{"id":2427984,"date":"2025-04-27T10:26:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T14:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-documentary-warns-comfort-is-totalitarianisms-disguise-in-us-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-04-27T10:28:55","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T14:28:55","slug":"new-documentary-warns-comfort-is-totalitarianisms-disguise-in-us-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-documentary-warns-comfort-is-totalitarianisms-disguise-in-us-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"New documentary warns comfort is totalitarianism\u2019s disguise in US &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-documentary-warns-comfort-is-totalitarianisms-disguise-in-us-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2427984&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the documentary series *Live Not By Lies*, released by Angel Studios, which warns about the dangers of modern Western culture prioritizing comfort and security as a facade for the creeping influence of totalitarianism. Directed by Rod Dreher, the series features interviews with survivors of Soviet totalitarianism, who draw parallels between their experiences and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-have-themselves-to-blame-for-americas-tribalism\/\" title=\"Democrats Have Themselves To Blame For America...s Tribalism\">current societal trends<\/a>, such as identity politics and &#8220;wokeness.&#8221; Dreher argues that while the mechanisms of totalitarianism may be less overt in the modern West, they are still present and can undermine individual liberties.He emphasizes the importance of open dialog and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newest-nato-member-escalates-prosecution-of-christians-to-supreme-court\/\" title=\"New NATO member takes Christian prosecution to Supreme Court\">defending religious freedoms<\/a>, suggesting that political actions alone are insufficient without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/christian-university-bans-professor-from-campus-for-critiquing-its-dive-into-equity-and-inclusion\/\" title=\"Christian University Bans Professor From Campus For Critiquing Its Dive Into \u2018Equity\u2019 And \u2018Inclusion\u2019\">cultural engagement<\/a>. The series, based on Dreher&#8217;s book of the same name, is available for streaming online.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Comfort is totalitarianism&rsquo;s disguise in US: New documentary Live Not By Lies<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2106579\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><em>Live Not By Lies,<\/em> a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/film\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">documentary series<\/a> released by Angel Studios, is warning against <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">contemporary western culture&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s love for comfort, safety, and security as a disguise for totalitarianism&rsquo;s political entrance.<\/p>\n<p>The four<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/i-hid-her-away-in-the-closet-with-the-tape-too-dylan-farrow-discusses-video-of-her-as-child-alleging-abuse-by-wooden-allen\/\" title=\"\u2018I Hid Her Away In The Closet With The Tape Too\u2019: Dylan Farrow Discusses Video Of Her As Child Alleging Abuse By Wooden Allen\">-part documentary series<\/a>, released in April, features interviews with survivors of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/communism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Soviet totalitarianism<\/a>. Based on his book that shares the same title, executive director Rod Dreher explained to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> how he considers modern culture is setting the stage for &ldquo;soft totalitarianism.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine-features\/3389560\/comedian-bill-maher-donald-trump-truce\/\">Bill Maher&rsquo;s Trump truce: A comedian crosses the cultural divide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine-life-arts\/3385535\/hollywood-fell-apart-after-while-you-were-sleeping-movie\/\">How Hollywood fell apart in the 30 years since &#8216;While You Were Sleeping&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/3384177\/review-of-wolf-hall-the-mirror-and-the-light\/\">Review of &#8216;Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;With the rise of identity politics, of wokeness &mdash; that sort of thing &mdash; it reminded them of what they had left behind,&rdquo; Dreher said of those who shared their lived experiences in the documentary. &ldquo;And at first I thought that was kind of extreme because where were the gulags? Where was the secret police? And the more I took them seriously and started continuing to talk with them, I realized that no, they&rsquo;re seeing something the rest of us are blind to. What they&rsquo;re seeing is the reproduction of the same thought processes of totalitarianism, but it&rsquo;s happening in a much softer way in the liberal West.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Dreher noted the need for society to remain open to listening to others&rsquo; points of view while seeking out truth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I want to try to protect the liberty of my own people to live without coercion,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If we lose the ability to talk as openly as we can about truth and about what truth is, and debate it and interrogate ourselves about truth, then we&rsquo;ve lost something. It&rsquo;s crucial to liberty.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"lJh8wJKAnm8\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Live Not By Lies | Official Trailer | Streaming April 1 | Angel Studios\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lJh8wJKAnm8?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>He added that he is grateful for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Trump-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Trump administration<\/a>&rsquo;s push to renew the defense of religious liberty, but he warned that such advocacy can&rsquo;t stop in political spheres.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;All the president can do, or any politician can do, is create spaces for us to work and to spread the faith and to deepen our faith. And if we don&rsquo;t do that, then if we lose the political moment, and then we&rsquo;re done,&rdquo; Dreher said.<\/p>\n<p>This past week, Attorney General&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pam Bondi<\/a>&nbsp;announced the launch of a new task force to target &ldquo;anti-Christian bias&rdquo; occurring within the United States, arguing the&nbsp;Trump administration&nbsp;would no longer tolerate it going forward.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3182088\/joe-kennedy-average-joe-film-inspires-faith-freedom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>JOE KENNEDY HOPES &lsquo;AVERAGE JOE&rsquo; FILM INSPIRES OTHERS TO STAND FOR FAITH AND FREEDOM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bondi&rsquo;s announcement comes two months after President&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a>&nbsp;signed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3312795\/trump-executive-order-ending-war-christians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">an executive order to end &ldquo;the War on Christians<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>Live Not By Lies <\/em>is available to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.angel.com\/watch\/live-not-by-lies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">stream online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2106579\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2106579\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Comfort masks totalitarianism in the US: New doc warns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2689,"featured_media":2427985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/red-square-moscow.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[12173,5844,53808,32515,32076],"class_list":["post-2427984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-comfort","tag-documentary","tag-totalitarianism-2","tag-us-politics","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/red-square-moscow.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2427984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2427984"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2427984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2427988,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2427984\/revisions\/2427988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2427985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2427984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2427984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2427984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}