aul Harvey’s legendary 1965 speech, “If I Were the Devil,” eerily predicted the cultural and moral decline that many conservatives argue is now playing out across America. Through this metaphorical warning, Harvey warned of a world where the Prince of Darkness slowly erodes traditional values, faith, and personal responsibility, replacing them with moral relativism, government dependency, and unchecked indulgence. Today, many believe the liberal agenda and Democratic policies have taken up Harvey’s warnings and woven them into their political platform. Let’s break down how the Democrats and their far-left allies have followed the playbook of Harvey’s “devil.”
Subverting Churches and Undermining Faith
Harvey’s devil would start with the churches, whispering, “Do as you please,” convincing the young that “The Bible is a myth” and the old to replace God with the government. Fast forward to today, and we see the gradual, yet consistent, removal of religious influence from American public life. Public schools no longer teach traditional values, prayer has been long banned, and religious monuments have been removed from courthouses.
Liberals, in particular, have embraced the idea that morality is subjective, pushing the notion that individual desires are paramount and must be accommodated at all costs. Instead of advocating for personal responsibility or traditional values, they argue for a society that embraces every whim and indulgence. From endorsing taxpayer-funded abortions to promoting the destruction of gender norms, it seems like the whisper Harvey warned about has turned into a roar.
The left’s embrace of secularism as the dominant cultural narrative has also led to the diminishing role of the church in public affairs. Harvey predicted that the devil would push the concept that morality comes from the government rather than from God. The ever-expanding federal government under liberal leadership is increasingly taking on a paternalistic role, telling Americans what is right and wrong through legislation and policy rather than allowing individuals to rely on their religious values.
Media and Entertainment: The Tools for Corruption
One of Harvey’s key warnings was about how the devil would use media and entertainment to corrupt society, making “lurid literature exciting” and bombarding viewers with dirtier movies and vice. It’s no secret that Hollywood and mainstream media lean left—and with that comes a push for progressive values that often challenge or outright contradict traditional morality.
Turn on the television or flip through social media, and it’s impossible not to notice how normalized immoral behavior has become. Whether it’s the glamorization of drug use, the hyper-sexualization of women, or the constant undermining of family values, Harvey’s forecast of media contributing to moral decay has come true. TV shows and movies now glorify behaviors that were once considered shameful, painting them as expressions of freedom rather than damaging acts.
Liberals have long defended this cultural shift, arguing that these changes reflect “progress.” Yet, behind this progressive banner is the undeniable impact it’s had on young minds. The breakdown of traditional families, the rise in drug use, and the normalization of perversion have all become dominant themes in liberal-approved media content. Conservatives argue that this is all part of a larger agenda to deconstruct the family and destabilize society—exactly what Harvey’s devil would do.
War on Education: Intellectualism Over Morality
“If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions,” Harvey said. This is precisely what has unfolded under liberal influence in education. Public schools and universities, especially in Democrat-run states, have become breeding grounds for liberal indoctrination. While students may become intellectuals, many lack the moral grounding and discipline needed to navigate life.
What used to be institutions for learning critical thinking and life skills are now centers for progressive activism. Liberal educators push radical gender theories, critical race theory, and Marxist economic ideals, all while neglecting to teach students about personal responsibility, ethics, and accountability. And we wonder why crime is on the rise, and prisons are overflowing—just as Harvey predicted.
Furthermore, the educational system is increasingly hostile to any conservative values or ideas that challenge the liberal narrative. Professors who dare question leftist orthodoxy face ostracism, and students who express conservative views are often labeled as bigots or worse. This intellectual one-sidedness leads to a generation that not only lacks moral guidance but is also intolerant of opposing viewpoints.
The Breakdown of the Family
Harvey warned that the devil would seek to destroy the family unit, convincing young people that marriage is “old-fashioned” and that promiscuity is the new norm. Today, the left has adopted an anything-goes attitude when it comes to family structures. Whether it’s the promotion of alternative family models, the de-emphasis on marriage, or the push for policies that make it easier for people to rely on government handouts rather than build stable, two-parent households, liberal policies have done their part to undermine traditional families.
Consider the left’s stance on welfare programs that often disincentivize marriage by providing more government support to single-parent households. Instead of encouraging stable families, these programs breed dependency on the state—a dependency that further erodes the core values that strong family structures once fostered.
Meanwhile, the normalization of “swinging,” casual hookups, and other alternative lifestyles in media and liberal policy circles has further degraded the sanctity of marriage. Today’s progressive social standards encourage individuals to pursue fleeting pleasures rather than invest in committed, long-term relationships. The erosion of the family, as Harvey warned, is leading to a generation of individuals with fewer emotional and moral anchors.
The Government as Savior
“If I were the devil, I would teach the old to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington,’” Harvey said, predicting a time when Americans would turn to the government for guidance rather than relying on personal responsibility or faith. Under the liberal agenda, the federal government has expanded its reach into nearly every aspect of American life, promising to be the ultimate problem solver for everything from healthcare to education to climate change.
Programs like universal healthcare, endless unemployment benefits, and even the push for “free” college education are examples of how the left has tried to cast the government as the all-powerful entity that can solve all problems. However, with these programs comes the erosion of personal responsibility and self-sufficiency. As more people rely on the government for their livelihood, they become less independent, more controlled, and ultimately more susceptible to manipulation—just as Harvey’s devil would want.
Are You Buying the Devil’s Plan?
Paul Harvey’s “If I Were the Devil” wasn’t just a clever speech—it was a warning about how society could slowly be corrupted from within. Today, many of the actions and policies pushed by liberals and Democrats reflect the devil’s blueprint that Harvey outlined. From the removal of God from the public sphere to the glorification of immorality in media, to the breakdown of the family, it’s hard to ignore how closely today’s progressive agenda mirrors Harvey’s prophecy.
So, the question remains: Are you buying into these policies? Are you willing to sacrifice personal responsibility, traditional values, and independence in exchange for government control, moral relativism, and fleeting pleasures? If you’re on board with the left’s agenda, you might just be following the devil’s playbook.
