Comments on: Code mining http://www.wordyard.com/2008/02/26/code-mining/ Technology, politics, culture Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:57:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Scott Rosenberg’s Wordyard » Blog Archive » Chesterton quote archeology http://www.wordyard.com/2008/02/26/code-mining/#comment-2169 Scott Rosenberg’s Wordyard » Blog Archive » Chesterton quote archeology Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:41:50 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/2008/02/26/code-mining/#comment-2169 [...] Orwell quote earlier this week that began “Our civilization is founded on coal” had a “pace Chesterton” at [...] [...] Orwell quote earlier this week that began “Our civilization is founded on coal” had a “pace Chesterton” at [...]

]]> By: Amos Anan http://www.wordyard.com/2008/02/26/code-mining/#comment-2140 Amos Anan Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:24:16 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/2008/02/26/code-mining/#comment-2140 You've probably seen this since it only took a quick google search to find it. It's a poem recited by a friend of Chesterton at the end of a debate between Chesterton and George Bernard Shaw. The poem was written and spoken by a friend of Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, who was moderating the debate. http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/debate.txt http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Do_We_Agree%3F ........................................ "Our civilization Is built upon coal. Let us chant in rotation Our civilization That lump of damnation Without any soul, Our civilization Is built upon coal. "In a very few years, It will float upon oil. Then give three hearty cheers, In a very few years We shall mop up our tears And have done with our toil. In a very few years It will float upon oil." ........................................ The debate was sponsored by the Distributist League which was formed by Chesterton. Chesterton apparently was in favor of nationalizing the coal mines. The debate seemed to center around the difference in views on the subject between socialist Shaw and "Distributist" Chesterton. It's certainly possible that both Orwell and Belloc refer to some prior published views expressed by Chesterton. You’ve probably seen this since it only took a quick google search to find it. It’s a poem recited by a friend of Chesterton at the end of a debate between Chesterton and George Bernard Shaw. The poem was written and spoken by a friend of Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, who was moderating the debate.

http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/debate.txt
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Do_We_Agree%3F

………………………………….
“Our civilization
Is built upon coal.
Let us chant in rotation
Our civilization
That lump of damnation
Without any soul,
Our civilization
Is built upon coal.

“In a very few years,
It will float upon oil.
Then give three hearty cheers,
In a very few years
We shall mop up our tears
And have done with our toil.
In a very few years
It will float upon oil.”
………………………………….

The debate was sponsored by the Distributist League which was formed by Chesterton. Chesterton apparently was in favor of nationalizing the coal mines. The debate seemed to center around the difference in views on the subject between socialist Shaw and “Distributist” Chesterton.

It’s certainly possible that both Orwell and Belloc refer to some prior published views expressed by Chesterton.

]]>