Often mistakenly attributed to Lenin, Stalin or Marx, the term was first used by US newspapers in 1948 and has little documented usage within the Soviet Union, meaning a third party who spreads propaganda or disinformation, usually unintentionally or without fully understanding the cause they're proselytizing for. Originally used during the cold war to refer to Western communist sympathisers, or those susceptible to communist propaganda, the term could be used today to refer to those spreading anti-vaccine misinformation echoed or amplified by Russian intelligence, or ,or Trump supporters acting on foreign-spread conspiracy theories about pizzas and child molesters. In any case, the person spreading the disinformation uses someone susceptable to the disinformation in order to spread it further
This useful idiot read online that Hilary Clinton is selling kids through this pizza place and now he's going down there to shoot it up.
by Dr MDrr February 22, 2021
In political jargon, a useful idiot is a term currently used to reference a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause—particularly a bad cause originating from a devious, ruthless source—without fully comprehending the cause's goals, and who is cynically being used by the cause's leaders. The term was used during the Cold War to describe non-communists regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and manipulation. Conversely, it was then, and is used now to describe someone unwittingly doing the bidding of the CIA or US government.
False Attribution to Lenin:
The phrase useful idiot has often been attributed to Vladimir Lenin, but he is not documented as ever having used the phrase. In a 1987 article for The New York Times, American journalist William Safire investigated the origin of the term, commenting that a senior reference librarian at the Library of Congress had been unable to find the phrase in Lenin's works and concluding that in the absence of new evidence, the term could not be attributed to Lenin. Similarly, the Oxford English Dictionary in defining useful idiot says: "The phrase does not seem to reflect any expression used within the Soviet Union".
False Attribution to Lenin:
The phrase useful idiot has often been attributed to Vladimir Lenin, but he is not documented as ever having used the phrase. In a 1987 article for The New York Times, American journalist William Safire investigated the origin of the term, commenting that a senior reference librarian at the Library of Congress had been unable to find the phrase in Lenin's works and concluding that in the absence of new evidence, the term could not be attributed to Lenin. Similarly, the Oxford English Dictionary in defining useful idiot says: "The phrase does not seem to reflect any expression used within the Soviet Union".
"Leftists" who do not believe in international solidarity, or promote elitism, are useful idiots for the CIA.
That guy is either a useful idiot or a spook, because he is sowing dissension in our ranks.
That guy is either a useful idiot or a spook, because he is sowing dissension in our ranks.
by Odz March 03, 2023
Just get used to it.
by gettingusedto June 09, 2021
by WasTotallyBornOnApril8 December 02, 2020
by Factsislandboy September 19, 2022
by Sniipett November 15, 2021
by Hehwhaha April 21, 2016