Stages of Subversion
"Yuri Bezmenov on
demoralization"
Interview with Yuri Bezmenov
(ex-KGB)
by Edward Griffin - 1984
This shocking video transcription [the videos have all been deleted
from YouTube] exposes KGB's subversive tactics against western society. In this
interview, Yuri Bezmenov explains how Marxist ideology is deconstructing
America's values, destabilizing the economy, and provoking crises in order to
sovietize the free world.
Transcript:
ED GRIFFIN: Well, you spoke before about
"ideological subversion" and that's a phrase that I'm afraid some
Americans don't understand. When the Soviets use the phrase "ideological subversion"
what do they mean by it?
YURI BEZMENOV: Ideological subversion is the process which is legitimate and
open. You can see it with your own eyes.... It has nothing to do with espionage.
I know that intelligence gathering
looks more romantic.... That's probably why your Hollywood producers are so
crazy about James Bond types of films. But in reality the main emphasis of the
KGB is NOT in the area of intelligence at all. According to my opinion, and
the opinions of many defectors of my caliber, only about 15% of time, money,
and manpower is spent on espionage as such. The other 85% is a slow
process which we call either ideological subversion, active measures, or
psychological warfare. What it basically means is: to change the perception
of reality of every American that despite of the abundance of information no
one is able to come to sensible conclusions in the interest of defending
themselves, their families, their community, and their country.
It's a great brainwashing process which
goes very slow and is divided into four basic stages. The first stage
being "demoralization". It takes from 15 to 20 years to
demoralize a nation. Why that many years? Because this is the minimum number of
years required to educate one generation of students in the country of your
enemy exposed to the ideology of [their] enemy. In other words, Marxism-Leninism
ideology is being pumped into the soft heads of at least 3 generation of
American students without being challenged or counterbalanced by the basic
values of Americanism; American patriotism.
The result? The result you can see --
most of the people who graduated in the 60's, dropouts or half-baked
intellectuals, are now occupying the positions of power in the government, civil
service, business, mass media, and educational systems. You are stuck
with them. You can't get through to them. They are contaminated. They are programmed
to think and react to certain stimuli in a certain pattern [alluding to
Pavlov]. You can not change their mind even if you expose them to authentic
information. Even if you prove that white is white and black is black, you
still can not change the basic perception and the logic of behavior.
In other words [for] these people the
process of demoralization is complete and irreversible. To
rid society of these people you need another 15 or 20 years to educate a new
generation of patriotically minded and common sense people who would be acting
in favor and in the interests of United States society.
ED: And yet these people who have been
programmed and as you say [are] in place and who are favorable to an opening
with the Soviet concept - these are the very people who would be marked for
extermination in this country?
YURI: Most of them, yes. Simply because the
psychological shock when they will see in [the] future what the
beautiful society of EQUALITY and social justice means in practice, obviously
they will revolt. They will be very unhappy [and] frustrated people, and
Marxist-Leninist regime does not tolerate these people. Obviously they will
join the [ranks] of dissenters; dissidents. Unlike the present United States
there will be no place for dissent in future Marxist Leninist America. [Now]
you can get popular like Daniel Elsburg and filthy rich like Jane Fonda for being
a dissident [and] for criticizing your Pentagon. In [the] future these people will
simply be [he makes a squishy noise] squashed like cockroaches for criticizing
the government. Nobody is going to pay them nothing for their beautiful [and]
noble ideas of EQUALITY. This they don't understand and it will be the greatest
shock for them, of course.
The demoralization process in the
United States is basically completed already for the last 25 years. Actually,
it's over fulfilled because demoralization now reaches such areas where not even
Comrade Andropov and all his experts would even dream of such tremendous
success. Most of it is done by Americans to Americans thanks to lack of
moral standards. As I mentioned before, exposure to true information
does not matter anymore. A person who was demoralized is unable to
assess true information. The facts tell nothing to him, even if I shower
him with information, with authentic proof, with documents and pictures. ...he
will refuse to believe it.... That's the tragedy of the situation of
demoralization.
2. The next stage is destabilization....
It only takes 2 to 5 years to destabilize a nation. This time what matters is
essentials; economy, foreign relations, [and] defense systems. And you can see
it quite clearly that in some... sensitive areas such as defense and [the]
economy, the influence of Marxist-Leninist ideas in the United States is
absolutely fantastic. I could never believe it 14 years ago when I landed
in this part of the world that the process will go that fast.
Most of the American politicians,
media, and educational system train another generation of people who think
they are living at the peacetime. False. United States is in a state of
war; undeclared, total war against the basic principles and foundations
of this system. And the initiator of this war is not Comrade Andropov of
course - it's the system. However, ridiculous it may sound, [it is] the world
Communist system, or the world Communist conspiracy. Whether I scare
some people or not, I don't give a hoot. If you're not scared by now, nothing
can scare you.
ED: Okay, so what do we do? What is your
recommendation to the American people?
YURI: Well, the immediate thing that comes
to mind is, of course, there must be a very strong national effort to educate
people in the spirit of REAL patriotism, number one. Number two, to explain
[to] them the real danger of socialist, communist, welfare state, Big Brother
government....
The moment at least part of [the]
United States population is convinced that the danger is real, they have to
FORCE their government, and I'm not talking about sending letters, signing
petitions, and all this beautiful, noble activity, I'm talking about FORCING
[the] United States government to stop aiding Communism.... and it is very
easy to do; no credits, no technology, no money, no political or diplomatic
recognition...
