war and the future-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hearing；　talking；　experiencing　little　else　than　the　warare
nevertheless　neither　doing　nor　trying　to　do　anything　that
deserves　to　be　called　thinking　about　it　at　all。　　They　may　even　be
suffering　quite　terribly　by　it。　　But　they　are　no　more　mastering
its　causes；　reasons；　conditions；　and　the　possibility　of　its
future　prevention　than　a　monkey　that　has　been　rescued　in　a
scorching　condition　from　the　burning　of　a　house　will　have
mastered　the　problem　of　a　fire。　　It　is　just　happening　to　and
about　them。　　It　may；　for　anything　they　have　learnt　about　it；
happen　to　them　again。

A　vast　majority　of　people　are　being　swamped　by　the　spectacular
side　of　the　business。　　It　was　very　largely　my　fear　of　being　so
swamped　myself　that　made　me　reluctant　to　go　as　a　spectator　to　the
front。　　I　knew　that　my　chances　of　being　hit　by　a　bullet　were
infinitesimal；　but　I　was　extremely　afraid　of　being　hit　by　some
too　vivid　impression。　　I　was　afraid　that　I　might　see　some
horribly　wounded　man　or　some　decayed　dead　body　that　would　so　scar
my　memory　and　stamp　such　horror　into　me　as　to　reduce　me　to　a　mere
useless；　gibbering；　stop…the…war…at…any…price　pacifist。　　Years
ago　my　mind　was　once　darkened　very　badly　for　some　weeks　with　a
kind　of　fear　and　distrust　of　life　through　a　sudden　unexpected
encounter　one　tranquil　evening　with　a　drowned　body。　　But　in　this
journey　in　Italy　and　France；　although　I　have　had　glimpses　of　much
death　and　seen　many　wounded　men；　I　have　had　no　really　horrible
impressions　at　all。　　That　side　of　the　business　has；　I　think；　been
overwritten。　　The　thing　that　haunts　me　most　is　the　impression　of
a　prevalent　relapse　into　extreme　untidiness；　of　a　universal
discomfort；　of　fields；　and　of　ruined　houses　treated
disregardfully。。。。　　But　that　is　not　what　concerns　us　now　in　this
discussion。　　What　concerns　us　now　is　the　fact　that　this　war　is
producing　spectacular　effects　so　tremendous　and　incidents　so
strange；　so　remarkable；　so　vivid；　that　the　mind　forgets　both
causes　and　consequences　and　simply　sits　down　to　stare。

For　example；　there　is　this　business　of　the　Zeppelin　raids　in
England。　　It　is　a　supremely　silly　business；　it　is　the　most
conclusive　demonstration　of　the　intellectual　inferiority　of　the
German　to　the　Western　European　that　is　should　ever　have　happened。
There　was　the　clearest　/a　priori/　case　against　the　gas…bag。
I　remember　the　discussions　ten　or　twelve　years　ago　in　which　it
was　established　to　the　satisfaction　of　every　reasonable　man　that
ultimately　the　〃heavier　than　air〃　machine　（as　we　called　it　then）
must　fly　better　than　the　gas…bag；　and　still　more　conclusively
that　no　gas…bag　was　conceivable　that　could　hope　to　fight　and
defeat　aeroplanes。　　Nevertheless　the　German；　with　that　dull　faith
of　his　in　mere　〃Will；〃　persisted　along　his　line。　　He　knew
instinctively　that　he　could　not　produce　aviators　to　meet　the
Western　European；　all　his　social　instincts　made　him　cling　to　the
idea　of　a　great　motherly；　almost　sow…like　bag　of　wind　above　him。
At　an　enormous　waste　of　resources　Germany　has　produced　these
futile　monsters；　that　drift　in　the　darkness　over　England
promiscuously　dropping　bombs　on　fields　and　houses。　　They　are　now
meeting　the　fate　that　was　demonstrably　certain　ten　years　ago。　　If
they　found　us　unready　for　them　it　is　merely　that　we　were　unable
to　imagine　so　idiotic　an　enterprise　would　ever　be　seriously
sustained　and　persisted　in。　　We　did　not　believe　in　the
probability　of　Zeppelin　raids　any　more　than　we　believed　that
Germany　would　force　the　world　into　war。　　It　was　a　thing　too　silly
to　be　believed。　　But　they　cameto　their　certain　fate。　　In　the
month　after　I　returned　from　France　and　Italy；　no　less　than　four
of　these　fatuities　were　exploded　and　destroyed　within　thirty
miles　of　my　Essex　home。。。。　　There　in　chosen　phrases　you　have　the
truth　about　these　things。　　But　now　mark　the　perversion　of　thought
due　to　spectacular　effect。

I　find　over　the　Essex　countryside；　which　has　been　for　more　than　a
year　and　a　half　a　highway　for　Zeppelins；　a　new　and　curious
admiration　for　them　that　has　arisen　out　of　these　very　disasters。
Previously　they　were　regarded　with　dislike　and　a　sort　of
distrust；　as　one　might　regard　a　sneaking　neighbour　who　left　his
footsteps　in　one's　garden　at　night。　　But　the　Zeppelins　of
Billericay　and　Potter's　Bar　areheroic　things。　　（The　Cuffley　one
came　down　too　quickly；　and　the　fourth　one　which　came　down　for　its
crew　to　surrender　is　despised。）　I　have　heard　people　describe　the
two　former　with　eyes　shining　with　enthusiasm。

〃First；〃　they　say；　〃you　saw　a　little　round　red　glow　that　spread。
Then　you　saw　the　whole　Zeppelin　glowing。　　Oh；　it　was
/beautiful！/　Then　it　began　to　turn　over　and　come　down；　and
it　flames　and　pieces　began　to　break　away。　　And　then　down　it　came；
leaving　flaming　pieces　all　up　the　sky。　　At　last　it　was　a　pillar
of　fire　eight　thousand　feet　high。。。。　　Everyone　said；　'Ooooo！'　And
then　someone　pointed　out　the　little　aeroplane　lit　up　by　the　flare
such　a　leetle　thing　up　there　in　the　night！　　It　is　the　greatest
thing　I　have　ever　seen。　　Oh！　　the　most　wonderfulmost　wonderful！〃

There　is　a　feeling　that　the　Germans　really　must　after　all　be　a
splendid　people　to　provide　such　magnificent　pyrotechnics。

Some　people　in　London　the　other　day　were　pretending　to　be　shocked
by　an　American　who　boasted　that　he　had　been　in　〃two　/bully/
bombardments；〃　but　he　was　only　saying　what　everyone　feels　more　or
less。　　We　are　at　a　spectacle　thatas　a　spectacleour
grandchildren　will　envy。　　I　understand　now　better　the　story　of
the　man　who　stared　at　the　sparks　raining　up　from　his　own　house　as
it　burnt　in　the　night　and　whispered　〃/Lovely！　　Lovely！/〃

The　spectacular　side　of　the　war　is　really　an　enormous　distraction
from　thought。　　And　against　thought　there　also　fights　the　native
indolence　of　the　human　mind。　　The　human　mind；　it　seems；　was
originally　developed　to　think　about　the　individual；　it　thinks
reluctantly　about　the　species。　　It　takes　refuge　from　that　sort　of
thing　if　it　possibly　can。　　And　so　the　second　great　preventive　of
clear　thinking　is　the　tranquillising　platitude。

The　human　mind　is　an　instrument　very　easily　fatigued。　　Only　a　few
exceptions　go　on　thinking　restlesslyto　the　extreme　exasperation
of　their　neighbours。　　The　normal　mind　craves　for　decisions；　even
wrong　or　false　decisions　rather　than　none。　　It　clutches　at
comforting　falsehoods。　　It　loves　to　be　told；　〃/There/；　don't
you　worry。　　That'll　be　all　right。　　That's　/settled。/〃　This
war　has　come　as　an　almost　overwhelming　challenge　to　mankind。　　To
some　of　us　it　seems　as　it　if　were　the　Sphynx　proffering　the
alternative　of　its　riddle　or　death。　　Yet　the　very　urgency　of　this
challenge　to　think　seems　to　paralyse　the　critical　intelligence　of
very　many　people　altogether。　　They　will　say；　〃This　war　is　going
to　produce　enormous　changes　in　everything。〃　　They　will　then
subside　mentally　with　a　feeling　of　having　covered　the　whole
ground　in　a　thoroughly　safe　manner。　　Or　they　will　adopt　an　air　of
critical　aloofness。　　They　will　say；　〃How　is　it　possible　to
foretell　what　may　happen　in　this　tremendous　sea　of　change？〃　　And
then；　with　an　air　of　superior　modesty；　they　will　go　on　doing
whatever　they　feel　inclined　to　do。　　Many　others；　a　degree　less
simple　in　their　methods；　will　take　some　entirely　partial　aspect；
arrive　at　some　guesswork　decision　upon　that；　and　then　behave　as
though　that　met　every　question　we　have　to　face。　　Or　they　will
make　a　sort　of　admonitory　forecast　that　is　conditional　upon　the
good　behaviour　of　other　people。　　〃Unless　the　Trade　Unions　are
more　reasonable；〃　they　will　say。　　Or；　〃Unless　the　shipping
interest　is　grappled　with　and　controlled。〃　　Or；　〃Unless　England
wakes　up。〃　　And　with　that　they　seem　to　wash　their　hands　of　further
responsibility　for　the　future。

One　delightful　form　of　put…off　is　the　sage　remark；　〃Let　us　finish
the　war　first；　and　then　let　us　ask　what　is　going　to　happen　after
it。〃　　One　likes　to　think　of　the　beautiful　blank　day　after　the
signing　of　the　peace　when　these　wise　minds　swing　round　to　pick　up
their　deferred　problems。。。。

I　submit　that　a　man　has　not　done　his　duty　by　himself　as　a
rational　creature　unless　he　has　formed　an　idea　of　what　is　going
on；　as　one　complicated　process；　until　he　has　formed　an　idea
sufficiently　definite　for　him　to　make　it　the　basis　of　a　further
idea；　which　is　his　own　relationship　to　that　process。　　He　must
have　some　notion　of　what　the　process　is　going　to　do　to　him；　and
some　notion　of　what　he　means　to　do；　if　he　can；　to　the　process。
That　is　to　say；　he　must　not　only　have　an　idea　how　the　process　is
going；　but　also　an　idea　of　how　he　wants　it　to　go。　　It　seems　so
natural　and　necessary　for　a　human　brain　to　do　this　that　it　is
hard　to　suppose　that　everyone　has　not　more　or　less　attempted　it。
But　few　people；　in　Great　Britain　at　any　rate；　have　the　habit　of
frank　expression；　and　when　people　do　not　seem　to　have　made　out
any　of　these　things　for　themselves　there　is　a　considerable
element　of　secretiveness　and　inexpressiveness　to　be　allowed　for
before　we　decide　that　they　have　not　in　some　sort　of　fashion　done
so。　　Still；　after　all　allowances　have　been　made；　there　remains　a
vast　amount　of　jerry…built　and　ready…made　borrowed　stuff　in　most
of　people's　philosophies　of　the　war。　　The　systems　of　authentic
opinion　in　this　world　of　thought　about　the　war　are　like
comparatively　rare　thin　veins　of　living　mentality　in　a　vast　world
of　dead　repetitions　and　echoed　suggestions。　　And　that　being　the
case；　it　is　quite　possible　that　history　after　the　war；　like
history　before　the　war；　will　not　be　so　much　a　display　of　human
will　and　purpose　as　a　resultant　of　human　vacillations；
obstructions；　and　inadvertences。　　We　shall　still　be　in　a　drama　of
blind　forces　following　the　line　of　least　resistance。

One　of　the　people　who　is　often　spoken　of　as　if　he　were　doing　an
enormous　amount　of　concentrated　thinking　is　〃the　man　in　the
trenches。〃　　We　are　toldby　gentlemen　writing　for　the　most　part　at
homeof　the　most　extraordinary　things　that　are　going　on　in　those
devoted　brains；　how　they　are　getting　new　views　about　the　duties
of　labour；　religion；　morality；　monarchy；　and　any　other　notions
that　the　gentleman　at　home　happens　to　fancy　and　wished　to　push。
Now　that　is　not　at　all　the　impression　of　the　khaki　mentality　I
have　reluctantly　accepted　as　correct。　　For　the　most　part　the　man
in　khaki　is　up　against　a　round　of　tedious　immediate　duties　that
forbid　consecutive　thought；　he　is　usually　rather　crowded　and　not
very　comfortable。　　He　is　bored。

The　real　horror　of　modern　war；　when　all　is　said　and　done；　is　the
boredom。　　To　get　killed　our　wounded　may　be　unpleasant；　but　it　is
at　any　rate　interesting；　the　real　tragedy　is　in　the　desolated
fields；　the　desolated　houses；　the　desolated　hours　and　days；　the
bored　and　desolated　minds　that　hang　behind　the　melee
and　just　outside　the　melee。　　The　peculiar
beastliness　of　the　German　crime　is　the　way　the　German　war　cant
and　its　consequences　have　seized　upon　and　paralysed　the　mental
movement　of　Western　Europe。　　Before　1914　war　was　theoretically
unpopular　in　every　European　country；　we　thought　of　it　as
something　tragic　and　dreadful。　　Now　everyone　knows　by　experience
that　it　is　something　utterly　dirty　and　detestable。　　We　thought　it
was　the　Nemean　lion；　and　we　have　found　it　is　the　Augean　stabl