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He wags his head sagely and rattles the dry bones of dead and buried ideas。
His lips mumble mouldy phrases； such as； 〃Men are not born equal and
never can be；〃 〃It is Utopian and impossible；〃 〃Abstinence should be
rewarded；〃 〃Man will first have to be born again；〃 〃Cooperative colonies
have always failed；〃 and 〃What if we do divide up？ in ten years there
would be rich and poor men such as there are today。〃
It surely is time that the capitalists knew something about this
socialism that they feel menaces them。 And it is the hope of the writer that
the socialistic studies in this volume may in some slight degree enlighten a
few capitalistic minds。 The capitalist must learn； first and for always； that
socialism is based； not upon the equality； but upon the inequality； of men。
Next； he must learn that no new birth into spiritual purity is necessary
before socialism becomes possible。 He must learn that socialism deals
with what is； not with what ought to be； and that the material with which it
deals is the 〃clay of the common road；〃 the warm human； fallible and frail；
sordid and petty； absurd and contradictory； even grotesque； and yet； withal；
shot through with flashes and glimmerings of something finer and God…
like； with here and there sweetnesses of service and unselfishness； desires
for goodness； for renunciation and sacrifice； and with conscience； stern
and awful； at times blazingly imperious； demanding the right；the right；
nothing more nor less than the right。
JACK LONDON。 OAKLAND； CALIFORNIA。 January 12； 1905。
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War of the Classes
THE CLASS STRUGGLE
Unfortunately or otherwise； people are prone to believe in the reality
of the things they think ought to be so。 This comes of the cheery optimism
which is innate with life itself； and； while it may sometimes be deplored； it
must never be censured； for； as a rule； it is productive of more good than
harm； and of about all the achievement there is in the world。 There are
cases where this optimism has been disastrous； as with the people who
lived in Pompeii during its last quivering days； or with the aristocrats of
the time of Louis XVI； who confidently expected the Deluge to
overwhelm their children； or their children's children； but never
themselves。 But there is small likelihood that the case of perverse
optimism here to be considered will end in such disaster； while there is
every reason to believe that the great change now manifesting itself in
society will be as peaceful and orderly in its culmination as it is in its
present development。
Out of their constitutional optimism； and because a class struggle is an
abhorred and dangerous thing； the great American people are unanimous
in asserting that there is no class struggle。 And by 〃American people〃 is
meant the recognized and authoritative mouth… pieces of the American
people； which are the press； the pulpit； and the university。 The journalists；
the preachers； and the professors are practically of one voice in declaring
that there is no such thing as a class struggle now going on； much less that
a class struggle will ever go on； in the United States。 And this declaration
they continually make in the face of a multitude of facts which impeach；
not so much their sincerity； as affirm； rather； their optimism。
There are two ways of approaching the subject of the class struggle。
The existence of this struggle can be shown theoretically； and it can be
shown actually。 For a class struggle to exist in society there must be； first；
a class inequality； a superior class and an inferior class （as measured by
power）； and； second； the outlets must be closed whereby the strength and
ferment of the inferior class have been permitted to escape。
That there are even classes in the United States is vigorously denied by
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War of the Classes
many； but it is incontrovertible； when a group of individuals is formed；
wherein the members are bound together by common interests which are
peculiarly their interests and not the interests of individuals outside the
group； that such a group is a class。 The owners of capital； with their
dependents； form a class of this nature in the United States； the working
people form a similar class。 The interest of the capitalist class； say； in the
matter of income tax； is quite contrary to the interest of the laboring class；
and； VICE VERSA； in the matter of poll…tax。
If between these two classes there be a clear and vital conflict of
interest； all the factors are present which make a class struggle； but this
struggle will lie dormant if the strong and capable members of the inferior
class be permitted to leave that class and join the ranks of the superior
class。 The capitalist class and the working class have existed side by side
and for a long time in the United States； but hitherto all the strong；
energetic members of the working class have been able to rise out of their
class and become owners of capital。 They were enabled to do this because
an undeveloped country with an expanding frontier gave equality of
opportunity to all。 In the almost lottery…like scramble for the ownership of
vast unowned natural resources； and in the exploitation of which there was
little or no competition of capital； （the capital itself rising out of the
exploitation）； the capable； intelligent member of the working class found a
field in which to use his brains to his own advancement。 Instead of being
discontented in direct ratio with his intelligence and ambitions； and of
radiating amongst his fellows a spirit of revolt as capable as he was
capable； he left them to their fate and carved his own way to a place in the
superior class。
But the day of an expanding frontier； of a lottery…like scramble for the
ownership of natural resources； and of the upbuilding of new industries； is
past。 Farthest West has been reached； and an immense volume of surplus
capital roams for investment and nips in the bud the patient efforts of the
embryo capitalist to rise through slow increment from small beginnings。
The gateway of opportunity after opportunity has been closed； and closed
for all time。 Rockefeller has shut the door on oil； the American Tobacco
Company on tobacco； and Carnegie on steel。 After Carnegie came Morgan；
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War of the Classes
who triple… locked the door。 These doors will not open again； and before
them pause thousands of ambitious young men to read the placard： NO
THOROUGH…FARE。
And day by day more doors are shut； while the ambitious young men
continue to be born。 It is they； denied the opportunity to rise from the
working class； who preach revolt to the working class。 Had he been born
fifty years later； Andrew Carnegie； the poor Scotch boy； might have risen
to be president of his union； or of a federation of unions； but that he would
never have become the builder of Homestead and the founder of
multitudinous libraries； is as certain as it is certain that some other man
would have developed the steel industry had Andrew Carnegie never been
born。
Theoretically； then； there exist in the United States all the factors
which go to make a class struggle。 There are the capitalists and working
classes； the interests of which conflict； while the working class is no
longer being emasculated to the extent it was in the past by having drawn
off from it its best blood and brains。 Its more capable members are no
longer able to rise out of it and leave the great mass leaderless and helpless。
They remain to be its leaders。
But the optimistic mouthpieces of the great American people； who are
themselves deft theoreticians； are not to be convinced by mere theoretics。
So it remains to demonstrate