large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_09_belloc_64kb_1
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_09_belloc_64kb
English
7264
Here I touch the core of my matter. Side by side with what I have called "the Official Press" in our top heavy plutocracy there has arisen a certain force for which I have a difficulty in finding a name, but which I will call for lack of a better name "the Free Press." HERE I TOUCH THE CORE MY MATTER SIDE BY SIDE WITH WHAT I HAVE CALLED THE OFFICIAL PRESS IN OUR TOP HEAVY PLUTOCRACY THERE HAS ARISEN A CERTAIN FORCE FOR WHICH I HAVE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING A NAME BUT WHICH I WILL CALL FOR LACK OF A BETTER NAME THE FREE PRESS
nipes, thousands whose luck ends in the native gutter, half a dozen whose luck lands them into millions, one or two at most who, on the top of such a career go crazy with the ambition of the parvenu and propose to direct the State. Even when gambling adventurers of this sort are known and responsible (as they are in professional politics) their power is a grave danger. Possessing as the newspaper owners do every power of concealment and, at the same time, no shred of responsibility to any organ of the State, they are a deadly peril. The chief of these men are more powerful to-day than any Minister. Nay, they do, as I have said (and it is now notorious), make and unmake Ministers, and they may yet in our worst hour decide the national fate. * * * * * Now to every human evil of a political sort that has appeared in history (to every evil, that is, affecting the State, and proceeding from the will of man--not from ungovernable natural forces outside man) there comes a term and a reaction. VENTURES THERE ARE AMONG SUCH GUTTER SNIPES THOUSANDS WHOSE LUCK ENDS IN THE NATIVE GUTTER HALF A DOZEN WHOSE LUCK LANDS THEM INTO MILLIONS ONE OR TWO AT MOST WHO ON THE TOP OF SUCH A CAREER GO CRAZY WITH THE AMBITION OF THE PARVENU AND PROPOSE TO DIRECT THE STATE EVEN WHEN GAMBLING ADVENTURES OF THIS SORT ARE KNOWN AND RESPONSIBLE AS THEY ARE IN PROFESSIONAL POLITICS THEIR POWER IS A GRAVE DANGER POSSESSING AS THE NEWSPAPER OWNERS DO EVERY POWER OF CONCEALMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME NO SHRED OF RESPONSIBILITY TO ANY ORGAN OF THE STATE THEY ARE A DEADLY PERIL THE CHIEF OF THESE MEN ARE MORE POWERFUL TO DAY THAN ANY MINISTER NAY THEY DO AS I HAVE SAID AND IT IS NOW NOTORIOUS MAKE AND UNMAKE MINISTERS AND THEY MAY YET IN OUR WORST HOUR DECIDE THE NATIONAL FATE NOW TO EVERY HUMAN EVIL OF A POLITICAL SORT THAT HAS APPEARED IN HISTORY TO EVERY EVIL THAT IS AFFECTING THE STATE AND PROCEEDING FROM THE WILL OF MAN NOT FROM UNGOVERNABLE NATURAL FORCES OUTSIDE MAN THERE COMES A TERM AND A REACTION
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