bapton books aphorisms: politics, economics, and a dash of philosophy

8/2/2019 Bapton Books Aphorisms: politics, economics, and a dash of philosophy

1/23

Bapton Books Aphorisms

Observations on Politics and

Economics

Markham Shaw Pyle

GMW Wemyss

Bapton Books


2/23

References to:

The Bapton Books Sampler: a literary chrestomathyAmazon UKAmazon US

The Transatlantic Disputations: Essays & ObservationsAmazon UKAmazon US

Paperback on demand

The Confidence of the House: ay !"#$Amazon UKAmazon USPaperback on demand

%ools' Drunks' and the (nited States): *u+ust !,' !"#!

Amazon USAmazon UKPaperback on demand

-hen That .reat Ship -ent Do/n: the le+al and politicalrepercussions of the loss of 0STitanic

Amazon USAmazon UKPaperback on demand
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007029QGUhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B007029QGUhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808239&sr=1-5http://www.amazon.com/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808248&sr=1-4http://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss-and-markham-shaw-pyle/the-transatlantic-disputations-essays-and-meditations/paperback/product-18821915.htmlhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Confidence-House-1940-ebook/dp/B005GVOBF8/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808954&sr=1-4http://www.amazon.com/The-Confidence-House-1940-ebook/dp/B005GVOBF8/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808890&sr=1-3http://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss/the-confidence-of-the-house-may-1940/paperback/product-15387183.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Drunks-United-States-August-ebook/dp/B005H2SZXK/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808819&sr=1-4http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drunks-United-States-August-ebook/dp/B005H2SZXK/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808822&sr=1-6http://www.lulu.com/shop/markham-shaw-pyle/fools-drunks-and-the-united-states-august-12-1941/paperback/product-16529035.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/When-That-Great-Ship-ebook/dp/B007U7WOXM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808686&sr=1-2http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-That-Great-Ship-ebook/dp/B007U7WOXM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808689&sr=1-2http://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss-and-markham-shaw-pyle/when-that-great-ship-went-down-the-legal-and-political-repercussions-of-the-loss-of-rms-titanic/paperback/product-20060924.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B007029QGUhttp://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss-and-markham-shaw-pyle/the-transatlantic-disputations-essays-and-meditations/paperback/product-18821915.htmlhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808239&sr=1-5http://www.amazon.com/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808248&sr=1-4http://www.amazon.com/When-That-Great-Ship-ebook/dp/B007U7WOXM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808686&sr=1-2http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-That-Great-Ship-ebook/dp/B007U7WOXM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808689&sr=1-2http://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss-and-markham-shaw-pyle/when-that-great-ship-went-down-the-legal-and-political-repercussions-of-the-loss-of-rms-titanic/paperback/product-20060924.htmlhttp://www.lulu.com/shop/markham-shaw-pyle/fools-drunks-and-the-united-states-august-12-1941/paperback/product-16529035.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Drunks-United-States-August-ebook/dp/B005H2SZXK/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808819&sr=1-4http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drunks-United-States-August-ebook/dp/B005H2SZXK/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808822&sr=1-6http://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss/the-confidence-of-the-house-may-1940/paperback/product-15387183.htmlhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Confidence-House-1940-ebook/dp/B005GVOBF8/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808954&sr=1-4http://www.amazon.com/The-Confidence-House-1940-ebook/dp/B005GVOBF8/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808890&sr=1-3https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007029QGU


3/23

On public choice economics (and Titanic):

Pro!ressi"es ob#ect to capitalism onl$ %hen it is not

re!ulated and not cronies %ith the re!ulators: the insi!hts of

public choice economics& the risks of re!ulator$ capture ' as

the US Senate subcommittee had itself been s%iftl$ and

silent captured b$ *arconi ' do not occur to the Pro!ressi"e

mind& because the$ rest upon a premise that the Pro!ressi"e

mind cannot entertain: that re!ulators& bureaucrats and

politicians& ha"e the same failin!s& passions& susceptibilit$ to

corruption& andpriceas ha"e capitalists (and e"er$one else)+

Pro!ressi"ism cannot reco!nise the doctrine of Ori!inal Sin: it

admits that& as *adison %rote in The ederalist' !o"ernment is

necessar$ because the !o"erned are men and not an!els, but

it cannot bear that the !o"ernors are realised to be mortal and

unan!elic+


4/23

On re!ulator$ capture and cron$ capitalism (andTitanic):

The Atlantic liners %ere all of them s$mbols& then and

after& to the end of the trade+ -unard %ere subsidised b$ .*

/o"ernment to 0l$ the 0la!+ American shippin! lines %on

subsidies+ The 0rench !o"ernment to the "er$ end assisted

the 0rench 1ine& the Compa+nie .1n1rale Transatlanti2ue' %ith

mail contracts and fleet concessions& a method that continued

throu!h the launch of rance in 2342+ There %ere S%edish

lines& 5utch lines& 6orth /erman 1lo$d& .ambur!

America+ 7f the industr$ had captured its re!ulators& it had

first been captured itself b$ !o"ernments: enterprises that

had been undertaken as bold capitalist "entures had lon!

since become "essels of cron$ capitalism+ And if this %as so

of the shippin! companies& it %as still more so of the *arconi

companies+

The stor$ of Titanic is& then& the stor$ ' as it is the stor$ of

all liners ' not onl$ of re!ulator$ capture, it& and the stor$ of

all the liners of the da$& is not the stor$ onl$ of an en!ineerin!consensus& a smu! belief that The Science 8as Settled: it is


5/23

also the stor$ of an industr$ that %as as a %hole beset b$ and

happil$ entoiled in corporatism& bein! a monopolistic and

rent9seekin! interlockin! directorate; of business and

!o"ernment in restraint of trade and a!ainst the public

interest and public safet$+2

The onl$ colourable ar!ument a!ainst capitalism is

the beha"iour of capitalists& as the ar!ument a!ainst the

-hurch is the beha"iour of -hristians+ 7n the first instance& at

an$ e"ent (theolo!$ bein! out%ith the scope of this %ork)&

the beha"iour of capitalists that brin!s capitalism into

disrepute is precisel$ not capitalistic beha"iour+ The !reat

enem$ of cron$ capitalism is the true capitalist+


6/23

informed b$ the e>pertise of industr$& or& if the$ are

themsel"es technicall$ informed& are amenable to

remunerati"e positions in that industr$ %hen the$ shall ha"e

left their ill9pa$in! !o"ernment posts+ 7n either case&

re!ulator$ capture is fatall$ eas$ for a ma#or industr$ and its

lar!er concerns+

All re!ulation acts as a dra! upon commerce: but there are

al%a$s loopholes& commonl$ inserted b$ the re!ulated

industr$ in the process of re!ulator$ capture and political

influence& and the$ are carefull$ desi!ned to be e>ploited and

e>ploitable onl$ b$ the lar!e corporations that possess the

%here%ithal to deplo$ men of la%& chartered accountants&

and lobb$ists b$ the dozen+ 0or a lar!e corporation&

!o"ernment is an anno$ance: it is not the enem$+ The enem$

is competition& and particularl$ upstart competition+ 7t is %ith

business concerns as it is %ith ships: size matters+ ?"en as

Olympic and Titanic could upset smaller "essels in their

%akes& a lar!e compan$ can e>ploit re!ulation to cripple a

smaller+ A lar!e ship& of considerable burthen and drau!ht&

%ith its centre of !ra"it$ %ell belo% the %aterline& can pass

throu!h currents and %inds that li!hter "essels are %recked

b$+ A re!ulator$ scheme that reduces a lar!e compan$;s

di"idend b$ tuppence can cripple and bankrupt three smaller

firms& thereb$ protectin! the lar!e corporation from their

%ould9be competitors; inno"ation& in"ention& superior

customer ser"ice& and competiti"e reduction in price+


7/23

=i! =usiness also naturall$ en#o$s the benefits of cron$

capitalism& %ith the State in its pocket and contrari%ise: a

commercial protection racket to %hich !o"ernments of a

"a!uel$ 1eftist stripe are peculiarl$ and speciall$ prone+ Of

course =i! =usiness makes the appropriate noises& and rails

and screams a!ainst oppressi"e re!ulation all the %a$ to

the bank+

7n this is the !enesis of all trusts and anti9competiti"e

arran!ements+


8/23

On constitutional reform (and Titanic):

The Parliament Act 2322 %hich emasculated the 1ords had '

t$picall$ of a 1iberal bill in the a!e after /ladstone ' been at

once practical and starr$9e$ed& and& a!ain t$picall$& it had not

been %ithout its tincture of humbu!+ Sir ?d%ard /re$ %as& as

0orei!n Secretar$& incisi"e and clear9thinkin! as became one

of =arin!;s ' 1ord -romer;s ' prot@!@s, but his romantic

1iberalism had come too much to the fore %hen he had

charmed -abinet and the P* into insertin!& in the preamble

of %hat became the Parliament Act 2322& the fateful statement

that

it is intended to substitute for the House of 3ords as it

at present e4ists a Second Chamber constituted on a

popular instead of hereditary basis' but such substitution

cannot be immediately brou+ht into operation5 and /hereas

provision /ill re2uire hereafter to be made by 6arliament

in a measure effectin+ such substitution for limitin+ and

definin+ the po/ers of the ne/ Second Chamber' but it is

e4pedient to make such provision as in this *ct appears for

restrictin+ the e4istin+ po/ers of the House of 3ords78

Practicall$& this ui>otic aspiration has bede"illed =ritish


9/23

politics for the succeedin! centur$+ ?ither the Upper .ouse is

popularl$ elected& or it is not+ 7f it is& then the loss of the

1ord;s "eto& and the practical impossibilit$ of restrictin! to

members of -ommons the opportunit$ to become prime

minister& are no lon!er supportable& althou!h it %as precisel$

to secure these ends that the Act %as put throu!h+ 7t %as felt

necessar$ that it be put throu!h because the 1ords in 23B3

comprised a permanent -onser"ati"e and Unionist bod$ that

simpl$ %ould not cease to block -ommons le!islation that

%as not either introduced or accepted b$ the -onser"ati"e

and Unionist Part$+


10/23

*SP on Pro!ressi"ism:

7n man$ %a$s& -harles A+ 1indber!h %as a "er$ simple

man: simple9minded& half the time+ That %as not an e>cuse+

.e %as b$ back!round a prairie Republican& and b$

s$mpath$ a Pro!ressi"e& and both those breeds had and ha"e

a marked tendenc$ to belie"e in that spectrum of thou!ht that

mi>es en"ironmental crusadin! %ith eu!enics to create a

bien9pensant form of racism+ O"er the course of his life& 1ind$

%ould e>hibit e"er$ s$mptom of this intellectual conta!ion&

up to and includin! the /reat 8hite 0ather S$ndrome that& in

the name of en"ironmentalism and protection of the

Cnati"es&D treats Cprimiti"eD ' i+e+& non9%hite ' peoples as

pets or zoo e>hibits to be preser"ed in parks and forbidden to

chan!e their uaint& charmin! little %a$s& m$ dear& ho%

deliciousl$primitive and natural+

7n Au!ust of 23E2& much of the =ritish 1abour Part$ ' its

intelli!entsia and the Parliamentar$ part$ alike ' %as& like the

0abian Societ$& casuall$ racist in a sei!niorial& paternalistic

%a$& and %holl$ persuaded of the claims of Ceu!enic

science+D 7n America& %hite Southerners %ere& in ninet$9nine


11/23

cases out of a hundred& unapolo!eticall$ racist& %ith the full

appro"al of their consciences& althou!h& dependin! upon

class and breedin!& that racism ran the !amut& from outri!ht&

po; %hite trash& mudsill hatred and an itch for l$nchin!& to

Ol; *assa kindliness so lon+ as the ;e+ro< kne/ his placecuse for /u!lielmo *arconi;s

later adherence to 0ascism: there is no such e>cuse for

an$one& at an$ time& full stop+ =ut if one seeks an e>planation&

it ma$ be uite likel$ found in the impression of

parliamentar$ democrac$ Si!nor *arconi concei"ed bet%een

232B and 232M& courtes$ of 1lo$d /eor!e& the *aster of

?libank& Samuel& and 7saacs+ 0ascism is a ne!ation& a refusal& a

denial of parliamentar$ democrac$& and is nurtured b$ the

failures& %hich it cannot see as temporar$ and aberrant& of

parliamentar$ democrac$+


20/23

/*88 on conser"atism:

There are t%o primar$ strains in the -onser"ati"e Part$:

!rocers& and !randees+ 6o%& > am a !rocer+

7 shall& as al%a$s& e>plain+

=$ !randees; and !rocers;& 7 am not referrin! to social

class or an$ of that, nor do 7 refer to the 8orshipful -ompan$

of /rocers& all clo"es and camels+ 7 refer rather to t%o

fundamental positions %ithin the -onser"ati"e Part$&

re!ardless of one;s antecedents+ Super*ac& to be sure& %as a

!randee, as %ere 5ou!las9.ome& ?den& and so on+ So is 5a"e

-ameron+ =ut so also %as Ted .eath, so also had been

=ald%in& 6e"ille -hamberlain& and& thou!h he at least %as

ne"er P*& thank /od& Foe -hamberlain+ *ar!aret Thatcher

%as a !rocer, so %as Salisbur$+ So %as Peel+ So %as

8inston+ So %as 5izz$& and so ' perhaps because he %as the

master of lo!istics and of theaterielschlacht' %as the duke

of 8ellin!ton& bullock9train and all+

8hat& then& is a !randeeQ A !randee -onser"ati"e sees

the countr$ as a "illa!e: a "illa!e of %hich he and his part$&

%hen in !o"ernment& act the Suire+ As the Suire& the


21/23

!randee mo"es #o"iall$ amon!st his tenants in their tied

cotta!es& dispensin! lar!esse and reproof+ There are t%o

problems %ith this model+ The first is that .*/ is not the

Suire and the sub#ects of the -ro%n are not the smocked

tenantr$ of the !o"ernment of the da$+ The second is that

these principles ' or instincts& as one can hardl$ call them

principles ' ho%e"er different the$ ma$ be to the fiercel$

held ma>ims of 1abour old and ne%& lead in the end to the

same statist solutions as those the 1eft proposes& and to

acceptin! and mana!in!; statism %hen a -onser"ati"e

!o"ernment succeeds a 1abour one+ 7t is the !rocers %ho %ill

al%a$s and ri!htl$ attempt to roll back the State and its reach

in fa"our of libert$+

7t ma$ readil$ be seen from this that the -ameroon !reen

-onser"ati"es; are ' like most /reens& %ith their pull9the9

ladder9up9behind9them& %e9;a"e9ours& %e;re9all9ri!ht9Fim

attitude ' natural !randees& statists+

The !rocers& b$ contrast& are classical 1iberals+ 7n m$ o%n

case& 7 could %ell ha"e been a 1iberal at least as late as 1ord

Roseber$;s premiership& or e"en as late& perhaps& as

-ampbell9=annerman;s ' until 23BM& sa$+ 8e !rocers are

follo%ers of the *anchester School in economics& the heirs of

.a$ek and "on *ises& firm belie"ers in economic libert$ as a

foundation for personal libert$& the libert$ of the

sub#ect+ And it is the libert$ of the sub#ect ' the idea of a

"illa!e of free traders and freeholders& not tenants in tied


22/23

cotta!es ' that dri"es the !rocer Tor$+

7t is a commonplace to sa$ that American -onser"ati"es

are all 1iberals& there bein! no blood and soil; Ri!htism in

American politics+ There isn;t reall$ an$ such strain in

Tor$ism& either (that is %h$ /od created ' or the 5e"il

inspired ' the =6P)& and hasn;t been& actuall$& since that

rene!ade Radical& Foe -hamberlain& ser"ed under 1ord

Salisbur$+ Soil;: $es, thus the -ountr$side Alliance+ =ut not

blood; ' not e"en if $ou recall the furore o"er the probabl$

misapprehended remarks that effecti"el$ ended ?noch

Po%ell;s career+ /rocers and !randees alike are& it is rashl$

belie"ed& euall$ attached to the monarch$& the ?stablished

-hurch& and the traditions, but those of $ou %ho ha"e

read Dr Thorne %ill understand me %hen 7 sa$ that the

romanticism of the !randee lea"es off& as a !eneral rule&

%here the romanticism of the !rocer be!ins: the !randee& like

the duke of Omnium& does not much care %hat happens to

the countr$& or the -hurch& or the -ro%n& sa"e as it affects the

!randee;s position& pri"ile!es& and emoluments, the !rocer

has the innate& =urkean lo$alties of 1ord 5e -ourc$+ =ut

these are=urkean and or!anic& and are #ustified to the !rocer

as bein! bul%arks of& $es& the libert$ of the sub#ect+ And

these classical 1iberals are no%ada$s in the Tor$ part$ ' and

there is no real 1iberal Part$ as historicall$ understood ' for

t%o reasons: firstl$& that the -onser"ati"e Part$ is the

-onser"ati"e and (nionist Part$, and& lastl$& the -onser"ati"e


23/23

Part$ is the onl$ a"ailable political home for them+

And this is %here the !rocer Tor$& %hate"er his

back!round& finds himself actuall$ preferrin! actual !rocers

to actual !randees: for the .i!h Street tradesman is far more

likel$ to apprehend the relations bet%een economic and

personal libert$ than are an$ number of dukes+ /rocer Tories

' %hether an actual !rocer;s dau!hter or the !randson of the

duke of *arlborou!h ' can and do !rasp the romance of

commerce as part of the epic of libert$+

.ere endeth the 1esson+

?>plicit 1iber

bapton books aphorisms: politics, economics, and a dash of philosophy

Documents