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The famous satirist and commentator Konstantin Kisin spoke about human potential at the ARC conference in London. By Petra Knapp.
Linz (kath.net / pk) “Alexander Solzhitsyn once said that whether a society is strong or not depends more on the level of its spiritual life than on the level of industrial development. When a nation’s spiritual strength is exhausted, said Solzhenitsyn, it has no chance of escaping collapse, either through the most perfect government or through any industrial development.”
With this quote, the famous commentator Konstantin Kisin began his talk at the ARC conference held in London at the end of October. The Sunday Times writer, satirist, commentator and co-host of the TRIGGERnometry podcast talks about the way out of the crisis in the West. Kisin’s book “An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West” was published in 2022.
He is reminiscent of Christopher Columbus, who wanted to reach India and discovered America on his way there. The Ottomans had conquered Constantinople in 1453 and cut off Europe’s Silk Road, which had been used for trade with India and China for centuries.
At that time, more than 500 years ago, Western countries faced great challenges and “new threats no less than those we face today.” At that time, they had to look for a new, different path – just like we are doing now. When Columbus set out west to reach India, he was wrong because he misjudged the circumference of the earth. Smart European minds laughed at him for that, Kisin said.
Nevertheless, he was able to convince 90 people to leave in three small ships and “sail into the unknown.” The moral of this story is: “The history of our civilization was not made by people who always did everything right. This is done by people who have also made mistakes, who are brave enough to believe that they can overcome the problems that come their way. The history of the West is a history of courage.”
There are people who believe “our future will be successful, powerful and influential,” stressed Kisin. “We are the majority! But there are also those who argue that our history is evil, that we do not deserve to be important, that we do not deserve to be powerful, that we should be punished for the sins of our ancestors because of our terrible past. . Therefore, our present will have to be spent making excuses, and our future will be ruined. My message to these people is simple: How dare you? You will not steal my son’s dreams with your empty words!”
Since the beginning, humans have given everything to make the world a better place, Kisin exclaimed. “We didn’t make this progress by complaining and acting like victims. We have achieved this progress by allowing people’s creativity and talents to develop freely!”
“But I think we’ve forgotten what adventure is,” Kisin said. “When Columbus and his men boarded those ships and began their journey into the unknown, they sailed toward death. Not because they are braver than us. They know something we have forgotten. Death is certain for everyone.”
“We are in the fight of our lives,” he appealed to the business people present. “There is no greater return on your investment than protecting and preserving our civilization.” He warned media professionals with the words “The truth matters. There is more to our lives than clicks and downloads.”
He addressed these politicians with the words: “You don’t enter politics to get re-elected, but so you can make a difference. We are in the fight of our lives. If courage means anything, then courage means doing the right thing and being willing to accept punishment if necessary. Death doesn’t stop with anyone. It is not our right to choose whether we live or die. It is up to us to choose whether we live before we die.”
WATCH: Konstantin Kisin’s full speech to world leaders at the 2023 ARC Conference
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