Idonotmeanthisasparadoxical,orevenassymbolical;itissimplytameandtrue。ThemodernEnglishrichknownothingaboutthings,notevenaboutthethingstowhichtheyappeal。Comparedwiththem,thepoorareprettysuretogetsomeenlightenment,eveniftheycannotgetliberty;
theymustatleastbetechnical。Anoldapprenticelearntatrade,evenifhismastercamelikeanyTurkandbangedhimmostseverely。Theoldhousewifeknewwhichsideherbreadwasbuttered,evenifitweresothinastobealmostimperceptible。Theoldsailorknewtheropes;evenifheknewtherope\'send。Consequently,whenanyoftheserevolted,theywereconcernedwiththingstheyknew,pains,practicalimpossibilities,orthepersonalrecord。
ButTheyKnowTheapprenticecried\"Clubs?\"andcrackedhisneighbours\'headswiththeprecisionandfinenessoftouchwhichonlymanualcraftsmanshipcangive。
Thehousewiveswhoflatlyrefusedtocookthehotdinnerknewhowmuchorhowlittle,coldmeattherewasinthehouse。ThesailorwhodefieddisciplinebymutinyingattheNoredidnotdefydisciplineinthesenseoffallingofftheriggingorlettingthewaterintothehold。Similarlythemodernproletariat,howeverlittleitmayknow,knowswhatitistalkingabout。
Butthecuriousthingabouttheeducatedclassisthatexactlywhatitdoesnotknowiswhatitistalkingabout。Imeanthatitisstartlinglyignorantofthosespecialthingswhichitissupposedtoinvokeandkeepinviolate。Thethingsthatworkmeninvokemaybeuglier,moreacrid,moresordid;buttheyknowallaboutthem。Theyknowenougharithmetictoknowthatpriceshaverisen;thekindLevantinegentlemanisalwaystheretomakethemfullyunderstandthemeaningofaninterestsum;andthelandlordwilldefineRentasrigidlyasRicardo。ThedoctorscanalwaystellthemtheLatinforanemptystomach;andwhenthepoormanistreatedforthetimewithsomehumanrespectbytheCoronetitalmostseemsapityheisnotalivetohearhowlegallyhedied。
Againstthisbittershrewdnessandbleakrealisminthesufferingclassesitiscommonlysupposedthatthemoreleisuredclassesstandforcertainlegitimateideaswhichalsohavetheirplaceinlife;suchashistory,reverence,theloveoftheland。Well,itmightbenobadthingtohavesomething,evenifitweresomethingnarrow,thattestifiedtothetruthsofreligionorpatriotism。Butsuchnarrowthingsinthepasthavealwaysatleastknowntheirownhistory;thebigotknewhiscatechism;thepatriotknewhiswayhome。Theastonishingthingaboutthemodernrichistheirrealandsincereignorance——especiallyofthethingstheylike。
No!
Takethemosttopicalcaseyoucanfindinanydrawing-room:Belfast。
Ulsterismostassuredlyamatterofhistory;andthereisasenseinwhichOrangeresistanceisamatterofreligion。ButgoandaskanyofthefivehundredflutteringladiesatagardenpartywhofindCarsonsosplendidandBelfastsothrillingwhatitisallabout,whenitbegan,whereitcamefrom,whatitreallymaintains?WhatwasthehistoryofUlster?WhatisthereligionofBelfast?DoanyofthemknowwhereUlstermenwereinGrattan\'stime;doanyofthemknowwhatwasthe\"Protestantism\"thatcamefromScotlandtothatisle;couldanyofthemtellwhatpartoftheoldCatholicsystemitreallydenied?
ItwasgenerallysomethingthattheflutteringladiesfindintheirownAnglicanchurcheseverySunday。ItwerevaintoaskthemtostatethedoctrinesoftheCalvinistcreed;theycouldnotstatethedoctrinesoftheirowncreed。ItwerevaintotellthemtoreadthehistoryofIreland;theyhaveneverreadthehistoryofEngland。Itwouldmatteraslittlethattheydonotknowthesethings,asthatIdonotknowGerman;
butthenGermanisnottheonlythingIamsupposedtoknow。Historyandritualaretheonlythingsaristocratsaresupposedtoknow;andtheydon\'tknowthem。
SmileandSmileIamnotfedonturtlesoupandTokaybecauseofmyexquisiteintimacywiththestyleandidiomofHeineandRichter。TheEnglishgoverningclassisfedonturtlesoupandTokaytorepresentthepast,ofwhichitisliterallyignorant,asIamofGermanirregularverbs;andtorepresentthereligioustraditionsoftheState,whenitdoesnotknowthreewordsoftheology,asIdonotknowthreewordsofGerman。
Thisisthelastinsultofferedbytheproudtothehumble。Theyrulethembythesmilingterrorofanancientsecret。Theysmileandsmile;
buttheyhaveforgottenthesecret。
THESYMBOLISMOFKRUPP
ThecuriouspositionoftheKruppfirmintheawfulstorydevelopingaroundusisnotquitesufficientlygrasped。Thereisakindofacademicclarityofdefinitionwhichdoesnotseetheproportionsofthingsforwhicheverythingfallswithinadefinition,andnothingeverbreaksbeyondit。Tothistypeofmindwhichisvaluablewhensettoitsspecialandnarrowworkthereisnosuchthingasanexceptionthatprovestherule。
IfIvoteforconfiscatingsomeusurer\'smillionsIamdoing,theysay,preciselywhatIshouldbedoingifItookpenniesoutofablindman\'shat。Theyarebothdenialsoftheprincipleofprivateproperty,andareequallyrightandequallywrong,accordingtoourviewofthatprinciple。
Ishouldfindagreatmanydistinctionstodrawinsuchamatter。First,Ishouldsaythattakingausurer\'smoneybyproperauthorityisnotrobbery,butrecoveryofstolengoods。Second,Ishouldsaythateveniftherewerenosuchthingaspersonalproperty,therewouldstillbesuchathingaspersonaldignity,anddifferentmodesofrobberywoulddiminishitinverydifferentways。Similarly,thereisatruth,butonlyahalf-truth,inthesayingthatallmodernPowersalikerelyontheCapitalistandmakewaronthelinesofCapitalism。Itistrue,anditisdisgraceful。Butitis_not_equallytrueandequallydisgraceful。ItisnottruethatMontenegroisasmuchruledbyfinanciersasPrussia,justasitisnottruethatasmanymenintheKaiserstrasse,inBerlin,wearlongknivesintheirbeltsaswearthemintheneighbourhoodoftheBlackMountain。ItisnottruethateverypeasantfromoneoftheoldRussiancommunesistheimmediateservantofarichman,asiseveryemployeeofMr。Rockefeller。ItisasfalseasthestatementthatnopoorpeopleinAmericacanreadorwrite。ThereisanelementofCapitalisminallmoderncountries,asthereisanelementofilliteracyinallmoderncountries。Therearesomewhothinkthatthenumberofourfellow-citizenswhocansigntheirnamesoughttocomfortusfortheextremefewnessofthosewhohaveanythinginthebanktosignitfor,butIamnotoneofthese。
Inanycase,thepositionofKrupphascertaininterestingaspects。WhenwetalkofArmycontractorsasamongthebasebutactiveactualitiesofwar,wecommonlymeanthatwhilethecontractorbenefitsbythewar,thewar,onthewhole,rathersuffersbythecontractor。Weregardthisunsoldierlymiddlemanwithdisgust,orgreatanger,orcontemptuousacquiescence,orcommercialdreadandsilence,accordingtoourpersonalpositionandcharacter。Butwenowherethinkofhimashavinganythingtodowithfightinginthefinalsense。Thoseworthyandwealthypersonswhoemploywomen\'slabouratafewshillingsaweekdonotdoittoobtainthebestclothesforthesoldiers,buttomakeasufficientprofitontheworst。Theonlyargumentiswhethersuchclothesarejustgoodenoughforthesoldiers,oraretoobadforanybodyoranything。Wetoleratethecontractor,orwedonottoleratehim;butnooneadmireshimespecially,andcertainlynoonegiveshimanycreditforanysuccessinthewar。
Confessedlyorunconfessedlyweknockhisprofits,notonlyoffwhatgoestothetaxpayer,butwhatgoestothesoldier。WeknowtheArmywillnotfightanybetter,atleast,becausetheclothestheywearwerestitchedbywretchedwomenwhocouldhardlysee;orbecausetheirbootsweremadebyharassedhelots,whoneverhadtimetothink。Inwar-timeitisverywidelyconfessedthatCapitalismisnotagoodwayofrulingapatrioticorself-respectingpeople,andallsortsofotherthings,fromstrictStateorganisationtoquitecasualpersonalcharity,arehastilysubstitutedforit。Itisrecognisedthatthe\"greatemployer,\"ninetimesoutoften,isnomorethantheschoolboyorthepagewhopilferstartsandsweetsfromthedishesastheygoupanddown。Howangryoneiswithhimdependsontemperament,onthestageofthedinner——alsoonthenumberoftarts。
NowherecomesintherealandsinistersignificanceofKrupps。TherearemanycapitalistsinEuropeasrich,asvulgar,asselfish,asrootedlyopposedtoanyfellowshipofthefortunateandunfortunate。Butthereisnoothercapitalistwhoclaims,orcanpretendtoclaim,thathehasveryappreciably_helped_theactivitiesofhispeopleinwar。IwillsupposethatLiptondidnotdeservetheveryseverecriticismsmadeonhisfirmbyMr。JusticeDarling;but,howeverblamelesshewas,nobodycansupposethatBritishsoldierswouldchargebetterwiththebayonetbecausetheyhadsomeparticularkindofgroceriesinsidethem。ButKruppcanmakeaplausibleclaimthatthehugeinfernalmachinestowhichhiscountryowesnearlyallofitssuccessescouldonlyhavebeenproducedundertheequallyinfernalconditionsofthemodernfactoryandtheurbanandproletariancivilisation。ThatiswhythevictoryofGermanywouldbesimplythevictoryofKrupp,andthevictoryofKruppwouldbesimplythevictoryofCapitalism。There,andtherealone,Capitalismwouldbeabletopointtosomethingdonesuccessfullyforawholenation——doneasitwouldcertainlymaintainbetterthansmallfreeStatesornaturaldemocraciescouldhavedoneit。IconfessIthinkthemodernGermansmorallysecond-rate,andIthinkthatevenwar,whenitisconductedmostsuccessfullybymachinery,issecond-ratewar。Butthissecond-ratewarwillbecomenotonlythefirstbuttheonlybrand,ifthecannonofKruppshouldconquer;and,whatisverymuchworse,itwillbetheonlyintelligentanswerthatanycapitalisthasyetgivenagainstourcasethatCapitalismisaswastefulandasweakasitiscertainlywicked。Idonotfearanysuchfinality,forIhappentobelieveinthekindofmenwhofightbestwithbayonetsandwhosefathershammeredtheirownpikesfortheFrenchRevolution。
THETOWEROFBEBEL
AmongthecloudyandsymbolicstoriesinthebeginningoftheBiblethereisoneaboutatowerbuiltwithsuchverticalenergyastotakeaholdonheaven,butruinedandresultingonlyinaconfusionoftongues。Thestorymightbeinterpretedinmanyways——religiously,asmeaningthatspiritualinsolencestartsallhumanseparations;irreligiously,asmeaningthattheinhumanheavensgrudgemanhismagnificentdream;ormerelysatiricallyassuggestingthatallattemptstoreachahigheragreementalwaysendinmoredisagreementthantherewasbefore。ItmightbetakenbythepartiallyintelligentKensititeasajudgmentonLatinChristiansfortalkingLatin。ItmightbetakenbythesomewhatlessintelligentProfessorHarnackasafinalproofthatallprehistorichumanitytalkedGerman。Butwhenallwassaid,thesymbolwouldremainthataplaintower,asstraightasasword,assimpleasalily,didneverthelessproducethedeepestdivisionsthathavebeenknownamongmen。
Inanycaseweoftheworldinrevolt——Syndicalists,Socialists,GuildSocialists,orwhateverwecallourselves——havenoneedtoworryaboutthescriptureortheallegory。Wehavethereality。Forwhateverreason,whatissaidtohavehappenedtothepeopleofShinakhaspreciselyandpracticallyhappenedtous。
NoneofuswhohaveknownSocialistsorrather,tospeakmoretruthfully,noneofuswhohavebeenSocialistscanentertainthefaintestdoubtthatafineintellectualsinceritylaybehindwhatwascalled\"L\'Internationale。\"
ItwasreallyfeltthatSocialismwasuniversallikearithmetic。Itwastootrueforidiomorturnofphrase。IntheformulaofKarlMarxmencouldfindthatfrigidfellowshipwhichtheyfindwhentheyagreethattwoandtwomakefour。Itwasalmostasbroadmindedasareligiousdogma。
Yetthisuniversallanguagehasnotsucceeded,atamomentofcrisis,inimposingitselfonthewholeworld。Nay,ithasnot,atthemomentofcrisis,succeededinimposingitselfonitsownprincipalchampions。
HerveisnottalkingEconomicEsperanto;heistalkingFrench。BebelisnottalkingEconomicEsperanto;heistalkingGerman。BlatchfordisnottalkingEconomicEsperanto;heistalkingEnglish,andjollygoodEnglish,too。IdonotknowwhetherFrenchorFlemishwasVandervelde\'snurseryspeech,butIamquitecerrainhewillknowmoreofitafterthisstrugglethanheknewbefore。Inshort,whetherornotherebeanewunionofhearts,therehasreallyandtrulybeenanewdivisionoftongues。
Howarewetoexplainthissingulartruth,evenifwedeploreit?I
dismisswithfittingdisdainthenotionthatitisamereresultofmilitaryterrorismorsnobbishsocialpressure。TheSocialistleadersofmodernEuropeareamongthemostsinceremeninhistory;andtheirNationalistnoteinthisaffairhashadtheringoftheirsincerity。I
willnotwastetimeonthespeculationthatVanderveldeisbulliedbyBelgianpriests;orthatBlatchfordisfrightenedofthehorse-guardsoutsideWhitehall。Thesegreatmensupporttheenthusiasmoftheirconventionalcountrymenbecausetheyshareit;andtheyshareitbecausethereisthoughperhapsonlyatcertaingreatmomentssuchathingaspuredemocracy。
TimourtheTartar,Ithink,celebratedsomevictorywithatowerbuiltentirelyoutofhumanskulls;perhapshethought_that_wouldreachtoheaven。Butthereisnocementinsuchbuilding;theveinsandligamentsthatholdhumanitytogetherhavelongfallenaway;theskullswillrollimpotentlyatatouch;andtenthousandmoresuchtrophiescouldonlymakethetowertallerandcrazier。Ithinkthemodernofficialapparatusof\"votes\"isverylikethattotteringmonument。IthinktheTartar\"countedheads,\"likeanelectioneeringagent。SometimeswhenIhaveseenfromtheplatformofsomepaltrypartymeetingtherowsandrowsofgrinningupturnedfaces,Ihavefeltinclinedtosay,asthepoetdoesinthe\"TheVisionofSin\"-\"Welcomefellow-citizens,Hollowheartsandemptyheads。\"
Notthatthepeoplewerepersonallyholloworempty,buttheyhadcomeonahollowandemptybusiness:tohelpthegoodMr。BinkstostrengthentheInsuranceActagainstthewickedMr。JinkswhowouldonlypromisetofortifytheInsuranceAct。Thatnightitdidnotblowthedemocraticgale。
Yetitcanblowontheseasonothers;andwhenitdoesblowmenlearnmanythings。I,forone,amnotabovelearningthem。
TheMarxiandogmawhichsimplifiesallconflictstotheClassWarissomuchnoblerathingthanthenose-countingoftheparliamentsthatonemustapologiseforthecomparison。Andyetthereisacomparison。WhenweusedtosaythatthereweresomanythousandsofSocialistsinGermany,wewerecountingbyskulls。WhenwesaidthatthemajorityconsistingofProletarianswouldbeeverywhereopposedtotheminority,consistingofCapitalists,wewerecountingbyskulls。Why,yes;ifallmen\'sheadshadbeencutofffromtherestofthem,astheywerebythegoodsenseandforesightofTimourtheTartar;iftheyhadnoheartsorbelliestobemoved;nohandthatfliesuptowardoffaweapon,nofootthatcanfeelafamiliarsoil——ifthingsweresotheMarxiancalculationwouldbenotonlycompletebutcorrect。Asweknowto-day,theMarxiancalculationiscomplete,butitisnotcorrect。
Now,thisistheanswertothequestionsofsomekindcritics,whoseactualwordsIhavenotwithinreachatthemoment,aboutwhethermydemocracymeanttheruleofthemajorityovertheminority。Itmeanstheruleoftherule——theruleoftheruleovertheexception。Whenanationfindsasoulitclothesitwithabody,anddoesverilyactlikeonelivingthing。Thereisnothingtobesaidaboutthosewhoareoutofit,exceptthattheyareoutofit。Aftertalkingaboutitintheabstractfordecades,thisisDemocracy,anditismarvellousinoureyes。Itisnotthedifferencebetweenninetyninepersonsandahundredpersons;itisoneperson——thepeople。IdonotknoworcarehowmanyorhowfewoftheBelgianslikeordislikethepicturesofWiertz。TheycouldnotbeeitherjustifiedorcondemnedbyameremajorityofBelgians。ButIamverycertainthatthedefiancetoPrussiadidnotcomefromamajorityofBelgians。ItcamefromBelgiumoneandindivisible——atheists,priests,princesoftheblood,Frenchifiedshopkeepers,Flemishboors,men,women,andchildren,andthesoonerweunderstandthatthissortofthingcanhappenthebetterforus。ForitisthisspontaneousspiritualfellowshipofcommunitiesundercertainconditionstowhichthefourorfivemostindependentmindsofEuropewillinglybearwitnessto-day。
Butistherenoexception:istherenoonefaithfulamongtheunfaithfulfound?IsnogreatSocialistpoliticianstilluntouchedbythepatriotismofthevulgar?Why,yes;theruggedRamsayMacDonald,scarredwithahundredsavagefightsagainstthecapitalistparties,stillliftsuphishornyhandforpeace。Whatfurtherneedhaveweofwitnesses?I,formypart,amquitesatisfied,anddonotdoubtthatMr。MacDonaldwillbeasindustriousindampingdowndemocracyinthisformasineveryother。
AREALDANGER
HeavenforbidthatIshouldoncemorewadeinthoseswampsoflogomachyandtautologyinwhichtheoldguardoftheDeterministsstillseemtobefloundering。ThequestionofFateandFreeWillcanneverattaintoaconclusion,thoughitmayattaintoaconviction。Theshortestphilosophicsummaryisthatbothcauseandchoiceareultimateideaswithinus,andthatifonemandenieschoicebecauseitseemscontrarytocause,theothermanhasquiteasmuchrighttodenycausebecauseitseemscontrarytochoice。TheshortestethicalsummaryisthatDeterminismeitheraffectsconductoritdoesnot。Ifitdoesnot,itismorallynotworthpreaching;ifitdoes,itmustaffectconductinthedirectionofimpotenceandsubmission。Awriterinthe\"Clarion\"saysthatthereformercannothelptryingtoreform,northeConservativehelphisConservatism。ButsupposethereformertriestoreformtheConservativeandturnhimintoanotherreformer?Eitherhecan,inwhichcaseDeterminismhasmadenodifferenceatall,orhecan\'t,inwhichcaseitcanonlyhavemadereformersmorehopelessandConservativesmoreobstinate。Andtheshortestpracticalandpoliticalsummaryisthatworkingmen,mostprobably,willsoonbemuchtoobusyusingtheirFreeWilltostoptoprovethattheyhavegotit。Nevertheless,IliketowatchtheDeterministinthe\"Clarion\"Cockpiteveryweek,asbusyasasquirrel——inacage。Butbeingmyselfasquirrelleapinglightlyfromboughtoboughandpreferringtheformofactivitywhichoccasionallyendsinnuts,Ishouldnotinterveneinthematterevenindirectly,exceptuponapracticalpoint。AndthepointIhaveinmindispracticaltotheextentofdeadlyperil。Itisanotherofthenumerousnewwaysinwhichtherestlessrich,nowwalkingtheworldwithanawfulinsomnia,maymanagetocatchusnapping。
MustBeaMysteryTherearetwolettersinthe\"Clarion\"thisweekwhichinvariouswaysinterestmeverymuch。OneisconcernedtodefendDarwinagainstthescientificrevoltagainsthimthatwasledbySamuelButler,andamongotherthingsitcallsBernardShawabacknumber。Well,mostcertainly\"TheOriginofSpecies\"isabacknumber,insofarasanyhonestandinterestingbookevercanbe;butinpurephilosophynothingcanbeoutofdate,sincetheuniversemustbeamysteryeventothebeliever。Thereis,however,oneconditionofthingsinwhichIdocallitrelevanttodescribesomebodyasbehindthetimes。Thatiswhenthemaninquestion,thinkingofsomestateofaffairsthathaspassedaway,isreallyhelpingtheverythingshewouldliketohinder。Theprinciplescannotalter,buttheproblemscan。Thus,Ishouldcallamanbehindthetimeswho,intheyear1872,pleadedforthepeacefulGermanpeasantsagainstthetriumphantmilitarismofNapoleon。OrIshouldcallamanoutofdatewho,intheyear1892,wishedforastrongerNavytocompetewiththeNavyofHolland,becauseithadonceswepttheseaandsaileduptheThames。AndI
certainlycallamanoramovementoutofdatethat,intheyear1914,whenwefewarefightingagiantmachine,strengthenedwithallmaterialwealthandworkedwithallthematerialsciences,thinksthatourchiefdangerisfromanexcessofmoralandreligiousresponsibility。HeremindsmeofMr。Snodgrass,whohadthepresenceofmindtocallout\"Fire!\"whenMr。Pickwickfellthroughtheice。
Theotherletterconsistsoftheusualwiredrawnargumentforfatalism。
Mancannotimaginetheuniversebeingcreated,andthereforeis\"compelledbyhisreason\"tothinktheuniversewithoutbeginningorend,whichI
mayremarkhecannotimagineeither。Buttheletterendswithsomethingmuchmoreominousthanbadmetaphysics。Here,inthemiddleofthe\"Clarion,\"inthecentreofacleanandcombativedemocraticsheet,Imeetagainmydeplorableoldacquaintance,thescientificcriminologist。\"Theso-calledevil-doershouldnotbepunishedforhisacts,butrestrained。\"
Inforty-eighthoursIcouldprobablygetapetitiontothateffectsignedbymillionaires。AshorttimeagoaBillwasintroducedtoholdirresponsibleand\"restrain\"awholenewclassofpeople,whowere\"incapableofmanagingtheiraffairswithprudence。\"Readthesupporters\'
namesonthebackofthatBill,andseewhatsortofdemocratstheywere。
Now,clearingourheadsofwhatiscalledpopularsciencewhichmeansgoingtosleeptoalullabyoflongwords,letususeourownbrainsalittle,andaskourselveswhatistherealdifferencebetweenpunishingamanandrestraininghim。Thematerialdifferencemaybeanyornone;forpunishmentmaybeverymild,andrestraintmaybeveryruthless。Theman,ofcourse,mustdislikeoneasmuchastheother,oritwouldnotbenecessarytorestrainhimatall。AndIassureyouhewillgetnogreatglowofcomfortoutofyourcallinghimirresponsibleafteryouhavemadehimimpotent。Amandoesnotnecessarilyfeelmorefreeandeasyinastraightwaistcoatthaninastonecell。Themoraldifferenceisthatamancanbepunishedforacrimebecauseheisbornacitizen;whilehecanbeconstrainedbecauseheisbornaslave。Butonearrestingandtremendousdifferencetowersoverallthesedoubtfulorarguabledifferences。Thereisonerespect,vitaltoallourlibertiesandallourlives,inwhichthenewrestraintwouldbedifferentfromtheoldpunishment。Itisofthisthattheplutocratswilltakeadvantage。
ThePlainDifferenceTheperfectlyplaindifferenceisthis。Allpunishment,eventhemosthorrible,proceedsupontheassumptionthattheextentofthe。evilisknown,andthatacertainamountofexpiationgoeswithit。Evenifyouhangtheman,youcannothanghimtwice。Evenifyouburnhim,youcannotburnhimforamonth。Andinthecaseofallordinaryimprisonments,thewholeaimoffreeinstitutionsfromthebeginningoftheworldhasbeentoinsistthatamanshallbeconvictedofadefinitecrimeandconfinedforadefiniteperiod。Butthemomentyouadmitthisnotionofmedicalrestraint,youmustinfairnessadmitthatitmaygoonaslongastheauthoritieschoosetothinkorsaythatitoughttogoon。Theman\'spunishmentreferstothepast,whichissupposedtohavebeeninvestigated,andwhich,insomedegreeatleast,hasbeeninvestigated。Buthisrestraintreferstothefuture,whichhisdoctors,keepers,andwardenshaveyettoinvestigate。Thesimpleresultwillbethat,inthescientificUtopiaofthe\"Clarion,\"menlikeMannorSymeorLarkinwillnotbeputinprisonbecauseofwhattheyhavedone。Theywillbekeptinprisonbecauseofwhattheymightdo。Indeed,thebuildersofthenewtyrannyhavealreadycomeveryneartoavowingthisscientificandfuturistmethod。Whenthelawyerstriedtostopthe\"Suffragette\"fromappearingatall,theypracticallysaid:\"Wedonotknowyournextweek\'scrime,becauseitisn\'tcommittedyet;butwearescientificallycertainyouhavethecriminaltype。Andbythesublimeandunalterablelawsofheredity,allyourpoorlittlepaperswillinheritit。\"
Thisisapurelypracticalquestion;andthatiswhyIinsistonit,eveninsuchstrenuoustimes。Thewritersonthe\"Clarion\"haveaperfectrighttothinkChristianityisthefoeoffreedom,oreventhatthestupidityandtyrannyofthepresentGovernmentisduetothemonkishmysticismofLordMorleyandMr。JohnM。Robertson。TheyhavearighttothinkthetheoryofDeterminismastrueasCalvinthoughtit。ButIdonotlikeseeingthemwalkstraightintotheenormousirontrapsetopenbytheCapitalists,whofinditconvenienttomakeourlawevenmorelawlessthanitis。Therichmenwantascientisttowritethema_lettredecachet_asadoctorwritesaprescription。Andsotheywishtosealupinapublicgaolthescandalsofaprivateasylum。Yes;thewritersonthe\"Clarion\"areindeedclaimingirresponsibilityforhumanbeings。Butitisthegovernmentsthatwillbeirresponsible,notthegoverned。
ButIwilltellthemonesmallsecretinconclusion。ThereisnothingwhateverwrongintheancientanduniversalideaofPunishment——exceptthatwearenotpunishingtherightpeople。
THEDREGSOFPURITANISM
Onepeculiarityofthegenuinekindofenemyofthepeopleisthathisslightestphraseisclamorouswithallhissins。Pride,vain-glory,andhypocrisyseempresentinhisverygrammar;inhisveryverbsoradverbsorprepositions,aswellasinwhathesays,whichisgenerallybadenough。
ThusIseethataNonconformistpastorinBromleyhasbeentalkingaboutthepatheticlittlepresentsoftobaccosenttothecommonsoldiers。Thisishowhetalksaboutit。Heisreportedashavingsaid,\"BythehelpofGod,theywantedthiscigarettebusinessstopped。\"Howonecouldwriteavolumeonthatsentence,agreatthickvolumecalled\"TheDeclineoftheEnglishMiddleClass。\"Intaste,instyle,inphilosophy,infeeling,inpoliticalproject,thehorrorsofitareasunfathomableashell。
First,tobeginwiththetrifle,notesomethingslipshodandvagueinthemereverbiage,typicalofthosewhopreferacatchwordtoacreed。\"Thiscigarettebusiness\"mightmeananything。ItmightmeanMessrs。SalmonandGluckstein\'sbusiness。ButthepastoratBromleywillnotinterferewiththat,fortheindignationofhisschoolofthought,evenwhenitissincere,alwaysinstinctivelyandunconsciouslyswervesasidefromanythingthatisrichandpowerfullikethepartnersinabigbusiness,andstrikesinsteadsomethingthatispoorandnamelesslikethesoldiersinatrench。Nordoestheexpressionmakeclearwho\"they\"are——whethertheinhabitantsofBritainortheinhabitantsofBromley,ortheinhabitantsofthisonecrazytabernacleinBromley;norisitevidenthowitisgoingtobestoppedorwhoisbeingaskedtostopit。Allthesethingsaretriflescomparedtothemoreterribleoffencesofthephrase;
buttheyarenotwithouttheirsocialandhistoricalinterest。AboutthebeginningofthenineteenthcenturythewealthyPuritanclass,generallytheclassoftheemployersoflabour,tookalineofargumentwhichwasnarrow,butnotnonsensical。Theysawtherelationofrichandpoorquitecoldlyasacontract,buttheysawthatacontractholdsbothways。ThePuritansofthemiddleclass,inshort,didinsomesensestarttalkingandthinkingforthemselves。Theyarestilltalking。Theyhavelongagoleftoffthinking。Theytalkabouttheloyaltyofworkmentotheiremployers,andGodknowswhatrubbish;andthefirstsmallcertaintyaboutthereverendgentlemanwhosesentenceIhavequotedisthathisbrainstoppedworkingasaclockstops,yearsandyearsago。
Second,considerthequalityofthereligiousliterature!ThesepeoplearealwaystellingusthattheEnglishtranslatedBibleissufficienttrainingforanyoneinnobleandappropriatediction;andsoitis。Why,then,aretheynottrained?TheyarealwaystellingusthatBunyan,therudeMidlandtinker,isasmuchworthreadingasChaucerorSpenser;andsoheis。Why,then,havetheynotreadhim?Icannotbelievethatanyonewhohadseen,eveninanightmareofthenursery,Apollyonstraddlingoverthewholebreadthofthewaycouldreallywritelikethataboutacigarette。BythehelpofGod,theywantedthiscigarettebusinessstopped。Therefore,withangelsandarchangelsandthewholecompanyofHeaven,withSt。Michael,smiterofSatanandCaptainoftheChivalryofGod,withalltheardouroftheseraphsandtheflamingpatienceofthesaints,wewillhavethiscigarettebusinessstopped。
Wherehasallthetraditionofthegreatreligiousliteraturesgonetothatamanshouldcomeonsuchabathoswithsuchabump?
Thirdly,ofcourse,thereisthelackofimaginativeproportion,whichrisesintoasortoftoweringblasphemy。Anenormousnumberofliveyoungmenarebeinghurtbyshells,hurtbybullets,hurtbyfeverandhungerandhorrorofhopedeferred;hurtbylancebladesandswordbladesandbayonetbladesbreakingintothebloodyhouseoflife。ButMr。PriceI
thinkthat\'shisnameisstillanxiousthattheyshouldnotbehurtbycigarettes。ThatisthesortofmaniacalisolationthatcanbefoundinthedesertsofBromley。Thatcigarettesarebadforthehealthisaverytenableopiniontowhichtheministerisquiteentitled。IfhehappenstothinkthattheyouthofBromleysmoketoomanycigarettes,andthathehasanyinfluenceinurgingonthemtheunhealthinessofthehabit,Ishouldnotblamehimifhegavesermonsorlecturesaboutitwithmagic-lanternslides,solongasitwasinBromleyandaboutBromley。Cigarettesmaybebadforthehealth:bombsandbayonetsandevenbarbedwirearenotgoodforthehealth。Inevermetadoctorwhorecommendedanyofthem。
Butthetroublewiththissortofmanisthathecannotadjusthimselftothescaleofthings。Hewoulddoverygoodserviceifhewouldgoamongthericharistocraticladiesandtellthemnottotakedrugsinachronicsense,aspeopletakeopiuminChina。Buthewouldbedoingverybadserviceifheweretogoamongthedoctorsandnursesonthefieldandtellthemnottogivedrugs,astheygivemorphiainahospital。Butitisthewholehypothesisofwar,itisitsverynatureandfirstprinciple,thatthemaninthetrenchisalmostasmuchasufferingandabnormalpersonasthemaninthehospital。Hitorunhit,conquerororconquered,heis,bynatureofthecase,havinglesspleasurethanisproperandnaturaltoaman。
FourthforIneednotdwellhereonthemerediabolicalidiocythatcanregardbeerortobaccoasinsomewayevilandunseemlyinthemselves,thereisthemostimportantelementinthisstrangeoutbreak;atleast,themostdangerousandthemostimportantforus。Thereisthatmainfeatureinthedegradationoftheoldmiddleclass:theutterdisappearanceofitsoldappetiteforliberty。Herethereisnoquestionofwhetherthemenaretosmokecigarettes,orthewomenchoosetosendcigarettes,oreventhattheofficersordoctorschoosetoallowcigarettes。Thethingistocease,andwemaynoteoneofthemostrecurrentideasoftheservileState:itismentionedinthepassivemood。
Itmustbestopped,andwemustnotevenaskwhohasstoppedit!
THETYRANNYOFBADJOURNALISM
TheamazingdecisionoftheGovernmenttoemploymethodsquitealientoEngland,andratherbelongingtothepoliceoftheContinent,probablyarisesfromtheappearanceofpaperswhicharelucidandfighting,likethepapersoftheContinent。Thebusinessmaybeputinmanyways。Butonewayofputtingitissimplytosaythatamonopolyofbadjournalismisresistingthepossibilityofgoodjournalism。Journalismisnotthesamethingasliterature;butthereisgoodandbadjournalism,asthereisgoodandbadliterature,asthereisgoodandbadfootball。ForthelasttwentyyearsorsotheplutocratswhogovernEnglandhaveallowedtheEnglishnothingbutbadjournalism。Verybadjournalism,simplyconsideredasjournalism。
Italwaystakesaconsiderabletimetoseethesimpleandcentralfactaboutanything。AllsortsofthingshavebeensaidaboutthemodernPress,especiallytheYellowPress;thatitisJingoorPhilistineorsensationalorwronglyinquisitiveorvulgarorindecentortrivial;butnoneofthesehaveanythingreallytodowiththepoint。
ThepointaboutthePressisthatitisnotwhatitiscalled。Itisnotthe\"popularPress。\"ItisnotthepublicPress。Itisnotanorganofpublicopinion。Itisaconspiracyofaveryfewmillionaires,allsufficientlysimilarintypetoagreeonthelimitsofwhatthisgreatnationtowhichwebelongmayknowaboutitselfanditsfriendsandenemies。Theringisnotquitecomplete;thereareold-fashionedandhonestpapers:butitissufficientlyneartocompletiontoproduceontheordinarypurchaserofnewsthepracticaleffectsofacornerandamonopoly。Hereceivesallhispoliticalinformationandallhispoliticalmarchingordersfromwhatisbythistimeasortofhalf-conscioussecretsociety,withveryfewmembers,butagreatdealofmoney。
Thisenormousandessentialfactisconcealedforusbyanumberoflegendsthathavepassedintocommonspeech。ThereisthenotionthatthePressisflashyortrivial_because_itispopular。Inotherwords,anattemptismadetodiscreditdemocracybyrepresentingjournalismasthenaturalliteratureofdemocracy。Allthisiscoldrubbish。Thedemocracyhasnomoretodowiththepapersthanithaswiththepeerages。
Themillionairenewspapersarevulgarandsillybecausethemillionairesarevulgarandsilly。Itistheproprietor,nottheeditor,notthesub-editor,leastofallthereader,whoispleasedwiththismonotonousprairieofprintedwords。Thesameslanderondemocracycanbenoticedinthecaseofadvertisements。ThereismanyatenderoldToryimaginationthatvaguelyfeelsthatourstreetswouldbehungwithescutcheonsandtapestries,ifonlytheprofanevulgarhadnothungthemwithadvertisementsofSapolioandSunlightSoap。Butadvertisementdoesnotcomefromtheunletteredmany。Itcomesfromtherefinedfew。DidyoueverhearofamobrisingtoplacardtheTownHallwithproclamationsinfavourofSapolio?Didyoueverseeapoor,raggedmanlaboriouslydrawingandpaintingapictureonthewallinfavourofSunlightSoap——simplyasalabouroflove?Itisnonsense;thosewhohangourpublicwallswithuglypicturesarethesameselectfewwhohangtheirprivatewallswithexquisiteandexpensivepictures。Thevulgarisationofmodernlifehascomefromthegoverningclass;fromthehighlyeducatedclass。MostofthepeoplewhohavepostersinCamberwellhavepeeragesatWestminster。Butthestrongestinstanceofallisthatwhichhasbeenunbrokenuntillately,andstilllargelyprevails;theghastlymonotonyofthePress。
Thencomesthatotherlegend;thenotionthatmenlikethemastersoftheNewspaperTrusts\"givethepeoplewhattheywant。\"Why,itisthewholeaimanddefinitionofaTrustthatitgivesthepeoplewhatitchooses。
Intheolddays,whenParliamentswerefreeinEngland,itwasdiscoveredthatonecourtierwasallowedtosellallthesilk,andanothertosellallthesweetwine。AmemberoftheHouseofCommonshumorouslyaskedwhowasallowedtosellallthebread。Ireallytrembletothinkwhatthatsarcasticlegislatorwouldhavesaidifhehadbeenputoffwiththemodernnonsenseabout\"gaugingthepublictaste。\"Supposethefirstcourtierhadsaidthat,byhisshrewd,self-madesense,hehaddetectedthatpeoplehadavaguedesireforsilk;andevenadeep,dimhumandesiretopaysomuchayardforitlSupposethesecondcourtiersaidthathehad,byhisownruggedintellect,discoveredageneraldesireforwine:andthatpeopleboughthiswineathisprice——whentheycouldbuynoother!
Supposeathirdcourtierhadjumpedupandsaidthatpeoplealwaysboughthisbreadwhentheycouldgetnoneanywhereelse。
Well,thatisaperfectparallel。\"Afterbread,theneedofthepeopleisknowledge,\"saidDanton。Knowledgeisnowamonopoly,andcomesthroughtothecitizensinthinandselectedstreams,exactlyasbreadmightcomethroughtoabesiegedcity。Menmustwishtoknowwhatishappening,whoeverhastheprivilegeoftellingthem。Theymustlistentothemessenger,evenifheisaliar。Theymustlistentotheliar,evenifheisabore。Theofficialjournalistforsometimepasthasbeenbothaboreandaliar;butitwasimpossibleuntillatelytoneglecthissheetsofnewsaltogether。LatelythecapitalistPressreallyhasbeguntobeneglected;becauseitsbadjournalismwasoverpoweringandappalling。
Latelywehavereallybeguntofindoutthatcapitalismcannotwrite,justasitcannotfight,orpray,ormarry,ormakeajoke,ordoanyotherstrickenhumanthing。Butthisdiscoveryhasbeenquiterecent。Thecapitalistnewspaperwasneveractuallyunreaduntilitwasactuallyunreadable。
IfyouretaintheservilesuperstitionthatthePress,asrunbythecapitalists,ispopularinanysenseexceptthatinwhichdirtywaterinadesertispopular,considerthecaseofthesolemnarticlesinpraiseofthemenwhoownnewspapers——menofthetypeofCadburyorHarmsworth,menofthetypeofthesmallclubofmillionaires。DidyoueverhearaplainmaninatramcarortraintalkingaboutCarnegie\'sbrightgenialsmileorRothschild\'ssimple,easyhospitality?DidyoueverhearanordinarycitizenaskwhatwastheopinionofSirJosephLyonsaboutthehopesandfearsofthis,ournativeland?Thesefewsmall-mindedmenpublish,paperstopraisethemselves。Youcouldnomoregetanintelligentpoormantopraiseamillionaire\'ssoul,exceptforhire,thanyoucouldgethimtosellamillionaire\'ssoap,exceptforhire。AndI
repeatthat,thoughthereareotheraspectsofthematterofthenewplutocraticraid,oneofthemostimportantismerejournalisticjealousy。
TheYellowPressisbadjournalism:andwishestostoptheappearanceofgoodjournalism。
ThereisnoaveragememberofthepublicwhowouldnotprefertohaveLloydGeorgediscussedaswhatheis,aWelshmanofgeniusandideals,strangelyfascinatedbybadfashionandbadfinance,ratherthandiscussedaswhatneitherhenoranyoneelseeverwas,aperfectdemocratoranutterlydetestabledemagogue。Thereisnoreaderofadailypaperwhowouldnotfeelmoreconcern——andmorerespect——forSirRufusIsaacsasamanwhohasbeenastockbroker,thanasamanwhohappenstobeAttorney-General。ThereisnomaninthestreetwhoisnotmoreinterestedinLloydGeorge\'sinvestmentsthaninhisLandCampaign。ThereisnomaninthestreetwhocouldnotunderstandandlikeRufusIsaacsasaJewbetterthanhecanpossiblylikehimasaBritishstatesman。
ThereisnosanejournalistalivewhowouldsaythattheofficialaccountofMarconiswouldbebetter\"copy\"thanthetrueaccountthatsuchpapersasthishavedraggedout。Wehavecommittedonecrimeagainstthenewspaperproprietorwhichhewillneverforgive。Wepointoutthathispapersaredull。Andweproposetoprintsomepapersthatareinteresting。
THEPOETRYOFTHEREVOLUTION
Everyonebutaconsistentandcontentedcapitalist,whomustbesomethingprettyneartoaSatanist,mustrejoiceatthespiritandsuccessoftheBattleofthe\'Buses。Butonethingaboutitwhichhappenstopleasemeparticularlywasthatitwasfought,inoneaspectatleast,onapointsuchastheplutocraticfoolcallsunpractical。Itwasfoughtaboutasymbol,abadge,athingattendedwithnokindofpracticalresults,liketheflagsforwhichmenallowthemselvestofalldowndead,ortheshrinesforwhichmenwillwalksomehundredsofmilesfromtheirhomes。Whenamanhasaneyeforbusiness,allthatgoesononthisearthinthatstyleissimplyinvisibletohim。Butletusbecharitabletotheeyeforbusiness;theeyehasbeenprettywellblackedthistime。
ButIwishtoinsistherethatitisexactlywhatiscalledtheunpracticalpartofthethingthatisreallythepractical。Thechiefdifferencebetweenmenandtheanimalsisthatallmenareartists;thoughtheoverwhelmingmajorityofusarebadartists。Astheoldfabletrulysays,lionsdonotmakestatues;eventhecunningofthefoxcangonofurtherthantheaccomplishmentofleavinganexactmodelofthevulpinepaw:andeventhatisanaccomplishmentwhichhewisheshehadn\'tgot。
ThereareChryselephantinestatues,butnopurelyelephantineones。And,thoughwespeakinageneralwayofanelephanttrumpeting,itisonlybyhumanblandishmentsthathecanbeinducedtoplaythedrum。Butman,savageorcivilised,simpleorcomplexalwaysdesirestoseehisownsouloutsidehimself;insomematerialembodiment。Healwayswishestopointtoatableinatemple,oraclothonastick,orawordonascroll,orabadgeonacoat,andsay:\"Thisisthebestpartofme。Ifneedbe,itshallbetherestofmethatshallperish。\"Thisisthemethodwhichseemssounbusinessliketothemenwithaneyetobusiness。Thisisalsothemethodbywhichbattlesarewon。
TheSymbolismoftheBadgeThebadgeonaTradeUnionist\'scoatisapieceofpoetryinthegenuine,lucid,andlogicalsenseinwhichMiltondefinedpoetryandheoughttoknowwhenhesaidthatitwassimple,sensuous,andpassionate。Itissimple,becausemanyunderstandtheword\"badge,\"whomightnotevenunderstandtheword\"recognition。\"Itissensuous,becauseitisvisibleandtangible;itisincarnate,asallthegoodGodshavebeen;anditispassionateinthisperfectlypracticalsense,whichthemanwithaneyetobusinessmaysomedaylearnmorethoroughlythanhelikes,thattherearemenwhowillallowyoutocrossawordoutinatheoreticaldocument,butwhowillnotallowyoutopullabigbuttonofftheirbodilyclothing,merelybecauseyouhavemoremoneythantheyhave。NowIthinkitisthissensuousness,thispassion,and,aboveall,thissimplicitythataremostwantedinthispromisingrevoltofourtime。Forthissimplicityisperhapstheonlythinginwhichthebesttypeofrecentrevolutionistshavefailed。IthasbeenoursorrowlatelytosalutethesunsetofoneoftheveryfewcleanandincorruptiblecareersinthemostcorruptiblephaseofChristendom。ThedeathofQuelchnaturallyturnsone\'sthoughtstothoseextremeMarxiantheorists,who,whateverwemayholdabouttheirphilosophy,havecertainlyheldtheirhonourlikeiron。Andyet,eveninthisinstantofinstinctivereverence,Icannotfeelthattheywerepoeticalenough,thatischildishenough,tomakearevolution。Theyhadalltheaudacityneededforspeakingtothedespot;butnotthesimplicityneededforspeakingtothedemocracy。Theywerealwaysaccusedofbeingtoobitteragainstthecapitalist。Butitalwaysseemedtomethattheywerequiteunconsciously,ofcoursemuchtookindtohim。Theyhadafatalhabitofusinglongwords,evenonoccasionswhenhemightwithproprietyhavebeendescribedinveryshortwords。TheycalledhimaCapitalistwhenalmostanybodyinChristendomwouldhavecalledhimacad。
And\"cad\"isawordfromthepoeticvocabularyindicatingratherageneralandpowerfulreactionoftheemotionsthanastatusthatcouldbedefinedinaworkofeconomics。Thecapitalist,asleepinthesun,letsuchlongwordscrawlalloverhim,likesomanylong,soft,furrycaterpillars。Caterpillarscannotstinglikewasps。And,inrepeatingthattheoldMarxianshavebeen,perhaps,thebestandbravestmenofourtime,Isayalsothattheywouldhavebeenbetterandbraverstilliftheyhadneverusedascientificword,andneverreadanythingbutfairytales。
TheBeastlyIndividualistSupposeIgoontoaship,andtheshipsinksalmostimmediately;butI
likethepeopleintheBabBallads,byreasonofmyclingingtoamast,uponadesertislandameventuallycast。Orrather,supposeIamnotcastonit,butamkeptbobbingaboutinthewater,becausetheonlymanontheislandiswhatsomecallanIndividualist,andwillnotthrowmearope;
thoughcoilsofropeofthemostannoyingelaborationandneatnessareconspicuousbesidehimashestandsupontheshore。Now,itseemstome,thatif,inmyeffortstoshoutatthisfellow-creatureacrossthecrashingbreakers,Icallhispositionthe\"insularisticposition,\"andmyposition\"thesemi-amphibianposition,\"muchvaluabletimemaybelost。I
amnotanamphibian。Iamadrowningman。Heisnotaninsularist,oranindividualist。Heisabeast。Orrather,heisworsethananybeastcanbe。Andif,insteadoflettingmedrown,hemakesmepromise,whileI
amdrowning,thatifIcomeonshoreitshallbeashisbodilyslave,havingnohumanclaimshenceforwardforever,then,bythewholetheoryandpracticeofcapitalism,hebecomesacapitalist,healsobecomesacad。
Now,thelanguageofpoetryissimplerthanthatofprose;asanyonecanseewhohasreadwhattheold-fashionedprotestantusedtocallconfidently\"his\"Bible。And,beingsimpler,itisalsotruer;and,beingtruer,itisalsofiercer。And,formostoftheinfamiesofourtime,thereisreallynothingplainenough,excepttheplainlanguageofpoetry。
Take,letussay,theeaseoftherecentrailwaydisaster,andtheacquittalofthecapitalists\'interest。Itisnotascientificproblemforustoinvestigate。Itisacrimecommittedbeforeoureyes;committed,perhaps,byblindmenormaniacs,ormenhypnotised,ormeninsomeotherwaysunconscious;butcommittedinbroaddaylight,sothatthecorpseisbleedingonourdoor-step。Goodliveswerelost,becausegoodlivesdonotpay;andbadcoalsdopay。Itseemssimplyimpossibletogetanyothermeaningoutofthematterexceptthat。And,ifinhumanhistorytherebeanythingsimpleandanythinghorrible,itseemstohavebeenpresentinthismatter。If,evenaftersomestudyandunderstandingoftheoldreligiouspassionswhichweretheresurrectionofEurope,wecannotenduretheextremeinfamyofwitchesandhereticsliterallyburnedalive——well,thepeopleinthisaffairwerequiteasliterallyburnedalive。If,whenwehavereallytriedtoextendourcharitybeyondthebordersofpersonalsympathy,toallthecomplexitiesofclassandcreed,westillfeelsomethinginsolentaboutthetriumphantandacquittedmanwhoisinthewrong,herethemenwhoareinthewrongaretriumphantandacquitted。Itisnosubjectforscience。Itisasubjectforpoetry。
Butforpoetryofaterriblesort。