8/12/2019 Who Was the Most Right-wing Man in History

1/4

Who was the most right-wing man in history?

PAUL JOHNSON

SATURDAY, 25TH FEBRUARY 2006

The recent death of Michael Wharton, aed !2, rai"e" the intere"tin #$e"tion% &ho

&a" the 'o"t riht(&in )er"on &ho e*er li*ed+ Man tho$ht he &a"- . a' not

"$re he did hi'"elf- The la"t ti'e . "a& hi', &hen he &a" alread *er old, . a"/ed

hi' ho& he "a& hi'"elf and he re)lied, Mo*in to the riht-1 He "aid thi" a" if

rerettin a life of o"tinate radicali"', tho$h a" the honorar editor(in(chief of the

Fe$dal Ti'e" and Reactionar Herald for 'ore than half a cent$r it &a" al&a"

diffic$lt to et to the riht of hi' 3. tried4 in an i""$e on the )olitical aenda- n

other 'atter" he re"e'led ilert 7infold 3or hi" creator, E*eln Wa$h4 and

ahorred --- e*erthin that had ha))ened in hi" lifeti'e1-

Wharton1" o&n hero &a" 8olonel 8harle" de 9aet Waldo Sithor)e 3:;:

8/12/2019 Who Was the Most Right-wing Man in History

2/4

in :!5?- Hi" )lace &a" ta/en 8a)tain Waterho$"e M7, &ho for "o'e ear" led a

ca*e of diehard" called the S$e ro$)1- B$t . heard it "aid that Waterho$"e,

tho$h ")lendid1 on the Middle Ea"t, &a" $nreliale1 on "o'e i""$e", ein not

"o$nd1 on ani'al riht"- $lian A'er, indeed, told 'e he &a" &ell to the riht1 of

the ca)tain- B$t then he hi'"elf &a" $n"o$nd1 on ca)ital )$ni"h'ent, "ince hi"

rother ohn had een "hot in the To&er in :!?5- Fe& )eo)le ha*e e*er een

"o$nd1 acro"" the &hole ")ectr$'- E*en the D$/e of 8a'ride &a" not, hi"

o&n ad'i""ion, a la"t(ditcher- A" he )$t it, The "a . a' aain"t refor'- . a' not

aain"t refor'- There i" a ti'e for e*erthin- And the ti'e for refor' i" &hen it can

no loner e re"i"ted-1 Ra'rod("traiht and $nflinchinl rei'ental, did he not

haro$r a co", "enti'ental "trea/+ He &a" once heard to o"er*e, fi"t" on hi"

/nee"1, that fa'il )raer" are a da'ned fine in"tit$tion, odG1

There i" al&a" a &ea/ ")ot in e*er reactionar- 8-S- 9e&i" told 'e, &hen

a'lin thro$h Addi"on1" Wal/ at Madalen, that o"e)h de Mai"tre &a" the ideal

riht(&iner- He tho$ht the 'o"t i')ortant official in the "tate &a" le o$rrea$, the

eCec$tioner, $lti'ate $arantor of order- There &ere three di*ine la&" of "ociet%

'onarch i" a nece""it@ the 'onarch '$"t e a"ol$te@ hi" d$t i" to $)hold )a)al

"$)re'ac- De Mai"tre i" the onl )olitical )hilo"o)her &ho i" con"i"tentl "hre&d-

He coined the aCio', E*er co$ntr ha" the o*ern'ent it de"er*e"-1 B$t 9e&i"

tho$ht de Mai"tre1" &it &a" hi" &ea/ne""% A tr$e reactionar ha" no "en"e of

h$'o$r- Yo$ '$"t e ale to )ro)o"e the i')o""ile &ith a "traiht face-1 Michael

Wharton, of co$r"e, &o$ld not ha*e areed &ith that- He too/ the 8he"tertonian

line that all tr$th &a" encoded in a o/e, a *ie& "hared Ronald Reaan, the 'o"t"$cce""f$l riht(&iner of 'odern ti'e", &ho co''$nicated entirel thro$h one(

liner" and had o*er 5,000 of the', heart, for e*er concei*ale occa"ion-

Mo"t hi"torical riht(&in fi$re", on clo"e eCa'ination, )ro*e incon"i"tent- 8harle"

, the la"t Bo$ron, in*ited Iictor H$o to hi" coronation, the lood fool-

Ferdinand of a)le", "$))o"edl the to$ch"tone of reactionar )$rit in the

2

8/12/2019 Who Was the Most Right-wing Man in History

3/4

8onre"" of Iienna era, had hi'"elf "c$l)ted 8ano*a, on a colo""al "cale,

dre""ed a" a &o'an% Miner*a the odde"" of Wi"do'- Yo$ can "till "ee thi"

eCtraordinar )iece of &or/ in the 8a)odi'onte M$"e$', tho$h the do t$c/ it

a&a rather- Then aain, Ferdinand I.. of S)ain ne*er had a od$ard and

e"ca)ed a""a""ination- He can1t ha*e een that reactionar-

ne of the reat error" of )olitical taCono' i" to cla""if Hitler a" riht(&in- He,

and "till 'ore hi" clo"e"t collea$e, oeel", &ere "ociali"t", and the fact the

&ere nationali"t" fir"t did not orient the' 'ore to the riht- There are "iC

indi")en"ale hall'ar/" of a con"er*ati*e- Fir"t, fir' elief in one, eneficent and

o'ni)otent od- Second, a"ol$te 'oralit a" the a"i" of )$lic la&- Third, "trictli'it" on the "ie of the "tate- Fo$rth, re")ect for a '$lti)licit of traditional )o&er

centre"- Fifth, re"traint and "elf(re"traint in all thin"- SiCth, "earch for the riht

alance et&een the indi*id$al and the traditional $nit" of "ociet- Hitler ro/e all

the"e r$le"% he &a" an athei"tic )aan, a 'oral relati*i"t, a totalitarian, an $ltra(

centrali"t, an $ninhiited eChiitioni"t and a collecti*i"t- .n 'an &a" Stalin &a" to

the riht of hi'- There i" a "e*enth )oint- A con"er*ati*e i" not afraid of force, or of

$"in it thoro$hl- B$t al&a" a" a la"t re"ort- With Hitler it &a" the fir"t-

Thi" rin" 'e to another )$le of ideoloical cla""ification- The )hra"e i" often

$"ed tho$htle"" )eo)le, TI inter*ie&er", taloid col$'ni"t", etc- He i" e*en to

the riht of enhi" han-1 The i')lication i" that enhi" han i" on the eCtre'e

riht of the )olitical ")ectr$'- What i" the oriin of thi" elief+ And &hen did the

)hra"e co'e into $"e+ . elie*e it i" hardl 'ore than half a cent$r old- Hitler,

aain, i" to la'e- He i" "een, fal"el, a" the e)ito'e of the Riht1- He i" al"o "een,

'ore acc$ratel, a" a 'a"" /iller on an $n)recedented "cale- Before the 20th

cent$r, the cla""ical )er)etrator of terrori"t 'a""acre, )illae and the de"tr$ction

of citie" &a" enhi" han- He &a" not, ho&e*er, "een a" a )olitical fi$re of

either left or riht J $"t a" a "a*ae ararian- Hitler, ho&e*er, &a" lin/ed &ith

hi' a" a 'a"" /iller, and therefore enhi" too/ on Hitler1" )olitical colo$ration- .n

3

8/12/2019 Who Was the Most Right-wing Man in History

4/4

fact, Stalin /illed 'ore )eo)le than Hitler, and Mao t&ice a" 'an aain, ;0 'illion

at the late"t co$nt- So loicall, enhi" "ho$ld ha*e ta/en on thi" )olitical

colo$ration, and the )hra"e "ho$ld r$n, He1" e*en to the left of enhi" han-1

. ha*e een doin "o'e &or/ on enhi" recentl, to "ee if he i" a "$itale "$ect

for a iora)hical e""a in ' neCt oo/, Mon"ter"- n a )er"onal le*el he i" adl

doc$'ented, and no intere"tin )er"on e'ere"- He did t&o $n$"$al thin"% he

codified trial c$"to'" in a &ritten ""te' of la&, and he de*i"ed a fa"t and efficient

'e""ener "er*ice- Both are 3a" a r$le4 de"irale thin" $t not )artic$larl

con"er*ati*e, let alone $ltra(riht(&in- Ho&e*er, enhi" &a" )hilo)roeniti*e to

)erha)" a $ni#$e deree- .n 200= a DA "$r*e "$e"ted that :6 'illion 'en can)ro(al clai' de"cent fro' enhi" han- That i" a re'ar/ale fact, if tr$e- B$t

&hat doe" it )ro*e ao$t the han1" )olitical affiliation"+

The S)ectator, 22 ld K$een Street, 9ondon, SW:H !H7- All Article" and 8ontent

8o)riht L200; The S)ectator 3: