A transcript of part of an interview with former Synanon resident Larry Kronish
David: Was Synanon a cult?
Larry: It is all true you cannot cut it up in pieces and say is this true Is that true. It’s all true, none of it is true. The truth is complicated.
Was Churchill a magnificent hero who saved London, who saved England in WW2?
Yeah.
Was he an unreconstructed, imperial colonial racist who had the worst possible views on, not just people of color, but people who were not aristocrats?
Yes!
They are both true. Did Synanon save my life? Yes
Was it a wonderful place to be?
Yes, it saved my life and I do not regret being there.
Did Synanon betray me an wound me? Yes, it is all true.
Was it one thing at one time and one thing at another time?
Yeah
That’s what makes it so fucking difficult. You can’t simply say “There is this and there is this and there is this.”
Did Synanon do good?
YES! It did a Shitload of good. Did it save people’s lives?
Fuck man do have any idea how many people’s lives it saved?!
Fuck man do have any idea how many people’s lives it saved?!
LARRY KRONISH
All these movements that have grown out of Synanon that are still saving people’s lives including some of the people who came here like Rod or Bruce or John Stallone?
Man, you know, THANK GOD FOR SYNANON.
Did Synanon do terrible things? Did it hurt people? Did it injure people? Did it perform criminal acts?
YES.
Was Synanon an enlightened community that thank God was on the face of the earth, this marvelous thing happened?
YES
Was Synanon a cult?
YES
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