The great inquiry by Hilaire Belloc
"The Great Inquiry" by Hilaire Belloc is a satirical work, likely written during the early 20th century. This publication serves as a mock report of a fictional parliamentary inquiry into the economic conditions of Britain and its colonies, shining a light on the absurdities and inefficiencies of the British political and economic system of the time. Through a series of comical testimonies and exaggerated claims, Belloc critiques the plight of British industry
while addressing serious themes related to protectionism, the impact of foreign trade, and national identity. The book unfolds as a series of meetings where various witnesses, ranging from industrialists to animals, offer their evidence about the decline of national health and wealth. Many characters present increasingly ridiculous solutions to the problems they face, such as demanding government subsidies or evidencing the superiority of British products through the anecdotal success of a well-fed pig compared to a poorly nourished one. Ultimately, the inquiry descends into chaos, reveling in nonsensical bureaucracy and absurd claims about economic decline, emphasizing the disconnect between political discourse and the economic realities of the time. Belloc employs humor and satire not just to entertain but to provoke thought regarding political accountability and the often misguided nature of policy decisions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Belloc, Hilaire, 1870-1953 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith), 1874-1936 |
| LoC No. | 84241976 |
| Title | The great inquiry |
| Original Publication | United Kingdom: Duckworth & Co., 1903. |
| Note | Reading ease score: 71.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits | Benjamin Fluehr, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Satire |
| Subject | Chamberlain, Joseph, 1836-1914 -- Humor |
| Subject | Balfour, Arthur James, 1848-1930 -- Humor |
| Subject | Tariff -- Great Britain -- History -- Humor |
| Subject | Protectionism -- Great Britain -- Humor |
| Subject | Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1901-1910 -- Humor |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 70495 |
| Release Date | Apr 7, 2023 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 190 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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