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painfully risen.
The position will be tremendous in its importance. A comparatively short period will
probably serve to decide whether we are to master the mighty economic and social
machine that we have created, or whether it is to master us; and during that period a small
impetus from a body of men who know what to do and how to do it, may make the
difference between (198) yet one more retreat into the Dark Ages, or the emergence into
the full light of a day of such splendour as we can at present only envisage dimly.
It is this necessity for the recognition of the psychological moment, and the fitting to that
moment of appropriate action, which should be present in the minds of that small
minority which is seized of the gravity of the present times. To have a clear
understanding of the principles which underlie the problem is essential to those who may
hope to play a part in its solution; it is even desirable that skeleton plans should be in
existence to meet the situation as it can be seen to exist; but nothing can be more fatal to
a successful issue than the premature publication of cut-and-dried arrangements which
are likely to be out of date before their adoption can be secured. As the world is
constituted to-day, effective action is only possible through certain centres of influence;
that is to say, short of complete social anarchy as a preliminary to a new world, it is
necessary to work through the arrangements which have grown up in the system with
which we are all familiar.
While the evolutionary process depends most probably on the formula to which the
present civilisation is working, and, given adherence to (199) that formula, is independent
of human psychology, it is fairly obvious that the effectiveness of "constructive
revolution" does depend, to a large extent, on this latter factor alone. In other words,
although we can float down the Rapids and over the Falls without any struggling either
on our part or on the part of those with whom we come in contact, the possibility of
avoiding that uncomfortable journey, if there remains a possibility, requires definite
exertion. And if the cataract must be run, a safe arrival on the waters of the placid lake
which may lie beyond, is surely conditional on some sort of expert navigation. If the
present onerous taxation is continued into an era of rising prices, we shall not have long
to wait.
There are certain factors operative in human psychology which it is possible to recognise
as helpful or the reverse. During a visit to New York I saw considerable numbers of
fervent men and women carrying sandwich-boards and collecting-boxes through the
financial quarters in and around Wall Street, bearing on them the legend, "The Salvation
Army is Father Knickerbocker's best friend." It is perhaps hardly necessary to explain
that Father Knickerbocker is generally taken to represent the respectability of solid, or
perhaps preferably, liquid capital. (200) That is to say, it may be taken as a scientific
statement of fact that one of the most dangerous opponents of a better, cleaner world, is
the sentimental spirit which is entirely concerned with the beauties of a prospective
Heaven, whether that Heaven is theological or moral. The head of the institution to which
I have just referred, has recently elaborated the preceding statement by an intemperate
attack on the "dole," basing his objection to it on the "demoralisation" of the recipient and
not, of course, on the financial jugglery which accompanies it--an attitude entirely similar
to that of the Puritan in his abolition of bear-baiting; not because it was cruel to the bear,
but because it gave pleasure to the populace. The practical outcome of this Puritanism is
always negative. In short, there is a type of sentiment which, under existing conditions, is
able to attain great respectability, but which can, with very little difficulty, be identified
with the formalism against which the Great Reformer of nineteen hundred years ago
launched his most bitter invective; and wherever that is found, the prospect of effective
assistance is not encouraging.
Again, it is only rarely that we find a response from those who have been "successful in
business." On the whole, the most promising (201) type of mind is either that which has
always been free from financial anxiety and yet, at the same time, is familiar with the
technique of the modern world, or, on the other hand, the worker, whether by hand or
brain, whose incentive is very largely artistic in origin, in the ranks of whom may of
course be included practically all persons of really scientific temperament. Most
unfortunately this latter class is, of all the divisions of Society, that least equipped, either
by temperament or organisation, to exercise effective pressure.
Since, however, most men are complex characters, it is probably true that an effective
appeal can be made to a large majority if the appeal is made in the right way. It is my
considered opinion that the right way with most people is to discountenance severely any
discussion of the general advisability of such matters as we have been considering, and,
as far as possible, to put the appeal in the form: "Suppose that you yourself were offered
certain conditions, such as we suggest, under which to carry on your business or your
own personal economic life, would you accept them?"
With a majority of persons there is (no doubt as the result of the collective hypnotism
generally referred to as education) a tendency to (202) uphold a social ideal from which
their personal existence is a continuous effort to escape. That is to say, their social ideals
and their social actions bear about the same relation to each other that the aspirations of
the average individual in regard to an immediate translation to Paradise, as expressed on
his occasional Sunday church-going, do to his wishes as expressed by his business
activity during the week, and his concern at the onslaught of a cold in the head. If he can
be kept on the more or less solid ground of his individual tastes, and the means which
would enable him to achieve them, he is amenable to reason; let loose on social ideals,
and we generally have something of about equal value to the theology of the Salvation
Army - a thing which clearly has definite uses in connection with a given set of premises,
but is not a hopeful source from which to look for a new direction of objective - is, in
fact, frequently a vicious obstacle.
It hardly needs emphasis that a constant binding back of proposals for reform, to the
moving events of the world, is of the utmost value; in fact, if it be possible to clarify the
relation between the analysis of the financial system, the foci of discontent, and the
logical remedy, with sufficient emphasis and over a (203) sufficiently wide area, then the
stage will be set for the greatest victory which the human individual has, within history,
achieved over the forces which beset him to his fall. (204)
APPENDIX
DRAFT SOCIAL CREDIT SCHEME FOR SCOTLAND
(1) Obtain from existing sources, such as company balance-sheets, land registration
offices, and insurance companies, such information necessary to place a money valuation
upon the whole of the capital assets of Scotland, such as land, roads, bridges, railways,
canals, buildings, drainage and water schemes, minerals, semi-manufactured materials.
No distinction between public and private property. Replacement values to be used where
the property is in use.
Add to this the sum representing the present commercial capitalised value of the
population. Such a figure exists and varies with the actuarial expectation of life and the
plant capacity of the country, and is something like £10,000 for a citizen of the United
States at the age of twenty-five. From the grand total thus obtained a figure representing
the price value of the Scottish capital account could be obtained. (205) Financial credit to
any equivalent can be created by any agency such as a Scottish Treasury empowered by
the Scottish people. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]