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I Don’t Understand This Essay. Please Explain It to Me.
Walter Duranty won a Pulitzer Prize for his work for The New York Times, which has since then been ridiculed for being little more than promotion of Stalinism and intentionally hiding the Holomodor and endless other Soviet atrocities from a 1930s Western elite that really, really wanted to believe in the same thing that 2020s Western elites really, really want to believe in: That centralized control systems were ethical, efficient, and just. That the difficulties of this world could be simply managed away by a well-educated, well-intentioned managerial class of, well, of people just like those Western elites! Surely they could run things better than those filthy capitalists, who often didn’t even go to college, like they did!
Mr. Duranty was born into a wealthy English family and went to the best schools, until his family’s business underwent some hard times and he was forced to attend more common institutions, which he always resented. His first reporting job was covering WWI, and some say that the horrifying death and destruction he witnessed there desensitized him to the human suffering under the Soviets that he would later casually conceal in his writing. He became friends with Aleister Crowley in Paris, became addicted to opium, cocaine, and heroin, and became a regular participant in Mr. Crowley’s psycho-sexual black magic seances. A gifted writer, Mr. Duranty even wrote poetry that was chanted by the participants at these events, for example: “People upon the worlds, are like maggots upon an apple. All forms of life bred upon the worlds are in the nature of parasites.”
Aleister Crowley was raised in a devout Christian household, but became disillusioned with Christianity and became a proponent of, and participant in, recreational drug use, sexual freedom, and explorations of the occult. He founded a religion called Thelema and declared himself to be a prophet of this religion. His writings describing this religion are difficult to summarize, but the over-arching theme is described in the opening sentence of his first book on the topic: “Do what thou wilt.” His drug use, experimental masochistic sexuality, dismissal of conventional religions and ethics, personal philosophy, and political ideology were all based on freeing the individual from the constraints of social norms.
Which made him into a hero of the 1960s hippie movement 20 years after his death. And a hero to contemporary bohemian intellectuals like Water Duranty. Crowley was not the first to attempt to build a philosophy out of “Do whatever you darn well please,” but his powerful intellect and prolific writing made him one of its more influential proponents.
Which brings me back to Walter Duranty and the Western elite that gave him prestigious awards for lying to them about the atrocities of centralized control systems.
If you think about it, Mr. Duranty is a typical modern leftist. Born into wealth, but jealous of those who earn money rather than inheriting it. Raised in a stable, nurturing society made peaceful and affluent by its adherence to Judeo-Christian ethics, but learning to resent the limitations of his behavior posed by such ethical constraints. Attempting to deaden the pain of the loss of religion and other meaning in his life through drugs and sexual deviancy. Viewing humanity not as a noble struggle, but as a parasitic disease upon Mother Earth. Failing to find purpose in his own life beyond the immediate gratification of whatever pleasures are immediately available. Viewing life not as a sacred gift from a higher power, but simply a game to be won or lost by the strongest and most ruthless.
Leftists, it would seem, have not learned anything new over the past hundred years.
But here is what I don’t understand: Why is it that Mr. Duranty and his modern progeny work so hard to believe in the virtue of collective control systems, when all they really believe in is an extreme interpretation of individualism? If Mr. Duranty abandoned all systems of ethics and morality because they cramped his style, and he simply wanted to do whatever he wanted to do at the time, why did he admire an oppressive totalitarian like Joseph Stalin?
If Duranty had been Russian, he would have been on the first train to the Gulags. But Stalin tolerated him because he needed good press in the West. Duranty was too intelligent not to have figured that out immediately.
Duranty was a lot of things, but he was not stupid. He was a brilliant intellect, as well as a gifted writer. Did he not see the inherent conflict between the way he wanted to live his life, and the centralized control systems he deified in his writings?
Rush Limbaugh claimed to understand leftists absolutely and completely. I don’t. I just don’t get it.
Modern leftist Hollywood produces an endless stream of movies made by leftist actors who glorify the struggles of a small band of plucky individualists against an oppressive evil empire that seeks to control their behavior. And then those Hollywood elites all go vote Democrat, and look the other way when Russia invades Ukraine. Again.
I generally conclude my essays with a paragraph which summarizes my understanding the topic I’ve discussed. I won’t do that this time. Because I don’t understand.
I’ve given this a lot of thought. As I’m sure Mr. Duranty did. I don’t claim to be as intelligent as Mr. Duranty. He really was brilliant. But still. I just don’t understand.
If you do, please enlighten me in the comments.
Thank you.
Published in General
I’ll take a stab at it. In a way, it’s analogous to religion.
Why do people, who are very smart and trained in all manner of scientific pursuits, adhere to religions that demand they put their scientific selves aside and believe in a Supreme Being whose existence is unprovable? Why do people – who by their own admission are terribly flawed and require forgiveness – hold up as loadstones for behavior a set of principles that they will themselves never succeed at emulating?
Because we think there is a better way.
We know we are probably going to repeatedly fail, but think that the world would be a better place if we could just do better.
Same with Progressives. They are focused on the utopian endpoint. Even though they can’t bring themselves to walk the Progressive walk – see BLM and million dollar real estate deals…ditto Bernie Sanders…ditto Hollywood – they genuinely think everyone else should and the world would be better for it.
Whats the quote about The Great Gatsby? –
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther — And one fine morning…”
I think I get it. Let me take a stab at an answer:
Duranty and others likely believed that freedom and individualism are only for the enlightened few. The bovine masses, yoked to their conventional morality, must be kept in eternal thrall.
It’s a similar sentiment to the one that drove him to Crowley and the occult. Secret knowledge not meant for the masses, only available and comprehensible to a cabal of exceptional people.
Jinx! I owe you a Coke.
Communism is first and foremost an enemy of religion, family, tradition, conventional mores, patriotism, and anything that bound a person to society–anything deeply offensive to narcissists.
The fact that it is also inhumane and repressive was a feature not a bug because those effects were necessary to retrain the masses. People like Duranty (or Kim Philby) simply assume they would be given appropriate luxuries commensurate with their enlightened status and value to the revolution until such time as the new era could be ushered in once the lesser types had been transformed or killed–kinda like having a private plane during a climate crisis or not wearing a mask during a deadly pandemic. Duranty and Philby would get that.
When the lefty hears “equality” it means that those higher than him must yield wealth to those below the lefty, the lefty then still above the lower class but now closer to or (ideally) ahead of those above. Envy masquerading as compassion is a defining trait.
An inability/refusal to affirm life as it is also a key feature of the lefty. Relentless cynical attacks on life as we know it is just a non serviam pretending to be an invitation to a temporal nirvana.
If you find Duranty problematic try reading Hobsbawm- who was is some ways worse b/c he was more influential and he thought (in 1994!) that the deaths of millions of Soviet citizens under Stalin would have been worth it if a genuinely communist society had been the result.
Or Sartre defending Mao’s mass slaughter or Noam Chomsky defending Pol Pot. The only redeeming quality of these guys is their candor.
I’m not sure if you are asking why liberals or progressives believe what they do, why many start out wanting to make society better – nothing wrong with that, and they fall down the rat hole that they dug for themselves, like Duranty and this Crowley character. But it’s not that complicated – it’s the Serpent’s old trick, “Ye shall be as gods” – if Eve would just bite that apple, i.e. You are the master of your own universe and there is no other.
I haven’t read it, but I heard the author on Glenn Beck who wrote a book about Stalin. It’s new and when he was researching to write it, found Stalin was so dark, it was satanic. We can see the various levels of evil (that seem to start out innocently, and quickly progress to pure diabolical) and how it has infiltrated and changed all levels of society worldwide, and quickly.
The Democratic Party today is not the one my parents voted for. The attacks against the family, inverting words and meaning including what is male and female, fueling new race wars, turning away from homeless, drug addicts, allowing many forms of crime to do unpunished, teaching small children perversions – this is not political – it’s sick.
Many within the Church recognize what is happening today and what was predicted in The Bible. The world does not want to see it, but it’s all there. The wise King Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun”. The basic Laws of God govern the natural world – nature starts a new day that follow these laws of nature.
Human beings not guided by the Spirit fall into the same pit as did Eve, and listen to the tickling and whispers in their ears – they can be as gods. What would cause the Ukrainian civilian population to rise up – the David against the Goliath – to protect family, freedom? It has to be something bigger than themselves. The men you describe were part of their selfie generation. Their level of brilliance led without a soul created mad men. They have no love in them. Love puts the well being of the other before themselves. That is what we see in Ukraine. Communism sprouted from hell – along with it’s different forms. The fruit of what it produces is the proof.
Communism is to be your religion, your family, your tradition, your mores, and you are to be patriotic to the collective, not some abstract idea like freedom. The individual must give everything up to be part of – and serve – the collective.
OTOH, there still needs to be an elite to run things . . .
You meant “modern progeny” not “modern progenitors” in the paragraph next to the photo of Bernie.
A recurring error: Start with the reasonable supposition that it is possible to improve society a little bit today. Conclude that this means there is no barrier to making society perfect.
Dang it!
Thanks. Fixed it.
Human nature is not so difficult to explain. Why does the philandering husband become insanely jealous when his wife finds another man attractive? We are not rational beings. We are jealous, envious and corruptible. Placed in positions of power, where laws and norms can be ignored with impunity, where there is no consequence for our corruption, degradation and depravity, we can submit to those things and become them. We can do that and believe that because of our money, power and authority, we are entitled to it. We can succumb to our worst selves and become immoral, even evil. This is not hypocrisy, but self-delusion. The more power we have, the more we believe we are worth and the less worth we attribute to those who are relatively powerless. We can do whatever we want. We are not tyrants; we are gods, or demi-gods.
But no one is really a god. Everyone is a mortal being and subject to judgement.
Western systems of republican self-government dilute power and authority, subject it to near constant scrutiny (open debate) and accountability (voting) and hence place limits on the power and authority of corruptible men in power. Still, corruption exists (the Clintons as a prime example on many levels) in our governance. Free market capitalism can also be a font for amoral corruption (Epstein, Soros, Wyss, et al) and is less restrained. That explains the attraction of Marxism as a foil against wealth derived power. It makes sense that those with power, in the form of wealth, would ally with the Left, that is Marxists, to preserve their power. This is where Marxism is reformed as “progressivism”, that is authoritarianism run by so called, self-appointed elites, who are controlled by wealthy capitalists. This is the Democrat Party of 2022. It has no organizing philosophy, just the picadilloes of a few hyper-wealthy benefactors. It is corrupt and seeks to consolidate power any way it can. Open and free elections are a threat. Constitutional authority is a threat. Conservatives are a threat. Federalism is a threat. A free press is a threat. Open debate is a threat. Their continued authority requires that these threats be addressed as their primary objectives in governance.
The political priorities of Gates, Zuckerberg, Bloomberg, Bezos, Steyer, Moskovitz, Sussman, Eychaner, Simons, Klarman, Soros and Wyss et al are at odds with Joe America. They are all just plain creepy. The Democrat Party may bow to their influence, but that is not playing well on main street USA. Trump is also a billionaire with a massive ego and questionable history, but he rejected the Leftist alliance and embraced conservative, constitutional, republican, federalist, limited American governance. He played well on Main Street. Who knew?
Our governing elites seek power and are controlled by wealthy capitalist crackpots seeking affirmation and influence. America is in the way. The immorality and hypocrisy are just in man’s corruptible nature.
But none of that ‘serving the collective’ stuff really applies to the enlightened clever ones who undermined the old order and made the revolution possible. Some are simply more equal than others. Freedom for self-indulgence (the higher types will need more wealth to fulfill their desires) but not freedom for ideas that threaten this new freedom. What the state provides is true freedom (from that which you should not want anyway) so being free of the state cannot really be freedom. But who needs ideology if the state funds your lifestyle?
The Gorbachevs hastened the fall of the Soviet Union because they did not want to liberalize society so much as bring a bubble of western material goodies and freedom for the nomenklatura to acquire and enjoy such goodies yet still remain within one-party rule. The peasants would still get their second-rate appliances and lousy groceries and get shot for dissent but Mikhail and Raisa could score a steady supply of designer clothes, fine wines, and the best entertainment Hollywood had to offer.
No more of that sturdy fat peasant Nina Khrushcheva contrasting with Jackie Kennedy at state dinners, no more wide lapels like those suits from the Leonid Brezhnev Collection at GUM. A stylish elite ruling class emerging just in time to match an identical evolution in the west where a prosperous elite would replace tiresome democracy with an administrative state and make the peasants (low SAT scores, no connections, thus no worth or virtue) stay in their place. That would be the new true globalism and a world that neither Karl Marx nor Thomas Jefferson foresaw.
So, is there a link between Leftism and Satanism . . . maybe?
Anyway, all I can say is that this post caused me to go listen to this (something I hadn’t heard in decades)
Nailed it.
I honestly think it is quite simple: Leftist, including Duranty, see life as a pyramid, with themselves, always, at the pinnacle.
Exactly. My extracting money from you and giving it to the poor is generosity and compassion on my part.
I think people are argumentative. After breathing, it’s their first reflex.
(I heard you arguing with that. :-) )
I say this in complete sincerity. I used to be a Democrat eons ago. They were isolationists and anti-immigration across the board. They hated Big Business. Every bit of it.
Watching them from the Republican side has cemented my theory of human logic: If he’s for it, then I’m against it.
Doc, I suspect that there’s more than one answer to your question. Different Leftists seem to have different motivations, as far as I can tell.
I think that there are two major divisions.
One group is genuinely concerned about poverty, but has little or no understanding of how the world actually works. So they blame the rich for the poverty of the poor. This often seems to be accompanied to a view of “equality” as meaning that everyone is equal in abilities and talents, which turns out not to be the case, but which they don’t seem to be able to accept for ideological reasons. For this group, the “solution” to poverty is some combination of: (1) taking wealth from the rich to give to the poor, and (2) taking control of business and industry out of the hands of the rich through nationalization (or, in a more sophisticated system, heavy regulation).
A second group seems to be motivated by hatred of the rich, based on pure envy. This may be particularly true of academic and literary types, who are often not very successful financially, but who think very highly of their own abilities, and resent the fact that businessmen get rich while they don’t.
Seriously?
Dude, you just achieved enlightenment!
Ok, but seriously, you’re right. You didn’t say anything, which means you’re right. You’re right where they’re wrong. You’ve achieved the wisdom of Socrates.
The only way to additional enlightenment from here runs through Torah, Prophets, Psalsms, and Gospel.
Crowley and Jack Parsons also had personal relationships with L. Ron Hubbard, and influenced the creation of Dianetics and Scientology.
I saw that coming from a mile off.
Pride is the first temptation as others have noted (you will be as gods. . .) and we all succumb to it to one degree or another. But highly intelligent leftists?? They’ve got it baaad. Intelligence can be a curse in many cases, especially for the godless sort. People of simple faith are rarely a problem to anyone, have you noticed?
Spot on. Excellent observation.
Thanks! I think!
Well, if I read my Bible, it is religion, a false religion. There are a lot of very smart, evil people. The Bible says that if you fight against your conscience it becomes seared as with a hot iron. When you do not honor God and reject Him, God gives you over to a reprobate mind, to do what is not right. If you accept the devil into your life, heart and mind, though professing to be wise you become fools.
Dr. B, what you’ve described seem to perfectly conform to these old Biblical truths.
I’ve long known about Walter Duranty and Stalin and the New York Times, but where did you get all that other information about him?
While never realizing that they will be the first to be eliminated when the Communists take over. I have never understood Chomsky’s admiration for Pol Pot when the Khmer Rouge were executing all intellectuals and even those who simply wore eyeglasses (since they might have been intellectuals).
5 minutes on Wikipedia & Google. There’s lots more. Very interesting guy.
Here’s an interesting article about Duranty from a couple years ago. Again, look around – there’s lots of stuff. He was quite the character…