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SyndicateThe Dr. Zhivago Option
By Robert Ringer - Saturday, June 5, 2010
By Robert Ringer
The other day, one of my son’s friends, who had just come home from college for the summer, stopped over to say hello. We chatted briefly, and I asked him if he was still planning on becoming an entrepreneur/businessman after he graduated from school next spring.
To my surprise, he said that because of the economy, he had changed his mind about pursuing a business career. He told me that he now planned to apply for a job with the CIA. Surprised, I asked, “What in the world made you decide to go to work for the CIA?”
Without pause, he responded, “It’s so tough to get a job nowadays that I figured I’d just go to work for the government, because there’s much more security in a government job.” I immediately thought to myself that standing right in front of me was a new Barack Obama voter!
It’s simple: Get as many people as possible working for the government – which can always meet its payroll by taking money from entrepreneurs and small businesspeople who create private-sector jobs – and thereby assure winning a majority of votes in every election.
It reminded me of a conversation I had many years ago with a brilliant, ultra-pragmatic, narcissistic acquaintance who had a hugely successful economic consulting business. One day we were having a discussion about the United States’ relentless move toward collectivism, and I asked him, “Given how you’re addicted to the material things in life, what would you do if the United States ever became a full-fledged communist country?”
Without so much as a pause, he answered, in a matter-of-fact tone, “That wouldn’t be a problem. I’d just become a member of the Communist Party and work my way into the inner circle.” His response evoked a nervous chuckle from me, but the chuckle quickly faded as I realized he was deadly serious. His answer bothered me then, and it bothers me even more today.
The first thing that went through my mind after that conversation was the movie Dr. Zhivago and Rod Steiger’s character Viktor Komarovsky. Komarovsky was a member of Russia’s elite class that dined on caviar and expensive vodka while the masses lived on the edge of starvation in abject poverty.
But when it became clear that the Bolshevik Revolution would succeed, Viktor Komarovsky simply cozied up to the revolutionary hierarchy and proclaimed himself to be a communist. He was well aware that revolutionary rhetoric was a fantasy, and that in every revolution, it’s the toughest and wiliest thugs who emerge as the new royalty.
For the masses, of course, things stay pretty much the same, though under communism they usually end up even worse off than they were before the revolution (as was certainly the case in Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution).
Today, the Komarovsky mind-set is a serious problem in the United States. I keep saying that Obama and Co. know they are going down to massive defeats if there are elections in 2010, but maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps I’ve underestimated their determination to get enough people on the government dole and government payroll to mathematically assure victory.
I continue to say that most of the big stories in the news are nothing more than distractions – distractions that take people’s focus off the biggest problem Americans are facing: an irreversible loss of their liberty. That includes the BP oil spill, illegal immigration, and even Obama’s attempt to buy off Joe Sestak to get him out of the race so he could pay back Arlen Specter for his open conversion to the progressive cause.
It’s not that some of these issues aren’t important; they are. But they are not as important as Americans unthinkingly submitting to servitude. And that is what the Obamaviks don’t want the masses to think about.
When it comes to the mid-term elections in 2010, Republicans are running a race against the clock, because it’s only a matter of time until the government has a large enough percentage of voters on its payroll and on the dole to assure a permanent majority in the House and Senate, not to mention permanent control of the White House.
Worst of all, the Republican Party itself has a whole army of Viktor Komarovskys in its ranks, ready to support the Obamaviks at the drop of a vote. Names like Mitt Romney (the de facto architect of Obamacare), John McCain (“I was in favor of illegal immigration before I was against it.”), Lindsey Graham (an unabashed hard-core progressive), Mike Huckabee (the slickest – and possibly most dangerous – man in America), Orrin Hatch (a deeply entrenched member of the go-along-to-get-along club), and Mitch McConnell (another deeply entrenched member of the same club) come quickly to mind.
These men have conclusively demonstrated that they are more than willing to support the progressive’s notion of “social justice” if that’s what it takes to get elected and reelected. Their greatest threat comes from names like Bachmann, Ryan, DeMint, Rubio, and Paul & Paul.
Over the next five months, you can be sure that much Republican blood will be spilled in the war between the Viktor Komarovskys of the Republican Party and those who refuse to go along with the business-as-usual Dr. Zhivago Option. And you can guess which side the socialists in the Democratic People’s Party will be cheering for.
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ROBERT RINGER is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of the highly acclaimed Liberty Education Interview Series, which features interviews with top political, economic, and social leaders. Ringer has appeared on numerous national talk shows and has been the subject of feature articles in such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron’s, and The New York Times. To sign up for his one-of-a-kind, pro-liberty e-letter, A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World, visit www.RobertRinger.com
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ROBERT RINGER is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of the highly acclaimed Liberty Education Interview Series, which features interviews with top political, economic, and social leaders. He has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, The Tonight Show, Today, The Dennis Miller Show, Good Morning America, The Lars Larson Show, ABC Nightline, and The Charlie Rose Show, and has been the subject of feature articles in such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, and The New York Times.
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13 Responses to “The Dr. Zhivago Option”
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Yes, I totally agree that the loss of individual freedom and the upward, parabolic growth of government jobs(including the CIA) is and has been the most important story for some time now; Of course, the BP story, and others, are important ones that will intensify and eclipse the critical issues. That’s just one more reason to say tuned to Mr. Ringer’s blog, because Mr. Ringer has a superb talent when it comes to identifying the most important, underlying issues that are crucial to freedom.
Excellent point about the real agenda in the Obama socialization of America. If enough people are dependent on the government coffers then election of the socialist agenda is assured.
Also the price of conversion is not that expensive. Anyone receiving a Social Security check, food stamps or public assistance will think twice before voting for a politician advocating a reduction in these programs.
Sadly, I believe we have reached the point at which the newest voters are mostly all conditioned towards socialism. There is some hope due to the modern technologies bringing the alternative media to those who have been brainwashed through public education. Recovering from liberalism in some ways is as hard as drugs, and requires a one-day-at-a-time approach, and daily meditation, like I get reading Robert’s blog, and helping others. I read Restoring the American Dream at age 26, and made the “conversion,” in about two weeks, yet still find myself “slipping” occasionally. It’s going to be tough for all the young ” who stii suffer’” for many it will be impossible. Look at the Gore/Bush fiasco of 1999. I find it inconceivable that Gore got that close. Just look at him, and just listen to him! Wow, his coming that close is very meaningful. In a sense Gore “won.” If you look at it that way the public has voted “liberal” consistenly since 1992. What’s also amazing is the public has done this after Reagen proved liberalism “wrong.” The young and the non-Americans, and the poor, are the biggest challenge. Romney, Huckabee, McCain, etc. all need to go. We need real consevatives. We may soon need another Fox News, also if they continue to drift left.
I’ve been warning this was coming for 40 years. It was so so clear. No one would listen. They liste now but it is too late. It really pains me but I now advice yound adults headed to college to take subjects that line them up for government or large NGO jobs. NGO’s backed by the government. In another 20 years entrepeneurs will be blamaed for Progressivism wrecking the Western World. They’ll be taken out and shot. Impossible? They said that in Rissia in 1917. By 1937 Stalin was holding kangaroo courts of free market capitalists and then hanging them in public executions or sending them to gulags by the mullions. It is coming here. aAter generations there is no one left to blame and random executionw will still not be enough to create the “workers paradise” and it all implodes. USSR 1991. But no one alive today will live to see it. It is doomed to fail from the beginning but millions must die and the world set back at least 100 years. Just as sure as the rains arrive each spring. This has been repeated dozens of times since the dawn of time. Ther only difference is each disaster is bigger and the eventual implosion more damaging to the world. Eventually one will bring on Armageddon. Will this be the one where there is no coming back. Many predict this is the one – the end of time. We only know two things for sure. It IS too late to stop this train wreck of the world and no one will know if this is the final one until it is over.
Gary in Kansas
You don’t have to look back to the failed soviet experiment or even to its literary chroncling in Dr Zhivago; because we have a present day experiment where its one partleadership has been re-elected for decdes
Sorry about that. In Chicago all city payrollers, by law, live in the city as well as dole beneficiaries.
Collectively, they return the Daley party to office with no opposition save for the running joke called the Republican primaries where no-one’s ever won since the Capone era.
This is, I think, BHO’s model for governing. The question is can similar controls be imposed on the rest of US?
I am Brazilian, I leave in Brazil and the same is going here. Government has hijacked the political conscience of our people with money distribution for the poor people, thousands of employments in the government for the Labor Party members and many other similar actions. President Lula is considered good by 70% of the population because he is an irresponsible populist whose only purpose is to elect president his candidate this year. So, Mr. Ringer, I also make mine your words. Unfortunately they are true.
Sadly, the young in this country somehow believe in Socialism, especially those in those liberal training camps called “colleges.” It’s amazing how they are still so wet behind the ears and being supported by their parents’ and (unbelievably)hate the rich and Capitalism.
I say that if they hate it so much, why are they even bothering going to college? Why not just get a job digging ditches or driving a truck or what have you?
My nieces, nephews and young cousins have been brainwashed by the liberal left, so now our country is in deep trouble. And the messiah who walks on water is making it worse indeed…
Robert, you asked your friend the question: “Given how you’re addicted to the material things in life, what would you do if the United States ever became a full-fledged communist country?”. I’m eager to know: What would be YOUR answer to that question?
Robert Ringer, I am fasinated by your comment that
Mike Huckibee is the most dangerous man in America.
I would really like to hear more from you on this subject.
To Hope River none of American citizens will realize how the communist country is unless they experience. Mr Robert kinda fore seeing troubles in this country than any politicians…He might not have enough time or courage to step out of his cell Republican and make his own league I guess…I hope someday he will do soon.
I certainly appreciate your concern about the idea of a permanent majority of people living off the government thus voting for socialist nonsense forever and ever.
Ultimately though, this cannot in fact happen because it simply will not work. At some point, the system would just collapse and it will not be possible for the government to confiscate enough money to keep it going. We seem to be at a tipping point with this in a lot of democratic socialist countries, especially in Europe.
This will not work point is particularly true of America, in that we are the economic and military leaders of the world. A lot of the world has gotten away to a substantial extent with this nonsense for awhile because the US has propped them up in all kinds of ways, starting with paying for their military defense.
But we edge ever closer to an abyss where not even an Obama can keep that up from our end. And there’s certainly not going to be anyone to prop US up if the system is too far over extended.
At some point then, I have confidence in some return to sanity – just by the nature of reality. The basic question really is just how much pain the public will choose to endure in stubborn defiance of basic economics.
But at some point, getting knocked upside the head with a 2×4 will get your attention. Unless it kills you, I suppose.
Your comments presume that the power holders sincerely want to preserve capitalism and the American way of life. Has it not yet occurred to you that Obama and Co. want to DESTROY capitalism and the American way of life? Once accomplished, the only “solution” is a police state.