Four Israeli soldiers lost their lives today in Gaza.
I am a big fan of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. His 1974 essay "LIve Not By Lies" is a powerful reminder of how seductive lies can be in our society.
But his essay was for Russians in the USSR, not Americans in 2025. So I reworked his essay to make it more relevant and easy to read today.
The original is here:https://www.solzhenitsyncenter.org/live-not-by-lies
Here is my rewrite. Feel free to share:
Live Not by Lies: A Call to Truth in an Age of Deception
There was a time when Americans hesitated to speak the truth. But now, in hushed voices, we grumble about the madness around us—how the powerful manipulate reality, how our nation is crumbling from within while leaders prop up foreign regimes, how justice is weaponized agains ...
We stand at the brink—not just of political decay but of a spiritual unraveling. A moral darkness threatens to engulf our children, while we look on, shrugging our shoulders, whispering:
"But what can we do? We are too weak."
For the promise of comfort, we have surrendered our principles, our dignity, our history, and even our future. We have bartered truth for convenience, righteousness for security. We fear not nuclear war nor economic collapse as much as we fear standing apart from the herd. We dare not risk losing our position, our platform, our paycheck, or even the approval of strangers. We have been trained well by those who despise us: keep your head down, comply, and all will be well.
But they lied.
It is not "they"—the elites, the politicians, the media—who are solely responsible for the decay of our nation. It is we who have allowed it. It is our silence, our complicity, our cowardice that have enabled their power.
Some will argue: "But we have no real choices! Elections are rigged, protests are ignored, the institutions are corrupt! How can we fight back?"
We do not need revolutions of blood or uprisings of violence. We do not need to march in the streets or storm the halls of power. There is a far more effective—and far more devastating—weapon within our grasp:
Refuse to live by lies.
When evil rises, it does not come boldly at first, shouting its intentions. It sneaks in under the cover of deception, demanding only that we comply with small falsehoods, seemingly insignificant distortions. At first, all it asks is that we say what we do not believe, nod along with what we know to be untrue, and remain silent when truth cries out for a voice.
But we can refuse.
If we would only resist in this simplest of ways, lies would collapse under their own weight. For deception cannot stand alone; it must be upheld by our participation. Lies require hosts, just as parasites require living bodies to feed upon.
So let us decide, today, that we will not comply.
We are not called to march in protest. We are not required to shout defiance in the streets. We are merely required to stand. To refuse. To say, "No, I will not go along with this." We will not affirm what we know to be false. We will not repeat scripted propaganda. We will not pretend that evil is good and good is evil. We will not sacrifice the truth to keep the peace, for a false peace is no peace at all.
Let each of us determine, from this day forward, that:
We will not write, publish, or sign our names to any statement that distorts truth.
We will not speak falsehoods, whether at work, in private, or in public, to preserve comfort or avoid consequences.
We will not create, share, or promote anything—books, articles, films, music—that contradicts what we know to be true.
We will not quote or cite anything as truth unless we truly believe it.
We will not attend rallies, demonstrations, or corporate trainings that demand our compliance with lies.
We will not vote for any candidate we know to be dishonest, nor will we remain silent about those who betray truth.
We will not remain in meetings, lectures, or classrooms where truth is silenced and lies are enforced.
We will not subscribe to media that deliberately distorts or hides the truth.
This is only the beginning. He who begins to cleanse his life of deception will soon see clearly other ways in which he has been complicit.
Yes, it may cost us. Some will lose jobs. Some will face ridicule. Young people who choose truth may find their education obstructed. But we cannot serve both truth and deception. We must choose.
And let none boast of their intellect, their achievements, or their status while cowering before the demands of falsehood. For he who will not stand for truth is nothing but a slave—content with his chains as long as they are padded.
For those who say this is too hard, I say: Is it really harder than facing eternity knowing you bowed to evil? Is it really harder than answering to your children when they ask why you were silent while their future was stolen?
We are not the first to face this choice. Others have stood firm against tyrants before us, from the early Christians who refused to burn incense to Caesar to the persecuted believers in Soviet Russia. They chose truth, even unto death. And we, in our far lesser trials, must do the same.
If we do this—if we stand by truth, if we reject deception—then those who wield power will find their grip weakening. They will not be able to silence us all. And we will not recognize our country, not because it has fallen further into darkness, but because it has awakened to the light.
If, however, we choose to remain silent, to comply, to submit—then let us have no more complaints. Let us not whimper that the world has become unbearable. For we will have made it so.
And let it not be said of us, as the poet Pushkin lamented:
Why offer herds their liberation?
Their heritage each generation—
The yoke with jingles, and the whip.
We were not made for servitude. We were made for truth. And truth—real, unchanging, eternal truth—has only one source: God’s Word.
If we stand on that truth, then nothing—not threats, not lies, not even death—can shake us.
So let us rise, and live not by lies.
Explainer video via AiTELLY on How Ukraine was able to deploy FPV drones deep within Russian territory
Danny Danon absolutely destroys UN Relief official Tom Fletcher over his false claims — like the widely debunked “14,000 babies” narrative — and exposes how this kind of propaganda fuels deadly violence, like the murders of Sarah and Yaron.
Major revelation:
Danon accuses the UN of actively colluding with Hamas to block humanitarian aid — using mafia-style threats and even purging NGOs from the Shared Aid Database if they support the new aid delivery system.
Birds in Ukraine are using fiber optic cable to make their nests. Not surprising.
Using 2 tons of pure silver and 24-karat gold, the construction of the world's largest Torah ark has been completed at the Ateres Shlomo Yeshiva in Rishon LeZion. The Aron Kodesh was built over a period of two years by 350 artists from 12 countries.
An Aron Kodesh (Hebrew: אָרוֹן קֹדֶשׁ, literally “Holy Ark”) is the sacred cabinet or ark found at the front of a synagogue, which houses the Torah scrolls—the holiest objects in Judaism.
Key features:
• Location: It’s typically placed on the wall facing Jerusalem. So in synagogues west of Jerusalem (like in Europe or the U.S.), it’s on the eastern wall.
• Design: Often beautifully crafted from wood or stone, and ornately decorated. It may have a curtain (called a parochet) in front of it, evoking the curtain in the ancient Temple.
• Function: It holds the handwritten scrolls of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), which are read publicly during synagogue services.
• Symbolism: It represents the Ark of ...
For the next few days, this is only available right here for our Locals community.
Join Chuck Holton on the ground in Syria in this mini-documentary. Go inside the war zone alongside the Free Burma Rangers as they bring help, hope, and healing to families caught in the crossfire of a brutal conflict.
This isn't just another news segment, it's a raw, frontline look at courage, faith, and sacrifice in one of the world's darkest corners.
Watch now before it goes public.
Let me ask you something: Have you ever been told you can’t buy something because you’ve hit your quota? That’s rationing—and here in America, it’s virtually unheard of. Sure, we had the great toilet paper panic of 2020, but that was more about hysteria than hardship. The truth is, we’ve grown used to convenience, comfort, and instant gratification.
That comfort could become a liability.
Because over in China, the people are enduring hardship—and not by accident. They’re preparing for war. And while Americans are busy customizing their next coffee order, China is building warships, digging bomb shelters, and getting ready to go toe-to-toe with the West. This isn’t fearmongering—it’s fact.
During World War II, Americans made real sacrifices. Ration books. Victory gardens. No new cars, refrigerators, or even typewriters. Every scrap of wool, steel, and fuel was repurposed for the war effort. Why? Because we knew what was at stake. It was a total war, and we fought it with total resolve.
That unity, that resolve, is exactly what gave us the edge. America didn’t just outfight our enemies—we outproduced them. Industry, grit, and sacrifice won the day.
Now ask yourself: Could we do that today?