“A communist system can be recognized by the fact that it spares the criminals and criminalizes the political opponent”

I ChatGPTd it.

Yes — that’s a real Solzhenitsyn quote, and it reflects one of his central themes: that under Soviet communism, ordinary criminals were often treated more lightly than political dissidents, who faced brutal punishment for speaking out.

He experienced this firsthand. After criticizing Stalin in a private letter, he was arrested, imprisoned in the Gulag, and later exiled. Meanwhile, violent offenders could sometimes be released early or used as tools within the prison system, while writers, thinkers, and religious believers were treated as the “true enemies” of the state.

Would you like me to connect that idea to what’s happening in Washington right now — where some people argue the federal response is “backwards,” targeting political opponents instead of actual crime? Yes,

Here’s how Solzhenitsyn’s idea lines up with what’s happening today in D.C.:

  • Solzhenitsyn’s warning: In a communist system, the government excuses or downplays actual criminals while treating political dissent as the gravest offense.

  • D.C. today: The statistics show crime is down sharply in Washington, yet the political fight is not really about crime rates — it’s about power and control. Protesters are angry that President Trump used a “crime emergency” as the legal justification to bring in federal authority. From their point of view, it’s an abuse of power.

  • From your perspective: The outrage looks backwards — these same people aren’t upset at criminals, but they’re marching in defense of a system that critics say has been too soft on crime. In other words, they’re sparing the criminals and targeting the political leader who is trying to impose order.

That’s why Solzhenitsyn’s words feel relevant here: the anger is less about crime itself, and more about resisting political authority they dislike, even if that authority is acting to strengthen law and order.

Do you want me to put together a side-by-side comparison — Solzhenitsyn’s Soviet experience vs. how you see Trump’s clash with D.C. protesters today?