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The Red Carpet
This book is a collection of quotes about socialism in the 1950s. It still applies today.
320 pages
First published January 1, 1962
2 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Ezra Taft Benson
119 books71 followersThe thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both of the administrations of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
On October 7, 1943, both Benson and Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) became members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, filling two vacancies created by the deaths of apostles that summer. Because Kimball was the older of the two, he was given seniority over Benson in the Quorum. Succession to the presidency of the church is by chronological order of ordination to apostleship, allowing Spencer W. Kimball to become president of the church years earlier than Benson. Upon Spencer W. Kimball's death in 1985, Benson became the president of the church.
Benson suffered poor health in the last years of his life from the effects of blood clots in the brain, strokes, and heart attacks, and was rarely seen publicly. He was hospitalized in 1992 and 1993 with pneumonia.
Benson died of congestive heart failure in his Salt Lake City apartment at the age of 94. Funeral services were held June 4, 1994 in the Salt Lake Tabernacle under the direction of Gordon B. Hinckley. He was buried near his birthplace in Whitney, Idaho, at the Whitney City Cemetery.
On October 7, 1943, both Benson and Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) became members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, filling two vacancies created by the deaths of apostles that summer. Because Kimball was the older of the two, he was given seniority over Benson in the Quorum. Succession to the presidency of the church is by chronological order of ordination to apostleship, allowing Spencer W. Kimball to become president of the church years earlier than Benson. Upon Spencer W. Kimball's death in 1985, Benson became the president of the church.
Benson suffered poor health in the last years of his life from the effects of blood clots in the brain, strokes, and heart attacks, and was rarely seen publicly. He was hospitalized in 1992 and 1993 with pneumonia.
Benson died of congestive heart failure in his Salt Lake City apartment at the age of 94. Funeral services were held June 4, 1994 in the Salt Lake Tabernacle under the direction of Gordon B. Hinckley. He was buried near his birthplace in Whitney, Idaho, at the Whitney City Cemetery.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 15, 2008
I read this for a non-fiction book club. It's amazing. Lots of history on communism, and a very timely warning on the in-creeping of socialism (the "red carpet" to communism, as the author points out). It's absolutely breathtaking what is uncovered about the methods of introducing socialism (most remarkable to me was socialism through welfarism--how we can be weened onto socialism through things like, oh, say stimulus packages, universal healthcare, and other government subsidies that make us more dependant on the government). Plus, it's written by Ezra T. Benson, and what he says you can take to the bank as far as I'm concerned.
A very revealing, disturbing book.
A very revealing, disturbing book.
Want to read
February 3, 2012I'm reading this book in snippets--pick it up every now and then and read a chapter at random. In a nutshell, it is a wake-up call to the dangers of socialism as illustrated by circumstances the author personally witnessed in his visit to Russia and insight gained while serving in the Cabinet of the President of the United States. If you want a brief overview of his argument read chapter 4 "Life Behind the Iron Curtain". The Berlin Wall may have fallen, but the doctrine of communism and socialism is alive and well--and, sadly, we, as a nation, are largely indifferent to it, I think. Consider these words of the author: "It is high time that we recognize creeping socialism for what it really is--a Red Carpet providing a royal road to communism. A few months before coming to the United States, Khrushchev is reported to have said: 'We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism, until they suddenly awake to find they have communism.'" (chapter 6) The doses are only getting larger....
A few other highlights:
"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong....Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty....We cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initaitive and independence....We cannot help a man permanentlyby doing for him what he could do and should do for himself." (Chapter 8)
"We are faced today with the question of wheterh we build our American house of the future on the bedrock of freedom and independence or on the sands of subsidy and government control." (Chapter 12)
A few other highlights:
"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong....Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty....We cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initaitive and independence....We cannot help a man permanentlyby doing for him what he could do and should do for himself." (Chapter 8)
"We are faced today with the question of wheterh we build our American house of the future on the bedrock of freedom and independence or on the sands of subsidy and government control." (Chapter 12)
February 14, 2017
An unusual book from former Secretary Benson. Despite some of the repetitiveness about the evils of socialism, there were some gems. It is a controversial book and certainly conservative. I mostly am writing the following quotes for myself, but some may enjoy them.
There's a statement related to the current SCOTUS nominee and administration: "The conservative has the deepest respect for law. He believes in a government of laws, not of men. The Liberal? Robert Taft put it bluntly: '...they believe that whatever they desire the Court should hold to be constitutional. They don not care what happens to the fundamental principles on which this country was founded. Most of them would be willing to abolish the states and turn over all local government to federal control. All of them favor delegation of legislative power to the President and seem to forget that this was the first step in the growth of autocracy in Germany and Italy.'"
"In a democracy the real danger is that we may slowly slide into a condition of slavery of the individual to the state rather than entering this condition by a sudden revolution. The loss of our liberties might easily come about, not through the ballot box, but through the death of incentive to work, to earn and to save. ... the more basic reasons offered by would-be planned economy advocates are: 1. The desire to change and control others; 2. The search for security, and; 3. The desire of individual or groups to improve their own economic status or that of others by means of direct governmental interventions. "
His focus on freedom to own private property, freedom of individual enterprise as the key difference in the definition of what true freedom is was insightful.
Along the same lines, "...tremendous forces at work to convince our people that government aid should replace the fruits of individual initiative and resourcefulness."
He equates the perfect law of liberty as the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a powerful thought.
"In the providence of God, governments were intended to be the servants, not the masters of the people. This eternal truth needs to be emphasized and re-emphasized."
Will Durant was then cited to equate the fall of the Roman Empire to Socialism. He attributed the fall to sexual excesses, the breakdown of the family and moral decay. Secondly, the waste and neglect of our "natural resources" like mining, forests, etc, but also our children. Third, the high costs of government, with armies, public works, bureaucracy, a parasitic court, depreciation of currency, and taxes.
He also finishes with a list of what kind of America he wants.
There's a statement related to the current SCOTUS nominee and administration: "The conservative has the deepest respect for law. He believes in a government of laws, not of men. The Liberal? Robert Taft put it bluntly: '...they believe that whatever they desire the Court should hold to be constitutional. They don not care what happens to the fundamental principles on which this country was founded. Most of them would be willing to abolish the states and turn over all local government to federal control. All of them favor delegation of legislative power to the President and seem to forget that this was the first step in the growth of autocracy in Germany and Italy.'"
"In a democracy the real danger is that we may slowly slide into a condition of slavery of the individual to the state rather than entering this condition by a sudden revolution. The loss of our liberties might easily come about, not through the ballot box, but through the death of incentive to work, to earn and to save. ... the more basic reasons offered by would-be planned economy advocates are: 1. The desire to change and control others; 2. The search for security, and; 3. The desire of individual or groups to improve their own economic status or that of others by means of direct governmental interventions. "
His focus on freedom to own private property, freedom of individual enterprise as the key difference in the definition of what true freedom is was insightful.
Along the same lines, "...tremendous forces at work to convince our people that government aid should replace the fruits of individual initiative and resourcefulness."
He equates the perfect law of liberty as the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a powerful thought.
"In the providence of God, governments were intended to be the servants, not the masters of the people. This eternal truth needs to be emphasized and re-emphasized."
Will Durant was then cited to equate the fall of the Roman Empire to Socialism. He attributed the fall to sexual excesses, the breakdown of the family and moral decay. Secondly, the waste and neglect of our "natural resources" like mining, forests, etc, but also our children. Third, the high costs of government, with armies, public works, bureaucracy, a parasitic court, depreciation of currency, and taxes.
He also finishes with a list of what kind of America he wants.
January 19, 2008
This books is not as good as Ezra Taft Benson's other book "An Enemy Hath Done This", though this one does have a lot of interesting hype about the evils of socialism.
Want to read
January 12, 2009Husband is currently reading. From what I've gathered, Pres. Benson is dead on about what is happening today in our economy -- basically explained this chain of events back in the early '60's.
November 19, 2012
True when written in the 60s; still true. The worries of that day have only become much greater.
April 4, 2022
Very relevant in our current state of affairs. A collection of essays about how communism can slowly take hold. Had to read this in bits and pieces because it is not easy to read. Lots of great quotes. I believe Benson has written other books on the same topic that are better, but this one is worth a look.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews