Freedom of the Press; D. Russell

For example, it so happens that I am in general disagreement with the editorial viewpoints expressed by more than 90 per cent of the Dr. Russell, economist, is a member. of the staff of The Foundation for EconomIc Edu cation. large daily newspapers in our country. But that fact has nothing whatever to do with the existence of freedom of the press. The only issue of consequence is whether or not the owners and editors of the newspapers are printing what they themselves choose to print and for any good or bad reason that pleases them. If any publisher is ever compelled to print view points that do not appeal to him personally, freedom of the press will be finished. There is, of course, only one source from which that compul sion could come - government. Yet I have heard many of my teaching colleagues seriously propose the idea that newspapers should be compelled to print all viewpoints or, worse yet, that the government should establish "opposition news papers" as a "public service."

Both proposals are, of course, the reverse of freedom of the press. The only valid test of freedom of the press is this: Can you write anything you please, pay to have it printed, and send it through the mails at your own expense without police interference? If so, freedom of the press is complete. If not, there is no freedom of the press. The fact that you may not have the large amount of capital that is today required to establish a daily newspaper is in no way related to this issue. + 35 JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES LENIN is said to have declared that the best way to destroy the Cap italist System was to debauch the currency. By a continuing process of inflation, governments can con fiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily,. and, while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some. The sight of this arbitrary rearrange*From The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes, copyright, 1920, by Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., renewed, 1948, by Lydia Lopokova Keynes.