large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_08_belloc_64kb_36
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_08_belloc_64kb
English
7264
We cannot even say that the professional politicians are still made to "fill the stage." That metaphor is false, because upon a stage the audience knows that it is all play acting, and actually _sees_ the figures. Let any man of reasonable competence soberly and simply describe the scene in the House of Commons when some one of the ordinary professional politicians is speaking. It would not be an exciting description. WE CANNOT EVEN SAY THAT THE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS ARE STILL MADE TO FILL THE STAGE THE METAPHOR IS FALSE BECAUSE UPON A STAGE THE AUDIENCE KNOWS THAT IT IS ALL PLAY ACTING AND ACTUALLY SEES THE FIGURES LET ANY MAN OF REASONABLE COMPETENCE SOBERLY AND SIMPLY DESCRIBE THE SCENE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WHEN SOME ONE OF THE ORDINARY PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS IS SPEAKING IT WOULD NOT BE AN EXCITING DESCRIPTION
the first importance, being refused publicity. Within the guild of the journalists, there is not a man who could not give you a hundred examples of deliberate suppression and deliberate falsehood by his employers both as regards news important to the nation and as regards great bodies of opinion. Equally significant with the mere vast numerical accumulation of such instances is their quality. Let me give a few examples. No straightforward, common-sense, _real_ description of any professional politician--his manners, capacities, way of speaking, intelligence--ever appears to-day in any of the great papers. We never have anything within a thousand miles of what men who meet them _say_. We are, indeed, long past the time when the professional politicians were treated as revered beings of whom an inept ritual description had to be given. But the substitute has only been a putting of them into the limelight in another and more grotesque fashion, far less dignified, and quite equally false.  E TESTIMONY UPON MATTERS OF THE FIRST IMPORTANCE BEING REFUSED PUBLICITY WITHIN THE GUILD OF THE JOURNALIST THERE IS NOT A MAN WHO COULD NOT GIVE YOU A HUNDRED EXAMPLES OF DELIBERATE SUPPRESSION AND DELIBERATE FALSEHOOD BY HIS EMPLOYERS BOTH AS REGARDS NEWS IMPORTANT TO THE NATION AND AS REGARDS GREAT BODIES OF OPINION EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT WITH THE MERE VAST NUMERICAL ACCUMULATION OF SUCH INSTANCES IS THEIR QUALITY LET ME GIVE A FEW EXAMPLES NO STRAIGHTFORWARD COMMON SENSE REAL DESCRIPTION OF ANY PROFESSIONAL POLITICIAN HIS MANNERS CAPACITIES WAY OF SPEAKING INTELLIGENCE EVER APPEARS TO DAY IN ANY OF THE GREAT PAPERS WE NEVER HAVE ANYTHING WITHIN A THOUSAND MILES OF WHAT MEN WHO MEET THEM SAY WE ARE INDEED LONG PAST THE TIME WHEN THE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS WERE TREATED AS REVERED BEINGS OF WHOM AN INEPTITUAL DESCRIPTION HAD TO BE GIVEN BUT THE SUBSTITUTE HAS ONLY BEEN A PUTTING OF THEM INTO THE LIMELIGHT IN ANOTHER AND MORE GROTESQUE FASHION FAR LESS DIGNIFIED AND QUITE EQUALLY FALSE 
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