Our Threatened Freedom

Are We Moving Into Slavery

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Political Studies

Lesson: 52-169

Genre: Conversation

Track: 052

Dictation Name: Vol. D - Part 13 – Are We Moving Into Slavery

Location/Venue: Unknown

Year: 1980’s – 1990’s

[Dr. Rushdoony] Are we moving into slavery? This is R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.

From 1854 to 1844, Herbert Spencer wrote some essays, later published under the title ‘The Man Versus the State’. One of these essays was titled ‘The Coming Slavery’. Looking ahead to our century, Spencer foresaw the development of the new slavery. The old slavery was in process of being abolished all over the world, the old slavery was the private ownership of men by other men. The new and coming slavery would be different, and more deadly. It would be the ownership of people by the state.

The roots of the new slavery, he said, would be in a supposedly humane belief. He saw the churches themselves falling prey to, and advocating, this dangerous premise. As Spencer stated it, and I quote, “The current assumption is that there should be no suffering, and the society is to blame for that which exists.” Unquote.

There were, thus, two aspects to this malignant and deadly belief. First, the belief that there should be no suffering is a denial of the need to grow or to pay the penalty for sins and errors. Parents are commonly addicted to this error. They do not want their children to go through what they had to go through. With a net result that their children fail to develop the character their parents have. Apply this principle to society and you have social anarchy.

Second, there is the belief that society is to blame for that which exists. Responsibility and character however, are primarily and essentially, personal. When we deny that personal foundation of responsibility, we undermine both law and civilization.

When we make such a deadly assumption, namely, that there should be no suffering and a society is to blame for what exists, we then work to regulate society, not to develop character, knowledge and abilities in the individual. The end result of these regulations, Spencer predicted, is more regulations, and finally, mass enslavement.

All of us then in effect become the prisoners of the state. The slave society is increasingly one answer to all problems. More regulations, or, more slavery. Those who try to maintain their freedom begin to give up to join the ranks of the slaves, and you have a revolution into slavery. As Spencer noted, and I quote, “To one who doubts whether such a revolution may be so reached, facts may be cited showing its likelihood. In Gaul, during the decline of the Roman Empire, so numerous were the receivers in comparison to payers, and so enormous the weight of taxation that the laborers broke down, the plains became desert, and woods grew where the plow had been. In like manner, when the French Revolution was approaching, the public burdens had become such that many farms remained uncultivated and many were deserted. One quarter of the soil was absolutely lying waste, and in some provinces, one half was {?}.” Unquote.

Spencer’s prediction is right. We are indeed moving into the new slavery, but responsibility is personal, and we are not helpless pawns. The time has come for us to move into freedom.

This has been R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.