第4章

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；andwhenthepoormanistreatedforthetimewithsomehumanrespect(bytheCoronet)italmostseemsapityheisnotalivetohearhowlegallyhedied。

Againstthisbittershrewdnessandbleakrealisminthesufferingclassesitiscommonlysupposedthatthemoreleisuredclassesstandforcertainlegitimateideaswhichalsohavetheirplaceinlife；suchashistory，reverence，theloveoftheland。Well，itmightbenobadthingtohavesomething，evenifitweresomethingnarrow，thattestifiedtothetruthsofreligionorpatriotism。Butsuchnarrowthingsinthepasthavealwaysatleastknowntheirownhistory；thebigotknewhiscatechism；thepatriotknewhiswayhome。Theastonishingthingaboutthemodernrichistheirrealandsincereignorance——especiallyofthethingstheylike。

No!

Takethemosttopicalcaseyoucanfindinanydrawing-room:Belfast。

Ulsterismostassuredlyamatterofhistory；andthereisasenseinwhichOrangeresistanceisamatterofreligion。Butgoandaskanyofthefivehundredflutteringladiesatagardenparty(whofindCarsonsosplendidandBelfastsothrilling)whatitisallabout，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。Tothistypeofmind(whichisvaluablewhensettoitsspecialandnarrowwork)thereisnosuchthingasanexceptionthatprovestherule。

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——done(asitwouldcertainlymaintain)betterthansmallfreeStatesornaturaldemocraciescouldhavedoneit。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。

NoneofuswhohaveknownSocialists(orrather，tospeakmoretruthfully，noneofuswhohavebeenSocialists)canentertainthefaintestdoubtthatafineintellectualsinceritylaybehindwhatwascalled"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；andtheyshareitbecausethereis(thoughperhapsonlyatcertaingreatmoments)suchathingaspuredemocracy。

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。Butbeingmyselfasquirrel(leapinglightlyfromboughtobough)andpreferringtheformofactivitywhichoccasionallyendsinnuts，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，which(I

mayremark)hecannotimagineeither。Buttheletterendswithsomethingmuchmoreominousthanbadmetaphysics。Here，inthemiddleofthe"Clarion，"inthecentreofacleanandcombativedemocraticsheet，Imeetagainmydeplorableoldacquaintance，thescientificcriminologist。"Theso-calledevil-doershouldnotbepunishedforhisacts，butrestrained。"

Inforty-eighthoursIcouldprobablygetapetitiontothateffectsignedbymillionaires。AshorttimeagoaBillwasintroducedtoholdirresponsibleand"restrain"awholenewclassofpeople，whowere"incapableofmanagingtheiraffairswithprudence。"Readthesupporters"

namesonthebackofthatBill，andseewhatsortofdemocratstheywere。

Now，clearingourheadsofwhatiscalledpopularscience(whichmeansgoingtosleeptoalullabyoflongwords)，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，youmustinfairnessadmitthatitmaygoonaslongastheauthoritieschoosetothink(orsay)thatitoughttogoon。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。Price(I

thinkthat"shisname)isstillanxiousthattheyshouldnotbehurtbycigarettes。ThatisthesortofmaniacalisolationthatcanbefoundinthedesertsofBromley。Thatcigarettesarebadforthehealthisaverytenableopiniontowhichtheministerisquiteentitled。IfhehappenstothinkthattheyouthofBromleysmoketoomanycigarettes，andthathehasanyinfluenceinurgingonthemtheunhealthinessofthehabit，Ishouldnotblamehimifhegavesermonsorlecturesaboutit(withmagic-lanternslides)，solongasitwasinBromleyandaboutBromley。Cigarettesmaybebadforthehealth:bombsandbayonetsandevenbarbedwirearenotgoodforthehealth。Inevermetadoctorwhorecommendedanyofthem。

Butthetroublewiththissortofmanisthathecannotadjusthimselftothescaleofthings。Hewoulddoverygoodserviceifhewouldgoamongthericharistocraticladiesandtellthemnottotakedrugsinachronicsense，aspeopletakeopiuminChina。Buthewouldbedoingverybadserviceifheweretogoamongthedoctorsandnursesonthefieldandtellthemnottogivedrugs，astheygivemorphiainahospital。Butitisthewholehypothesisofwar，itisitsverynatureandfirstprinciple，thatthemaninthetrenchisalmostasmuchasufferingandabnormalpersonasthemaninthehospital。Hitorunhit，conquerororconquered，heis，bynatureofthecase，havinglesspleasurethanisproperandnaturaltoaman。

Fourth(forIneednotdwellhereonthemerediabolicalidiocythatcanregardbeerortobaccoasinsomewayevilandunseemlyinthemselves)，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，allsufficientlysimilarintypetoagreeonthelimitsofwhatthisgreatnation(towhichwebelong)mayknowaboutitselfanditsfriendsandenemies。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，ispopular(inanysenseexceptthatinwhichdirtywaterinadesertispopular)，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。Thereisnomaninthestreetwhocouldnotunderstand(andlike)RufusIsaacsasaJewbetterthanhecanpossiblylikehimasaBritishstatesman。

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，simpleorcomplex(alwaysdesirestoseehisownsouloutsidehimself；insomematerialembodiment。Healwayswishestopointtoatableinatemple，oraclothonastick，orawordonascroll，orabadgeonacoat，andsay:"Thisisthebestpartofme。Ifneedbe，itshallbetherestofmethatshallperish。"Thisisthemethodwhichseemssounbusinessliketothemenwithaneyetobusiness。Thisisalsothemethodbywhichbattlesarewon。

TheSymbolismoftheBadgeThebadgeonaTradeUnionist"scoatisapieceofpoetryinthegenuine，lucid，andlogicalsenseinwhichMiltondefinedpoetry(andheoughttoknow)whenhesaidthatitwassimple，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。Butitalwaysseemedtomethattheywere(quiteunconsciously，ofcourse)muchtookindtohim。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。