In a recent speech at the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, John Kerry made some very telling remarks about the difficulties of governance in the digital age:
I’m a student of history, and I love to go back and . . . think about the 18th, 19th centuries and the balance of power and how difficult it was for countries to advance their interests and years and years of wars. And we sometimes say to ourselves, boy, aren’t we lucky. Well, folks, ever since the end of the Cold War, forces have been unleashed that were tamped down for centuries by dictators, and that was complicated further by this little thing called the internet and the ability of people everywhere to communicate instantaneously and to have more information coming at them in one day than most people can process in months or a year.
It makes it much harder to govern, makes it much harder to organize people, much harder to find the common interest, and that is complicated by a rise of sectarianism and religious extremism that is prepared to employ violent means to impose on other people a way of thinking and a way of living that is completely contrary to everything the United States of America has ever stood for. So we need to keep in mind what our goals are and how complicated this world is that we’re operating in.
Ah… first world problems. You’d think John Kerry would be totally down with the internet—I mean, didn’t his former running mate create it? Nonetheless, this little speech is a gem mine field of bad thinking. Let me restate what he said in a way that makes it even more obvious than it already is, since some of my readers might be hard of hearing:
I reminisce about the simpler good old days when solidarity was achieved through force rather than persuasion and dissenting voices were immediately squelched by ruthless dictators. But ever since the dissolution of the Evil Empire, technological changes have made it possible for even the most insignificant citizen to broadcast his personal political opinion internationally and instantaneously, resulting in a much more active and independent citizenry. This has made demagoguery, assassinations, genocide, starvation, propaganda, and disenfranchisement—the usual tools of dictators—so much less effective. Now, the civil government must use more subtle methods. I’m just saying we need to keep this in mind if we are to achieve our goals.
And what exactly are his goals? That part is always left very murky. His methods are obvious enough. If it weren’t for the whistle-blowing potential of the instantaneous and uncontrollable internet, I’m sure John Kerry would watch any number of kidnappings and secret executions with a nostalgic tear in his history-loving eye. Even now, mainstream media of all stripes and political leanings are, either by accident or design, firmly in line with the civil government’s Orwellian truth-cloaking. And all of the smaller media outlets on the internet are being branded as—what did he call it?—“sectarian” or “extremist.”
In a roundabout way, John Kerry’s remarks really encourage me. Because it means perhaps more people than I thought are using the internet for more than porn, facebook, and kitten videos. So keep pumping out the largely ignored truth, internet. Some of us are listening.
I am listening and I appreciate your efforts. I also know that listening just isn’t enough.
Excellent translation.
John Kerry is an idiot. Your translation is 100% correct.
The guy who put his own purple heart paper work in. The same guy who testified in front of congress that American soldiers killed at random.
What a POS.
You are so right! He is nothing but a piece of sh#t.
About John Kerry – – just remember Viet Nam and his lies about that.
I can think of one good thing about John Kerry, he cannot “claim kin” to us as Conservative Christians. Imagine the shame of being related to a lying coward like him; to know he would go to commit such atrocities to bring glory to himself.
The only thing that John Kerry can take credit for is his undeniable ability to marry wealthy women……..This horse faced puke couldn’t negotiate the sale of manure to a farmer..
Amen to that!
John should just go home and spend Teresa’s money!!!LOL!!!
I’ve been reading so much of this material for the last five years now, about Obama and all his minions, doing his bidding and reaping the rewards, while the most of us just struggle on, day to day, trying to eak out a meager living for ourselves and our loved ones. I seriously cannot understand how the most of these fellows and women can do what they do, day after day, to actually do this republic harm, and then go home and sleep at night. It just boggles my mind, and believe me, I’m not easily boggled.
We seldom hear the most important difference in the 18th, 19th, 20th , 21st centuries.
In the 18th and the 19th centuries the most important thing in the lives of most Americans was GOD and family. These people would never dare to deliberately sin against HIS laws, to spit in GOD’S face by making anti-GOD laws. Hate of our fellow man was not heard of in a Christians life. Th Bible, GOD’S WORD was the most important book in the homes. WE proudly proclaimed HIS Name. We would have been shocked at the idea of outlawing HIS name, anywhere. The laws makers would never have dared to teach little children the facts of sex and would have been astounded at the thought of teaching them anti-GOD things, such as homosexuality was the way to go. Same sex marriage? Never? They taught, spare the rod, spoil the child!!! To punish a child today is a crime! Our jails are bursting at the seams with young people, because of these irrational teachings. We were taught that if we loved our children we would punish them when they refused to live according to HIS WORD. The 20th century brought in many doubters, many who hated HIM and HIS people. The more time that passed the more we turned away for HIM. In the 21st century we are unbelievably anti-GOD. Few true followers of CHRIST JESUS are around today. It is even dangerous in many places to speak HIS name.We will be persecuted in America as has been done for many years in other countries, for standing up for HIM.
We need to get back to Matthew 22:36-40
36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37. JESUS said unto him, “Thou shalt love the LORD THY GOD with all thy soul, with all thy heart, and with all thy mind.
38. This is the first and the great commandment.
39. And the second is like unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets
John 3:15-16
15. Whosoever believeth in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life
16. For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whosoever believeth in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life.
Every person, I believe even every little baby who has been so cruelly murdered, every person, no matter who they are or what they have done will have everlasting life in with GOD in HIS heaven or with Satan in hell, according to who we choose to live for.
If we refuse to go back to these commandments, we have no future as a free nation.
Thank you for stating the TRUTH that our Founding Fathers intended for our once great nation! We do need to get back to “In (the True & Living) GOD we TRUST”
You are right, but unfortunately, Satan seems to have a good hold on an awful lot of people.
we are dealing with a bunch of traitors that are only looking the foll of this country.But I believe this country is conquering our rights for freedom.Thank God for it.