Writer: Learn your history, America
Most Americans have little idea of their own nation’s real history and even less of the rest of the world. In this country, even being educated seldom means being enlightened.
One of the results of that situation was highlighted by George Santayana, the philosopher, when he said: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” What the past could have taught is expressed in these quotes:
» “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propaganda minister
» “It would never come into their [the masses] heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying.”
Adolf Hitler, Nazi dictator, “Mein Kampf”
» Hitler ordered that “Jews in internment were to be treated well” and “there were concert halls, swimming polls, soccer fields, ice cream and many other luxuries at Auschwitz.”
Patrick Little, California Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate
» “In the 466 days since he took the oath of office, President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. That’s an average of nearly 6.5 claims a day.”
The Washington Post Fact Checker
If more Americans relied on “true history” books rather than the Bible for guidance, they would know what lies led to in Nazi Germany and see the parallel to what is happening now to their country.
FRED GRZYBOWSKI
Lynchburg