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That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin. They condemned millions of first-class people to semi-starvation. Now the Tories are pouring out money in propaganda of all sorts and are hoping by this organised sustained mass suggestion to eradicate from our minds all memory of what we went through. But, I warn you young men and women, do not listen to what they are saying now. Do not listen to the seductions of Lord Woolton. He is a very good salesman. If you are selling shoddy stuff you have to be a good salesman. But I warn you they have not changed, or if they have they are slightly worse than they were.

Aneurin Bevan#7

PoliticsClass struggleHistoryPovertyPropagandaSocial justice

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About this quote

What does it mean?
Bevan expresses enduring hatred for the Tory Party due to their role in causing suffering and starvation, warning against their propaganda efforts to erase this memory.
In plain terms
He hates the Tories for past harm and warns people not to trust their current money-driven propaganda.
What can you take from it?
Do not trust political propaganda that tries to hide past harms.

Where it applies

  • political campaigns
  • historical reflection
  • policy debate

Putting it to work

  • critique party platforms
  • verify historical claims
  • resist marketing

Questions to consider

  • How do we balance past grievances with present needs?
  • What role does propaganda play in democracy?

Another view

Personal animosity may cloud objective assessment of current policies.

More from Aneurin Bevan

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  2. The language of priorities is the religion of socialism.

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  3. Apparently some fire-eaters to-day have been saying 'Never again must we allow ourselves to get into the same condition of military unprepardness, so we are go…

    Permalink to quote #5

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