Chapter 4 – Dark Influences
Lucifer: the original demagogue
Spreading lies is a technique deliberately used by sinister agents in our society for a very long time. This is part of the process known as fascism, a type of ultranationalism “with the nation represented in the person of an authoritarian leader who speaks on its behalf.”[1] This type of politics incorporates a vision of a glorious past that never actually existed, propaganda, belittling intellectuals, claiming to be a victim of crimes by some minority, calls for law and order, feelings of sexual anxiety, actively seeking support from the core of the nation, as well as doing away with welfare and dismantling unity.[2]
In any fascist scheme there is generally a single leader proclaiming these authoritarian concepts, a demagogue.
Lucifer,[3] the leader of a system of 607 inhabited words including our own planet,[4] was the original demagogue; two hundred thousand years ago he disavowed any higher authority, declared God does not exist[5] and stated everyone should assert their own rights.[6] He claimed this increased authority on the basis of his presentations alone. His assistant Satan agreed with him and brought the message to our planetary prince, Caligastia, who joined the rebellion against higher authority. This is how the concept of a demagogue was brought to our native planet. Two hundred thousand years later we are still dealing with demagogues.
The particulars of what we know as fascism are different from the proclamations of Lucifer because we exist on a single evolutionary planet while he functioned in a much wider arena. This discussion of fascism in our society is based on the excellent book by Jason Stanley, “How Fascism Works—the Politics of Us and Them.”
One of the effects of fascism is the way in which it dehumanizes particular segments of society.[7] The target of this dehumanization is generally a minority group based on ethnicity, sex, religion or any other distinguishing characteristic. A classic example of this is the treatment of the Jews under Nazi Germany. This target group is pictured as the cause of problems in society; these issues are supposed to be resolved by persecuting the so-called perpetuators.
“Regular and repeated obvious lying is a part of the process by which fascist politics destroys the information space.[8]” This is the main tool demagogues use to gain and maintain power; we discussed such persistent lying in the previous section. When these lies are repeated constantly and with persistence it is difficult for many people to deny what is being proclaimed; in their minds the lie becomes reality.
One of the conditions giving rise to fascism and promoting its growth is economic inequality. Those on the bottom of the economic ladder have lost hope and are susceptible to demagogic pleas or discrimination while those on the top “are inclined to believe that they have earned their privilege, a delusion that prevents them from seeing reality as it is.[9]” Our society certainly has severe economic inequality as we discuss in the next chapter.
Fascism is a reaction against cultural assimilation, against equality, against globalization, and against any liberal idea; fascists are against the future, they want to live in the past; they glorify the mythical past when everything was supposed to have been better and want to return to this time that never was. They reject the future with its uncertainty.
The fascist government instigates policies targeting certain groups in such a way as to marginalize them. For example if repressive conditions are put in place people will be forced to leave the country and become refugees. The condition of most refugees is deplorable; demagogues can then point to them stating they are criminals and deserve persecution. The fascist government might institute a “war on crime” targeting inner-city crime. These areas are populated mainly by blacks; therefore most of the crime found will be perpetuated by blacks swelling the black prison population. Fascists can then claim this group are all criminals and worthy of repression. Government has thereby created the situation legitimizing and validating further brutal repression.[10]
The structure of our economy seems to encourage fascism because leaders of industry, CEOs, tell the workers what to do; there is little democracy in the corporate structure. That is the way Hitler viewed corporate structure.[11] It would therefore be natural for such a CEO to accept a fascist program because that is the way businesses are run.
We must remain vigilant and not fall prey to fascist schemes. “By refusing to be bewitched by fascist myths, we remain free to engage one another, all of us flawed, all of us partial in our thinking, experience, and understanding, but none of us demons.[12]”
A comparison between Lucifer and our present day demagogues is striking. Both disrespect higher authority, Lucifer by denying the existence of God and our demagogues by exercising authoritarian rule. Both resent a minority group, Lucifer said too much effort was wasted on ascendant mortals and ours disparage many minority groups. Both proclaim the individual must assert their own rights, a main point of Lucifer and our demagogues want to do away with regulations hampering businesses. Both rely on lies to further their goals.
The original demagogue, Lucifer, was placed in confinement after he was defeated by Jesus over two thousand years ago.[13] It is up to us to defeat our demagogues and their way of thinking. Only then will we find peace and harmony, universal brotherhood.
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“How Fascism Works—the Politics of Us and Them,” by Jason Stanley, Random House, New York, 2018, p xiv ↑
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ibid ↑
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See Chapter 1, section on “Opponents of Truth” and Appendix 2, section on “Planetary Prince” ↑
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All references are to The Urantia Book unless otherwise noted. The number refers to the single column version in the format page.paragraph, 601.3 ↑
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603.3 ↑
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603.5 ↑
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Stanley, p xv ↑
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Ibid., 57 ↑
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Ibid., 77 ↑
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Ibid., 162 ↑
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Ibid., 180-181 ↑
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Ibid., 193 ↑
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510.9 and 1494.2 ↑