Did Lenin really call the western “progressives” “useful idiots”, if so why, and what was the context? It does not make much sense to me. I can understand the useful part, but why call them idiots? Did Lenin not believe in his own politics? I can see that more of Stalin then Lenin. Did he me to imply that the western left naively believed that they would be rewarded with some positions of power when the revolution came?
Why did he call them idiots?
Apparently, he did.
I think, and am willing to be corrected of course, that Lenin was referring to the ‘progressive’ tendency to believe damned near anything, and be easily lead by the left.
What follows is conjecture:
Many western ‘liberals’ (which is a usurption of the term liberal) are fairly easily lead (I say this without cite and based m,ostly on my own experiences). They will believe most statements if those statements are directed against ‘them’, meaning conservatives or business. Check out the green movement for examples. If I am right, then yes, I can see how he called them ‘useful idiots’
A quick Google search under [“useful idiots” Lenin] produced some 1,000 hits, most of which (like QED’s link above say he was supposed to have said it. Since I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it myself, and directly from Lenin’s works, I’m not going to question the veracity. But I’m withholding further comment until I actually find an instance of the phrase in Lenin’s own words, when I can provide more context and analysis.
Well, I have to admit I’m getting stumped. I’ve only found one site which gives an actual quote (on the Cydonia region of Mars and that “face”), but even then it doesn’t give any further attribution than just Lenin’s name. If anyone can come up with an actual work of Lenin’s that contains the phrase either by itself or in a larger quote, I’d be obliged.
I hate bumping old threads, but I’ve been doing some follow-up work on this question and am quite confident in stating that Lenin never said it. There’s nothing in his works, or his written or recorded speeches, containing that phrase.