Without wishing to sound uncharitable, how did he ever become such a Big Deal?
And did he pioneer, or just transmit and popularize, that writing style that emphasizes hysterical invective and scorns nuance and, really, any kind of moderation at all as somehow inherently 'reactionary'?
I remember his bizarre broadside against the manifold evils of politeness, where he excoriated the pernicious practice of not being personally unpleasant to be around. Because giving up your train seat for an old lady or covering your mouth when you cough is apparently some sort of arcane gestural shibboleth only taught in exclusive Swiss finishing schools, and therefore an impediment to The Revolution.