the man versus the state-第12章

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italist　class；　the　loan…mongers；　the　farmers；　the　mine　exploiters；　the　contractors；　the　middle…men；　the　factory　lords　　these；　the　modern　slave　drivers〃　who　exact　〃more　and　yet　more　surplus　value　out　of　the　wage…slaves　whom　they　employ。〃　And　they　think　it　〃high　time〃　that　trade　should　be　〃removed　from　the　control　of　individual　greed。〃（8*）　　　　　It　remains　to　point　out　that　the　tendencies　thus　variously　displayed；　are　being　strengthened　by　press…advocacy；　daily　more　pronounced。　Journalists；　always　chary　of　saying　that　which　is　distasteful　to　their　readers；　are　some　of　them　going　with　the　stream　and　adding　to　its　force。　Legislative　meddlings　which　they　would　once　have　condemned　they　now　pass　in　silence；　if　they　do　not　advocate　them；　and　they　speak　of　laissez…faire　as　an　exploded　doctrine。　〃People　are　no　longer　frightened　at　the　thought　of　socialism；〃　is　the　statement　which　meets　us　one　day。　On　another　day；　a　town　which　does　not　adopt　the　Free　Libraries　Act　is　sneered　at　as　being　alarmed　by　a　measure　so　moderately　communistic。　And　then；　along　with　editorial　assertions　that　this　economic　evolution　is　coming　and　must　be　accepted；　there　is　prominence　given　to　the　contributions　of　its　advocates。　Meanwhile　those　who　regard　the　recent　course　of　legislation　as　disastrous；　and　see　that　its　future　course　is　likely　to　be　still　more　disastrous；　are　being　reduced　to　silence　by　the　belief　that　it　is　useless　to　reason　with　people　in　a　state　of　political　intoxication。　　　　　　See；　then；　the　many　concurrent　causes　which　threaten　continually　to　accelerate　the　transformation　now　going　on。　There　is　that　spread　of　regulation　caused　by　following　precedents；　which　become　the　more　authoritative　the　further　the　policy　is　carried。　There　is　that　increasing　need　for　administrative　compulsions　and　restraints；　which　results　from　the　unforeseen　evils　and　shortcomings　of　preceding　compulsions　and　restraints。　Moreover；　every　additional　State…interference　strengthens　the　tacit　assumption　that　it　is　the　duty　of　the　State　to　deal　with　all　evils　and　secure　all　benefits。　Increasing　power　of　a　growing　administrative　organization　is　accompanied　by　decreasing　power　of　the　rest　of　the　society　to　resist　its　further　growth　and　control。　The　multiplication　of　careers　opened　by　a　developing　bureaucracy；　tempts　members　of　the　classes　regulated　by　it　to　favour　its　extension；　as　adding　to　the　chances　of　safe　and　respectable　places　for　their　relatives。　The　people　at　large；　led　to　look　on　benefits　received　through　public　agencies　as　gratis　benefits；　have　their　hopes　continually　excited　by　the　prospects　of　more。　A　spreading　education；　furthering　the　diffusion　of　pleasing　errors　rather　than　of　stern　truths；　renders　such　hopes　both　stronger　and　more　general。　Worse　still；　such　hopes　are　ministered　to　by　candidates　for　public　choice；　to　augment　their　chances　of　success；　and　leading　statesmen；　in　pursuit　of　party　ends；　bid　for　popular　favour　by　countenancing　them。　Getting　repeated　justifications　from　new　laws　harmonizing　with　their　doctrines；　political　enthusiasts　and　unwise　philanthropists　push　their　agitations　with　growing　confidence　and　success。　Journalism；　ever　responsive　to　popular　opinion；　daily　strengthens　it　by　giving　it　voice；　while　counter…opinion；　more　and　more　discouraged；　finds　little　utterance。　　　　　　Thus　influences　of　various　kinds　conspire　to　increase　corporate　action　and　decrease　individual　action。　And　the　change　is　being　on　all　sides　aided　by　schemers；　each　of　whom　thinks　only　of　his　pet　project　and　not　at　all　of　the　general　re…organization　which　his；　joined　with　others　such；　are　working　out。　It　is　said　that　the　French　Revolution　devoured　its　own　children。　Here　an　analogous　catastrophe　seems　not　unlikely。　The　numerous　socialistic　changes　made　by　Act　of　Parliament；　joined　with　the　numerous　others　presently　to　be　made；　will　by…and…by　be　all　merged　in　State…Socialism　　swallowed　in　the　vast　wave　which　they　have　little　by　little　raised。　

〃But　why　is　this　change　described　as　'the　coming　slavery'？〃　is　a　question　which　many　will　still　ask。　The　reply　is　simple。　All　socialism　involves　slavery。　　　　　　What　is　essential　to　the　idea　of　a　slave？　We　primarily　think　of　him　as　one　who　is　owned　by　another。　To　be　more　than　nominal；　however；　the　ownership　must　be　shown　by　control　of　the　slave's　actions　　a　control　which　is　habitually　for　the　benefit　of　the　controller。　That　which　fundamentally　distinguishes　the　slave　is　that　he　labours　under　coercion　to　satisfy　another's　desires。　The　relation　admits　of　sundry　gradations。　Remembering　that　originally　the　slave　is　a　prisoner　whose　life　is　at　the　mercy　of　his　captor；　it　suffices　here　to　note　that　there　is　a　harsh　form　of　slavery　in　which；　treated　as　an　animal；　he　has　to　expend　his　entire　effort　for　his　owner's　advantage。　Under　a　system　less　harsh；　though　occupied　chiefly　in　working　for　his　owner；　he　is　allowed　a　short　time　in　which　to　work　for　himself；　and　some　ground　on　which　to　grow　extra　food。　A　further　amelioration　gives　him　power　to　sell　the　produce　of　his　plot　and　keep　the　proceeds。　Then　we　come　to　the　still　more　moderated　form　which　commonly　arises　where；　having　been　a　free　man　working　on　his　own　land；　conquest　turns　him　into　what　we　distinguish　as　a　serf；　and　he　has　to　give　to　his　owner　each　year　a　fixed　amount　of　labour　or　produce；　or　both：　retaining　the　rest　himself。　Finally；　in　some　cases；　as　in　Russia　until　recently；　he　is　allowed　to　leave　his　owner's　estate　and　work　or　trade　for　himself　elsewhere；　under　the　condition　that　he　shall　pay　an　annual　sum。　What　is　it　which；　in　these　cases；　leads　us　to　qualify　our　conception　of　the　slavery　as　more　or　less　severe？　Evidently　the　greater　or　smaller　extent　to　which　effort　is　compulsorily　expended　for　the　benefit　of　another　instead　of　for　self…benefit。　If　all　the　slave's　labour　is　for　his　owner　the　slavery　is　heavy；　and　if　but　little　it　is　light。　Take　now　a　further　step。　Suppose　an　owner　dies；　and　his　estate　with　its　slaves　comes　into　the　hands　of　trustees；　or　suppose　the　estate　and　everything　on　it　to　be　bought　by　a　company；　is　the　condition　of　the　slave　any　the　better　if　the　amount　of　his　compulsory　labour　remains　the　same？　Suppose　that　for　a　company　we　substitute　the　community；　does　it　make　any　difference　to　the　slave　if　the　time　he　has　to　work　for　others　is　as　great；　and　the　time　left　for　himself　is　as　small；　as　before？　The　essential　question　is　　How　much　is　he　compelled　to　labour　for　other　benefit　than　his　own；　and　how　much　can　he　labour　for　his　own　benefit？　The　degree　of　his　slavery　varies　according　to　the　ratio　between　that　which　he　is　forced　to　yield　up　and　that　which　he　is　allowed　to　retain；　and　it　matters　not　whether　his　master　is　a　single　person　or　a　society。　If；　without　option；　he　has　to　labour　for　the　society；　and　receives　from　the　general　stock　such　portion　as　the　society　awards　him；　he　becomes　a　slave　to　the　society。　Socialistic　arrangements　necessitate　an　enslavement　of　this　kind；　and　towards　such　an　enslavement　many　recent　measures；　and　still　more　the　measures　advocated；　are　carrying　us。　Let　us　observe；　first；　their　proximate　effects；　and　then　their　ultimate　effects。　　　　　　The　policy　initiated　by　the　Industrial　Dwellings　Acts　admits　of　development；　and　will　develop。　Where　municipal　bodie