第 26 节
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博搏 更新:2022-04-08 21:02 字数:9321
the Socialist minority in France until I got the question out of
the net of national comparisons and upon a broader footing。 In
several conversations we began to work out in general terms the
psychology of those people who were against the war。 But usually
we could not get to that; my interlocutors would insist upon
telling me just what they would like to do or just what they
would like to see done to stop…the…war pacifists and
conscientious objectors; pleasant rather than fruitful
imaginative exercises from which I could effect no more than
platitudinous uplifts。
But the general drift of such talks as did seem to penetrate the
question was this; that among these stop…the…war people there are
really three types。 First there is a type of person who hates
violence and the infliction of pain under any circumstances; and
who have a mystical belief in the rightness (and usually the
efficacy) of non…resistance。 These are generally Christians; and
then their cardinal text is the instruction to 〃turn the other
cheek。〃 Often they are Quakers。 If they are consistent they are
vegetarians and wear /Lederlos/ boots。 They do not desire
police protection for their goods。 They stand aloof from all the
force and conflict of life。 They have always done so。 This is
an understandable and respectable type。 It has numerous Hindu
equivalents。 It is a type that finds little difficulty about
exemptionsprovided the individual has not been too recently
converted to his present habits。 But it is not the prevalent
type in stop…the…war circles。 Such genuine ascetics do not
number more than a thousand or so; all three of our western
allied countries。 The mass of the stop…the…war people is made up
quite other elements。
2
In the complex structure of the modern community there are two
groups or strata or pockets in which the impulse of social
obligation; the gregarious sense of a common welfare; is at its
lowest; one of these is the class of the Resentful Employee; the
class of people who; without explanation; adequate preparation or
any chance; have been shoved at an early age into uncongenial
work and never given a chance to escape; and the other is the
class of people with small fixed incomes or with small salaries
earnt by routine work; or half independent people practising some
minor artistic or literary craft; who have led uneventful;
irresponsible lives from their youth up; and never came at any
point into relations of service to the state。 This latter class
was more difficult to define than the formerbecause it is more
various within itself。 My French friends wanted to talk of the
〃Psychology of the Rentier。〃 I was for such untranslatable
phrases as the 〃Genteel Whig;〃 or the 〃Donnish Liberal。〃 But I
lit up an Italianhe is a Milanese manufacturerwith 〃these
Florentine English who would keep Italy in a glass case。〃 〃I
know;〃 he said。 Before I go on to expand this congenial theme;
let me deal first with the Resentful Employee; who is a much more
considerable; and to me a much more sympathetic; figure in
European affairs。 I began life myself as a Resentful Employee。
By the extremest good luck I have got my mind and spirit out of
the distortions of that cramping beginning; but I can still
recall even the anger of those old days。
He becomes an employee between thirteen and fifteen; he is made
to do work he does not like for no other purpose that he can see
except the profit and glory of a fortunate person called his
employer; behind whom stand church and state blessing and
upholding the relationship。 He is not allowed to feel that he
has any share whatever in the employer's business; or that any
end is served but the employer's profit。 He cannot see that the
employer acknowledges any duty to the state。 Neither church nor
state seems to insist that the employer has any public function。
At no point does the employee come into a clear relationship of
mutual obligation with the state。 There does not seem to be any
way out for the employee from a life spent in this subordinate;
toilsome relationship。 He feels put upon and cheated out of
life。 He is without honour。 If he is a person of ability or
stubborn temper he struggles out of his position; if he is a
kindly and generous person he blames his 〃luck〃 and does his work
and lives his life as cheerfully as possibleand so live the
bulk of our amazing European workers; if he is a being of great
magnanimity he is content to serve for the ultimate good of the
race; if he has imagination; he says; 〃Things will not always be
like this;〃 and becomes a socialist or a guild socialist; and
tries to educate the employer to a sense of reciprocal duty; but
if he is too human for any of these things; then he begins to
despise and hate the employer and the system that made him。 He
wants to hurt them。 Upon that hate it is easy to trade。
A certain section of what is called the Socialist press and the
Socialist literature in Europe is no doubt great…minded; it seeks
to carve a better world out of the present。 But much of it is
socialist only in name。 Its spirit is Anarchistic。 Its real
burthen is not construction but grievance; it tells the bitter
tale of the employee; it feeds and organises his malice; it
schemes annoyance and injury for the hated employer。 The state
and the order of the world is confounded with the capitalist。
Before the war the popular so…called socialist press reeked with
the cant of rebellion; the cant of any sort of rebellion。 〃I'm a
rebel;〃 was the silly boast of the young disciple。 〃Spoil
something; set fire to something;〃 was held to be the proper text
for any girl or lad of spirit。 And this blind discontent carried
on into the war。 While on the one hand a great rush of men
poured into the army saying; 〃Thank God! we can serve our
country at last instead of some beastly profiteer;〃 a sourer
remnant; blind to the greater issues of the war; clung to the
reasonless proposition; 〃the state is only for the Capitalist。
This war is got up by Capitalists。 Whatever has to be done
/we are rebels。/〃
Such a typical paper as the British /Labour Leader/; for
example; may be read in vain; number after number; for any sound
and sincere constructive proposal。 It is a prolonged scream of
extreme individualism; a monotonous repetition of incoherent
discontent with authority; with direction; with union; with the
European effort。 It wants to do nothing。 It just wants effort
to stopeven at the price of German victory。 If the whole
fabric of society in western Europe were to be handed over to
those pseudo…socialists to…morrow; to be administered for the
common good; they would fly the task in terror。 They would make
excuses and refuse the undertaking。 They do not want the world
to go right。 The very idea of the world going right does not
exist in their minds。 They are embodied discontent and hatred;
making trouble; and that is all they are。 They want to be
〃rebels〃to be admired as 〃rebels〃。
That is the true psychology of the Resentful Employee。 He is a
de…socialised man。 His sense of the State has been destroyed。
The Resentful Employees are the outcome of our social injustices。
They are the failures of our social ad educational systems。 We
may regret their pitiful degradation; we may exonerate them from
blame; none the less they are a pitiful crew。 I have seen the
hardship of the trenches; the gay and gallant wounded。 I do a
little understand what our soldiers; officers and men alike; have
endured and done。 And though I know I ought to allow for all
that I have stated; I cannot regard these conscientious objectors
with anything but contempt。 Into my house there pours a dismal
literature rehearsing the hardships of these men who set
themselves up to be martyrs for liberty; So and So; brave hero;
has been sworn atpositively sworn at by a corporal; a nasty
rough man came into the cell of So and So and dropped several
h's; So and So; refusing to undress and wash; has been undressed
and washed; and soap was rubbed into his eyesperhaps purposely;
the food and accommodation are not of the best class; the doctors
in attendance seem hasty; So and So was put into a damp bed and
has got a nasty cold。 Then I recall a jolly vanload of wounded
men I saw out there。。。。
But after all; we must be just。 A church and state that
permitted these people to be thrust into dreary employment in
their early 'teens; without hope or pride; deserves such citizens
as these。 The marvel is that there are so few。 There are a poor
thousand or so of these hopeless; resentment…poisoned creatures
in Great Britain。 Against five willing millions。 The Allied
countries; I submit; have not got nearly all the conscientious
objectors they deserve。
3
If the Resentful Employee provides the emotional impulse of the
resisting pacifist; whose horizon is bounded by his one
passionate desire that the particular social system that has
treated him so ill should collapse and give in; and its leaders
and rulers be humiliated and destroyed; the intellectual
direction of a mischievous pacifism comes from an entirely
different class。
The Genteel Whig; though