If I Were the Devil
by Paul Harvey
If I were the devil, I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee.
So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I would begin with a campaign of whispers.
With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please. Do as you please.’
“To the young, I would whisper, ‘The Bible is a myth.’
I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around.
I would confide that what is bad is good, and what is good is ‘square.’
And the old, I would teach to pray.
I would teach them to pray after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…’
“And then I’d get organized.
I’d educate authors on how to lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.
I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa.
I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could.
I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction.
I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
“If I were the devil I’d soon have families that war with themselves, churches that war with themselves, and nations that war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed.
And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, and neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
“Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, and then the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress.
And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science.
I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money.
If I were the devil I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.
“If I were the devil I’d take from those, and who have, and give to those wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
What do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?
I would question against extremes and hard work, and Patriotism, and moral conduct.
I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be.
And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure.
In other words, if I were to devil I’d keep on doing on what he’s doing.
Paul Harvey, good day.”
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Before Paul Harvey wrote “If I Were the Devil,” the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937) explained the steps necessary for radicals to transform a nation without firing a shot:
[T]hey must enter into every civil, cultural and political activity in every nation, patiently leavening them all as thoroughly as yeast leavens bread. . . .[] [This] would require a ‘long march through the institutions’ — the arts, cinema, theater, schools, colleges, seminaries, newspapers, magazines, and the new electronic medium [of the time], radio.”[]
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Paul Harvey said and wrote many things, but this is one of his best in my opinion.
DR
I give full credit and a big thank you to Godfather Politics for posting this insightful column in 2012.
