Revolutionary Apocalypse: Ideological Roots of Terrorism

316 Pages·2003·1.74 MB·English

by  Luciano Pellicani

Revolutionary
Apocalypse:
IDEOLOGICAL ROOTS
OF TERRORISM
Luciano Pellicani
PRAEGER
Revolutionary Apocalypse

Revolutionary
Apocalypse
I R T
DEOLOGICAL OOTS OF ERRORISM
Luciano Pellicani
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Pellicani,Luciano,1939–
Revolutionaryapocalypse:ideologicalrootsofterrorism/LucianoPellicani.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
ISBN0–275–98145–2(alk.paper)
1.Revolutions. 2.Terrorism. 3.Revolutionaries. I.Title.
HM876.P445 2003
303.6(cid:1)4—dc21 2003045761
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright(cid:2)2003byETAS,R.C.S.LibriS.p.A.,Milan,Italy
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:2003045761
ISBN:0–275–98145–2
Firstpublishedin2003
PraegerPublishers,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.praeger.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational
InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ThehumanspiritcompletelylostitssenseofbalancewiththeFrench
Revolutionandthesimultaneouscollapseofreligiousandcivillaws.
Ithadnothingtoholdonto,nolimits.Inthisperiodtherecameinto
beingrevolutionariesofanewspecies,neverseenbefore.Theydrove
theirdaringtoutmostfolly,didnothesitatebeforeanythingnew,
sufferednoscruples,showednohesitationbeforeanydesign.Nor
shoulditbethoughtthatthesenewbeingswerethecreationofone
ephemeralsummer,destinedtodisappearimmediately.They
generatedaspeciesthatperpetuateditselfandspreadinallcivilised
regionsoftheworld.Wherever,theyretainedthesameexpression,
thesamepassions,thesamenature.Wefindthatspeciesintheworks
whenweareborn:itisstillbeforeoureyes.
Tocqueville
Socialismconcernsnotonlytheworkingclassissueortheissueof
theso-calledfourthstatebut,aboveall,thatofatheism,namelythe
problemofhowtorealisecontemporaryatheism,theproblemofthe
TowerofBabel,thatisbuiltwithoutGod,nottoreachfromearthto
heavenbuttolowerheaventoearth.
Dostoevsky

Contents
Preface ix
Introduction xi
Chapter1 IntellectualsasaClass 1
Chapter2 TheApocalypseFanatics 11
Chapter3 TheJacobinExperiment 29
Chapter4 God’sOrphansandtheEarth’sDamned 59
Chapter5 WaitingtheReign 77
Chapter6 TheJesuitsofRevolution 99
Chapter7 TheIntelligentsiaandtheRevolution 115
Chapter8 TheRevolutionaryGnosis 149
Chapter9 UtopiainPower 171
Chapter10 TheProletarianChurch 195
Chapter11 BuildingtheNewWorld 221
Chapter12 TheCulturalWarbetweenWestandEast 241
Chapter13 TheAnnihilatorsoftheWorld 261
AConclusion? 285
Index 289

Preface
Thisbookisconcernedwithtragiceventsthatweredominatedbyoneofthe
mostextraordinaryanthropological“types”thathaseverexistedinthehistory
of humanity: the professional revolutionary, generated by theculturalcatas-
trophe provoked by the uncontrollable advance of modernity. The profes-
sional revolutionary is an individual who embraces revolution as a Beruf, an
individualwhocravestheabsolute.Hisdisenchantmentwiththeworldmakes
of him “an orphan of God,” dominated by a nostalgia for the totally other.
Incapable of accepting reality, he aspires to builda completelynewworldin
thelightofasoteriologicaldoctrine—dialecticalgnosis—thatheproclaimsto
bethe“solvedenigmaofHistory.”Atlasteverythingwillcomplywithdesire,
and God’s scepter will be in the hands of humanity. The professional revo-
lutionary’sgoalisthecreationofanevangelicalcommunity,basedonequality
and planetary brotherhood. To do this, he is prepared to wage a war of de-
struction against those who have surrendered to mammon and allowed the
domination of the law of universal trade that all-profanes and all-degrades.
Hence,thedestructivecallingofgnosticrevolution:notasinglestoneofthe
corruptandcorruptingworldshallremainstanding;hence,also,theinevitable
destructiveandself-destroyingoutcomeoftherevolutionaryprojecttopurify
theexistingthroughapolicyofmassterrorandannihilation.