Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the United States\u2019 most familiar voices, reached more than 24 million listeners at the peak of his career.<\/p>\n
Although he was very accurate on everything he had to say, no one could imagine thathis famous wordsfrom 54 years ago would become the reality of today.<\/p>\n
I read this today and thought how relevant it is.<\/p>\n
The speech was broadcast by legendary ABC Radio commentator Paul Harvey on April 3, 1965.<\/p>\n
He starts his \u2018prophesy\u2019 by saying: If I were the Devil\u2026 and then continues discussing issues that are these days ours to face.<\/p>\n
\u201dIf I Were the Devil If I were the Prince of Darkness I would want to engulf the whole earth in darkness.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree.<\/p>\n
So I should set about however necessary, to take over the United States.<\/p>\n
I would begin with a campaign of whispers.<\/p>\n
With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whispers to you as I whispered to Eve, \u201cDo as you please.\u201d<\/p>\n
To the young I would whisper \u201cThe Bible is a myth.\u201d I would convince them that \u201cman created God,\u201d instead of the other way around. I would confide that \u201cwhat is bad is good and what is good is square.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the ears of the young married I would whisper that work is debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you. I would caution them not to be \u201cextreme\u201d in religion, in patriotism, in moral conduct.<\/p>\n
And the old I would teach to pray \u2014 to say after me \u2014 \u201cOur father which are in Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I\u2019d get organized.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull, uninteresting.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d threaten TV with dirtier movies, and vice-versa.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d infiltrate unions and urge more loafing, less work. Idle hands usually work for me.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d peddle narcotics to whom I could, I\u2019d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction, I\u2019d tranquilize the rest with pills.<\/p>\n
If I were the Devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions; let those run wild.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts and I\u2019d get preachers to say, \u201cShe\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n
With flattery and promises of power I would get the courts to vote against God and in favor of pornography.<\/p>\n
Thus I would evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, then from the Houses of Congress.<\/p>\n
Then in his own churches I\u2019d substitute psychology for religion and deify science.<\/p>\n
If I were Satan I\u2019d make the symbol of Easter an egg<\/p>\n
And the symbol of Christmas a bottle.<\/p>\n
If I were the Devil I\u2019d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. Then my police state would force everybody back to work.<\/p>\n
Then I would separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines and objectors in slave-labor camps.<\/p>\n
If I were Satan I\u2019d just keep doing what I\u2019m doing and the whole world go to hell as sure as the Devil\u201d<\/p>\n