Modern America looks a lot like the days before Communism gained a firm foothold in the Soviet Bloc nations. This is Rod Dreher’s main proposal in his 2020 release Live Not by Lies. In this journalistically styled warning cry Dreher proposes that, “under the guise of ‘diversity,’ ‘inclusivity,’ ‘equity,’ and other egalitarian jargon, the Left creates powerful mechanisms for controlling though and discourse and marginalizes dissenters as evil.” (pg. xii). Dreher interviews numerous individuals who suffered under communist totalitarianism and pleads with his readers to hear their warnings while making present day “soft totalitarianism” parallels to the “hard totalitarianism” of the past.
The book is composed in two parts. Part one is titled “understanding Soft Totalitarianism” in which Dreher outlines the dangers of a changing society. This society is finding less and less tolerance for those unwilling to except the new “norms.” They are more willing to limit free speech and punish those with differing views. Noting the signs which he sees as marking this grand transition, Dreher presents concerns which parallel the post-communist rise. Such as the desire to destroy the old and the traditional, the rise of loneliness, the loss of faith in institutions, the nature of controlled propaganda, the religious like nature of progressivism, and the acceptance of public surveillance. Philosophically, Dreher builds upon influential thinkers such as Phillip Reif.
Part two offers a detailed guide accompanied by loads of testimonies from those who have lived through “hard totalitarianism” on how to live in present day and coming “soft totalitarianism.” Dreher attempts to form principles and advice to live by built on the testimonies of those he interviewed. They include chapter titles such as, “Value Nothing More Than Truth,” “Cultivate Cultural Memory,” “Families Are Resistance Cells,” and “Religion, the Bedrock of Resistance.”
Dreher offers some very valuable insights which any Christian or conservative should heed. For example, Dreher emphasizes the need for authentic Christian community in the midst of the present shifts in society. In an attempt to sound a warning cry, we would do well to acknowledge and think deeply on the discussion contained in Live Not by Lies. At the same time, there were some significant oversights in this composition. For example, a total of five pages are dedicated to discussing China in a book intently focused on the lessons we can learn from Communism. We have much more to learn from one of the few “successful” hard totalitarian states, rather than the failed totalitarian states of the Soviet Bloc on which he focuses. Overall, I highly recommend Live Not by Lies.
On a 1-10 scale of reading difficulty, I rate Live Not by Lies a six. It is a fairly easy and smooth read that unfolds with an op-ed or investigative journalism feel. Its 200-page length is easily digestible in a few short sittings.