Konstantin Kissin, a Russian-British comedian and political commentator born in late Soviet Moscow, warned that one of the greatest threats to Western civilization comes from within.
In a recent interview with EpochTV’s “American Thought Leaders” program, Kissin discussed his new book, “Love Letters of Immigrants to the West.” In it he outlines the importance of Western culture and the threat of its destruction, both internally and externally.
Contrary to what many progressives think, there is such a thing as objective truth, especially in the hard sciences of physics, chemistry and biology. The freedom to stick to its principles, innovate and explore possibilities has led to the success of the West. said Kishin.
“If we want to continue in these technologically advanced, scientifically expanding, advancing societies, freedom is what makes it all happen,” he said. If you don’t like it, there are plenty of societies you can live in. Just don’t bring that crap here.”
Under the former Soviet Union, and now the Chinese Communist Party, there was freedom to experiment and try something new and see if it worked, Kissin said, or not.
Innovation cannot happen without freedom and competition, he said.
Progressives Invent Problems
Kisin said the younger generation in the West is not grateful because they have nothing to compare their fortunes to.
“They don’t even know that another world existed somewhere in the past or in another geographical location,” he said.
Kissin says that totalitarian governments such as Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea do not have this freedom, yet progressives compare the United States to a non-existent socialist and communist utopia. Stated.
Some in society are willing to use authoritarianism to pursue fictional utopias, censor comedy, close debate, and destroy politicians who try to challenge those ideas.
“We’re talking about excluding racism, sexism, everything from our society,” he said. “You can’t even get rid of murder in society. You can’t get rid of rape in society. We’re not perfect, so we can’t get rid of many problems.”
humans thrive on competition
Governments that promote equity must use force to achieve that level of “fairness,” Kissin said.
Kissin said that when he was still living in the Soviet Union, the regime used the same left-wing tactics now used in the United States, that all people should be equal and life should be fair. He said he convinced people. It is this quest for fairness, equal outcomes for all, that requires the use of force, he said.
The Biden administration has promoted the principles of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” to all federal departments in the following ways: Policy change and a training session.
But this goes against basic human nature, Kissin said.
“We don’t want equality,” he said. “We want to be rewarded based on our achievements and talents. That’s what everyone wants.”
Kissin said that in the Soviet Union everyone seemed equal on the surface. The government provided free health care, free childcare, free education, and guaranteed jobs, and the majority received equal wealth and equal pay.
But it was far from the utopia promised by authoritarian leaders. Because it robbed people of their motivation to move forward and innovate.
“You make everyone equal by making everyone equally poor,” Kissin said. “That’s why we need tyranny, because people don’t want to be equally poor. Those who work hard, are talented, and contribute more want to be rewarded for it.” .”
He said that in Russia people are unwilling to do more. They are complacent because they are not rewarded by the state for putting in more effort.
Multiethnic, not multicultural
Kissin argues that when people in the West say they want to live in a multicultural society, what they really want is a multiracial society.
Living in the same country with people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds can be very positive and productive for prosperity, but they have the same cultural and national identity. There is a need, and that creates a bond.
“You cannot bring your religious legal system into society and demand that it parallel the legal system of the state in which you operate,” Kissin said.
People don’t have to give up their national identities, but they have to embrace new national identities and contribute to their societies.
Kissin said immigrants must learn the language, integrate into the culture and embrace the values of their new country in order to help society thrive.
“We cannot live in a society with parallel structures. “A multicultural society is a recipe for disaster.”
10 Ways to Destroy the West
In his book, Kissin published a list entitled “Ten Ways to Destroy the West.”
The list touches on promoting socialism through critical race theory, demoralization, and “bad capitalism.” But Kissin said the biggest threat on the list is probably the last one.
Kissin said the Western scientist who developed the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project gave nuclear technology to former Communist Party dictator Joseph Stalin because he believed in communism.
“Communism was this beautiful ideology they believed in, so they gave it to him,” Kissin said. You can make it feel good.”
Kisin said he was too focused on identifying and explaining the problem and not yet on how to understand people who have been indoctrinated by hateful ideologies.
In the UK, part of the problem is that people believe in government, above all, even saving them from the COVID-19 pandemic, Kissin said.
But governments cannot solve all problems. He said there are many things that they cannot control and, unfortunately, sometimes people die.
“If there is a problem, it means the government has messed up, and we believe the government needs to intervene to deal with the problem,” Kissin said. If we continue to believe in it, the answer will be more government, whatever the problem.”
Depressed, enemy from within
Kissin said that while there are external forces seeking to destabilize the United States on social, cultural and economic levels, he believes Americans should be most concerned about internal forces. rice field.
“The problem isn’t the bad guys running around trying to make things worse,” he said. “The problem is those who subscribe to the ideology of giving. [evil people] Permission to do terrible things in the name of the greater good. ”
One of the most dangerous insider threats in the United States is depression, says Kisin.
Many people in the West are unsure of the merits of their society and instead use an imaginary utopia as a comparison to the real world. In the real world, it is impossible to eliminate all moral or social failures because human nature is imperfect.
Kisin said he believes most people don’t realize that the demoralization and lack of confidence they feel about society and culture is not normal.
“This endless self-flagellation is seen in the same way that ‘this is what we’re doing now,’ and that’s not normal,” he said. We are in an abnormal society, a society of endless questions.”
However, Kissin said that as long as the United States adheres to its founding principles and values, no outside force can harm it.
“As long as we are confident in ourselves, defend ourselves and are willing to stand up for what we believe in, we have nothing to fear,” he said.
follow
Masooma Haq began reporting for The Epoch Times from Pakistan in 2008. She currently covers a variety of topics including US government, culture, and entertainment.
follow
Jan Jekielek is senior editor at The Epoch Times and host of the show “American Thought Leaders.” Jan’s career spans academia, media and international human rights activism. He joined The Times full-time in 2009 and has held various roles, including chief editor of the website. He is the producer of the award-winning Holocaust documentary film Finding Manny.