But Marxists and other revolutionaries also learned that a nation could be just as effectively overthrown when undermined from within. Taking over the institutions of power and influence can just as readily bring about the new social order desired by the radicals.
A number of commentators have remarked on this over the years. As but one example, Roger Kimball discussed this theme in his important book, The Long March (Encounter Books, 2000). I here offer what I wrote about this book back in 2004:
"In many ways the cultural revolution of the 60s has been as influential and momentous as other great social upheavals, such as the Industrial, French or Russian revolutions. All have left a lasting impact, and we still feel their effects today.
"The counter-culture revolution of the 60s really began with the Beats of the late 50s and continued into the mid 70s. By then the revolution was all but complete. A minority of social agitators on the fringes of society had managed to subvert and infiltrate the important institutions of power and influence (the media, academia, politics) in a very short period of time, resulting in a complete reversal of fortune. Thus today those concerned about faith and family values have found themselves displaced and marginalised. The counter-culturalists have become mainstream, while those who had previously occupied the middle ground are now the new fringe-dwellers.
"This volume traces the story of how this tremendous upheaval happened and why. It examines in some detail the 'long march through the institutions' which the radicals took. The phrase, attributed to the Italian Marxist Gramsci, speaks of the need to overthrow societies from within, instead of relying on bloody revolutions from without. The strategy, laments Kimball, had been all too effective.
"Indeed, no one could have foreseen how quickly and easily the institutions did crumble before the radical activists. The moral, cultural and social blitzkrieg has been as thorough as it has been all-consuming. And the success of this revolution, Kimball reminds, 'can be measured not in toppled governments but in shattered values'.
"Values of every kind have been thrown to the wind in this far-reaching revolution. Religious values, cultural values, moral values and social values have all been deeply affected, making this one of the most thorough and successful revolutions to date."
One of the main ways in which this bloodless revolution has been taking place is by means of judicial activism. Time and time again we are seeing the will of the majority being thwarted by leftist, activist judges who seek to remake society in their own image.
These activists consider the masses to be unenlightened and stupid, in need of the coercive utopianism being pushed by the courts. Thus one act of social revolution after another is being perpetrated by these activist judges, who are usually unelected, unrepresentative, and unaccountable to ordinary citizens.
If there is any key area which is especially being promoted by the judicial activists, it is the homosexual agenda. Since the majority of citizens consistently oppose the militant homosexual agenda, activist judges are bypassing and undermining democratic processes by their social engineering rulings.
This has been happening steadily now for some decades. And the most recent example of this war on democracy was yesterday's decision by a US federal judge to overturn the state of California's ban on same-sex marriage. This ban came in place in 2008 when California Constitutional amendment Proposition 8 was passed by 52 per cent of the vote.
Yet the majority vote of the people of California has just been dumped by another activist judge who is intent on remaking the moral and social fabric of America. This is also part of the declared war on the institutions of marriage and family which the radicals are bent on destroying as they redefine them out of existence.
Of course all the usual suspects applauded the decision. As one news account states, "Australian actress Portia De Rossi and her American TV talk show wife Ellen Degeneres – who married before Californians voted for Proposition 8, which ended gay marriage and sparked furious public debate – were among the first to join the celebration. An ecstatic De Rossi tweeted about 'an incredibly exciting and historical day' and a big step in equal rights."
But not everyone was pleased with this further erosion of democracy in America. Karen England, the Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI) said, "Today's ruling is indicative of an out-of-control judiciary willing to circumvent California's direct democracy by imposing their point of view. Family values are under constant assault now more than ever. CRI was instrumental in passing proposition 22 in 2000 and we fought to get proposition 8 on the ballot and subsequently in California's Constitution. We will continue to battle interest groups who wish to redefine one of our oldest institutions; the institution of marriage. We will continue to represent the 7 million Californians who took to the polls in favor of marriage."
Randy Thomasson of the pro-family group SaveCalifornia said, "Natural marriage, voter rights, the Constitution, and our republic called the United States of America have all been dealt a terrible blow. Judge Walker has ignored the written words of the Constitution, which he swore to support and defend and be impartially faithful to, and has instead imposed his own homosexual agenda upon the voters, the parents, and the children of California."
Indeed, it very interesting to note that Chief Judge Vaughn Walker, who presides over the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and declared Proposition 8 to have no "rational basis" is himself an active homosexual. Why are we not surprised?
This battle will now continue to drag on in the courts. It is is simply one more example of how a runaway judiciary is holding the American people to ransom. Sadly, this war against democracy is not limited to the US. All over the Western world these judicial activists are pulling down democratic freedoms as they unleash their activist agendas on hapless populations.
The war against freedom and family has just ratcheted up another notch. It is time for all concerned citizens to mount a counter-offensive.
Resources:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-judge-overturns-gay-marriage-ban-20100805-11fx8.html?autostart=1
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/6983114621.html
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/aug/10080405.html
Adapted from Bill Muehlenberg's weblog at www.billmuehlenberg.com.
Bill Muehlenberg lectures in apologetics, ethics and theology at several Melbourne theological colleges. Bill used to work with the Australian Family Association, Focus on the Family, and other pro-family and pro-faith organisations.