Paul Harvey, a renowned news commentator and talk-radio pioneer, captivated over 24 million listeners at the peak of his career with his distinctive style. On April 3, 1965, he delivered a speech that feels eerily prophetic today.

In his broadcast, titled “If I Were the Devil,” Harvey imagines himself as the Devil, aiming to “engulf the whole earth in darkness.” He describes a strategy to corrupt the United States by starting “with a campaign of whispers,” promoting the idea that “what is bad is good and what is good is square.”

Harvey foresaw a society where the Devil would encourage the young to believe “the Bible is a myth,” where “man created God.” He predicted that work would be viewed as debasing, and that morality would be seen as extreme. “Idle hands usually work for me,” he warned, illustrating a society seduced by narcotics, alcohol, and unchecked desires.

He envisioned the Devil infiltrating institutions, removing God from “the courthouse,” “the schoolhouse,” and even “the Houses of Congress.” The symbol of Easter would become an egg, and Christmas a bottle. Harvey concluded ominously, “If I were Satan, I’d just keep doing what I’m doing, and the whole world would go to hell as sure as the Devil.”

This speech remains a chilling reflection of modern society.