DIG LIFE DEEP!

New York Times bestselling author, Rod Dreher reveals how the seeds of political oppression are already taking root in America, and provides a roadmap for resistance. In a new book, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents, (Penguin, Sentinel, September 29, 2020), Dreher amplifies the alarm sounded by the brave men and women who have fought and escaped the clutches of totalitarianism.

Will Coggin is managing director of the American Security Institute, which was founded to educate Americans about Chinese government influence in the United States. Coggin is also managing director of the Center for Consumer Freedom, which promotes consumer choice and fightsradical activists that want to reduce it. He graduated from The College of William & Mary and previously lived in Beijing.

Viktor Shvets' medicine for overcoming our greatest financial challenge in decades - record global debt - is daring and controversial: Forget about repaying the massive bill of as much as $500 trillion since this would lead inevitably to a collapse in asset prices, he says, from homes to 401(k) pension plans. The global economy is wedded to technology and "financialization" of everything from mortgages to esoteric corporate and consumer loans. The idea of old-fashioned lending practices with simpler pieces of notes and clear cut lenders is a dim memory. Loans today have been financialized with every part - from principle to interest - sliced and diced and sold off to multiple investors and traders. Viktor Shvets' ideas will have many skeptics and critics, including the host of this podcast, since the real price to be paid could be surrendering our personal sovereignty to state governments as the new path to "freedom." 

But Shvets sees a future that can't be easily dismissed as a wild dream. For that reason, his new book is a fascinating study. Imagine that by the 2040s, Harvard College is shuttered, its hallowed halls impenetrably overgrown with miles of vines — closed for lack of demand in Ivy-League education. It’s just one jarring possibility suggested in Viktor Shvets’ thought-provoking deep-dive into the challenges facing today’s world: The Great Rupture – Three Empires, Four Turning points and the Future of Humanity – Do we need to be free? (Publisher: Boyle & Dalton.) “The lessons of the last five centuries were unequivocal — without freedom, there could be no prosperity or happiness. However, does this still hold true in the Information Age?” Shvets asks. 

He expertly and compellingly distills the lessons learned over the last five centuries, and projects these into the future. Could the Information Age be rewriting the recipe for individual and national success? According to Shvets, modern technologies are disrupting the structure of our societies, altering every facet of our lives, from the nature of work and what we intrinsically value to how we are informed, entertained and educated — it promises to be a far deeper disruption than Industrial Revolutions. Humanity is at a major turning point, and how we respond to the merger of technology and financialization will decide our future. Will it be capitalism or communism, feudalism or despotism? 

The Great Rupture explores the weakening nexus between freedom and prosperity and what that means for the future of humanity. From the birth of our modern world, pivotal events have led to the collapse of non-Western civilizations — Mongol warriors sweeping across Eurasian steppes; the Black Death and a re-awakening of human spirit; Zheng He’s voyages and the collapse of Novgorod republic; and finally, the ban on printing in Arabic. What can we learn from these historical events to better prepare ourselves for the future?  As we hurtle toward that uncertain future, Shvets writes we must decide whether our cherished individual freedoms are still necessary for success and prosperity, or if in adapting to new technologies, non-Western civilizations are now better positioned for this new world, creating highly illiberal and possibly brutal orders that might no longer suffer from stagnation of ideas or wealth. For the first time in at least five centuries, we have an opportunity and tools to build a different society and economy. 

The book explores specific policy choices that might help us navigate this treacherous transition. Will we embrace the challenge? Author Viktor Shvets, born in Kiev,  then the capital of the Soviet Ukraine, is a global strategist at Macquarie Bank in Hong Kong. In his almost four-decades-long investment banking career, he worked in Sydney, Melbourne, London, New York and Moscow at a number of global investment banks, such as Baring Securities, Deutsche Bank, DLJ, Lehman Brothers and Credit Su

As a new left-wing cultural revolution takes to the streets and seizes control of American institutions, Rod Dreher renews the great Russian dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s stirring call to “live not by lies” – that is, to refuse to compromise with ideological tyranny. In a new book, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents, (Penguin, Sentinel, September 29, 2020), Dreher amplifies the alarm sounded by the brave men and women who have fought and escaped the clutches of totalitarianism. For years, émigrés from the former Soviet bloc have been telling Rod Dreher they see telltale signs of "soft" totalitarianism cropping up in America. 

In Live Not by Lies, Dreher shares the compelling stories of modern-day dissidents--clergy, laity, martyrs, and confessors from the Soviet Union and the captive nations of Europe—who offer practical advice on how to identify and resist the trappings of secular social justice. In Live Not by Lies, Dreher shows how identity politics are beginning to encroach on every aspect of life. Civil liberties are increasingly seen as a threat to “safety.” Progressives marginalize conservative, traditional Christians, and other dissenters. Dreher points out how today’s elites and elite institutions are abandoning old-fashioned liberalism, based in defending the rights of the individual, and replacing it with a progressive creed that regards justice in terms of groups. In Live Not by Lies, Dreher explains how the totalitarianism facing us today is based less on overt violence and more on psychological manipulation.   The reach of contemporary thoughtcrime expands constantly—homophobia, Islamophobia, transphobia, bi-phobia, fat-phobia, racism, ableism, and on and on—making it difficult to know when one is treading on safe ground or about to step on a landmine. Dreher has done extensive research to provide historical context to today’s Left-wing totalitarianism. He reveals the far-reaching menace of progressivism’s modus operandi, including: • Social justice cultists, like the first Bolsheviks, are intellectuals whose gospel is spread by intellectual agitation. It is a gospel that depends on awakening and inspiring hatred in the hearts of those it wishes to induce into revolutionary consciousness. • Smashing all the old forms for the sake of liberating humanity. Social justice cultists believe that after humanity is freed from the chains that bind us—whiteness, patriarchy, marriage, the gender binary, and so on—we will experience a radically new and improved form of life. • The personal is political. The essence of totalitarianism is that nothing must exist outside the ideology. Social justice cultists demand that wokeness extend to every aspect of life – and that any institution (including the nuclear family) that resists must be destroyed or transformed. • A false religion. Christianity is declining, but the hunger in human hearts for meaning, identity, and purpose remain. The social justice movement works as a secular substitute for religion, and cannot be resisted effectively if they are only understood as political phenomenon. • Truth is whatever the rulers decide it is. Hannah Arendt, the foremost scholar of totalitarianism, explains that “a totalitarian state is one that aspires to nothing less than defining and controlling reality.” Today’s media elites define what is and isn’t acceptable. Consequences for violating new taboos are extreme, including losing your livelihood and having your reputation ruined forever. • Secular social justice has been shorn of its Christian dimension. ROD DREHER is a senior editor at The American Conservative. He has written and edited for the New York Post, The Dallas Morning News, and National Review, and his commentary has been published in The Wall Street Journal and the Weekly Standard. He is the bestselling author of The Benedict Option, The Little Way of Ruthie Leming, and Crunchy Cons. SOURCE: Marshall, Nappi & Schulz Publicity

Scholar John Horvat  II,  in a recent op-ed , said he believed current US government monetary policy will lead to  disaster.  “We already have unprecedented government involvement in the economy,” he says. “At the same time, leaders in both parties call out for even more “stimulus” to deal with the effects of Covid-19. When will it stop? Can it stop?”

Horvat, author of “Return to Order: From A Frenzied Economy to An Organic Christian Society – Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need to Go,” (www.ReturnToOrder.org) considers this important issue in his recent article, “What Happens When Bailouts No Longer Work?” Horvat sees the problem as an addiction to cheap money. “Massive government intervention is dangerous because it is habit-forming.," he says. "Once a government indulges in printing money to deal with disasters and crashes, there is no crisis too big or small that will not serve as a pretext for printing more.”

In addition to creating habits, writes Horvat, cheap money triggers an almost automatic response, and the amount of money needed grows exponentially with each new adventure. Horvat believes that this is no longer a financial or economic problem. “It is a moral problem because people have adopted vices and lifestyles that know no restraint,” he adds. “They push off for the distant future all obligations, responsibilities and duties that should be taken care of now.”

Horvat is a scholar, researcher, educator, international speaker and author. His writings have appeared worldwide, including The Wall Street Journal, FOX News, The Christian Post, The Washington Times, ABC News, Crisis Magazine, and C-SPAN. For more than two decades he has been researching and writing about the socio-economic crisis in the United States.

Alexander McCobin and the organization he leads, Conscious Capitalism, believe that capitalism is a way forward for humanity to ethically engage with each other to build and support a global network of businesses dedicated to this conscious mindset.

One of Conscious Capitalism’s partners, Curriculum Associates, has been ramping up this conscious focus even further in light of COVID-19. Under CEO Rob Waldron’s direction, CA has been bringing millions of school children back to class either online, hybrid, or offline.

As Investopedia spells it out, the term conscious capitalism refers to a socially responsible economic and political philosophy. Proponents of conscious capitalism believe that businesses should operate ethically while they pursue profits. This means they should consider serving all stakeholders involved including their employees, humanity, and the environment—not just their management teams and shareholders. The idea of conscious capital was created by Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and marketing professor Raj Sisodia.

The philosophy of Conscious Capitalism has support among leading business leaders and think tanks on the left and right. Yet it also has some critics. “Mackey has provided an example of how an individual can run a successful and ethical business in the modern era,” writes analyst Jonathan Liedl. “If everyone were like him, then certainly the ethics of capitalism would be far more socially conscious. However, everyone is not like him.”

 Still, conscious capitalism is worth a study for a closer understanding and grasp of some of the economic and social challenges of our age.

Emily Conrad has written a comprehensive account of the US Electoral College in her new book, The Faithless? The Untold Story of the Electoral College. As another presidential election rapidly approaches this November, the fate may well rest in the hands of the Electoral College. Conrad conducted extensive interviews, profiling a diverse roster of faithless electors in the 2016 Electoral College. Conrad compiled their personal background and to understand their reasons for their rouge votes.

"As I researched this book and talked with one faithless elector after another, I found myself constantly challenged in my ideas and understanding of the Electoral College, the role of political parties within America's democratic system, and the empowerment of the individual versus the masses in American politics" says Conrad.

"However," Conrad continues, "one thing I do not question is the authenticity of the electors who decided to go against the popular vote of their states and vote faithlessly. Each one of the electors with whom I have spoken gave immense thought and emotional energy into his or her decision."

Will the die-hard Bernie electors stay true to their convictions, or grudgingly support the official nominee? Will the lifelong Republican electors cast their vote for Donald Trump, or write in another candidate in the name of principle? Conrad expands upon these stories and details the reactions and aftermath after each elector casts their deciding vote, prompting the question: what do the faithless electors of 2016 prescribe to the possibility of faithless electors in this contentious 2020 presidential race?

"While most political junkies examined the unprecedented nature of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential victory, Conrad was fascinated by the underreported stories about the eight so-called faithless electors who cast ballots that went against the popular vote of their states in the Electoral College. The driving questions behind the author's work lie not in constitutional debates surrounding the legality of faithless electors or the undemocratic nature of the Electoral College, but in the eight electors themselves . . . her deeply human approach that centers on the personal lives of the eight electors is a welcome alternative to a genre dominated by hyperpartisan pundits. By pushing Trump and Clinton out of the spotlight, the book is also an implicit celebration of democracy with an unrelenting focus on state and local activists willing to stand up against members of their own parties." - Kirkus Reviews

"Not merely about the Electoral College, but about how ordinary, politically engaged Americans are struggling to cope with the political turmoils of our time. a particularly worthwhile read." - Bradley A. Smith, Professor at Capital University Law School, Federal Election Commissioner (2000-2005)

Commander Guy Snodgrass is a famed TOPGUN pilot, instructor, and former Director of Communications & Chief Speechwriter to former Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

Commander Snodgrass is celebrated as one of the most skilled fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy, directing combat jets over some of the most dangerous war zones in the world -- and he did it all using the lessons he learned at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) that he reveals for the first time in his highly anticipated new book TOPGUN'S TOP 10: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE COCKPIT out September 15th. 

As a regular fixture on TV (CNN, Fox News, BBC World News), Snodgrass' practical, and direct account of real TOPGUN experience will inspire a new generation of leaders, according to one review. "Commander Snodgrass distills the most important lessons he learned and taught over the course of his career into a taut, engaging book for readers of all ages and experience levels," according to the reviewer.