A great struggle is upon us. The ideals of the West are under attack. The unwashed barbarian hordes are at the gate. This army, led by the Prince of Darkness has no other agenda than to tear down and destroy. Its foot soldiers are under the Prince’s spell, for he is a clever liar. Manipulating the ignorant and unlearned is easy, especially for him. The rabble cries for justice, but their movement marches to only one inevitable ending, that of slavery and destitution  for all. Sadly, these soldiers know nothing of the treasures of Western thought and ideals. They are easily manipulated. This is the story of Marxism. Its evil is well known to the learned. What strength and  guidance can we draw upon  to fight this enemy?

“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”

Thomas Paine

How apropos are Thomas Paine’s words today, when Western Civilization is threatened by a mighty enemy? We live in an easy age, where many don’t realize the uniqueness of our freedoms, nor the blood spent to obtain them.  The reason today’s cultural Marxists are hell bent on “cancelling” our culture is because the lessons of the past totally annihilate their ideology. A learned citizenry is kryptonite to the radical Left. Fortunately, the well of recorded knowledge in the West is deep and plentiful.

Great literature guides us. It allows us to experience all the panoply of human emotions throughout the ages; sorrow, triumph, joy, valor, love and much more. Great literature teaches how to live as we have a front row seat to witness all the struggles of mankind. 3,000 years later, we still feel inexplicable sadness when Achilles cuts down Hector in Homer’s Iliad. Those who have been pierced by Cupid’s arrow can likely feel the magnetic force that ties Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky into a sense of oneness. And who among us has not experienced the inner turmoil of a Desdemona,  Hamlet or a Richard III. “A horse, a horse a kingdom for my horse!”

If great literature tugs on our heart, the study of history gnaws within us. It is always there, nibbling on our consciences, informing us of “facts,” helping us to know which way to steer. Yet history, viewed simply as a compilation of data is incomplete. History does not exist in a vacuum. It is fueled and set afire by human behavior. Great literature complements our understanding of the past because it gives us a window into the human soul. We can use these tools to not only understand our present times, but to shape and mold the future. History unfolds. I am not resentful at anything that happened before me, because I understand that everything happened for a reason. Understanding why things happened is what mature, intelligent and learned people strive to understand. This understanding allows us to shape the future based on our understanding of the past.

If one understands history and the nature of man, there isn’t any serious debate that Western Civilization is the supreme and superior culture of the world, and the United States is the pinnacle achievement of  Western culture. If one merely views the physical accomplishments of the West and more particular the United States, then no sane person can question its superiority: art, literature, architecture, infrastructure, exploration, technology and the list is practically endless. However, the West is much more, it is an ethos that values the individual, and again, no where in the history of the world has the individual been granted more blessings than the United States.  Our Judeo-Christian heritage underpins our respect for the individual.  Jesus’ message was revolutionary because everyone was included in the Kingdom: not just Pharisees, but tax collectors, women, slaves, even Samaritans. The West values freedom and individual liberty, the indomitable forces that lead to all societal advancements.

When I was in my 20s, I didn’t give much thought to spiritual warfare. Now, I am more seasoned, and I have had a good many years to study the tenets of my faith and to witness the vagaries of the human heart. I can say with confidence that there is a dark force in the world whose mission is to destroy. Sun Tzu said “know your enemy.” Cancel Culture is not a benign movement led by ex-hippy professors. It is Marxism. It is an ideology fueled by the oldest sins of mankind, jealousy and hatred. It does not play by Marquis of Queensbury rules. Like the Great Deceiver himself, it hates everything that is good, and the ends always justify the means in its efforts to ruin and  slay the righteous.

Speaking of Jesus, he said “there are none so blind as those who refuse to see.” I ask you dear reader “to see.” Take a good hard look at what is right smack in front of your eyes. We have a dominant political party in the US which uses political terrorists to burn, loot and threaten its enemies. These terrorists are allowed free reign to commit violent crimes and to threaten and intimidate those willing to express opposing views. Agencies of government  have been weaponized  to thwart dissent. Isn’t this exactly the beginnings of past totalitarian regimes that led to 100 million deaths in the 20^th century? Awake from your slumber.

Do not think for a second that these destructive forces are the least bit aggrieved by anything  that happened in the past. Their “outrage” is just a subterfuge to vent their hatred.

So what must it take to defeat this pernicious enemy. It really is simple: Courage and Truth.

Courage is simply having the gumption to speak up and tell the truth. Light conquers darkness. The left has been very clever in that it has created an environment where its opponents cannot freely express their thoughts.  If one defends European heritage, culture, manhood and Western Civilization, then that person is tagged a white supremacist, a veritable leper, and must be cast away. In accord with woke philosophy he must also be persecuted. One can’t defeat the Left without the courage to speak the truth.

The truth is the West is supreme to every other culture, and this system was built by Europeans who are generally smart, industrious and orderly.  Without these people and their accomplishments, the world would likely be a giant outhouse. Not all people and cultures are exactly the same. Everyone knows this ( see Thomas Sowell’s writings on cultural capital). However, those who have assimilated into Western culture, particularly in the United States enjoy a standard of living and fundamental liberties absolutely unimaginable just a generation ago. And the party is not over. Western culture continues to advance and bestow incredible blessings on its adherents.

The Left associates standing up for this culture as hatred of others, but that is just a clever ploy to prohibit people from defending what they themselves hate. The Left hates, but the essential element of our Judeo-Christian heritage is to love and respect one another. This is the fundamental difference between Western ideals and “Cancel Culture Marxism.”  One strives to move towards the light, the other revels in darkness.

So, I can hear some of you now, that Smith guy is a religious nutcase!  Fair enough. Yet, it’s hard not to see a connection when Marxism’s namesake, Karl himself writes in 1837 “My soul, once true to God, is chosen for Hell.” Saul Alinsky glowingly dedicated his “Rules For Radicals” to Satan. There were numerous French revolutionaries who dabbled in the devilish studies. How can it not be that a system responsible for such butchery and genocide is not aligned in kinship with evil?

I will end with this. Marxism is an evil ideology, rooted in hatred. It has an avaricious appetite that is never satiated. Its narcissism knows no bounds. It won’t stop, until it is stopped. It inevitably leads to death and destruction. As beneficiaries of the great salons of Western thought, we know this, but do we have the courage to speak the truth?

If we are summer soldiers and sunshine patriots, we lose and evil wins.