"They loved each other and believed they loved mankind, they fought each other and believed they fought the world."
—John le Carré, 1961, on British communists at Oxford in the 1930s.
—John le Carré, 1961, on British communists at Oxford in the 1930s.
BTW, I don't read this as a condemnatory quote. I recognize in it movements that I've been a part of, and movements that I have written about with love.
I initially followed the quote up with a "possible relevance to present-day internet subcultures is left for the reader to assess" tweet, but that wasn't (I promise!) intended as a specific subtweet of any particular group.
It strikes me as a pithy and perceptive turn of phrase, and one that has both historical and contemporary resonance in a variety of directions.
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