Nick Cohen quoting from Hook’s memoir, “out of Step.” Will see if I can get a pdf copy of Henry Pachter’s article on Brecht from Telos.
“…The American socialist Sidney Hook put the case for indifference best after Brecht came to dinner in Manhattan in the mid-Thirties. Stalin was forcing thousands of Soviet communists to confess to fantastic crimes, and Hook asked Brecht what he thought of the show trials. 'It was at this point that he said in words I have never forgotten, "As for them, the more innocent they are, the more they deserve to be shot." I was so taken aback that I thought I had misheard him. '"What are you saying?" I asked. 'He calmly repeated, "The more innocent they are, the more they deserve to be shot." 'I was stunned by his words. "Why? Why?" I exclaimed. All he did was smile at me in a nervous sort of way. I got up, went into the next room, and fetched his hat and coat. When I returned, he was still sitting in his chair, holding a drink in his hand. When he saw me with his hat and coat, he looked surprised. He put his glass down, rose, and with a sickly smile took his hat and coat and left. Neither of us said a word. I never saw him again.'…” https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/may/18/politicaltheatre.theatre -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#41001): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/41001 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/118178757/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
