NOVEMBER,1946 herereviewing):"Shecanjudgepoliticalerrorandchicanery forwhattheyareandquitewithoutsentimentalizingoverthe inescapablefactthatpoliticsdoescompromisethepurityofthe moralintention;sheunderstandspoliticstobeafieldoffreedominwhich,asinallhumanexperience,cordialandcorro- sivearefoundtogether,andhermoralvisionistheclearerin consequence." Thisleftmealmostbreathless."Ofcpursehewasrightin discardingaldespair,"Isaidtomyself,"ifheknewsuchwon- derfulthings,butthenwhywasn'themoregenerouswith me?Whynotconsolemewiththegoodnewsinsteadofsneer- ingatmydespair?BecauseIwasnotatfault, IREALLYdid notknow,andIamsurethatneitherdothepeoplewhoare inpoliticsknowit,notoneofthem." Andnow,Mr.Trilling,mayIaddressyoupersonaly:You can'tjusttellus"enpassant"thatyouknowofsuchafield offreedomwhereamixtureofcordialandcorosiveissofreely distributedfortheasking,andnottelluswhereitisandhow wecanallgettheresothatourmoralvisionstoo,ifnotour lot,maybecome"theclearerinconsequence." OnereasonwhyIamstillhesitanttocalmyselfachild isthatIwasanadultonce,justlikeyourselfandperhapseven more,becauseIrealywasontheroadthatleadstotheport- folio;stillveryfarfromit,thatistrue,butwhenandhow Iwouldhavefinalygotentherewasaquestionpertaining onlytomyskilsasaprostitute.And,justlikeyou,Ilaughed atthosewhoopenedtheirbrighteyesonaworldtheynever madeandneverweremadeby,andifyoudon'tbelieveit I canproveittoyou.(ShadowofMussolini!Whocouldever havetoldmethatmyfascistcertificateswouldagainprove usefulsomeday?)But,asIwassaying,Icanproveittoyou becauseIwasonceinchargeof"CulturalRelations" i.e.,(fascistpropaganda)inthiscountry.Andhowdid Ijustifyit tomyself?Exactlyasyousuggest:telingmyselfandothersthatpoliticsisafieldoffreedomandwhen youhavesaidthat,byGod,thereislittleelseyoumayadd: youarefreetoimagineyourselffree,youarefreetoinvent goodmotivesforyourbosses,youarefreetobelievethatyou may"borefromwithin"whilefeedingfromwithout;youare freetoliveintheTrojanHorsewhichisthebiggestpolitical 347 apartmenthouseinhistory;youarenothingbutfree,andsois yourresponsibility.Andtothosewhoaskedsimple,fundamentalquestions,Isaid:"Nothingismoretiresomethanthe brightchildisheyeswithwhichcertainpeoplelookatpolitics asthecoruption,throughorganization,ofmorality."Inother words,Iwasusingtheargumentsofthe"idealist"Benedetto CrocewhotaughtthattheSpiritisFreedom,thatpoliticshas nothingtodowithEthicsbecausetheStatesmanisabovethat; hemustbeatrueMachiavellianandnotbotherwithpetty problemsofrightandwrongwhicharegoodenoughforthe strictlyprivateindividual,etc.AndwhenI leftthefascist governmentitwasnotbecauseIrealizedallofasuddenthat IwasassociatedwithBigBadMen,butonlywithsmal,hap- pilyirresponsiblechildren.Fromthereofcoursethenexterror, atypicallyfascisterror,wastobelievethatallhonestyand maturityweretobefoundonthedemocraticsideofthefence, andIworkedforthreeyearsorsowiththeoficialEnemiesof FascisminWashington,D.C.AndIsoonrealizedthatthe greatdiferencebetweenWashingtonandRomeconsistedin this:thatinWashingtontheyspokeenglish,andinRome italian.Fortheonlythingsthoseofficialsrealydreadedwere: criticismandmaturityofmind.Theybelievedthemselvesmaturebecausetheyhadstoppedaskingthemselvesthequestions achildwouldask.Inthatsilencetheyeithersleptorreadthe papersorwrotememos,andbelievedthat,thusfiled,that silencewouldprovidetheanswer:alltheanswers.WhenIsaw thisI leftthemtooanddecidedthatfromthatdayonIwould speakorwriteonlyfromthelevelofmyown,personal,inalienableperplexityandignorance,andmyconclusionis: If thosewhoarenowleadingtheworldhappilytoitsruinand towhomyou,Mr.Trilling,wouldspeakofcordialsandcor- rosivesandof fields offreedomandmaturityofmind,ifthose peoplearetheadults,Iwouldbelessashamedtobeseenina babycariageonFifthAvenue,suckingmylefttoe,thanin anoficialcaroftheUnitedNations,caryingwithmeoneof thoseportfoliosyoumaylearntocovetthroughmywritings, butwouldbecondemnedtokeepthroughyours,andrealy, Mr.Trilling,letmetellyouasonewhoknows:Iamquite surethatyoucouldneverdoit. MaidenFlight mrrIFIE Mohammedansdon'tdrink,"saidMrs. Cox,the I productionmanager's wife,whobelonged tothe Bookof theMonthClub."It'stheirreligion. I rememberin a book,it's because. . ." "Yes,but itdoesn'tseemrightona solemnoccasionlike this,"saidMrs.Brindle,wifeofthepresidentoftheAtomic CorporationofAmerica,gripping herhighbalglass."It'slike theJews,alwaysbreakingthings upbecausetheywon'teat bacon.Itimpedesprogress." Everyoneelseinthecomfortablyappointedcabinwas clutchingahighbalglass.Mr.Brindle,graying,wel-groomed andthoughtful,wasstanding withtheFrenchphoneinone hand,butintheotherhewasfaithfulyclutchinghisglass. Mr.Coxdecidedtotryoutthemen'sroomandtookhisglass withhim.LordCrownbotomtheBritishambassadordidnot clutchhisglassliketheAmericans,breedingwilltell,buthe didholditatleast,andoccasionalyevenbroughtit tohis BibliotecaGinoBianco NICCOLOTUCCI lips.Mrs.Brindlewasflatered."Isay,"hislordshipwasheard tomurmurtoLadyCrownbottom,"whatdoyousuppose theyputinthesethings?"Theambassadorwascursedwitha verycarryingmurmur."Nothingbutthebest,mydear," LadyCrownbotomrepliedtactfuly. Mr.andMrs.JoeKorchak,representinglabor,werenot onlyclutchingtheirglasses,theywereenthusiasticalydrink- ing."Ionlyhopethebabywillbeallright,"saidRubyKorchak."Anyway,"Joereplied,"it'sbetterthanthatrot-gut intheAtomicCityTavern.IguessI'llhaveasnooze."There wasahighballrestbesideeachchair,hesetdownhisglass butcontinuedtoclutchitashepreparedtodoze.Rubyhoped hewouldn'tsnore.Shelookedtimidlyaround,embarrassed tobeamongallthesebigwigs."Butitwasrealniceofthem totakeusalong,"shesaidtohersleepinghusband.Mrs.Cox viewedthembenevolently."Justbigchildren." Mrs.BrindleleanedovertowardLordCrownbotomand
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTExMDY2NQ==