Bruce Walker’s Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie
by Steven D. Laib | View comments |
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In his new book Sinisterism, Bruce Walker argues against the traditional Left-Right distinction, in support of his theory that the behavior of power-intensive regimes such as Nazism and Stalism is best explained by a shared hostility toward Christianity and Judaism.
Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie
ISBN: 1598002694
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Publication Date:Â 01/2006
320 pgs., pbk.Â
Bruce Walker’s new book, Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie, is presented as a proposal for “a way of looking at what we call political ideology,” rejecting words such as “revolutionary” and “reactionary” or “Left” and “Right.” This is not a new approach to political theory, having been addressed by Ayn Rand, and in the 1970’s Robert Ringer attacked the American left and right as “demopublicans,” although he did so without the religious connection Walker introduces.Â
Walker begins with a general thesis that, “The human race is composed of two groups of people: in one group are those who seek power, by fair means or (preferably) foul, and in the other group are the rest of us, normal and decent people who wish to live our lives without owning other people’s bodies, minds, works and souls.” In this, he groups all power hungry people together, in much the same manner as Objectivists and Libertarians do. After attacking the “left-right” dichotomy as meaningless, he attempts to project much of modern political conflict as a war against Jews and Christians because their faith is based on certain ethical and moral principles which interfere with the power hunger which characterizes authoritarian systems, and social trends that lead to them. These social trends and power-oriented systems he calls Sinisterism, defined as a religion of no God, at war with true faith.
Much of what Walker is addressing is stated in the phrase, “Secular Religion of the Lie,” which forms part of his title. Where this seems directed is the simple fact that in order to obtain and then maintain power, rulers need to use deception. This is illustrated first by reference to George Orwell’s 1984, with its famous government motto including “Freedom is Slavery.” His point is simply that by changing the meaning people attach to words or concepts you change their thinking and their view of the world. Do it effectively enough and you have control of the population. An unfortunately brief discussion of how this was used in the USSR follows, and there is, at this point, little address to how it has been used in the United States along with the decline in educational standards and moral relativism. Both of these topics deserve greater exposition in the 21st century context.Â
Instead, Walker takes us into the world of the 20th century power cults of Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, with particular emphasis on Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. In this he shows how much of the historical record has been muddied by educators and historians who ignore works penned during the 1930’s which show that what many of us have been led to believe about these regimes is not true. Nazis are not Fascists, and Nazi Germany was not always Stalin’s deadly enemy. The German-Soviet non-aggression pact then falls neatly into place and the power hunger of the political systems, which were so similar under their different surfaces, becomes obvious.Â
After discussing these topics in great detail, Walker next begins an examination of the Judeo-Christian relationship throughout history, beginning with Rome and taking it through the Middle Ages and finally to Europe during WWII. As a realist, he asserts that Jews and Christians are no different than other people, able to do right and wrong, to make mistakes and correct themselves. He suggests that on balance, there has been more good than bad, which is in all probability correct. Particularly important is his treatment of the position of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages, which differed from that of political opportunists and mob leaders. He also discusses briefly the myth of toleration in Moorish Spain, the role of Christians in scientific developments, and their contributions to the rise of the modern scientific method.
Even more important is the section containing Walker’s discussion of how the decline in Christian faith and rise of immorality during the late 19th and early 20th centuries allowed Nazism to rise to power. He takes great care to detail how the Nazis persecuted Christians as well as Jews, because at its core Nazism was a secular religion, worshipping man, instead of God. Walker also illustrates the close connection between Nazism, Islam, and to a certain extent, militant Hinduism. This discussion leads to an examination of issues of good and evil in society, and why psychology is the wrong approach for examining the behavior of people such as Hitler. While this again bogs down in some historical examinations, it later moves on to the relationship between power and abuse, which is at the heart of the matter. This culminates in a discussion of why power-intensive regimes dislike Judeo-Christian Religion, and the means by which they propagate the myths of hatred for their own purposes.Â
Walker concludes with coverage of the Judeo-Christian relationship in America, some important facts concerning the Puritans, and the relationships between several founding fathers and Judaism and Christianity.
While the vast majority of this material appears well-researched, and highly informative, in the review edition it fails in one important respect: footnotes. References are to books by their title and author only, which make them much less useful to the reader. Also, while Walker shows an excellent command of history, he really fails to use it sufficiently to show that Sinisterism exists in a form other than a normal facet of the spectrum of human behavior, and finally, he fails to sufficiently address how it affects modern America. He might also have referenced Australian scholar Professor John Jay Ray, who has written copious and detailed material related to the truth of Nazism. Â
It appears that while Mr. Walker is superbly skilled in history, and in digging up important, largely forgotten facts, his ability to apply them has perhaps not been developed sufficiently in this work. He might do well to change his focus by writing two first-class works; one on power intensive regimes, and the second on Jews and Christians throughout Western History. In the latter, I would suggest some additional editing. There were signs of some sloppiness, such as references to “Chaim Potoks” – whose correct name is Potok — or Lord “Palmerton” instead of Palmerston. He also seems to be confused about the use of goy vs. goyim, the latter being plural. It would be a shame if someone found this serious work less credible because of a few minor items.Â
Despite these weaknesses, there is a place for this book on the shelves of anyone interested in the subject matter, and it should be considered a good starting place for information on the corruption of society when it loses its ties to its moral foundation in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Sinisterism is available on Amazon.com.
slaib@intellectualconservative.com
http://intellectualconservative.com
Read more articles by Steven D. Laib
This is what fascinates me, and I have always entertained somewhat similar hypothesis. I don't know why this hasn't been discussed more, or maybe it
has been in other circles. I may try to actually read this one..so little time. There are so many Marxist ideals floating around in certain political parties it
is frightening.
Comment by William B. Jones | February 23, 2006
You say: "An unfortunately brief discussion of how this was used in the USSR follows, and there is, at this point, little address to how it has been used in the United States along with the decline in educational standards and moral relativism. Both of these topics deserve greater exposition in the 21st century context. "
It's a pet interest of mine. Any articles/books you might recommend?
Comment by pete | February 25, 2006
Dear Mr. Jones,
This is Bruce Walker, author of the book reviewed so well by Steven. First, I hope you will buy the book . The question you pose about why so little has been written is because it is almost impossible, even in the olds books I read (about one hundred) to find the snipets of salient facts necessary. The Left, as I note in the book, had a vested interests in pretending that there was some "Right" even when member of the Left (or Sinisterists) themselves pretended to be that "Right" - it justified violence and lies.
Best regards,
Bruce Walker
Comment by Bruce Walker | February 26, 2006
Dear Pete,
This is Bruce Walker, author of the book reveiew so well by Steven. First, buy the book (Steve is both right and wrong - I have quite a bit for the average reader on the pandemic mendacity of the USSR, but Steve knoews much more than even very able historians.) There are no general books on the corruption of language because Eric Blair (George Orwell) did it so magnificently in 1984. It is hard to improve on perfection.
Best regards,
Bruce Walker
Comment by Bruce Walker | February 26, 2006
obverse democratic fascism
obverse - in classic germano-italo-spanish early twentieth century style fascism, the fascists gained power directly, first. some business interests supported them from the beginning, but by and large the fascists took power, then imposed their control upon each of their countries' business sectors, co-opting and incorporating them as arms of government firmly under control of their respective polities…here in the usa, outside business/corporate forces (not all, but more and more as their power has grown) have created a privately owned propaganda machine and used it to lobotomize the people until we beg for fascism without even realizing it…they finance pliable candidates of both parties, and direct the destructive power of their lie machine to destroy all foes who oppose them with honesty and decency
democratic - this is seemingly oxymoronic, when juxtaposed with the term, fascism, but makes perfect sense in the usa. as a nation steeped in democratic tradition, incapable of seeing itself as anything else, the fascist must maintain the appearance of democracy - it is one of the defining characteristics of our nation, a bedrock of american nationalism…to destroy all form of democratic tradition would be disastrous. the key word here is FORM….a FORM, a dry, increasingly meaningless hollow effigy of democracy must be maintained by the fascists to provide an inane rallying cry for parents to send their children off to die in wars worldwide which benefit the fascist moneied cabals that are the ONLY PEOPLE BENEFITTING FROM THESE MILITARY ADVENTURES. fascism relies on arrogant militarism, which is inimical to democracy - so the democratic fascists, beginning over 30 years ago, started first creating an alternative, ideological based media to spread their message, and the fake scholarly establishment (conservative think tank network) to legitimize their ideology where it conflicted with reality, especially reality discovered by legitimate scholarly institutions. then, taking advantage of the uncertainty amongst the already dangerously pop culturally lobotomized citizenry, the fascists dismantled legislation that had once assured dispersed ownership of media, thereby allowing a few corporations and individuals to BUY UP ALL THE MEDIA. now - almost nothing unflattering to the fascists ever gets presented to the public, and those fringe media entities which do attempt to report the truth are marginalized, ridiculed and labelled politically insane…
fascism - ultra nationalist, militaristic, seeing self as having right and duty through one's nation's might, to enforce the will of the nation through force, glory in military conquest, assuming the will of the people to be embodied in its leaders (regardless of public opinion) and PRIDE PRIDE PRIDE PRIDE. in our nation, however, a slick madison avenue orwellian doublespeak, supported by a privately owned propaganda machine known as the msm, dumbing down, scaring the heck out of, trivializing, repeating fascist lies to the confused mass of potential soldiers and bled white taxpayers, editing any information not flattering to the groups supporting the fascists ideal and power base, convinces schmuk nation that the hollow grandiose democratic institutions wrapped about the true power are in fact the real source of power, just as they always were. scream "freedom" and "democracy" and all the old rallying cries and quaint pollynaish ideals…while disguising the true nature of the elite fascists who manipulate the voter base by all the ways listed above.
obverse democratic fascism….a new american century….neoconservatism….amoral ayn rand economic nihilists, supported by electoral shock troops of antiintellectual cromwellian fundyvangelist medievalists, masses of confused, trivialized, fearful, basically decent folk incapable of seeing their beloved country as infested with powerful, slick, selfishly evil fascists, and ignorant, cynical, apolitical, demoralized, intellectually marginalized, trivialized opposition…a recipe for moral, economic, political, and ultimately, when the population behemoths of asia and latin america finally emerge from their cocoons of poverty (as they are), military DISASTER. because the obverse democratic fascists, for all their cleverness, are blinded by their own lies and obvlivious to the civilizational crash they are engineering, and toward which they are conducting us.
OBVERSE DEMOCRATIC FASCISM
i pledge allegiance to the corporate overlords who own my government (and my ass) and comfort myself with the fact that we can kick ass, like my favorite sports franchise, and pledge my life to further enrich the real enemies of freedom, MY ECONOMIC OVERLORDS…to send my children to die for their economic interest, and to never think anything unpleasant about them, or at leaswt to say such, for fear of being labeled treasonous…
Comment by ibbleblibble | March 5, 2006
"sex and politics, the two games wherein the winners possess the losers as spoils of conflict"
trimarchi moose
Comment by ibbleblibble | March 10, 2006
Would it be perverse to observe aloud that the mendacious and power-hungry are most commenly found attached, like intestitnal parisites, to institutions that already have some power and influence over the minds of people? Why, yes, it would. And yet it is both true and obvious to any student of history or current events. This is why the power hungry in the the United States are not Marxists. Or perhaps more accurately, make no public claim to share any value with any group or party we have learned to be wary of. Being liars, they seek to decieve. Being untruthful, they seek to betray trust. So they call themselves Christians, and when thier "faith" requires the oppression of others, and those others most reasonably object - they claim to be "persecuted." May they WISH to become ethical!
Comment by Bob King | May 4, 2006
Bob King labels the Christians ("they claim to be
Christians") as "mendacious and power-hungry". In any group of
people you do find "wolves in sheep's clothing", but to generally
stereotype the followers of Christ in such a manner is hyperbole at
its best and slander at its worst!!! Most of the Christians we know are
undoubtedly not perfect, but can generally be described as gentle,
generous and unselfish folks, and to hear them described as anything
less is a serious disconnect. …Probably the real root of Mr. King's
attack is his obvious hatred of "biblical morality." Many people seek to
separate "ethics" from "biblical morality". Of course, that is impossible,
just as it is impossible to separate a fledgling plant from the soil which
gives it sustanence. ….
sustanence
Comment by Steve Edward | June 20, 2006