More than fifty years ago, a voice on the radio painted a haunting picture—not of war or overt destruction, but of a society quietly unraveling from within.
In 1965, Paul Harvey’s broadcast “If I Were the Devil” sounded like a cautionary tale, a dramatic warning against hidden threats. Today, it resonates as something far more prophetic. Could one man have foreseen the cultural and moral shifts shaping our world today?
Harvey’s monologue imagines the Devil’s strategy not as violent conquest but as subtle, insidious decay. He would not storm a city but would whisper to the masses: “Do as you please.”
He’d tell the youth that God is a human invention, that the Bible is mere myth, sowing doubt and skepticism.
He’d work to erase God from schools, courts, and churches, quietly removing faith’s guiding presence.
He’d flood communities with drugs and alcohol, fostering distraction and division, weakening families’ bonds and resolve.
He’d teach people to pray not to God but to government, shifting loyalty from the spiritual to the political.
He’d replace wisdom with pleasure, facts with opinion, all under the guise of freedom.
And through this silent erosion, the world would slip into his grasp without a single battle fought.
When Harvey delivered this message, the internet was decades away, social media unimaginable, smartphones nonexistent. Yet his vision eerily predicted a society where morality could be mocked, families fragmented, faith diminished, and comfort prioritized over conscience.
For listeners in 1965, it was a compelling radio address. For many today, it feels like a mirror held up to contemporary life. Political rancor, cultural debates, and social upheaval echo the very concerns Harvey voiced.
The speech circulates widely not out of nostalgia but because it speaks to an ongoing reality. Harvey’s poignant reminder, “Self-government won’t work without self-discipline,” challenges us to reflect on what might have been lost.
Conclusion
Paul Harvey’s 1965 broadcast endures as a powerful reflection on how the gradual erosion of values, faith, and personal responsibility can shape a society’s destiny. Whether viewed through spiritual, political, or cultural lenses, his words invite us to reconsider the choices we make—both as individuals and as a community. In a time marked by distraction and division, revisiting Harvey’s warning is less about looking backward and more about finding a path forward—one grounded in responsibility, morality, and the discipline necessary for true self-governance.