Quote of the day—Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn

To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he’s doing is good, or else that it’s a well-considered act in conformity with natural law. Fortunately, it is in the nature of the human being to seek a justification for his actions

Ideology – that is what gives the evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination.

Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation (Volume One) page 174.
[Via Extreme Retribution Punishment Orders: ‘Red flag’ laws are the death of due process and the Constitution.

We have some extremely evil ideologies in the world whos followers believe they are the good guys.

Nearly 170 years ago Thoreau put it more succulently.—Joe]

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4 thoughts on “Quote of the day—Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn

  1. While both quotes are good and valid, one is tempted to quote President Regan, but with respect, Mr. President, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help you,’ are not the most dangerous words in English. Yes, they usually indicate bad times ahead by insufferable Do-Gooders hell bent on saving us from ourselves, but to lay all the blame there denies our part in it. For we enable and empower those Do-Gooders, we employ them and give them badges and guns.

    Because the most dangerous words in English are:

    “There ought to be a law.”

    • Well, there is a law. Good and wholesome as can be. And they ignore it at will to use their badges and guns against us. And always have.
      Maybe we should realize that ideology trumps law, in the human mind. (Thus the reason for the Marxist culture war).
      Jesus explained all this over 2,000 years ago. Our forefathers explained it again over 200 years ago. And here come the gods of the copy book headings once more!

  2. All good Joe. I remember my grandmother saying something about the road to hell being paved with good intentions.
    If we only loved freedom enough.

  3. A good “juicy” saying. And succinct, too! A great “twofer”! Thoreau was almost as great an aphorist as Emerson.

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