@lightleggy said:
The league of militant atheist, go read about them.
"League of Militant Atheists" operated as a means to an end within a tyrannical political regime whose ideology directly conflicted with that of the Russian Orthodox Church (and every other political, religious, sectarian ideology) who they saw as a threat to their power, so one could assert all manner of motives unrelated to atheism. For example, trying to stay in power, not get killed in the process and live happily ever after.
"In the first days of his time in office," I said, "doesn't he smile at and greet whomever he meets, and not only deny he's a tyrant but promise much in private and public, and grant freedom from debts and distribute land to the people and those around himself, and pretend to be gracious and gentle to all?"
"Necessarily," he said.
"But I suppose that when he is reconciled with some of his enemies outside and has destroyed the others, and there is rest from concern with them, as his first step he is always setting some war in motion, so that the people will be in need of a leader."
"That's likely."
"And, also, so that, becoming poor from contributing money, they will be compelled to stick to their daily business and be less inclined to plot against him?"
"Plainly."
"Then, too, I suppose-if he suspects certain men of having free thoughts and not putting up with his ruling-so that he can have a pretext for destroying them by giving them to the enemy? For all these reasons isn't it necessary for a tyrant always to be stirring up war?"
"It is necessary".
"And is, consequently, all this activity a preparation for being more hateful to the citizen?"
"Of course."
"Also, don't some of those who helped in setting him up and are in power-the manliest among them-speak frankly to him and to one another, criticizing what is happening?"
"That's likely."
"Then the tyrant must gradually do away with all of them, if he's going to rule, until he has left neither friend nor enemy of any worth whatsoever."
"Plainly."
"He must, therefore, look sharply to see who is courageous, who is great-minded, who is prudent, who is rich. And so happy is he that there is a necessity for him, whether he wants to or not, to be an enemy of all of them and plot against them until he purges the city."
"A fine purgation," he said.
"Yes," I said "the opposite of the one the doctors give to bodies. For they take off the worst and leave the best, while he does the opposite."
"For it seems", he said, "to be a necessity for him, if he is to rule."
"Therefore," I said, he is bound by a blessed necessity that prescribes that he either dwell with the ordinary many, even though hated by them, or cease to live."
"That is precisely his situation," he said.
I wonder if they taught Plato's "Republic" at the seminary school Stalin attended?
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