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Revision as of 15:14, 1 September 2010
In political jargon, the term useful idiot was used to describe Soviet sympathizers in Western countries and the attitude of the Soviet government towards them. The implication was that though the person in question naïvely thought themselves an ally of the Soviets or other Communists, they were actually held in contempt by them, and were being cynically used.
The term is now used more broadly to describe someone who is perceived to be manipulated by a political movement, terrorist group, hostile government, or business, whether or not the group is Communist in nature.
Origins
Lenin and Stalin
The term is commonly attributed to Lenin and Stalin, sometimes in the form "useful idiots of the West", to describe those Western reporters and travelers who would endorse the Soviet Union and its policies in the West. In fact, the earliest known usage is in a 1948 New York Times article on Italian politics. [1] In 1987, Grant Harris, senior reference librarian at the Library of Congress, said "We have not been able to identify this phrase [useful idiots of the West] among [Lenin's] published works."[2] [3].
A 2010 BBC radio documentary lists among useful idiots of Stalin several prominent British writers including H. G. Wells and Doris Lessing, the Irish writer George Bernard Shaw, and the American singer Paul Robeson.[4].
Modern usage
"Useful idiot" is often used as a perjorative term for those who are seen to unwittingly support a malign cause through their 'naive' attempts to be a force for good. For example, the term has been used by some commentators to describe people they believe are effectively supporting Islamic terrorism, often by favouring an approach based on appeasement. For example, Anthony Browne wrote in the United Kingdom newspaper, The Times:[5]
Elements within the British establishment were notoriously sympathetic to Hitler. Today the Islamists enjoy similar support. In the 1930s it was Edward VIII, aristocrats and the Daily Mail; this time it is left-wing activists, The Guardian and sections of the BBC. They may not want a global theocracy, but they are like the West’s apologists for the Soviet Union — useful idiots.
List of famous useful idiots
See also
- Agent of influence
- Bought priesthood
- Fellow traveler
- Pinko
- Socialist Propaganda League of America
- Korean Friendship Association
Further reading
- Mona Charen, Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong In The Cold War And Still Blame America First, HarperCollins, 2004, ISBN 0060579412
- William Safire, Safire's Political Dictionary, Oxford University Press US, 2008, ISBN 0195343344, Google Print, p.773-774
References
- ^ "COMMUNIST SHIFT IS SEEN IN EUROPE; Tour of Two Italian Leaders Behind Iron Curtain Held to Doom Popular Fronts", Arnold Cortesi; New York Times June 21, 1948 p. 14
- ^ Boller, Jr., Paul F. (1989). They Never Said It: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, and Misleading Attributions. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-505541-1.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Times of London article also asserting that Lenin did not say the quote
- ^ Useful Idiots - Part One
- ^ Browne, Anthony (August 1, 2005). "Fundamentally were useful idiots". The Times. London. Retrieved May 27, 2010.