Labor and Freedom Eugene V Debs 9781544642543 Books
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The face of the old umbrella mender lighted up with a kindly smile as he commented on the strange conduct of my umbrella in slipping a cog just as he happened to come along. I asked him by what evil magic he did the trick and he laughed in a half-hearted way just to be polite, but it was plain that he had long since forgotten how to laugh. As we stepped into the shelter of an adjoining store he sat down on the steps and drawing a threaded needle from beneath the lapel of his thin and faded coat, he began to sew the cover back into its proper place. His fingers were red and numb. A discolored nail partly hid a badly bruised thumb. He had difficulty in doing this bit of sewing, and it plainly distressed him. His eyesight was failing and his fingers were stiff in the joints.
Labor and Freedom Eugene V Debs 9781544642543 Books
A century before critics started accusing Bernie Sanders of being a socialist, a real Socialist was in the running for President of the United States. Eugene V. Debs sought the nation’s highest office five times (once from a prison cell). His best performance came in 1912 when, running as a fourth-party candidate against Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft, he garnered six percent of the vote. Despite being a high school dropout, Debs was hailed in his day as one of the nation’s most eloquent and moving speakers. His rhetoric not only inspired political fervor but also influenced the socially conscious literature of his era, most notably the writings of Upton Sinclair and Jack London. Labor and Freedom, published in 1916, is a collection of Debs’ writings and speeches. The 18 pieces included in the book provide a detailed overview of Debs’ political thought and campaign platform, as well as a valuable historical record of the American socialist movement at its height.The book is divided roughly in half; the first part being articles and short lectures and the second consisting of four longer campaign speeches. In “The Secret of Efficient Expression,” when Debs is asked to explain how he became such a powerful and effective speaker, he provides a political autobiography detailing the course of his self education. Among his influences, he ranks two great orators as his personal heroes: abolitionist Wendell Phillips and “The Great Agnostic” Robert Ingersoll—two names that crop up repeatedly in his discourse. In “Susan B. Anthony,” Debs expresses his admiration for and solidarity with the famous suffragist, whom he met on two occasions. “Pioneer Women of America” heaps more praise upon Anthony, while also recognizing Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s contributions to the women’s rights and abolitionist movements. In “The Coppock Bros.,” Debs recognizes two Ohio men who fought alongside John Brown in the attack on Harper’s Ferry. “Jesus, the Supreme Leader” presents a secular interpretation of Christ as the ultimate communist, a view shared by Sinclair and many other Christian socialists.
Of course, the book is more than just a collection of history lessons. The majority of its pages are occupied by political rhetoric, some of which could fairly be called propaganda. In “The Social Spirit,” Debs preaches against individualism, capitalism, and competition in favor of brotherhood, socialism, and cooperation. In a pair of pieces, “The Little Lords of Love” and “A Message to the Children,” Debs uses imagery of an idyllic socialist childhood to appeal to parent voters and ends up sounding manipulative and cloying in the process. The campaign speeches are where the real meat of Debs’s thought comes through. If there’s one entry that encapsulates the state of socialism in America a century ago it’s “Unity and Victory,” which opens as a primer on socialist philosophy and ends in a call for all unions to join together into one universal brotherhood of the working class. Not surprisingly for campaign speeches, the four selections included here tend to get repetitive, and Debs spends just as much time attacking his opponents—Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, and William Jennings Bryan—as he does outlining his own agenda. These are campaign speeches, after all, intended to educate and persuade, not to entertain. Regardless of your political slant, the primary value of Labor and Freedom to the 21st century reader is its function as time capsule to an era when many considered socialism to be a viable option for American governance, the class struggle was openly discussed as a reality of American life, and the “S” word was not hurled about as a pejorative insult.
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Tags : Labor and Freedom [Eugene V. Debs] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The face of the old umbrella mender lighted up with a kindly smile as he commented on the strange conduct of my umbrella in slipping a cog just as he happened to come along. I asked him by what evil magic he did the trick and he laughed in a half-hearted way just to be polite,Eugene V. Debs,Labor and Freedom,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1544642547,General,Political ScienceGeneral,SOCIAL SCIENCE General,Social Science,Sociology
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Labor and Freedom Eugene V Debs 9781544642543 Books Reviews
a truely great compassionate work, that would be almost self evident if not for the cultural propaganda of materialism's vested interests.
Of the few works available on the United States most important labour leader, this collection of Eugene Victor Debs selected essays and speeches provides an excellent if brief introduction to his thought, his view of socialism, women's emancipation, the Socialist Party, and other issues. By presenting the man in his own words, it also allows the reader to grasp just why Debs was such an inspiring figure for the labour movement, as well as one of the best examples of a genuinely socialist man. Highly recommended for all comrades, students of American history, and anyone with a desire to encounter socialism first hand, as opposed to through the demagoguery of the Republican and Democratic parties.
The guy who ran for President from prison. One of the founders of Industrial Workers of the World.One BIG Union!
I do not know if I was not paying enough attention, but I thought this was a single cohesive thought. Instead it is a collection of stories from Debs. I'm not saying that was a bad thing. I just wanted a complete political thought from the guy. With that being said I still liked the book. The collection of short writings still worked for it gives a moving idea that correlates with what is happening at the time. Nice to add to the collection of American Socialism material, but should not be the set piece in the collection.
Who doesn't need a bit of Debs in your life? This is a great collection of some of his speeches. I think we can use his sentiments today. This would make an excellent supplement to your history class or a book study group.
E>V>Debs was an advanced thinker on the early 20th century labor scene. His voice is echoed today by serious thinkers of the american scene such as; Noam Chomsky, MLK, Gore Vidal.and Howard Zinn. Labor and Freedom echoes the problems in America today that was written
a century ago. Debs showed that nothing has changed in our country democracy, a disgrace; money people, in full control; US congress' bought
and sold . labor and Freedom must be read . Get it today.
Peter Giuliano
Atlantis, Florida
I really love the writings of Eugene Debs, however...this collection is very cheap. Although you can't see it in the thumbnail online, the hammer and sickle are pixelated on the actual cover of the book. There is a typo on the back cover "This is as relevant today as it was nearlt 100 years ago." and in several of the speeches. These aren't detrimental but annoying nonetheless. There is also no publisher information which is also just a weird facet of this collection. My recommendation? Read the writings and speeches of Eugene Debs, but buy another collection from another publisher.
A century before critics started accusing Bernie Sanders of being a socialist, a real Socialist was in the running for President of the United States. Eugene V. Debs sought the nation’s highest office five times (once from a prison cell). His best performance came in 1912 when, running as a fourth-party candidate against Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft, he garnered six percent of the vote. Despite being a high school dropout, Debs was hailed in his day as one of the nation’s most eloquent and moving speakers. His rhetoric not only inspired political fervor but also influenced the socially conscious literature of his era, most notably the writings of Upton Sinclair and Jack London. Labor and Freedom, published in 1916, is a collection of Debs’ writings and speeches. The 18 pieces included in the book provide a detailed overview of Debs’ political thought and campaign platform, as well as a valuable historical record of the American socialist movement at its height.
The book is divided roughly in half; the first part being articles and short lectures and the second consisting of four longer campaign speeches. In “The Secret of Efficient Expression,” when Debs is asked to explain how he became such a powerful and effective speaker, he provides a political autobiography detailing the course of his self education. Among his influences, he ranks two great orators as his personal heroes abolitionist Wendell Phillips and “The Great Agnostic” Robert Ingersoll—two names that crop up repeatedly in his discourse. In “Susan B. Anthony,” Debs expresses his admiration for and solidarity with the famous suffragist, whom he met on two occasions. “Pioneer Women of America” heaps more praise upon Anthony, while also recognizing Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s contributions to the women’s rights and abolitionist movements. In “The Coppock Bros.,” Debs recognizes two Ohio men who fought alongside John Brown in the attack on Harper’s Ferry. “Jesus, the Supreme Leader” presents a secular interpretation of Christ as the ultimate communist, a view shared by Sinclair and many other Christian socialists.
Of course, the book is more than just a collection of history lessons. The majority of its pages are occupied by political rhetoric, some of which could fairly be called propaganda. In “The Social Spirit,” Debs preaches against individualism, capitalism, and competition in favor of brotherhood, socialism, and cooperation. In a pair of pieces, “The Little Lords of Love” and “A Message to the Children,” Debs uses imagery of an idyllic socialist childhood to appeal to parent voters and ends up sounding manipulative and cloying in the process. The campaign speeches are where the real meat of Debs’s thought comes through. If there’s one entry that encapsulates the state of socialism in America a century ago it’s “Unity and Victory,” which opens as a primer on socialist philosophy and ends in a call for all unions to join together into one universal brotherhood of the working class. Not surprisingly for campaign speeches, the four selections included here tend to get repetitive, and Debs spends just as much time attacking his opponents—Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, and William Jennings Bryan—as he does outlining his own agenda. These are campaign speeches, after all, intended to educate and persuade, not to entertain. Regardless of your political slant, the primary value of Labor and Freedom to the 21st century reader is its function as time capsule to an era when many considered socialism to be a viable option for American governance, the class struggle was openly discussed as a reality of American life, and the “S” word was not hurled about as a pejorative insult.
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