifesto and Marx's tombstone. I'm seeing RED......:)

[Kevin]

St. Louis had a rally today against the porkulus bill, expecting maybe 200 people, there were close to 1000 and they , as our forebearers, dumped tea into the river in protest.
Maybe if this type of behavior spread nationwide, the poor excuse for a congress might get the message.

[Angel]

The graceless bunglers making up this current Congress is working hard to reduce our country to a country of collectivism...and communism!..while the Libs cheer them on!..great piece Heidi!

[Shoebuy.com Coupons Chick]

I love to read stuff like this. Thanks.

[Otto - American Interests]

We have witnessed a gradual shift to the left to forms of neo-Marxist socialism throughout many nations of late. Collectivism comes in many guises and it’s all the rage as I write.

The “we are all in this together”, nanny state, one global village convergence appears set to continue unabated. Witness the blind acceptance of everything that pours out of your Presidents mouth, be it free for all money (stimulus packages) consultative (almost appeasing) forms of foreign policy and soon to be released details of carbon cap and trade emissions trading that will further stifle economies through indirect taxes meaning more and bigger government … It’s a circus out there…

How pertinent the video Heidi … wondering if you got around to reading a Nov 22, 08 post of mine, “The Anti Americanism mindset”?

See: http://americasinterests.blogspot.com/2008/11/anti-americanism-mindset.html

[JMK]

THAT is the question, HOW to rein in a "duely elected government."

The problem is one of the "political class" NOT merely one Party or another.

YES, the LIBERALS (BOTH Democrat and Republican) are the WORST, but even so-called Conservatives like Tom DeLay and Dennis Hastert have imbibed on pork and signed onto bloated government.

We seem to NEED a mechanism that right now doesn't appear to exist, OR baring THAT, then some form of revolution down the road....a "revolution" can take several shapes - the most recent one we had was the ill-fated "Gingrich Revolution" undone by both a committed LEft-wing Press and the scorched-earth Clintonians in combining to smear Gingrich and derail a peaceful social and economic revolution that showed so much promise!