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April 2, 2022 - Radio Free Nortwest - H.A. Covington
01:02:09
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Oh, then tell me, Sean O 'Farrell, tell me why you hurry so.
Hush, awokel, hush and listen, and his cheeks were all aglow.
I bear orders from the captain, get you ready quick and soon, for the pikes must be together by the rising of the moon.
By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon.
For the pikes must be together by the rising of the moon.
Oh, then tell me, Sean O 'Farrell, where the gathering is to be?
In the old spot by the river, right well known to you and me.
One word more for signal, token whistle of the marching tune Put your pike upon your shoulder by the rising of the moon By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon Put your pike upon your shoulder by the rising of the moon Greetings from the Northwest homeland, comrades.
The date is Saturday, April 2nd, 2022.
I'm Jimmy, and you're listening to Radio Free Northwest.
Radio Free Northwest
Before we get into today's podcast, I just wanted to remind everyone of the plight of our British comrades who were arrested and are unable to work or they lose their state-provided legal assistance.
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Thank you.
I thought I'd continue discussing the epic of Vidkun Quisling this week.
Where I left off last time, the British and French had just invaded Norway, but were routed by German forces.
Even Quisling's most vociferous opponents agreed on the point of Norway's lamentable lack of preparation.
Major O.H. Langland, One of these opponents wrote, The Norwegian Parliamentary Party's incompetence,
betrayal, and treachery went so far that in order to save their own skins when the post-war inquest began, They had little hesitation in placing the blame on the 100,000 of their fellow countrymen who had joined Quisling's National Samling Party.
Overnight, the German armed forces consolidated their hold on Norway and set up a protective coastal cordon to thwart Anglo-French incursions.
In Oslo itself, the Norwegian authorities had evaporated like spring snow, leaving only the police to cope with the invasion.
It was at this point that a representative of the German government, named Scheidt, and an old acquaintance, Maglin, approached Quisling in his hotel room at the Astoria.
The situation was made painfully clear.
In a word, resistance was useless and at this stage could only come from guerrilla bans as all defense establishments had surrendered.
The obvious was stated.
Continuation of the conflict would be catastrophic for Norway.
Overall, the capitulation was peaceful and uneventful.
The city of Oslo surrendered, and thousands of curious Norwegians stood calmly along the pavement to witness the surprisingly low-key troop movements.
Hitler despised victory celebrations.
Knudsen says he saw one elderly lady spit in a German soldier's face.
And the soldier simply wiped the spittle off with the back of his hand and smiled.
At 1pm, Quisling completed his walk of contemplation and, accompanied by Knudsen and Scheidt, set off for the war office.
Once there, he was recognized and saluted.
Of course, he had been Norway's Minister of Defense for two years in that same office.
The authorities had vanished.
No one knew what had happened.
The general staff had evacuated during the night.
It was later discovered that they had retreated to a small hotel outside of Oslo, where they had mobilized a hearty breakfast.
Sadly, it was not to be partaken of.
Just as those stalwarts were about to tuck in, a German plane came flying over the suburb of Holmenkollen, and the entire general staff ran for their cars and disappeared.
They left only their caps, shoulder belts, overcoats, portfolios.
And of course their breakfast.
Having secured German agreement to consider the war office as sacrosanct, Quisling ordered the destruction of all documentation that might aid the German armed forces.
He then endeavored to discover where Norway's government had gone.
He did manage to contact a colonel at Elverham, who informed him that the government was on the point of fleeing to Sweden.
Quisling was quite certain that this must be prevented.
Its government and the authorities could not abandon Norway.
In Oslo, there were already signs of panic.
Vidkun Quisling, ever the pragmatist, took the only available course open to him, an equally realistic decision that was taken during the German occupation of Guernse and other soft targets.
The German objective had been reached, the military denial of Norway to their English and French tormentors.
It had never been their intention, borne out by events, of bringing bloodshed to their peaceful European neighbor.
Furthermore, the Germans had no wish whatsoever to interfere in the administration of the land of Norway.
There was anger that the German battleship Blücher had been sunk with heavy loss of life and a feeling for revenge in the form of armed aggression prevailed.
This, however, was prevented on the express orders of Adolf Hitler.
The only remaining political party in Norway, National Sommling, was invited to administer the country's affairs.
Taking off his jacket, Quisling set to work.
His first intention was to broadcast a national appeal for calm.
His doing so prevented much loss of life.
At 7.32pm, Vedkun Quisling made this speech from Oslo's radio station.
Norwegian men and women.
England, having violated the neutrality of Norway by laying minefields in Norwegian territorial waters without encountering any other resistance than the usual flimsy protests from the Nigarsvold government, the German government has offered the Norwegian government its help, accompanied by a solemn declaration that Germany will respect our national independence and Norwegian lives and property.
As a reply to this offer, The government itself has fled, having recklessly gambled with the fate of our country and its inhabitants.
Under these circumstances, it is the duty and the right of the National Unity Movement to take possession of the power of government, in order to vindicate the vital interests of the Norwegian people and the safety and independence of Norway.
By the virtues of circumstance and of the national aims of our movement, we are the only people who can do this and thereby save the country from the desperate situation into which the party politicians have brought our people.
The Nigarjvold government has withdrawn.
The national government has assumed power with Vigkun Quisling as head of government and minister for foreign affairs.
you Of course, the proclamation hit like a bomb.
Knudsen described his congratulating Quisling on his new role as Prime Minister of Norway.
He smiled somewhat, sadly, I thought, and said, Let us hope, however, that the Germans understand our objectives.
Was Quisling the puppet claimed by the vengeful victors?
The evidence suggests otherwise.
Norway's new prime minister insisted on considerable autonomy, more so than did, for instance, the authorities on England's German-occupied Channel Islands, who were never denounced as traitors.
The first sign of Quisling's independent spirit was shown when Reich Minister Brower asked Quisling to visit him.
The Prime Minister declined, saying that on the contrary, Brower must come to see him.
On this occasion, Quisling presented his list of government ministers rather embarrassingly handwritten on a hotel letterheading.
This at least put the lie to the allegation that National Samling was part of a prearranged plot.
If that had been the case, then the new government of ministers, some of them even in remote regions of the country, would never have been appointed on the hoof.
They would have been already appointed and standing in the wings.
It was Quisling who ordered the evacuation of German troops from his country's parliament, while the illegitimate Negarswald regime, through unconstitutional extension of its mandate, was abandoning its country and people.
It was Vidkun Quisling, who by various directives saved many Norwegian lives.
The claim that Quisling was Germany's imposed puppet is wide of the mark.
Whilst the National Samling's leader was indeed Prime Minister, it was Armsleiter, Head of Department, Scheidt, and President of the Board of Trade, Hagelin, who autonomously negotiated with the German authorities.
Quisling's principal role was to provide responsible civilian rule, It was assumed that adequate defensive fortifications would be in place prior to German withdrawal and the reestablishment of Norway's neutral status.
Had Quisling been listened to in the years leading up to England's war against Germany and Scandinavia, Then, of course, British and then-German invasion wouldn't have ever occurred.
The new government earned the guarded approval of industry's official representatives and, ironically, the spontaneous and total support of the trade unions.
Prior to their executive committees fleeing the country, National Samling had been a thorn in the side of the socialists.
But now, abandoned by them, Norway's workers became enthusiastic for their new government.
The press also promised Quisling their support.
After a statement to the Oslo Press, the editor-in-chief of Norway's equivalent to the Times, or New York Times, wrote supportively.
He said that for many years he had been one of Quisling's most consistent opponents, but after what happened, he was convinced that there was only one course open to the nation, and that was the one which Quisling's new government had made possible.
Every newspaper loyally quoted all the press releases Quisling forwarded.
They were not compelled to do so.
The new government did not possess the means to compel anyone to do anything against their wishes.
In effect, whilst Quisling responsibly administered the country's needs, the German authorities, who considered Quisling a bothersome fellow, merely provided for the country's defense against England.
Unlike Britain's whip system of government, None of the Quisling government's ministers or functionaries were coerced.
Each was given the free choice to serve or not to do so.
It's interesting to note that all functionaries were requested to dispose of all documents that might fall into German hands.
Throughout Norway settled a blissful calm except for one tumultuous day when Quisling was alarmed to see mass panic in Oslo.
Tens of thousands of people were fleeing for their lives, even hijacking vehicles, anything to get to safety.
On that ill-famed, aptly named Panic Day, tens of thousands spent the freezing night in the woods surrounding Oslo.
The reason?
Rumor had it that British warships were lying out in the fjord and were going to bombard Oslo on the stroke of 12 noon.
The rumor was likely fueled by a British broadcast aimed at giving the impression that Britain had allowed the Germans to successfully invade so that the Royal Navy could blockade and confine Germany's troops.
Acceptance of their position was universal and largely supportive throughout Norway.
Certainly the fleeing Nagarjewald regime was condemned without exception, and in scenes that would undoubtedly have echoed had England been invaded, the Norwegian people set out to make the best of things.
People, especially those in authority, did everything possible to ingratiate themselves with the Germans, offering assistance and advice.
The German legation was actually besieged by Norwegians wishing to assist the Germans and Oslo's local government, which was nothing if not enthusiastic in carrying out nightly repairs to the Fornabue Airport, which was being bombed by Britain's Royal Air Force.
For their part, the German authorities kept Quisling informed as to those who were conspiring to oust him.
There were several separate and parallel plans to remove Quisling, one of which was to succeed.
Quisling, for his part, applied himself to getting the country running again.
Previously, Norway's industry was disproportionately dependent upon Britain.
Overnight, entire industries closed down, as did the banks.
Thousands of workers found themselves without the means to make a living.
Churchill's boast to bring Norway's economy to destruction looked certain, but was again thwarted by Quisling.
With enormous drive and energy, He brought Norway's entire economic and social administration back to work.
Perversely, it was Quisling's independent spirit that led to his being removed from office.
His relationship with Minister Brower had always been abrasive.
The Reich's appointee resented playing second fiddle to Quisling.
Furthermore, the Germans were great believers in real politic, and the more Machiavellian Brouwer had succeeded in convincing the German high command that an alternative government to Quislings had been assembled.
This administration would be far more compliant to German demands, and furthermore, it had the unequivocal support of the king, who had refused to recognize the Quisling government.
This was a real politic that the Germans could not refuse.
Gwisling was furious, and in an angry confrontation with the German-appointed puppet president of the newly formed administration, he exclaimed, You have these thirty years been walking about acting the patriot and friend of the military defense of Norway, and now it becomes evident that you are willing to take over the government on German terms, which I had rejected in contempt.
You have made yourself a vile hostage in the hands of the Wehrmacht.
You will be forced to join in the plundering of our people, and when it is finished, your new taskmasters will throw you out of office.
It will be well deserved.
And events turned out precisely as Quisling predicted.
Within days, it became clear that Norway's administration had lied and did not have the king's blessing and was unable to govern in the way the Germans had wanted.
It was immediately dissolved, the occupied Norwegian territories were placed under a Reichskommissar, and Norway found itself under direct military rule.
The Reichskommissar was Terbovin, and for the first time the swastika, rather than the Norwegian national flag, flew over Parliament House.
Hitler had allowed himself to be ill-advised by the deceitful Brauer and his fellow conspirators.
He was ruthlessly pragmatic.
The hapless German appointee Brower, delirious with pride, flew to Berlin on April 16th.
A week later, he was demoted to common soldier and posted to the Western Front.
Rumor has it, by 1967, that Brower had been absorbed into the Soviet apparatus as an advisor to the Inspectorate of Recruitment.
With less freedom than that enjoyed by the occupied Danes, Freedom likely to have been equaled in Norway had Quisling's more benign administration not been sabotaged by Brouwer, Norway's infrastructure nevertheless hit the ground running.
Industry was accelerating at such a pace that it was afterwards mockingly said that the Norwegians were profiteers by day and patriots during the evening.
Quisling, meanwhile, was politically sidelined.
Terbovin informed him that unless he resigned as leader of National Samling, It would be declared an illegal organization.
For our first music break, I thought I'd play something from the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.
This is Melody, played by M.L. Gillels.
piano plays softly
Witkun Quisling did fly to Berlin, hoping to lay the situation before the Fuhrer, but those who had an interest in maintaining Turbovin's position prevented the meeting from immediately taking place, and Quisling was otherwise occupied.
Resting in a small hotel on the outskirts of Berlin, the days turned into weeks, giving Turbovin the space needed to consolidate his hold.
Finally, the meeting with the German leader did take place and was to last several hours.
There, Quisling was given the opportunity to properly recount events, which he did without throwing Terbov into the wolves.
Hitler, understandably upset at Norway's pre-war treachery that had left his beloved Germany exposed to Baltic invasion, pointed out that Norway had no right to anything after their pro-English policy she had been pursuing.
The Fuhrer then smiled and added ruefully, Hitler spoke quietly, saying that he could not make any changes to the conditions of occupation, but would consider, as soon as conditions allowed, Norway's craving for liberty.
He also reminded Quisling that if England's invasion had made occupation inevitable, then better for the people of Norway that the occupiers be German rather than English.
The Fuhrer had bitter memories of the English as occupiers.
To underline his point, the Fuhrer added that had it not been for the German occupation, the Soviet Union, aided by England, would have certainly pursued its claim to access to the Atlantic.
The implication was clear.
It was hardly in Norway's interest to be occupied by the Red Army.
It was an irresistible argument.
The meeting ended with Quisling being afforded every facility for continuing his work and working within a Norway enjoying considerable autonomy within a Germanic Europe.
The German leader was set in his mind that never again would the offshore prodigal son, England, threaten Europe.
Subsequently, Quisling remained on the sidelines in the belief that doing so gave him the best opportunity of engaging and ousting Terbovin's administration.
Adolf Hitler was personally involved in negotiations aimed at providing Norway with a multi-party administration, with National Samling, under Quisling's leadership, making up at least one quarter of the proposed government.
It was the Führer's fervent hope that the Norwegian Patriots' track record would quickly make him the dominant figure in Norwegian politics.
Such were the contenders that it was jokingly said that Norway had enough ministers to run all of Europe.
In the event of the successful formation of Hitler's choice, the Council of the Kingdom, Quisling's national psalmling was accorded one-third of the new parliament's seats, but he himself was not made a member of the government.
At least his work for the reconstruction of Norway, though now compromised by the intervening period, could begin.
Was Vidkun Quisling a National Socialist?
Decidedly not, for in fact it was his and Knudsen's almost English negative perception of National Socialism that earned them the distrust of Berlin.
Those politicians who did replace him were appointed not so much because of their affection for or understanding of Norway, But for their affection for the Third Reich, and in particular National Socialism.
Quisling had, much to his later regret, always trusted England first and foremost.
He was particularly aggrieved when, in the summer of 1940, he was deprived of his order of commander of the British Empire.
In his biography, his secretary emphasized the naked truth.
Quisling was far more pro-English than pro-German.
Franklin Knudsen himself was a product of the English public school system.
He had also been an acting British vice-consul, hardly a role suited to a National Socialist.
As late as 1938, Knudsen had collaborated with the Air Ministry in London.
This was in connection with a Norwegian patent for directing torpedoes by the aid of photoelectric cells.
So it was hardly surprising the Gestapo suspected him of belonging to the British Secret Service.
Essentially, the National Somling Party was fascist-inclined only inasmuch as it represented a sea change for social improvement, the elimination of class, the provision of conditions amenable to national prosperity, and a sound defensive strategy.
As such, it was natural that it should be vehemently opposed to communism, but then virtually every country in Europe had, to varying degrees of success, their own national somling parties.
On May 7th, 1945, Norway capitulated to the Allies, and the disintegration proceeded during which time Vidkun Quisling was ordered to present himself and his party members to the police station.
He had already spurned an offer to decamp for a neutral country, Spain or South America.
He preferred, however, to stand by his post and to vindicate his actions.
A surprising lack of judgment, for he must already have known of the vengeful extremes to which his opponents will go.
The campaign to blacken the Norwegian Patriots' reputation began immediately upon his being jailed.
The media that had been on friendly terms with him so recently now denounced him as a drunken, decadent, bearing all the signs of excess and debauchery.
That was pretty good, considering Quisling was a teat-holing, non-smoking ascetic.
Vicund Quisling and thousands of other jailed political hostages were systematically starved with rations as low as 700 calories a day, and the normal requirement for prisoners was 3,000 calories a day.
In these prisons, various diseases ran rampant, and neuritis, due to lack of nutrition, was common.
Such was Quisling's physical condition that on at least one occasion the court had to be adjourned because he had difficulty standing.
Quisling's political activity before the occupation was a mainstay of the prosecution's case.
Defense evidence was inadmissible.
It alleged that he had furnished Germany with military and political information, That in December 1940, three months prior to the invasion, he had procured an audience with the Norwegian businessman Hagelin, Admiral Rader, and Chancellor Adolf Hitler.
That by declaring illegal, which it was, the Norwegian parliament's extension of itself, he had provided himself with a reason to force a coup d 'etat.
And the rest was equally puerile nonsense.
It was charged that Quisling would invite the Germans to occupy Norway as being preferable to being occupied by Britain, that he would incorporate Norway into a great Germanic League.
It was also charged that he had convinced Adolf Hitler in 1939 of the Western powers' intention to invade Norway.
It may have been irrelevant to such a court, that it was of course true.
Finally, Quisling had charged, again quite correctly, The then-illegal Norwegian government with having decided not to hinder an Allied invasion of Norway.
Perversely, rarely has a prosecution so successfully managed to turn acts of great patriotism into base treachery.
It was never explained, if it was Quisling's intention to surrender his country to Germany, why his party, alone in the Norwegian parliament, had offered a solution that would guarantee Norway's continued neutrality.
Nor was it ever explained if it was Quisling's intention to surrender to German invasion caused by England's invasion, why he had always advocated a strong defensive capability and pushed for a strong national government, for the formation of a British-Norwegian league, and for peace between England and Germany.
As in all of the Victor's show trials, Quisling was allowed neither defense counsel, save one chosen for him by the state, nor defense witnesses, nor defense evidence.
The judge, Eric Solem, was handpicked as a veteran political opponent of the National Somling's leader.
He was almost certainly Jewish.
The entire legal apparatus assembled to Judge Vigkun Quisling was drawn from his avowed enemies.
The Norwegian patriot was inevitably sentenced to death by a firing squad.
This next song is performed by Wardruna and is named Voluspa.
The End
Good evening, comrades.
Tonight I would like to talk about Hitler's Northern Utopia, Building the New Order in Occupied Norway, and this is by Despina Stratagatkos.
So this is a work that talks generally about some of the engineering projects and architectural projects that were taking place in occupied Norway.
It talks a bit about the sociocultural differences between the Norwegians and the Germans.
Of course, the Norwegians, they were known for their frugality, and they tended to tolerate an array of architectural styles.
And one of the things that Germans found about the Norwegians, they thought their architecture was a bit haphazard.
Now, of course, the Reichsdeutschgestalt favored building for the New Order.
And the best-known aspect of this project is the Autobahn.
Now, we think of the Autobahn as essentially being in Germany, and that's where it is now.
But they were making a circular hub actually leading to Berlin.
And the Autobahn was really designed as a scenic project.
Sometimes even at the expense of safety.
And there was this interest in monumental building because there was this interest in looking far into the future and even thinking of the ruined value of various projects.
Now honestly, at the time that the Audubon was being built, many Germans really preferred trains.
Now, this is easily understandable since cars can certainly be a liability in terms of insurance, for example.
Trains can actually be, in many respects, much more efficient.
So there was an Arctic route that was actually going to go from Oslo to St. Petersburg.
As has been noted before, the Norwegians were considered very desirable in terms of partners for eugenic reasons, and as such, there were homes for Norwegian mothers who were in any type of partnership with German soldiers.
They were trained in things like Home economics and, of course, child care.
Even though there was a certain amount of fraternization between German soldiers and Norwegian women, it was also viewed that National Socialist Germans had a special mission.
They had to stay in touch with German culture in order to really instruct the Norwegians and Other groups that were occupied in terms of this ideology.
So soldiers' homes were being built, and these were actually staffed by matronly German women.
So there was this goal to keep the situation as wholesome as can be possible.
And the soldiers were actually told that if they brought Norwegian women into these homes they would not be served by these various matronly German women that were helping these soldiers.
It's not entirely clear if these rules would have been relaxed after the war but one assumes they would have been.
Now, in addition to the soldiers' homes, there was actually a very ambitious project to create a new city on the western coast of Norway.
The city is often referred to as New Trondheim.
Now, the original Trondheim was a place that was very much ensconced in Norwegian culture and had a strong history of powerful kings and also a major cathedral.
And this was a place that was very much admired.
But, as I've said, the Germans were discouraged from going native, essentially so they could continue to instruct in their ideology.
Now, one of the things that became another ideological feature that was becoming more and more prominent in the redesigned landscape was the party house, a house to represent the National Socialist Party.
And that became more and more central and began to take over the centrality of the church in many cases, although churches were built if they could decrease unemployment being so built.
One of the criticisms of the Reich, and I think there's some validity to this, is that too many projects were taken on all at once.
In retrospect, it probably would have been better to If the structures that you're building obviously are later destroyed by war, for example, then you end up wasting a lot of money and materials.
The author talks about how Despite all the destruction of the war, there were some remnants of especially airports that were used later on after the war and also just some improvements in transportation generally that came about
because of all The building projects.
This is a mainstream author, I have to admit, but it's still a compelling work to see this grand vision.
I suppose it's bittersweet, but it's nevertheless wonderful to see a glimpse into this world that was being conceived of and created.
During those times.
So, I thank you for listening.
I hope you enjoyed this discussion.
And hail victory, comrades.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
This next song is a traditional Norwegian folk song called Rulfran Orik, performed by Christian Volski.
Rulfran
Orik Rulfran
Orik Thank you.
One of the most unfortunate side effects of our increasingly corrupt and degenerate culture is that we've lost so much valuable context and several important frames of reference with regards to how we view our world.
Our language has changed, and with it our perception of reality, with each of these changes playing into and fueling the other.
Many of us have lost the ability to deeply understand heroism and self-sacrifice.
Let alone their purpose and utility, and the reasons they're so immensely valuable.
Popular culture has served to do two things to reshape this landscape in our minds.
Firstly, it served to change our idea of heroism and what it means to be a hero.
We now live in a time in which someone with an unnatural sexual preference or some gender confusion can be labeled a hero for simply speaking about these things, loudly and proudly.
as can anyone willing to play a part in aggressively attacking or deconstructing traditional Western culture in a creative or novel way.
This serves to both alter and cheapen the word hero.
And secondly, the gatekeepers of popular culture have worked hard to tar and feather our traditional understanding of heroism and our traditional heroes, using word association and idea association techniques in an attempt to tie them to what they've deemed To frame great men of old as egotistical or sadistic brutes, superficially seeking fame and its resulting benefits.
Many have come to believe that this is what heroism was through much of history, deeply egotistical and ambitious men who simply wanted to see their name in big bright lights, figuratively speaking.
I'd argue that this is a case of projection.
From these small men who have recently become our only bards in the Western world with megaphones at their disposal to spread their messages far and wide.
They'll always find a small and petty motive, because they can't help but put themselves in the shoes of these men and interpret the why of their actions according to what their own might have been.
I'm here to argue that I believe our traditional understanding of what it meant to be a hero was something very, very different, and something so vital and important to the shaping of healthy human beings that its importance can hardly be overstated, and must not be understated.
Let's start by pulling back our perspective, and yes, I do say this every episode, and considering that the heroic ideal becomes more or less ideal according to the health and vitality of the society that creates it.
The profoundly degenerate and weak and unhealthy society?
lacks even the reference points to conceive of a knightly hero in the chivalric tradition, for example.
The level of discipline and self-control, the complete devotion to a cause higher than oneself, the obsessive cultivation of excellence and mastery, these impulses now run counter to those of our age.
And as the level or caliber of a society dictates the nature of its heroic ideal, And here's where we begin to hone in on their actual purpose and function.
They are central pillars, rallying points, teaching us how to best be, how to best navigate the world around us.
and they become shapers and sculptors, with society acting as their block of marble.
They are our living examples of what greatness is, and at the same time, they help to quantify the definition of greatness.
A healthy society seeking to live in harmony and balance, in accordance with internal and external nature, can't help but have a lofty and noble notion of heroism, and thus produce lofty and noble heroes.
As tales are told of such men, especially to children during that period in which their malleable minds are taking shape, the most positive aspects of their character and actions are deeply imprinted into the collective psyche.
In the simple telling of a short tale, we're teaching countless unseen lessons on what it means to be a quality person, thereby better orienting our rudder as we all head into the uncharted waters of the future.
Such simple stories are akin to arming one another with right thinking and examples of right acting, with the best of them in printing meta-level lessons applicable to virtually any time or place.
Conversely, in unhealthy societies, because heroes pave the way and essentially step on the accelerator in whatever direction a society is headed, an individual with negative traits that's subsequently honored as a hero Might actually have the reverse effect of that just mentioned, even causing much of an entire generation to mimic these negative traits, coupled with the confidence that comes from believing themselves to be in the right.
After all, they're modeling their behavior after someone popular culture is calling a hero.
but we'll leave the idea of unhealthy heroes aside for the sake of the rest of this cast and focus on the positive and traditional conceptions which thankfully are capable of affecting the world far more powerfully One of the concepts you'll find me constantly repeating is a belief that our minds are much more easily swayed by our environmental influences than most seem willing to believe.
Much like an animal, we can train ourselves to be this or that in relatively short order, by simply having an ever-present compelling example or two, worthy of imitation.
So many broken children grow up to become broken adults almost entirely because they simply never had examples of how to be better.
I think we often forget how powerful it is to simply have a living example of goodness in front of us.
We all innately want to climb upwards.
It's just an issue of finding the staircase.
And some never do.
And this is one of the greatest tragedies of our world.
Heroes act as these staircases.
The best of them throughout history might even be considered elevators, waiting patiently to help whisk us to higher levels if we're only willing to seek them out and understand them.
One of the things I'm most thankful for with regards to my own upbringing was my father taking the time out to read to me, nearly every night for a long stretch of time.
And for a period, the nightly adventure was a book called Myths and Heroes, if memory serves.
Each night I was able to hear stories of men who cared deeply for the world in which they lived, and took it seriously, and sought meaningful ways to improve it and the lives of those around them.
Great warriors, conquerors, statesmen, sages, artists and inventors, but always great, always striving for greatness.
They did so in the vast majority of cases not because they were merely ambitious or wanted praise from all around them, but because they knew it was the right path.
And perhaps some of the most aware of them, because they knew that true heroism has the potential to echo into eternity.
We still discuss men and events of thousands of years ago, as if they were yesterday.
And up until recently, many did so with energy and vigor and deep interest, cultivating the same spirit in those who listened.
This means that a single act of true heroism Picture a ball of energy radiating outwards in every direction, producing other storehouses of energy that proceeded to do the same indefinitely.
These great men thus attained eternal life.
There's a reason children crowded around war heroes of yesteryear, with wide eyes and eager ears, and there's nothing more natural, nothing more healthy.
Children are born well-wired, wanting to learn what it means to be great, and in turn strive to be this.
Their wiring is only destroyed over time by sickly and artificial constructs and ideas created within degenerate societies.
It takes a great deal of time and money and a concerted effort for a nation to turn these healthy children into something very different.
And the moment these efforts cease or slow, the next generation will largely bounce back almost immediately, because these instincts are ingrained in our very nature.
And with good reason.
They serve us well.
And who are the greatest and best-remembered heroes of all?
Up until very recent times, as we've begun to slip into levels of degeneracy not seen since the fall of Rome, they were those great men most willing to sacrifice for what they loved best.
Whether this meant fighting and dying on a battlefield, or giving everything for race or nation against impossible odds, or being nailed to a world tree or a wooden cross, we've long recognized self-sacrifice as the noblest of virtues.
If we stop and think about this, it's easy to see why.
After all, what is self-sacrifice but one man being willing to undergo hardship to make the lives of so many others fundamentally better?
Not to mention additionally full of depth and meaning, as those still living look back in thankful grace.
Self-sacrificing behavior is a net benefit to the community as a whole, and what it costs one man or one small group of men It makes up for several times over in its effect on the many.
This, right here, is the key to healthy and happy and vital and energetic nations or societies.
If men live among those they trust and feel a resonance with, those they feel a kinship and connection to, they can't help but view their neighbor as extended family, and they're often willing to go to any lengths to improve their lot accordingly.
If this virtue of self-sacrifice were to spread to all, the resulting effect would be incredible, with virtually every man acting as a net positive, a fountain of energy and strength and spirit.
What we face currently is a cold, dead, and confused world.
But that flame is still there, burning quietly and largely unnoticed in the background.
It only needs to be rekindled and stoked, and allowed the oxygen it's so long been denied, and it's more than capable of changing the world as we know it.
As soon as we're able to rediscover our own set of virtues, And again, embrace that more lofty and noble outlook on life, and again understand the nature of greatness and the value in striving for and towards it, this world will cease being an increasingly small and petty marketplace.
And instead function more like a tall and sturdy staircase to something far greater.
It really is a choice to be made.
We can either embrace the path of the modern world, of other sacrifice and parasitism, in which every man seeks to get his, in an atomized and fractured collection of world citizens, or we can once again embrace those we love and what we love.
And strive to become noble and self-sacrificing creators once again.
I firmly believe the former would lead to a true hell on earth, whereas the latter has the potential to lead us into a paradise the likes of which we've not yet experienced.
The End Alright, well that's about all the time we have this week.
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