Spring is a good time for a good book. I recommend Witness by Whittaker Chambers. This book gives you a glimpse of the intellectual climate in the U.S. prior to WWII. Good intellectuals of that day took a serious look at Communism, and many embraced it. Chambers embraced it, and this book traces his eventual repudiation of it; his years as a Time Magazine editor, and his participation in the then famous Hiss-Chambers Case which electrified the nation. There are many individuals of the past I would like to sit down with and have a long talk. Chambers is one of those.
5 comments:
From what I can tell, communism (in theory) is the ideal form of government. It has never worked, however, due the greed of the minority group at the top and lack of motivation on the part of the people (e.g. - Why go to work if my basic needs are provided for?).
If there was a way to overcome human self-centeredness, it seems that human suffering would dramatically decrease under a communist government.
I totally agree.
Erin has a blog, Dad has a blog, and my wife maintains my unborn son's blog.
Soon I may be in the minority of blog-less Willetts!
I think I've heard of Chambers from reading William F Buckley. Communism definitely has a more pleasant view of the ultimate outcome than fascism.
It is interesting that his intellectual pursuit of truth ended by his becoming a Christian. He reminds me a little of C.S. Lewis.
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