“The consciousness that I live in a revolutionary world is the central fact in my life. I go to sleep and I awake thinking of the world in which I live. My whole personal life has become in a profound sense of secondary importance, and indeed, it, so immediate and so practical, is the part which is dream-like and unreal, and the other, more remote, touching me personally so little, is the imminent, the overwhelming reality. At the center of what I know is the realization and the acceptance of the certainty that never in my lifetime will I live again in the world in which I was born and grew to maturity.”
The intellectual glitterati angst and confusion are on display for all to see. They obviously thought themselves more important and influential than they actually were. Their politics bordered on the faddish fringe. Writing novels to convey political ideas was really a disservice to both literature and politics. Political movements wrapped around the personalities of their leadership leads to a blurring of thought. Witness how Winston Churchill was so quickly deposed after VE Day. Much the same with George H W Bush in 1992. Most strong, charismatic leaders saw these writers as personalities to be manipulated and flattered, blided by their own self-regard.
Thank you for a nice write up of the book. I've added it to the queue of books to read. I remember reading a lot of John Gunther in the long ago past but little Dorthy Thompson.
(Many notes for this gem. Pardon my long comments).
* “Put not thy trust in Princes” leaps to mind. Or Heaven help you - Ideology.
* My personal judgment on Ideology- the logic of an idea- is that we humans are too flawed to follow the logic of an idea without slaughter or madness. I call as supporting witnesses- the 20th century.
* She (Thompson) was living through a Revolutionary age of Socialism left and Right. Like it or not National Socialism was a Social Revolution as well as Political.
* Fascism outside the Nazis is simply war buddies who don’t want to end up like the Kronstadt sailors. It’s program past the militarism does improve to an extent the lot of the commons in Portugal and even later Spain. Fascism is a very mild Revolution compared to the others. Its often just Reaction, which shouldn’t be ruled out automatically as the Left so often does without asking what are we reacting to?
* Austria; enemies tous azimuts (all points) - the Hapsburgs deserve far more credit than they usually get. So of course they couldn’t hold on as a social democracy. The neglect of geography is so deplorable even apparently in the Interwar pause they’re shocked, shocked that such a humane and decent system in Austria gave way. So did the dictatorship that followed. So did Poland. So did France. So would have Portugal and Spain under any system had Hitler wanted to push south in 1940 -he did and had 50 divisions at the border, Franco out negotiated him and Hitler probably decided not to make all of Napoleon’s mistakes- just the Big one in Russia. Geography is ignored at mortal peril. BTW part of the reason the Hapsburgs lasted so long is they heavily emphasized maps and cartography and had the best maps and so Intelligence , and so ability to juggle threats to a degree not even reached by Byzantium at the height of its power.
* Speaking of Austria “Thunder at Twilight“ Vienna 1913-1914 by Frederic Morton comes to mind. Brilliant and faithful history. Why they were all in town; they being Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin and yes even Hitler. Too bad the stronger powers had already decided to carve up Austria - the motive for WW1 in part.
* The certainty of…Politics as Religion- Leads to the answer of what was missing in Thompson’s life- certainty. The Nazis and Communists had it because their politics was their religion. No God, no check - but something.
I say; Politics makes a poor religion, Power a poor God, Government a poor Church, Lawyers absolutely the worst Priests ever (look at America now). But yet the Totalitarians had more than Thompson and the other Liberals had.
As we can see once the money stops being enough as it did with WW1 - Lenin was absolutely correct in his analysis of WW1 being a war for Colonies between Capitalist Liberal systems- and the Hedonism runs out what is Left for the “Liberal “? Even their marriages are …Treaties? Not even a contract. How sad.
How empty.
Despairing!
Now look around. DC is going full Reverend Jim Jones ^- with no world left to conquer, with nothing left to corrupt, with even the thirst to groom children drying in their throats, DC flirts more and more with nuclear war. Drink the Kool Aide and despair, die!
Not parenthetically Rev Jim Jones was not only Christian Marxist but Human Rights Commissioner of San Francisco. Small world.
No reflection or analysis on Woke and modern fanatical leftism should be undertaken without a study of radical Christian leftists. Jim Jones may have been too much even for the 70s. He would have fit right in the Thirty Years War and so do the Woke.
They’ve even got rid of that pesky God ! Now THAT is Liberation, Milton and The Artist formerly known as The Prince of Light approve.
Do beware the Free Apples, namesake of Eve’s husband.
This is a great great read, AT. Thanks!
The intellectual glitterati angst and confusion are on display for all to see. They obviously thought themselves more important and influential than they actually were. Their politics bordered on the faddish fringe. Writing novels to convey political ideas was really a disservice to both literature and politics. Political movements wrapped around the personalities of their leadership leads to a blurring of thought. Witness how Winston Churchill was so quickly deposed after VE Day. Much the same with George H W Bush in 1992. Most strong, charismatic leaders saw these writers as personalities to be manipulated and flattered, blided by their own self-regard.
Thank you for a nice write up of the book. I've added it to the queue of books to read. I remember reading a lot of John Gunther in the long ago past but little Dorthy Thompson.
I think that when you quoted Thompson saying ' it ties to noting, it is part of nothing' you meant ' it ties to nothing, it is part of nothing'.
superb post -- I loved reading this
(Many notes for this gem. Pardon my long comments).
* “Put not thy trust in Princes” leaps to mind. Or Heaven help you - Ideology.
* My personal judgment on Ideology- the logic of an idea- is that we humans are too flawed to follow the logic of an idea without slaughter or madness. I call as supporting witnesses- the 20th century.
* She (Thompson) was living through a Revolutionary age of Socialism left and Right. Like it or not National Socialism was a Social Revolution as well as Political.
* Fascism outside the Nazis is simply war buddies who don’t want to end up like the Kronstadt sailors. It’s program past the militarism does improve to an extent the lot of the commons in Portugal and even later Spain. Fascism is a very mild Revolution compared to the others. Its often just Reaction, which shouldn’t be ruled out automatically as the Left so often does without asking what are we reacting to?
* Austria; enemies tous azimuts (all points) - the Hapsburgs deserve far more credit than they usually get. So of course they couldn’t hold on as a social democracy. The neglect of geography is so deplorable even apparently in the Interwar pause they’re shocked, shocked that such a humane and decent system in Austria gave way. So did the dictatorship that followed. So did Poland. So did France. So would have Portugal and Spain under any system had Hitler wanted to push south in 1940 -he did and had 50 divisions at the border, Franco out negotiated him and Hitler probably decided not to make all of Napoleon’s mistakes- just the Big one in Russia. Geography is ignored at mortal peril. BTW part of the reason the Hapsburgs lasted so long is they heavily emphasized maps and cartography and had the best maps and so Intelligence , and so ability to juggle threats to a degree not even reached by Byzantium at the height of its power.
* Speaking of Austria “Thunder at Twilight“ Vienna 1913-1914 by Frederic Morton comes to mind. Brilliant and faithful history. Why they were all in town; they being Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin and yes even Hitler. Too bad the stronger powers had already decided to carve up Austria - the motive for WW1 in part.
* The certainty of…Politics as Religion- Leads to the answer of what was missing in Thompson’s life- certainty. The Nazis and Communists had it because their politics was their religion. No God, no check - but something.
I say; Politics makes a poor religion, Power a poor God, Government a poor Church, Lawyers absolutely the worst Priests ever (look at America now). But yet the Totalitarians had more than Thompson and the other Liberals had.
As we can see once the money stops being enough as it did with WW1 - Lenin was absolutely correct in his analysis of WW1 being a war for Colonies between Capitalist Liberal systems- and the Hedonism runs out what is Left for the “Liberal “? Even their marriages are …Treaties? Not even a contract. How sad.
How empty.
Despairing!
Now look around. DC is going full Reverend Jim Jones ^- with no world left to conquer, with nothing left to corrupt, with even the thirst to groom children drying in their throats, DC flirts more and more with nuclear war. Drink the Kool Aide and despair, die!
Not parenthetically Rev Jim Jones was not only Christian Marxist but Human Rights Commissioner of San Francisco. Small world.
No reflection or analysis on Woke and modern fanatical leftism should be undertaken without a study of radical Christian leftists. Jim Jones may have been too much even for the 70s. He would have fit right in the Thirty Years War and so do the Woke.
They’ve even got rid of that pesky God ! Now THAT is Liberation, Milton and The Artist formerly known as The Prince of Light approve.
Do beware the Free Apples, namesake of Eve’s husband.
Beware.
Ta!
Our host is a good man.
So without impertinence I hope;
When your name is Adam beware free apples, especially when offered by…a shiny suited creature who claims to be in the know…
With Respect- get some distance from the shiny suits, you are looking into the abyss.
Oh, and they’re Doomed. 💀
There’s that too.