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English
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The "organs of opinion" professed a genteel ignorance of that idea which was most widespread, most intense, and most formative. THE ORGANS OF OPINION PROFESSED A GENTEEL IGNORANCE OF THAT IDEA WHICH WAS MOST WIDESPREAD MOST INTENSE AND MOST FORMATIVE
 irresponsibility in power breeds among those who are unhappily subject to it. Let us take each of these in their order. XI A The motive of Propaganda (which began to work much the earliest of the three) concerned Religions, and also certain racial enthusiasms or political doctrines which, by their sincerity and readiness for sacrifice, had half the force of Religions. Men found that the great papers (in their final phase) refused to talk about anything really important in Religion. They dared do nothing but repeat very discreetly the vaguest ethical platitudes. They hardly dared do even that. They took for granted a sort of invertebrate common opinion. They consented to be slightly coloured by the dominating religion of the country in which each paper happened to be printed--and there was an end of it. Great bodies of men who cared intensely for a definite creed found that expression for it was lacking, even if this creed (as in France) were that of a very large majority in the State.  CHAPTER ELEVEN OF THE FREE PRESS BY HILAIRE BELLOC RECORDING BY SHAME MC LEAN A THE MOTIVE OF PROPAGANDA WHICH BEGAN TO WORK MUCH THE EARLIEST OF THE THREE CONCERNED RELIGIONS AND ALSO CERTAIN RACIAL ENTHUSIASMS OR POLITICAL DOCTRINES WHICH BY THEIR SINCERITY AND READINESS FOR SACRIFICE HAD HALF THE FORCE OF RELIGIONS MEN FOUND THAT THE GREAT PAPERS IN THEIR FINAL PHASE REFUSED TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING REALLY IMPORTANT IN RELIGION THEY DARED DO NOTHING BUT REPEAT VERY DISCREETLY THE VAGUEST ETHICAL PLATITUDES THEY HARDLY DARED DO EVEN THAT THEY TOOK FOR GRANTED A SORT OF INVERTEBRATE COMMON OPINION THEY CONSENTED TO BE SLIGHTLY COLORED BY THE DOMINATING RELIGION OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH EACH PAPER HAPPENED TO BE PRINTED AND THERE WAS AN END OF IT GREAT BODIES OF MEN WHO CARED INTENSELY FOR A DEFINITE CREED FOUND THAT EXPRESSION FOR IT WAS LACKING EVEN IF THIS CREED AS IN FRANCE WAS THAT OF A VERY LARGE MAJORITY IN THE STATE
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