During the Russian Civil War the Bolsheviks turned towards terror as a means of accomplishing their objectives. Leon Trotsky noted that “intimidation is a powerful weapon of policy.” He further noted “The revolution…kills individuals, and intimidates thousands.”
In describing Vladimir Lenin Victor Sebestyen wrote: “He battered opponents into submission with the deliberate use of violent language which he acknowledged was ‘calculated to evoke hatred, aversion, contempt…not to convince, not to correct the mistakes of the opponent but to destroy him, to wipe him and his organization of the face of the earth.’”
If Lenin could intimidate his opponents into silence he would be able to pursue his agenda. After seeing success in his personal debates it is not surprising that Lenin would include such tactics in his national political policy. In 1918 a Pravda article noted “The anthem of the working class will be a song of hatred and revenge!” You were with Lenin or you deserved to be destroyed. Using terror as a tool of intimidation allowed Lenin to secure power. Could a constitutional monarchy or a democracy have been created if the majority of people stood up and rejected Lenin and his intimidating campaign of terror?
It is not surprising that the Soviet Union devolved into a totalitarian nightmare. When governance is based on intimidation and force subjugation of a nation will surely follow. If you allow yourself to be censored due to fear of political opponents you risk losing your personal and national sovereignty.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
“Charity feeds the poor, so does pride; charity builds an hospital, so does pride. In this they differ: charity gives her glory to God; pride takes her glory from man.”
Francis Quarles
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday 1:00AM
Behind a large mahogany desk in an oversized office hung a portrait. The recess lighting in the room was such that this portrait was always a glow in light, even when the rest of the room was dark. Much like a painting of a medieval king this figure stood arrayed in all his glory. It would be the first thing anyone entering the office would notice. The gold frame only added to eye catching portrait.
If an individual were so inclined they could look about the office and find twelve other portraits of the man. The portrait behind his desk was the most recent and the most grand. Also above the door to exit the office was another portrait of the man. The first and last thing anyone would see when entering or exiting the office was his face.
In addition to his portraits, one would also find his name etched on all of the stationary in the room. If you needed to borrow a pen, that would have his name on it to. There could never be any mistaking who this office belonged to.
Currently two men occupied the office. The man who owned the office and the man ...
