Validity of an anti-Semitic quote attributed to Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[Sergey Romanov]

The essay was the draft I mentioned earlier and obviously doesn't contain anything like the quote, which Duke claims to have heard personally from Solzh, not read anywhere.

[DavidFrankenberg]

http://www.academia.edu/4373597/SOLZHEN ... ate_s_Book
Adeyinka Makinde, SOLZHENITSYN: The Price of Blacklisting a Nobel Laureate’s Book

Another avowed White nationalist who is attempting to make capital out of the absence of Solzhenitsyn’s work is David Duke who has rece
ntly publisheda book entitled The Secret Behind Communism. Duke, who claims to have relied extensively on Solzhenitsyn’s work, has highhopes that his book will serve to be a ‘game changer’ of sorts. His book introduction contains a quote which he attributes to Solzhenitsyn on theoccasion of a meeting he had with the Nobel laureate in 2002.

This statement together with references to Seve Plonker’s article on ‘Stalin’sJews’ set the scene for an elaborate thesis which posits the Soviet regime as effectively being the instrument for Jewry’s vengeance against the Russian and Ukrainian people. Duke argues that the deaths of millions of Orthodox Christians at the hands of a ‘Jewish-led’ government was a crime “unparalleled in history” ; and that the Holodomor, during which anything from 5 to 8 million Ukrainians starvedto death as part of a state-sponsored policy aimed at diminishing Ukrainiannationalist sentiment, was a tragedy which not only rivals that of the laterShoah but in fact surpasses it. His idea therefore is to change the nature of the discourse from what heconsiders to be the defensive posture imposed on others by organised Jewryin regard to the issue of the Holocaust and Jewish accusations of Gentilecomplicity and inaction into one where Jews are accused of perpetrating massgenocide on another people.Duke is also keen exploit the role of Lazar Kaganovich, an ethnic Jew, as thekey overseer of the Ukrainian policy. Kaganovich, who Simon Sebag Montefiore characterised as having been “unmoved” by the tragedy of his devising, is to Duke surpassed in genocidal culpability by Genrikh Yagoda.That Yagoda, a man who cultivated a distinct moustache identical to that of Adolf Hitler’s, is not known to the wider public as a mass murderer is as telling to Duke as is the lack of public consciousness about the Holodomor.
But the references to Solzhenitsyn’s work by those who fall out of the spectrum of contemporary historical orthodoxies by reason of their race-based political and social standpoints should not be taken as evidence of aneffort by the Nobel laureate which is sullied by naked anti-Semitism.
Solzhenitsyn’s views are more nuanced and his book had motives clearly divergent from those intended by those advocating the White nationalistcause. As he explained to Der Spiegel
, “
My book was directed to empathisewith the thoughts, feelings and the psychology of the Jews
–
their spiritual
content.”

Soljenitsin could have told these words to Duke. It took place in 2002.
At first sight, Soljenitsin didnt say "jews" but "leading bolsheviks" which makes his quote not antisemitic at all but rather fully antibolshevik. But of course for someone who has read his book 200 years together it is obvious that by telling "leading bolsheviks" Soljenitsin was thinking about "the jews" like Uritski, Kaganovitch, Trotski and so many others...

[Sergey Romanov]

Therefore the quote is fake.

[DavidFrankenberg]

It is an hearsay. Hard to say if Duke is a liar or not. I wd give him the benefit of the doubt.
The quote ressembles a lot to what Soljenitsin was writing in his 200 years together. There is no scandal about it.

Makinde is fooling himself a bit by writing that :

Solzhenitsyn’s views are more nuanced and his book had motives clearly divergent from those intended by those advocating the White nationalistcause. As he explained to Der Spiegel
, “
My book was directed to empathisewith the thoughts, feelings and the psychology of the Jews
–

Soljenitsin was more malignant, more twisted, more delicate than Duke. One was Nobel Prize, the other not. But they are equal in anticommunism and antisemitism. The form is a bit different, but the substance is the same.

[David Thompson]

Let's keep the discussion on topic -- whether the quote attributed to Solzhenitsyn is valid. Our readers, who can peruse Solzhenitsyn's writings for themselves, can make up their own minds about his philosophic principles.

Here is what Duke says about how he got the quote, from The Secret of Communism, p. 11:

Introduction

"You must understand. The leading Bolsheviks who took over Russia were not Russians. They hated Russians. They hated Christians. Driven by ethnic hatred they tortured and slaughtered millions of Russians without a shred of human remorse.

The October Revolution was not what you call in America the 'Russian Revolution.'

It was an invasion and conquest over the Russian people.

More of my countrymen suffered horrific crimes at their bloodstained hands than any people or nation ever suffered in the entirety of human history.

It cannot be overstated. Bolshevism committed the greatest human slaughter of all time.

The fact that most of the world is ignorant and uncaring about this enormous crime is proof that the global media is in the hands of the perpetrators."[1]

-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

These were startling words, spoken to me by the famous Russian writer and philosopher Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn when I had the privilege of meeting him in Moscow in 2002.

His words made me fully realize the fact that most of the people of the world know little about the tribalist entity which created and drove the Communist juggernaut that took over Russia. They also know frightfully little about the greatest slaughters in history, the genocide of tens of
millions of people that was spawned by deep ethnic hatred.
__________
[1] Duke, Dr. D. "A Life-Changing Conversation in Moscow" Duke Report 2002

[Sergey Romanov]

It is an hearsay. Hard to say if Duke is a liar or not. I wd give him the benefit of the doubt.
The quote ressembles a lot to what Soljenitsin was writing in his 200 years together. There is no scandal about it.

That you would give Duke the benefit of doubt is telling, but the reasons for why the quote has to be dismissed as fake have been extensively discussed above. I haven't seen you address them.

[DavidFrankenberg]

Thanks for the quote David Thompson.

The quote is the first words of his book.

We can read Duke's book there https://archive.org/stream/TheSecretBeh ... m_djvu.txt

It is said that he is a "Former member of the House of Representatives in Louisiana, Dr. David Duke,
is unique. He earned a PhD in history and is a world famous political figure.".


Soljenitsin is not here anymore to dismiss or confirm what Duke is saying. So, everybody has to make up his mind.

[Sailor Haumea]

Thanks for the quote David Thompson.

The quote is the first words of his book.

We can read Duke's book there https://archive.org/stream/TheSecretBeh ... m_djvu.txt

It is said that he is a "Former member of the House of Representatives in Louisiana, Dr. David Duke,
is unique. He earned a PhD in history and is a world famous political figure.".


Soljenitsin is not here anymore to dismiss or confirm what Duke is saying. So, everybody has to make up his mind.

Duke's PhD comes from a diploma mill. It's not a legitimate degree.

[DavidFrankenberg]

The guy does not really look like a trustworthy person :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke

In 2002, Duke pled guilty to felony fraud. Specifically, he defrauded his political supporters by pretending to be in dire financial straits, and asking them for money to help him pay for basic necessities. At the time, Duke was financially secure, and he used his supporters' money for recreational gambling.[4] He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, where he was imprisoned in Big Spring, Texas.

[Sergey Romanov]

David Duke is not trustworthy? What will be revealed next? Ku Klux Klan is not a charity?
*snicker*

[snpol]

In anti-Semitic circles, I freely see the following quote circulated, and it's claimed that Alexander Solzhenitsyn said it:

You must understand, the leading Bolsheviks who took over Russia were not Russians. They hated Russians. They hated Christians. Driven by ethnic hatred they tortured and slaughtered millions of Russians without a shred of human remorse. It cannot be overstated. Bolshevism committed the greatest human slaughter of all time. The fact that most of the world is ignorant and uncaring about this enormous crime is proof that the global media is in the hands of the perpetrators.

I have read that the only evidence of him ever saying this comes from "Dr." (lol) David Duke. Can anyone confirm or deny the authenticity of this quote? Holocaust deniers frequently use it as evidence that "da jooish Bolsheviks perpetrated the Holodomor!" It would be useful to know whether or not Solzhenitsyn actually said this.

Maybe mr.Solzhenitsyn didn't sound exactly this phrase but what had he written in this context? Let's read his (in)famous book "200 years together"
http://book-online.com.ua/read.php?book=4638&page=14
p.13-14
The source is in Russian. I propose my translation. Mr.Solzhenitsyn wrote

However, the Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies looks different, being formed in the first hours of the [February 1917] revolution. This Executive Committee is a rigid shadow government that has deprived the liberal Provisional Government of all real power

I agree with this statement. The real power (especially in the armed forces) was concentrated in the Executive Committee.

...many members of the Executive Committee were hiding under pseudonyms and for two months were hiding themselves from publicity: they ruled Russia - no one knows who. Then it turned out that there were a dozen soldiers in the EC, quite ostentatious and silly, held aloof. Of the three dozen remaining, really operating, - more than half were Jewish socialists. There were also Russians, Caucasians, Latvians, and Poles - Russians are less than a quarter.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Guys,

We are talking about the same David Duke who is a Ku Klux Klan leader?

2002 - Date of David Duke's claimed interview with Solzhenitsyn

2008 - Death of Solzhenitsyn

2013 - Date Duke's "The Secret Behind Communism" was published containing the claimed words.

Unless Duke has the interview on tape, the above timeline makes it conveniently unverifiable.

Sid.

[South]

Good morning all,

David Duke a "world famous political figure" ?!

I'm writing from an area where he does have a small following - and a large anti-Duke bloc.

He's known as a fringe radical, at best.

He is a Holocaust denier.

He got into public financial disputes with Klan organizations !

Duke had said he worked in Laos and participated in air drops. Eastern Virginia had some participants involved in Laos and other places. Duke was challenged on his experience record.


~ Bob
eastern Virginia, USA

[Sergey Romanov]

In anti-Semitic circles, I freely see the following quote circulated, and it's claimed that Alexander Solzhenitsyn said it:

You must understand, the leading Bolsheviks who took over Russia were not Russians. They hated Russians. They hated Christians. Driven by ethnic hatred they tortured and slaughtered millions of Russians without a shred of human remorse. It cannot be overstated. Bolshevism committed the greatest human slaughter of all time. The fact that most of the world is ignorant and uncaring about this enormous crime is proof that the global media is in the hands of the perpetrators.

I have read that the only evidence of him ever saying this comes from "Dr." (lol) David Duke. Can anyone confirm or deny the authenticity of this quote? Holocaust deniers frequently use it as evidence that "da jooish Bolsheviks perpetrated the Holodomor!" It would be useful to know whether or not Solzhenitsyn actually said this.

Maybe mr.Solzhenitsyn didn't sound exactly this phrase but what had he written in this context? Let's read his (in)famous book "200 years together"
http://book-online.com.ua/read.php?book=4638&page=14
p.13-14
The source is in Russian. I propose my translation. Mr.Solzhenitsyn wrote

However, the Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies looks different, being formed in the first hours of the [February 1917] revolution. This Executive Committee is a rigid shadow government that has deprived the liberal Provisional Government of all real power

I agree with this statement. The real power (especially in the armed forces) was concentrated in the Executive Committee.

...many members of the Executive Committee were hiding under pseudonyms and for two months were hiding themselves from publicity: they ruled Russia - no one knows who. Then it turned out that there were a dozen soldiers in the EC, quite ostentatious and silly, held aloof. Of the three dozen remaining, really operating, - more than half were Jewish socialists. There were also Russians, Caucasians, Latvians, and Poles - Russians are less than a quarter.

You've confused two revolutions: the February and the October one. What Solzh wrote about the former has no bearing upon the latter.

[Sergey Romanov]

Hi Guys,

We are talking about the same David Duke who is a Ku Klux Klan leader?

2002 - Date of David Duke's claimed interview with Solzhenitsyn

2008 - Death of Solzhenitsyn

2013 - Date Duke's "The Secret Behind Communism" was published containing the claimed words.

Unless Duke has the interview on tape, the above timeline makes it conveniently unverifiable.

Sid.

Duke is a notorious liar, of course. To wit: http://holocaustcontroversies.blogspot. ... ke-on.html

The quote is quite obviously a fake - not only it contradicts what Solzh wrote in his book, he never used the unhinged style ascribed to him by Duke.