Do ideologues understand irony? I doubt it. Not the verbal kind at least. When the words you use express the opposite of the literal meaning. People of conviction don’t mince their words. That’s why you should mistrust ideologues. People who don’t question themselves are blinkered and dangerous.

When Austria became part of the Third Reich in 1938 Sigmund Freud knew it was time to leave Vienna. Himmler was minded not to let him go to America but President Roosevelt arranged for him to get the necessary visa. When the Gestapo delivered it they asked him to sign a document to confirm he had been well treated. Freud did sign but added a sentence – “I can heartily recommend the Gestapo to anyone”. This was taken at face value. I like to imagine the Gestapo officers smugly leaving with the apparently glowing recommendation.

German scientists during WW2 were among the best in the world. They  designed the first jet fighter planes, the first guided missiles and came close to producing the first atomic bomb. But they never developed an irony detector.