Who was the most right-wing man in history?

PAUL JOHNSON
SATURDAY, 25TH FEBRUARY 2006

The recent death of Michael Wharton, a ed !2, rai"e" the intere"tin #$e"tion% &ho &a" the 'o"t ri ht(&in )er"on &ho e*er li*ed+ Man, tho$ ht he &a"- . a' not "$re he did hi'"elf- The la"t ti'e . "a& hi', &hen he &a" alread, *er, old, . a"/ed hi' ho& he "a& hi'"elf and he re)lied, 0Mo*in to the ri ht-1 He "aid thi" a" if re rettin a life of o2"tinate radicali"', tho$ 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$lt to et to the ri ht of hi' 3. tried4 in an, i""$e on the )olitical a enda- 5n other 'atter" he re"e'2led 6il2ert 7infold 3or hi" creator, E*el,n Wa$ h4 and 0a2horred --- e*er,thin that had ha))ened in hi" lifeti'e1-

Wharton1" o&n hero &a" 8olonel 8harle" de 9aet Waldo Si2thor)e 3:;<=>:<554, M7 for 'an, ,ear" for 9incoln, a 2oro$ h re)re"ented )re*io$"l, 2, hi" elder 2rother, father, reat($ncle, reat( reat($ncle, and after hi" death 2, hi" elde"t "onHe "er*ed in the 7enin"$lar &ar, in the ?th Dra oon 6$ard", and inherited 8an&ic/ Hall and the fa'il, e"tate in 9incoln"hire@ 2, hi" &ife, Maria, heire"" of 7on"on2, Tottenha', he ac#$ired another e"tate in .reland- The DAB "a,", 0He 2elon ed to the $ltra(Tor, and $ltra()rote"tant )art,, and &a" the e'2odi'ent of old(fa"hioned )reB$dice-1 He &a" one of the diehard ro$) of 5= Torie" &ho cen"$red free trade in :<52- Hi" one )arlia'entar, "$cce"" &a" to et the )ro)o"ed rant to 7rince Al2ert red$ced 2, half on the ro$nd" that he )ro'oted 0forei n infl$ence1, and he o))o"ed the 6reat EChi2ition for the "a'e rea"on"- 5ther&i"e he "o$nd" )rett, ta'e, tho$ h one &o$ld li/e to /no& &hat &a" 'eant 2, the "tate'ent, 0Hi" a))earance &a" eCtraordinar, and hi" dre"" attracted attention-1

T&entieth(cent$r, e#$i*alent" of Si2thor)e are increa"in l, rare- An $nder rad$ate friend of 'ine &ho 'ade li"t" of the' $"ed to a&ard the )riDe to Sir Waldron S'ither", an eccentric traditionali"t &ho "at for "eat" in Eent fro' :!2? to hi" death
1

in :!5?- Hi" )lace &a" ta/en 2, 8a)tain Waterho$"e M7, &ho for "o'e ,ear" led a ca*e of diehard" called 0the S$eD 6ro$)1- B$t . heard it "aid that Waterho$"e, tho$ h 0")lendid1 on the Middle Ea"t, &a" 0$nrelia2le1 on "o'e i""$e", 2ein 0not "o$nd1 on ani'al ri ht"- F$lian A'er,, indeed, told 'e he &a" 0&ell to the ri ht1 of the ca)tain- B$t then he hi'"elf &a" 0$n"o$nd1 on ca)ital )$ni"h'ent, "ince hi" 2rother Fohn had 2een "hot in the To&er in :!?5- Fe& )eo)le ha*e e*er 2een 0"o$nd1 acro"" the &hole ")ectr$'- E*en the D$/e of 8a'2rid e &a" not, 2, hi" o&n ad'i""ion, a la"t(ditcher- A" he )$t it, 0The, "a, . a' a ain"t refor'- . a' not a ain"t refor'- There i" a ti'e for e*er,thin - And the ti'e for refor' i" &hen it can no lon er 2e re"i"ted-1 Ra'rod("trai ht and $nflinchin l, re i'ental, did he not har2o$r a co",, "enti'ental "trea/+ He &a" once heard to o2"er*e, 0fi"t" on hi" /nee"1, that 0fa'il, )ra,er" are a da'ned fine in"tit$tion, 2, 6odG1

There i" al&a," a &ea/ ")ot in e*er, reactionar,- 8-S- 9e&i" told 'e, &hen a'2lin thro$ h Addi"on1" Wal/ at Ma dalen, that Fo"e)h de Mai"tre &a" the ideal ri ht(&in er- He tho$ ht the 'o"t i')ortant official in the "tate &a" le 2o$rrea$, the eCec$tioner, $lti'ate $arantor of order- There &ere three di*ine la&" of "ociet,% 'onarch, i" a nece""it,@ the 'onarch '$"t 2e a2"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&dHe coined the aCio', 0E*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""% 0A tr$e reactionar, ha" no "en"e of h$'o$r- Yo$ '$"t 2e a2le to )ro)o"e the i')o""i2le &ith a "trai ht face-1 Michael Wharton, of co$r"e, &o$ld not ha*e a reed &ith that- He too/ the 8he"tertonian line that all tr$th &a" encoded in a Bo/e, a *ie& "hared 2, Ronald Rea an, the 'o"t "$cce""f$l ri ht(&in er of 'odern ti'e", &ho co''$nicated entirel, thro$ h one( liner" and had o*er 5,000 of the', 2, heart, for e*er, concei*a2le occa"ion-

Mo"t hi"torical ri ht(&in fi $re", on clo"e eCa'ination, )ro*e incon"i"tent- 8harle" H, the la"t Bo$r2on, in*ited Iictor H$ o to hi" coronation, the 2lood, foolFerdinand of Aa)le", "$))o"edl, the to$ch"tone of reactionar, )$rit, in the

8on re"" of Iienna era, had hi'"elf "c$l)ted 2, 8ano*a, on a colo""al "cale, dre""ed a" a &o'an% Miner*a the 6odde"" of Wi"do'- Yo$ 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 a ain, Ferdinand I.. of S)ain ne*er had a 2od, $ard and e"ca)ed a""a""ination- He can1t ha*e 2een that reactionar,-

5ne of the reat error" of )olitical taCono', i" to cla""if, Hitler a" ri ht(&in - He, and "till 'ore hi" clo"e"t collea $e, 6oe22el", &ere "ociali"t", and the fact the, &ere nationali"t" fir"t did not orient the' 'ore to the ri ht- There are "iC indi")en"a2le hall'ar/" of a con"er*ati*e- Fir"t, fir' 2elief in one, 2eneficent and o'ni)otent 6od- Second, a2"ol$te 'oralit, a" the 2a"i" of )$2lic la&- Third, "trict li'it" on the "iDe of the "tate- Fo$rth, re")ect for a '$lti)licit, of traditional )o&er centre"- Fifth, re"traint and "elf(re"traint in all thin "- SiCth, "earch for the ri ht 2alance 2et&een the indi*id$al and the traditional $nit" of "ociet,- Hitler 2ro/e all the"e r$le"% he &a" an athei"tic )a an, a 'oral relati*i"t, a totalitarian, an $ltra( centrali"t, an $ninhi2ited eChi2itioni"t and a collecti*i"t- .n 'an, &a," Stalin &a" to the ri ht 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" 2rin " 'e to another )$DDle of ideolo ical cla""ification- The )hra"e i" often $"ed 2, tho$ htle"" )eo)le, TI inter*ie&er", ta2loid col$'ni"t", etc- 0He i" e*en to the ri ht of 6en hi" Ehan-1 The i')lication i" that 6en hi" Ehan i" on the eCtre'e ri ht of the )olitical ")ectr$'- What i" the ori in of thi" 2elief+ And &hen did the )hra"e co'e into $"e+ . 2elie*e it i" hardl, 'ore than half a cent$r, old- Hitler, a ain, i" to 2la'e- He i" "een, fal"el,, a" the e)ito'e of 0the Ri ht1- 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, )illa e and the de"tr$ction of citie" &a" 6en hi" Ehan- He &a" not, ho&e*er, "een a" a )olitical fi $re of either left or ri ht J B$"t a" a "a*a e 2ar2arian- Hitler, ho&e*er, &a" lin/ed &ith hi' a" a 'a"" /iller, and therefore 6en hi" too/ on Hitler1" )olitical colo$ration- .n

fact, Stalin /illed 'ore )eo)le than Hitler, and Mao t&ice a" 'an, a ain, ;0 'illion at the late"t co$nt- So lo icall,, 6en hi" "ho$ld ha*e ta/en on thi" )olitical colo$ration, and the )hra"e "ho$ld r$n, 0He1" e*en to the left of 6en hi" Ehan-1

. ha*e 2een doin "o'e &or/ on 6en hi" recentl,, to "ee if he i" a "$ita2le "$2Bect for a 2io ra)hical e""a, in ', neCt 2oo/, Mon"ter"- 5n a )er"onal le*el he i" 2adl, doc$'ented, and no intere"tin )er"on e'er e"- He did t&o $n$"$al thin "% he codified tri2al c$"to'" in a &ritten ","te' of la&, and he de*i"ed a fa"t and efficient 'e""en er "er*ice- Both are 3a" a r$le4 de"ira2le thin " 2$t not )artic$larl, con"er*ati*e, let alone $ltra(ri ht(&in - Ho&e*er, 6en hi" &a" )hilo)ro eniti*e to )erha)" a $ni#$e de ree- .n 200= a DAA "$r*e, "$ e"ted that :6 'illion 'en can )ro2(a2l, clai' de"cent fro' 6en hi" Ehan- That i" a re'ar/a2le fact, if tr$e- B$t &hat doe" it )ro*e a2o$t the Ehan1" )olitical affiliation"+ The S)ectator, 22 5ld K$een Street, 9ondon, SW:H !H7- All Article" and 8ontent 8o),ri ht L200; 2, The S)ectator 3:<2<4 9td- All Ri ht" Re"er*ed http://www.spectator.co.uk/print/the-magazine/columnists/14940/who-was-the-mostrightwing-man-in-history.thtml