“Here is a link to a Newsreel from 1949 that seems as if it is from another planet.”

A friend sent this, with the comment,

“Here is a link to a Newsreel from 1949 that seems as if it is from another planet.”

 

A world that’s gone?

I wonder… what sort of, what magnitude of cataclysm would be needed to wake people up to reality and commonsense again?

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in Cri de Coeur, Global Killer Asteroid Questions, Pò sì jiù, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices. Bookmark the permalink.

10 Comments

  1. Semper Gumby says:

    In his 1949 Inaugural Address Pres. Truman used the word “democracy” or “democratic” 12 times. The usage of “democracy” rather than “Republic” appears to have increased in public political discourse under Pres. Wilson (see the chapter “Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of Liberal Fascism” in Jonah Goldberg’s 2007 book “Liberal Fascism”). Pres. Truman in 1949 mentioned “Communism” six times.

    In his 2021 Installation Address Joe “You Ain’t Black” Biden, leader of the Death Party political religion, said:

    democracy: 12 times
    lies: 3
    manipulated facts: 1
    manufactured facts: 1
    attack on truth: 1
    freedom of speech: 0
    Republic: 0
    patriot: 1 (referring to Pres. Carter and previous presidents such as George Washington)
    white supremacy: 1
    domestic terrorism: 1
    BLM: 0
    Antifa: 0
    small business: 0
    taxes: 1
    systemic racism: 1
    climate crisis: 1
    virus or pandemic: 6
    church: 1 (“my church”)
    life: 1 (“Because here’s the thing about life. There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you.”)
    religious liberty: 0
    sacred: 3 (twice referring to the oath of office, the third: “And here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground.”)

    A Paul Harvey classic commentary from 1965, “If I Were the Devil”:

    http://www.wordandwork.org/2018/02/paul-harveys-if-i-were-the-devil-transcript-from-1965/

  2. Semper Gumby says:

    From the post above: “…wake people up to reality and commonsense again.”

    A never-ending task, and no one is perfect at it. Though, here is a cautionary tale involving George Weigel. Several days ago, January 20, he began a column by directing prayers for Joe Biden. So far, so good. Then:

    “In 2020, the Catholic conversation in the United States was distorted by the high-decibel screeching of apocalyptic conspiracy theorists…”

    Weigel did not name any particular “screeching” Catholic nor did he detail what, in his mind, is an “apocalyptic conspiracy theory.” Apparently, unleashing a free-roaming insult against “Catholics” on the first day of the Biden-Harris regime was the goal.

    Recall, a year ago Weigel listed several Catholic websites and advised readers to “limit” themselves to those sites, as “that’s more than enough for anyone.” Weigel temporarily forgot about the First Amendment.

    Weigel’s sentence continues:

    “…and by dissembling about the unique gravity of the life issues and potential threats to religious freedom, on the other.”

    From loudmouth insults Weigel shifts gears to whisper about “dissembling” and “potential threats.” He is apparently unaware of the bold-faced, public statements and goals of pro-abortion and anti-Christian “c”atholic politicians and commentators. To name one: Biden has a record stretching back decades, surely Weigel is aware of that record.

    And…indeed he is, as he wrote in 2019: “[the] Vice President was filmed dancing merrily in the aisles at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, holding up a pro-choice placard during a demonstration celebrating the legal killing of unborn children.”

    Well, how ’bout that- Weigel wrote some “reality and commonsense” right there.

    Weigel continued last Wednesday:

    “I agree with those who argued last year that the primary responsibility for effective Catholic witness in public life rests with lay Catholics. Lay Catholics are to be salt and light in society, including politics. Lay Catholics have a baptismal responsibility to be missionary disciples, whether as citizens meeting their civic obligations or as public officials. No Catholic gets a pass on responsible citizenship.”

    An idea presents itself. Instead of hurling insults and “shut up” in one direction and a slightly wagging finger in the other direction, Weigel could debate those who have provoked his ire. Such an exchange would be mutually beneficial to all. “Responsible citizenship” does get messy sometimes, but that’s Ok. Or, if Weigel refuses to do that, then he could knock off the insults towards those who are doing the work that most Catholic bishops and intellectuals refuse to do.

    Christus Vincit.

  3. Rob Pryb says:

    Very touching how, after taking the oath of office, the oath-takers bow down to the Bible to kiss it.

  4. NOCatholic says:

    Very much different, from the blimp overhead, to the well-dressed (by modern standards) spectators, to say nothing of President Truman and Vice-President Alban Barkley wearing top hats. And of course, the absence of any visible security measures is remarkable.

    Then there are Truman’s remarks clearly opposing Communism. In that day, opposition to totalitarianism was bipartisan. How different from today!

    And the partisan polarization so evident today, is completely absent from the ceremonies for “plain-spoken” President Harry Truman.

    The George Weigel article referred to above, can be found here: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2021/01/president-biden-and-a-catholic-inflection-point

    It’s worth noticing that the passage that drew an objection from another poster, does not specify who Weigel meant by “conspiracy theorists”. But Weigel clearly is calling out our new “catholic” President, over his anti-Catholic and anti-religious policies. As well he should.

  5. WVC says:

    @NOCatholic – Weigel has long made it a hallmark of his writing to always portray anything to the right of him as wild, crazy, fascist, reactionary, and from the “fever-swamps” and everything to the left of him as slightly incorrect or moderately misguided – to be opposed but not really feared, with himself of course occupying the de facto superior position of center. His articles are usually devoid of actual content. The one you linked to – what information does it actually convey? What position does it actually argue for? What stand is it actually making? The answer to all those questions is “nothing” and “none.” He’s not even actually calling out Joe Biden. He’s challenging the hypothetical future Biden to NOT do evil things as if we don’t already have 40 some odd years of Biden’s ACTUAL actions combined with his current declarations by which any reasonable human being ought to be able to draw obvious conclusions about whether or not he’s in “full communion” with the Church.

    While I agree, “apocalyptic conspiracy theories” could equally apply to those opposing Biden and Harris and the globalist “Build Back Better” plan (although there is ample evidence of that plan being endorsed publicly by all the leaders of the Western World) as much as it could apply to those who claimed Donald Trump’s “flawed character” would bring about nuclear war, I think it’s clear what Weigel is referring to given his consistent characterization of all things from too-far-on-the-right as opinions to be dismissed with disdain and little to no regard.

    Meanwhile pretty much everything that the folks who warned against how terrible a Biden/Harris presidency was going to be is coming to fruition. As Yeats said, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” Mass amnesty, the march of the pro-death agenda, a return to globalist intervention and never-ending war, and the tyranny of trans-genderism in our schools and, very soon, our churches combined with an enshrinement of voter fraud as the “way of the future” (c.f. the first bill the Dems are pushing for 2021 – mail in ballots for all!) The Left always (ALWAYS) moves the ball down the field, no matter what it takes with half or more of the Republican party cheering from the sidelines (and probably half or more of the American bishops).

    Folks ought to bone up on their Solzhenitsyn if they want to understand how the near future will likely unfold. I’d love to be wrong, but the current trajectory is painstakingly clear.

  6. Semper Gumby says:

    Good points by WVC. Though I’d add that George Weigel usually has something interesting to say, it’s the weaponized attitude that’s objectionable. Which brings us to NOCatholic. I’m not convinced that Weigel was “calling out” Biden in that article. For that to occur, I’d like to see a Weigel column that, per “Undercover Blues,” flicks open an attention-getting switchblade in the opium-soaked faces of the Death Party and is signed by Weigel as “Muerte.” True, Muerte had his problems in that movie, but I’m convinced Weigel has it in him to do much better. A recent Jocko Willink podcast is helpful: “Don’t Get Beat by Not Knowing You’re In a Competition.”

    Now, having looked out the window and confirming that porcine aviators are aloft, let me say that NOCatholic actually makes a good point. The days of bi-partisan resistance to totalitarianism, the days of “Scoop” Jackson, JFK (who expanded the Special Forces, “De Oppresso Liber”) and the Blue Dog Democrats are essentially over.

    Today, Rep. Swalwell threatens lawful gun owners with nukes and beds a Chinese spy, for which he is rewarded with a seat on the House Intelligence Committee by Nancy “This is My ice cream, it’s Gourmet” Pelosi. The Death Party has taken over the Democrat Party, which now wanders the halls of government like a zombie wandering at midnight through a New Orleans graveyard chanting “Imhotep, Imhotep.”

  7. Semper Gumby says:

    WVC: Here is a helpful retrospective on Solzhenitsyn’s Harvard Speech 40 years later by Stella Morabito:

    “It’s all there in Solzhenitsyn’s iconic speech: our path away from God, our worship of technologies, our addictions to pleasure and leisure that atrophy our capacity for growth, our spiritual void—all leading inevitably toward death. The disaster was inside each one of us, he says, because we refused to see it when we made man the measure of all things, “imperfect man who is never free of pride, self-interest, envy, vanity, and dozens of other defects. We are now paying for the mistakes which were not properly appraised at the beginning of the journey.””

    https://thefederalist.com/2018/06/08/40-years-later-alexander-solzhenitsyns-harvard-speech-blazes-beacon-renewal/

    There is a distinction to be made between Solzhenitsyn’s focus on the condition of “Western” culture today and Western civilization itself.

    “Western” culture today, though there are certainly bright spots and determined Resistance, tends to be a cauldron of globalism, elitism, nihilism and socialism. One example is the annual World Economic Forum held at Davos, Switzerland in January. Former president Bill Clinton is often an attendee, former President Trump is unlikely to be invited in the future given the WEF’s “Great Reset” doctrine. The WEF is meeting this week virtually due to the Wuhan Virus. Yesterday ChiCom Dear Leader Xi Jinping delivered a WEF speech despite, or perhaps because of, ChiCom slave labor, genocide and religious persecution.

    Western civilization is the legacy through the centuries of Jerusalem, Athens and Rome as outlined, for example, by Fr. Slattery in his book “Heroism and Genius: How Catholic Priests Helped Build—and Can Help Rebuild—Western Civilization.”

  8. Semper Gumby says:

    More “reality and commonsense” by Stella Morabito, written shortly before the Installation of the Biden-Harris regime.

    “Ignoring And Ridiculing [And Threatening And Attacking] Election Fraud Concerns Will Not Make Them Go Away”

    “You needn’t be a Trump voter to be disturbed by obvious peculiarities. Then there’s the lack of ability to publicly audit voting machines, the lack of transparency during counting processes, and more.”

    “In the end, every American of good will should be committed to restoring trust in the election process, if that’s still possible. We should have all been interested in getting an accurate count, no matter who won in the end. That doesn’t mean re-counting votes that could be bogus. It means auditing votes, investigating voting processes, and doing everything possible to restore public trust in elections.”

    https://thefederalist.com/2021/01/04/ignoring-and-ridiculing-election-fraud-concerns-will-not-make-them-go-away/

  9. Semper Gumby says:

    WVC: Here is another example of Weigel’s double standard, from Jan. 18:

    “…the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol by a mob, some of whose violent members claim they took their cues from the forty-fifth president of the United States…”

    Weigel, who succumbs to Trump Derangement Syndrome occasionally (along with others), chooses to ignore many facts of January 6. Pres. Trump, in contrast to previous statements by domestic terrorist Kamala Harris or terrorist-sympathizer Joe Biden, specifically stated that afternoon “stay peaceful.”

    Here is J. Michael Waller’s “Covert Cadre”:

    “The deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol bore the markings of an organized operation planned well in advance of the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress”

    “All of these cells or groups [Waller details four types] stood out from the very large crowd by their behavior and overall demeanor. However, they did not all appear at the same time. Not until the very end did it appear there was a prearranged plan to storm the Capitol building, and to manipulate the unsuspecting crowd as cover and as a follow-on force.”

    http://jmichaelwaller.com/2021/01/14/covert-cadre-what-i-saw-leading-up-to-the-us-capitol-attack/

    The experienced war correspondent Michael Yon was recently interviewed by Jack Posobiec about the Jan. 6 unconventional warfare Attack.

  10. Semper Gumby says:

    Another indicator 1949 was long ago, the 1930s not so much.

    The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin.

    “DHS does not have any information to indicate a specific, credible plot…”

    So here comes the regime’s AgitProp:

    “…we remain concerned that individuals frustrated with the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances and ideological causes fueled by false narratives…”

    The Biden-Harris Regime, carrying on the tradition of Josef Goebbels and the Big Lie.

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