Stringsinger and Good Soldier Schweik, do yourselves a favor and follow the link to the Wikipedia article on "useful idiot" and the history behind the term. Fellow Traveller is a term that has a parallel history, as does "Communist Dupe."

And yes, Frank, I think it's quite certain that Pope Pius XII was a "useful idiot" of Mussolini, and not all the horrible things people have accused him of. Thank you for that.

These were good, intelligent, capable people. No, they weren't idiots. I think, however, that they may have been blinded by their own innocence and idealism. Their failure, perhaps, was to trust too much and to believe too much in their fellow man. They failed to be cynical, and I think we need more of that kind of failure in this world.

-Joe-

Yes, Good Soldier Schweik, you are allowed to disagree with me....and I am allowed to disagree back. Despite your protestations to the contrary, you sound both outraged and indignant, and it's getting in the way of a sensible discussion. Get over it.

And yes, Frank, pointing a finger points three fingers back. I think of myself as the same sort of idealist as Pete Seeger, Ewan MacColl, and Pius XII. You can call me a "useful idiot" at times, and it's a badge I'll wear with pride. Idealism may be unrealistic, but it's a hell of a lot better than the alternative.