The Party System

By Hilaire Belloc, Cecil Chesterton, Ron Paul and Sforza Ruspoli

Pertinent to America, Britain, and other Western democracies, this book explains that what people believe happens in national assemblies and parliaments is radically different from the reality. Instead of being places where debate is intense, passionate, and aimed at the national interest, the fact is most members of these institutions act on behalf of powerful, unelected interests. They know, implicitly, who really runs the country—and their only real task is to decide if they want to try and rock the boat (thereby risking their salary, their reputation, their future), or stay silent for fear or favor. The book demonstrates beyond any doubt that the very nature of the system is hostile to democracy as laypeople understand it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IHS Press
• Release date: Mar 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781605700199

Hilaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc was born in France in 1870. As a child, he moved with his mother and siblings to England. As a French citizen, he did his military service in France before going to Oxford University, where he was president of the Union debating society. He took British citizenship in 1902 and was a member of parliament for several years. A prolific and versatile writer of over 150 books, he is best remembered for his comic and light verse. But he also wrote extensively about politics, history, nature and contemporary society. Famously adversarial, he is remembered for his long-running feud with H. G. Wells. He died in in Surrey, England, in 1953.