Jordan Peterson: The radical Left is guilt-tripping the West into oblivion

The paragraph introduces the host Stephen Edgington and guest Dr. Jordan Peterson. They discuss whether the right has lost the culture war due to lacking vision and playing defense while the psychopathic leftists are skilled at hoisting them on the petard of guilt.

The paragraph discusses how leftists use techniques like censorship, reputation destruction and gossip to unfairly victimize others, while hypocritically complaining about Russian election interference. They are unable to articulate when the left goes too far.

The paragraph praises Solzhenitsyn for taking responsibility for his gulag imprisonment rather than solely blaming Hitler and Stalin. He observed that religious prisoners behaved nobly and prisoners were enslaved by their own slavishness, making him reflect on his own life's role.

The paragraph suggests the Western education system has wrongly viewed authoritarianism as solely right-wing since WW2, failing to acknowledge leftist tyrants like Stalin, Lenin and Mao. This delusion attracts some to communism's false promises like universal brotherhood.

The paragraph argues that in a totalitarian state, tyranny is enforced through lies permeating all levels of society, not just top-down oppression. Everyone is complicit through lying, silence or pretending to work, as illustrated by the Biblical story of Jonah and Nineveh.

The paragraph ponders the eternal mystery of moral courage that compels heroic dissidence, as shown by Sophie Scholl and other White Rose student resisters in Nazi Germany. The causal pathway is complex, but some people still choose truth despite brutalization.

The paragraph suggests free societies rely on universal truth-telling dissidence in people's trivial interactions. Judeo-Christian reverence for truth as the highest principle may be a necessary precondition for this, without which freedom decays.

The paragraph discusses how long-form political dialogues and new media are gaining over soundbite-driven legacy media. This shift beyond appearance and contentlessness may reward authenticity, as the trucker protests also showed in pressuring conservatives.

The paragraph has Peterson reflecting that despite online attacks, his worldwide public encounters are overwhelmingly positive. Many share stories of recovery and growth through his advice on responsibility. This indicates his work's impact in improving lives.

The paragraph analyzes the Biblical warning in Revelation against trying to play both sides or sit on the fence, which is the worst moral position. Peterson argues truth and lies are fundamental moral opposites - we must have faith in one or the other.

The paragraph critiques the left's utopian slogans that promise equality and brotherhood but serve as cover for pursuit of power. Their arguments about capitalism's flaws evade the fact that power centralization occurs in every economic system.

The paragraph suggests that long-form political dialogues in new media select more for authenticity while legacy television stressed appearance and soundbites. This change may explain the rise of less impressive but potentially more genuine leaders.

The paragraph has Peterson recounting the harrowing early years of frequent scandals and media attacks trying to destroy his reputation. However, the family learned that weathering intermediary chaos results in vindication, making threats less worrisome.

The paragraph has Peterson explaining he speaks openly despite government threats because falsehood is more dangerous than anything authorities can do. Having seen lies corrupt clinical patients and society, truth is the only reliable path forward personally and politically.

The paragraph discusses situations where moral dilemmas arise in balancing speech versus livelihood/duty, e.g. a teacher fearing school board retaliation. Peterson advises ceasing lies to clarify vision enough to judge the best moral action per situation.

The paragraph has Peterson reflecting on struggles managing the endless personalized news stimulation from Twitter that he relies on for his podcast. He observes that unlimited information approaches chaos, requiring skillful regulation.

The paragraph mentions Peterson's sold-out live shows reaching hundreds of thousands globally. Their positive testimonies confirm his ideas on responsibility have widespread resonance and real personal impact in helping people improve their lives.

The closing paragraph lauds Britain's parliamentary translation of Biblical principles into policy as unique and admirable, while warning against self-negating guilt. The empire had emancipatory intentions, gifting Britain's tradition of governance globally.