large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_05_belloc_64kb_8
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_05_belloc_64kb
English
7264
Many are directly ordered by him. We are, if we talk in terms of real things (as men do in their private councils at Westminster) mainly governed to day, not even by the professional politicians, nor even by those who pay them money, but by whatever owner of a newspaper trust is, for the moment, the most unscrupulous and the most ambitious. MANY ARE DIRECTLY ORDERED BY HIM WE ARE IF WE TALK IN TERMS OF REAL THINGS AS MEN DO IN THEIR PRIVATE COUNCILS AT WESTMINSTER MAINLY GOVERNED TO DAY NOT EVEN BY THE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS NOR EVEN BY THOSE WHO PAY THEM MONEY BUT BY WHATEVER OWNER OF A NEWSPAPER TRUST IS FOR THEMENT THE MOST UNSCRUPULOUS AND THE MOST AMBITIOUS
is now a graver corruption at work even than this always negative and sometimes positive power of the advertiser. It is the advent of the great newspaper owner as the true governing power in the political machinery of the State, superior to the officials in the State, nominating ministers and dismissing them, imposing policies, and, in general, usurping sovereignty--all this secretly and without responsibility. It is the chief political event of our time and is the peculiar mark of this country to-day. Its full development has come on us suddenly and taken us by surprise in the midst of a terrible war. It was undreamt of but a few years ago. It is already to-day the capital fact of our whole political system. A Prime Minister is made or deposed by the owner of a group of newspapers, not by popular vote or by any other form of open authority. No policy is attempted until it is ascertained that the newspaper owner is in favour of it. Few are proffered without first consulting his wishes. SUBSIDY BUT THERE IS NOW A GRAVER CORRUPTION AT WORK EVEN THAN THIS ALWAYS NEGATIVE AND SOMETIMES POSITIVE POWER OF THE ADVERTISER IT IS THE ADVENT OF THE GREAT NEWSPAPER OWNER AS THE TRUE GOVERNING POWER IN THE POLITICAL MACHINERY OF THE STATE SUPERIOR TO THE OFFICIALS IN THE STATE NOMINATING MINISTERS AND DISMISSING THEM IMPOSING POLICIES AND IN GENERAL USURPING SOVEREIGNTY ALL THIS SECRETLY AND WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY IT IS THE CHIEF POLITICAL EVENT OF OUR TIME AND IS THE PECULIAR MARK OF THIS COUNTRY TO DAY ITS FULL DEVELOPMENT HAS COME ON US SUDDENLY AND TAKEN US BY SURPRISE IN THE MIDST OF A TERRIBLE WAR IT WAS UNDREAMT OF BUT A FEW YEARS AGO IT IS ALREADY TO DAY THE CAPITAL FACT OF OUR WHOLE POLITICAL SYSTEM A PRIME MINISTER IS MADE OR DEPOSED BY THE OWNER OF A GROUP OF NEWSPAPERS NOT BY POPULAR VOTE OR BY ANY OTHER FORM OF OPEN AUTHORITY NO POLICY IS ATTEMPTED UNTIL IT IS ASCERTAINED THAT THE NEWSPAPER OWNER IS IN FAVOR OF IT FEW ARE PROFFERED WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING HIS WISHES
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