Saturday, February 9, 2008
Upton Sinclair and the Jungle
Upton Sinclair's novel "the Jungle" was a muckraking novel that highlighted the poor working and conditions for workers in Chicago's meatpacking industry. His novel led to the passage of Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, which established the Food and Drug Administration of the federal government. Sinclair's novel was intended to be a socialist novel, he wanted to highlight the problems of urban life and influence the working class to rise up and seek a better solution. Why do you think that the message of socialism never truly caught on with the American people? What obstacles did the working class face? Do you agree with the socialist message? Why or why not? Responses due by February 17th.
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In my opinion, the the message of socialism never truly caught on with the American people because the people identified socialism with communism and the United States is a capitalistic society, which would not endorse communism by a longshot because the 'American Dream' could never be achieved. The obstacles that the working class faced was the lack of cooperation regarding unions, the power of labor strikes was useless. I disagree with the socialist message because even though in theory it seems like a good thing, in practice it would not work, much like communism after World War II.
I believe that due to the mindset of the American people, socialism was viewed as associated with Communism. Therefore, due to the Red Scare, Communism and Socialism were discouraged and the message of Socialism never caught on with the American people.
In accordance with mikeb, I believe that the obstacles that the working class faced was the lack of cooperation regarding unions and labor strikes. I agree with the socialist message because the working class deserves rights that big monopolies deny them.
Id have to agree with mikeb and kobe17 in that the Americans never got the message of socialism in the fact that they felt socialism was closey associated to that of communism. Workers of the time faced rough conditions in having long harsh working days, low wages, minimal breaks, and harsh working conditions while workin with heat and many other things holding them back from doing the best on the job. I disagree with the socialist message because rising up would break apart the society possibly starting another revolution making the United States and easy target to attack and lower its label of a world power.
I believe socialism never became a popular ideal in American society due to the fact that the United States was a country based on the concept of capitalism. This, and the American theme of individualism prevented socialist ideals from becoming a major movement in the nation. A system where the government owned most or all of the business and production of the nation did not appeal to a society where laissez-faire ideals flourished, and only a minority (and less influencial group of people) advocated governmental control (laborers). Socialism was also viewed as dangerously left-winged and violent. Communism, which is a radical form of Socialism, had recently taken over the country of Russia. The Red Scare that ensued after this event also promoted anti-Socialist attitudes.
The working class was commonly looked down upon by the rest of the nation. The organization of labor unions was largely ineffective, in my opinion, largely due to the lack of reassurance and support from the government and popular opinion. Many people regarded labor unions as troublesome and even dangerous organizations. Another obstacle faced by labor unions, as well as the working class was the fact that they were up against the brutal monoliths of the millionaires and billionaires of America. Those with a large accumulation of money, regardless of contrary belief, have always influenced the government to lean toward their side.
I, in all truth, do not agree with the overly radical idea of a Socialist state. I personally believe in self progression, and the idea of a country where everyone is 'hand fed' by a government does not appeal to me. Perhaps this is because I was raised in America, where a capitalist economy flourishes and where people are free to seek financial success.
I agree with raiders10 on the fact that laborers faced harsh conditions such as long hours and low pay.
I disagree, however, with kobe17 on his belief that Socialism would give the working class that the business monopolies "deny them", as it is not the monopolies that have complete control over the rights of laborers. The monopolies, I believe, did more damages to small businesses than to the laborers themselves. In my opinion, the best solution to the lack of rights for laborers would be for the government to protect them from abuse in a law or amendment, as well as set limits for their work hours and a minimum wage.
I personally believe socialism stalled the United States while the foundation was solely built upon a capitalistic nation. Therefore, a nation built upon social equality would hurt the capitalistic businesses and coporations who rise up in the econoomy. Socialist ideals would hurt the laissez-faire policy, which means no government intervention, yet with socialist attitudes, government would regulate. Socialist ideas share with Communistic ideals, in which Russia was influenced by. The Red Scare in the United States advocated Socialist attitudes.
I agree with Gio1022, in which I do not agree with the ideals of a Socialist economy. Since being raised in America, I have seen the working operations of a capitalist economy, which is very necessary. A place where anyone has the chance and oppurtunity to seek fortune and happiness with no extent. A place where all this flourishes.
Socialism is a concept in which the economy and government are to be controlled by the "community" as a whole. Many at the time associated the concept of socialism with the radical communism that was becoming popular in Europe (Russia). In addition, the concept never caught on due to the American capitalistic society. The American dream was totally capitalistic and therefore socialism was never a fit into American society.
The working class faced tough working conditions, unorganized labor unions and thus inefficient worker's rights.
I do not agree with the socialist message as it places everyone at the same level and denies people the opportunities to soar and achieve their individual goals and dreams. Therefore, i much prefer a capitalistic society as is present in our country today as it idolizes the great concept of the American dream.
I agree with mikeb regarding the idea that socialism went directly against the American dream and the overall concept of America.
I also agree with gio1022 on the idea that socialism would not be a fit in America and that capitalism is a much better system that embraces the concept of the American dream.
First of all, socialism was not a very great idea in a nation that is built on the idea of capitalism. The idea that the distribution of money should be handled by the public would weaken the U.S.'s economy greatly.
Another thing that presented a problem was actually getting this idea into government. History repeatedly shows that not many reforms can be done to big businesses by the public and when they were, it was limited. To have such a reform that would give a big blow to the businesses would be equivalent to the notion of the "end of the world."
As for myself, I can't say I like this socialist message. Even though I am considered a middle-class citizen, I think that the way big businesses do their thing is the reason why America is so great. I would like some of their money, but to have equal wealth is considered a utopian society. Next to impossible to achieve.
Mondile has some interesting comments there and he/she shared some of my thoughts as well, such as the idea that the foundation of our country is built on capitalistic ideals.
I agree with lakers_117 comment on his disagreement with the socialist message. To have everyone have the same share of wealth would mean one social class. That's not bad and is what many would want but competition dies down and so does our country. The sad truth is that we need these tyrants of businesses to have a life as the classes below them since we feed them.
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is a vivid portrait of life and death in the American meat-packing factory. He tries to awaken the reader to the terrible living conditions of immigrants in the cities around the turn of the century. He also attempts to show the advantages of socialism in helping to remedy the problems of a society. Although Sinclair aimed at revealing the inhumane conditions of the wage earner under capitalism, it inspired public health reforms in how the packing was done. The main point of The Jungle was lost and overshadowed by descriptions of the unhealthy conditions in packing plants. Socialism focused on class struggle and the dictatorship of the proletariat. With the rise of Socialism, came the rise of the Progressive Movement which came into view with its belief in “the perfectibility of man, and in an open society where mankind was neither chained to the past nor condemned to a deterministic future; one which people were capable of changing their condition for better or worse.” In the 1900s, The Socialist failure was mainly due to the inability to appeal to the upwardly mobile worker who yearned to be part of the middle class. The party also was divided along racial and ethnic lines. Nonetheless, social reform and the egalitarian distribution of wealth and the transformation of society into small communities in which private property was to be abolished. The main aim of Socialist was to create a Utopian Society and fight against the vast inequalities in the distribution of wealth, and the exploitation of workers.
I agree with the Socialist message through the eyes of the poor struggling to survive in this cruel environment, where the desire for profit among the capitalist makes the lives of the working class an unendurable struggle for survival.However, in the world of economic competition, Socialism is actually more harmful then it is helpful. Liberalism and capitalism address themselves to the cool, well-balanced mind. They proceed by strict logic, eliminating any appeal to the emotions. There is never truly a Utopian society where competition is eliminated. "If trade were completely free, production would only take place under the most suitable conditions."
I agree with "James Owns You :]" I think that one reason American economy has escalated throughout is because our society is centered around the ideology's of capitalism. Competition has defined our nation.
I may be contradicting myself, but I think that Socialists like Sinclair and Eugene Debs had no intention of harming the economy, rather they just wanted social reform for the working man who had been overcome with misery and poverty. Socialism is only an aim at a Utopian Society, where life wouldn't be so hard. Maybe in our eyes, capitalism has defined our nation, but to the 19th century immigrants, women, and African Americans who struggled under the policies and hardships of the upper class man, a call for radical change and fairness was a dream. Although I think that socialism would be potentially harmful to society today, there is a good enough reason why many resorted to this ideology back then.
The problem of socialism never really subsides with the american people because it is closley associated with the idea of communism. The working class dealt with problems of working in harsh conditions and not being payed the appropriate wages. This led to the organization of labor unions, and strikes which in retrospect did nothing to help the working class. I do not agree with the socialist message because in my opinion it is to closley tied to communism for my liking.
I agree with michael bench, because of the fact that he agrees with all of the points that I included in my answers.
I also agree with gio, because of the idea that personal progression is more fulfilling than communial distirbution of wealth.
America, being a capitalistic nation, never really favored socialist ideas to be incorporated in their industrial life. Socialism was related with ever aspect of communism. The communistic revolution that Russia was going through greatly influenced the Americans to counteract such changes that would threaten their capitalistic nation. The Americans disfavored the idea that the government should control and manipulate all business; this greatly contradicted America’s proclamation of a laissez faire economy.
Since the government favored large businesses because it believed that those large businesses benefited the country the most, laborers and the working class had a difficult time in getting the attention from the government.
I personally would favor a capitalistic nation over a communistic one. Being in a communistic country would limit Americans’ goal of climbing up to the American dream. Contrarily, a capitalistic nation would influence individuals to work harder so that they could work their way up to the social ladder.
I agree with kobe17 with the idea that the revolution in Russia and the Red Scare greatly influenced the American people to resist any socialist and communistic changes.
Also, I agree with mikeb that if a communistic government was incorporated in our own country, the American Dream would never be achieved because everyone would be in the same level; everybody would not get a change to reach farther for their goals.
Socialism deals with the community controlling the economy and government as it sorts out the exploitation of workers and the distribution of wealth. Upton Sinclair’s novel, “the Jungle” was a socialist novel intended to focus attention on the plight of the workers in the big canning factories and to influence socialism. However, his main message of socialism was lost when his repulsive descriptions of the disgustingly unsanitary food products, instead, appalled the public. As he put it, he aimed for the nation’s heart but hit its stomach..
At this time, communism was spreading in Europe, specifically Russia. With this came the Red Scare which was a nation wide anti-radical hysteria. Several strikes commonly referred to as crimes against society and plots to establish communism were occurring nation-wide and were seen as a threatening form of radicalism. The idea of socialism never truly caught on with the American people because it was closely associated with the radical communism and America was against that. America was more of a capitalist society.
Workers of the time faced rough conditions as they dealt with long work days, low wages, minimal breaks, and harsh working conditions.
I personally do not agree with the socialist message because everyone would be at the same level and we would be depending on the government to progress. I think self progression is important and there can never really be a perfect society where competition is not imminent.
I agree with Gio1022 in that socialism is associated with the idea of a country where everyone is ‘hand fed’ by a government. It also does not appeal to me and, like she said, self-progression is important.
I also agree with Lakers117 who said that the socialist message places everyone at the same level, denying them the opportunity to achieve their goals and dreams. I believe it important for Americans to be free to seek financial success and to progress on their own terms.
I believe that the concept of Socialism never became a popular ideal in the American society, mainly because the US was more focused on a capatalist nation.
The working class in America faced harsh working conditions and the labor was unorganized. there was also inefficient workers rights.
I do somewhat agree with the message of socialism because the working class should get rights that monopolies deny. i disagree with a socialist message because i also believe in self progression.
I agree with gio1022 when she states that america is a capitalist economy and where people are free to seek financial success.
i can also agree with kobe17 with his answers of the working class, and his agreement with the socialist message.
The message that Sinclair was trying to get across with his book was never picked up by the American people because people were more caught up in the direct situation that was portrayed in the book, instead of understanding the overall idea of socialism. I believe it also has something do with the fact that socialism is very similar and has many relations towards a communistic method of thinking due to the fact that it would bring everyone to the same ground. American workers have always faced obstacles as far as being criticized and looked down upon whenever labor strikes occur. It is so because whenever labor strikes occur, it hurts the economy bit by bit and eats away at the company as well. I do not entirely agree with the socialist message since I personally believe in growing from oneself and progressing individually. However, I also do believe that the lower end of the working class should deserve some of the benefits that the higher end enjoys.
I agree with gio1022 on the fact that labor unions were highly ineffective, especially back during that time. They have always been criticized and looked down upon by society.
I also agree with mar on the fact that a communistic nation would hinder the opportunity of achieving the "American Dream," however, this would only apply to those that obviously live in America.
I agree with mikeb and raiders10 that the AMerican people was not able to get the message of socialism because of the fact that they felt that it tied too closely to communism. After the red scare the message of socialism was put down and never"caught on with the American people." The working class faced conditions including long harsh working days and hours, not enough money, minimal breaks and the scorching heat cause dehydration. I agree with gio1022 in that I dont agree with the socialist message because I believe in self progression, and we should not be as geo1022 stated "hand fed" by the govt.
i believe that the message of socialism never caught on because people believed that it had something to do with communism. the working class had the struggles of not being treated fairly. they didnt have the options that the big monopolies had.
i do agree with the socialist message because everyone deserves rights, even the little factory workers because they are the ones that make the business run.
In my opinion, the message of socialism never truly caught on with the American people because they believed that socialism was similar to the message of communism. And as the United States is a capitalistic society, socialism wasn't quite right for our nation.
The working class faced many obstacles such as poor working conditions and unsuccessful labor unions.
I personally disagree with the socialist message because it does seem very closely tied with communist ideas. In addition, it contradicts with the American dream of progressing and individuals seeking their own unique goals.
mikeb
I agree that the American people never took on socialism because they identified it with communism. I also agree that if the United States were to adopt socialism, Americans would never be able to achieve the "American Dream."
kobe17
I agree that one of the major reasons labor unions were unsuccessful was because their lackof cooperation and organization as a group.
Socialism never really caught on to the American people due to the capitalistic nation America has become. America advocated laissez-faire and ever since big businesses have been flourshing. Due to this policy, socialist messages never really made a big impact on peoples lives. America was about hard work and everyone has to look after themselves. i also agree with gio1022 about socialism can be sometimes dangerous and promotes violence such as the Communism.
The working class faced many problems that were ignored by the government and businesses. The workers who were mainly immigrants and had to work these jobs to support family. They did not get sufficient wages and the conditions most of time were very dangerous. Also the working hours were not fair workers had to work for more than 10 hours.
I do agree with the socialist message because i believe that workers need conditions that are safe and neccessary so they can perform better. Also, its the governments job to make sure the citzens of America are safe and have the benefits they deserve.
The American people were never and have never been enthusastic about the idea of a socialist ideology conforming into our democracy. Socialism has been viewed as having similar views with communism which is a major turn off to most Americans. When dealing with Sinclair's proposal of seeking a better solution, i don't see why people rejected it. It didn't deal with forcing or going against the government and just called for a little reform which is constantly seen today. One answer to that might be that workers have far less rights then they do today and a chance of getting fired or replaced was very likely. I agree with what Sinclair was trying to do, which was propsing change to a corrupt industry to help improve the lives of all Americans.
The reason that socialist ideals were pretty much rejected was due to the Red Scare. The fear of communism made the American people shun the socialist ideals that had several things in common with communism. Also, there is the fact that socialist ideals had no place in the capitalist world that is America. Sinclair's socialist paper may have received more enthusiasm, however, his timing was poor. The obstacles facing the working class included poor working conditions and other factors that held them back from outputing their absolute best. I do not agree with the socialism entirely because i believe everybody has the ability to rise above the masses and they should have the opportunity to set themselves apart. However, i do agree that the working class should be better taken care of.
I agree with gio1022 and lakers_117 in their thought that we reject socialism because we were raised in a capitalist America and therefore we believe in each individual striving to go above and beyond.
Esther<3
period 3
Socialism refers to the distribution of wealth controlled by the community. Being that American was based on the concept of capitalism, they never seemed to adopt socialism since it had its ties with communism. For example, the communism was already spreading all over Russia that led to the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Such paranoia in America that involved the lives of the innocents shows that American would never accept the idea of socialism and communism. Also, the America culture plays a part in preventing America from ever adopting the idea of socialism. Since the beginning, it has been based on individual freedom and responsibility rather than collectivism.
The working class faced the ineffective organization of labor unions, harsh working conditions, and insufficient wages.
I truly do not agree with socialism for it defeats the purpose of America in being the land of opportunity. By ridding the citizens the opportunity of self-progression to pursue their dreams and goals, then what would be considered the “American dream” if everyone were to be the same on the social ladder? Therfore, I would prefer capitalism for it promotes growth and success.
I agree with mar in which the working class would be overlooked since the government would mostly focus and invest on bigger businesses since it would benefit the country.
I also agree with flo<3 in which the Americans should have the opportunity to set themselves apart in order to reach the American dream.
Honestly, I believe that the message of socialism never really attracted the American population was because it corresponded too much with the idea of monopolies and the belief of communism. People enjoy having their own individual freedoms and with socialism they were afraid that the government would be too involved with the way the run their lives. From homes to businesses, if one person is in charge of and gains all of the profits from their company there would be no need for competing businesses because they wouldn't have anything to compete with. The working class was mostly viewed as the "nothings" in society. Due to their "blue collar" status, this showed that they were the one's you could go to to handle the dirty jobs while the wealthy kept their "hands clean" and made more money. Sadly, there wasn't really anything you could do if you were a middle-class citizen becuase after being told so much that that's all you can be what's the hurry to try to be looked upon in society. The socialist message, the belief or theory that a country's wealth should belong to the people as a whole,to me is a hoorible way to run a country. First off, many people when put in difficult situations tend to act in a savage-like behavior, which is even more of a reason for the government letting people techinally run themselves.Basically the way I see it, the world is run on individuality, no one likes the feeling of not being able to make or have a choice.
I completely agree with the comment James Owns You :]'s made about socialism. If the government lets the people govern how the money is distributed throughout the country would destroy the economy because not everyone thinks alike. Some might want the money for personal issues they deem important and their are always going to be people who disagree with you. So the conflict would never be resolved.
I believe the message Sinclair was trying to send across didn't stick with readers is because they were more involved in the situation that he presented rather than socialism. In addition, socialism was being compared with communism, which was totally opposite of the capitalistic America. Workers face obstacles such as when strikes occur, the workers are then looked down upon since it hurts the economy and companies. I disagree with the Socialism because it seems that competition would die down and everyone would be brought to a fair level. Although its more beneficial for people of the country in general, it will eventually hurt America in the end due to lack of competition.
I agree with gio's comment on self progression. Not only does the idea of being hand fed by the government not sound appealing, but also it destroys the lack of motivation to raise yourself in society.
I disagree with kobe17 on agreeing with the socialist ideas. Although the weak may receive the same rights as big monopolies, America thrives on competition.
I think that the socialist message never appealed to the American people because they were worried if this movement grew, it might have influenced communism in the US. Some obstacle that the working class faced was poor working conditions and very little pay for long working hours. Their views and needs were sometimes not heard. In a way I do agree with socialism because in some cases it made our society better like in the case with Upton Sinclair and his novel. If this novel was never written who knows how our food conditions would be today. I don’t agree with the fact that socialism makes everyone equal in class and society. This is why it is closely related to communism.
I agree with kobe17 when he or she states that the Americans never accepted socialism was because it was linked to communism.
I have to agree with Gio1022 when she says that the working class was looked down upon by the whole nation. This is true because if the government did care, they would have given the workers better rights.
In my opinion, I believe that America never caught on to the Socialist beliefs because the majority of voters favored the mild reforms, not radical causes. The working class, at the time, had harsh working conditions and had long hours. However, the working class did somewhat benefit from the Socialist beliefs because the workers eventually achieved the privilege of an eight-hour workday. As far as the Socialists beliefs, I would have to disagree. This would be because I believe that the extremity of the radical reforms was unnecessary and that smaller reforms would suffice for the social problems. The Meat Inspection Act as well as the Pure Food and Drug Acts were very effective at the time without them being a radical movement.
According to my opinion and evidence I believe that the message of socialism never highly influenced masses. The citizens and workers of America had hard living and working conditions, such as lack of living sanitation, long working hours, and abuse of power. However the need for a radical change was not needed in which mild reforms such as the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure and Drug Act kept masses satisfied. Socialist believed that radical and extreme reforms could truly create equality among races and better living conditions. Though some of their ideas were accepted by America such as public ownership of utilities, the eight-hour day and pensions for employees, the majority of voters favored mild reforms. Thus that can conclude that America never really caught on to the Socialist message.
Based on the research on the movements, i agrre with them because of their magnitude of sucess. Around this time, there was not protection for people in terms of working conditions, sanitary, even food handeling conditons. However the radical movements were not as effective. I agree with Jayaguilar and lil chris because they both agree on the lack of sucess on the radical reforms.I disagee of kwix0419 because they denounce the efeects of socialism.
In my opinion, the message of socialism never caught on with the American people because of its close relationship with communism.
And a capitalist nation would never want to endorse communism. Some obstacles the working class faced included poor attendace for labor unions, big buisnessmen like rockefeller who didnt care too much about the employees, and the ineffectiveness of strikes. I disagree with the socialist message because people should have the right to get ahead in life through hard work and determination.
To me, the reason the Socialist idea never caught was because, just like nowadays, people are only concerned about themselves. So, when the people have a lot of money are the ones in power, those of the lower class does not benefit from anything. The working class faced the typical issues of no benefits, poor work conditions and low wages. I somewhat do agree with the Socialist idea but I don't think that all of the workers should have ownership of it. I think only those of higher rankings (meaning position) should be able to decide important things BUT still take into account the issues presented by the lower positioned workers.
I believe socialism never became a popular ideal in American society due to the fact that the United States was a country based on the concept of capitalism. This, and the American theme of individualism prevented socialist ideals from becoming a major movement in the nation. A system where the government owned most or all of the business and production of the nation did not appeal to a society where laissez-faire ideals flourished, and only a minority (and less influencial group of people) advocated governmental control (laborers). Socialism was also viewed as dangerously left-winged and violent. Communism, which is a radical form of Socialism, had recently taken over the country of Russia. The Red Scare that ensued after this event also promoted anti-Socialist attitudes.
The working class faced tough working conditions, unorganized labor unions and thus inefficient worker's rights.
I agree with the Socialist message through the eyes of the poor struggling to survive in this cruel environment, where the desire for profit among the capitalist makes the lives of the working class an unendurable struggle for survival.However, in the world of economic competition, Socialism is actually more harmful then it is helpful. Liberalism and capitalism address themselves to the cool, well-balanced mind. They proceed by strict logic, eliminating any appeal to the emotions. There is never truly a Utopian society where competition is eliminated. "If trade were completely free, production would only take place under the most suitable conditions."
I think that the American people never really accepted the idea of socialism because they associated it with communism, whereas the United States was capitalistic. The obstacles that the working class had to face were poor working conditions, low wages, and no benefits. Also, the employers would not give in to the suggestions to better their work environment and the workers strikes were overlooked. I mostly agree with the socialist's message because they are looking for equality for everyone. Whether you are a man, woman, or child, they believed that everyone should have equal rights. But then I also disagree because they want everyone to be all at the same level doing the same thing. Socialists don't want people to reach for their own specific individual goals and dreams.
I agree with lakers_117 because we both have the same idea on why we disagree with the socialist message.
I also agree with hend when they said that socialistic policies would be good for the poor because of the fact that they do put everyone in the same social class and everyone can get money in some way or another.
Similarly to mikeb and kobe17, I believe that the message of Socialism never caught on with the American people because they viewed it as in association with Communism. Additionally, why would the American people want to follow the ideas of Socialism when Capitalistic views had exponentially highered their economy?
I believe that the obstacles faced by the working class revolved around the unpowerful labor strikes as well the lack of cooperation between labor unions(as mentioned by mikeb).
Though Socialism never won the support of the American People, I personally agree with the message it presented. Socialist such as Eugene Debs sought to grant the working class the recognition as well as priveledges, that big monopolies denied them.
I believe that the message of socialism never really caught on with the American people because at the time America was a capitalistic nation and they also feared communism. The social class was looked down upon by many people. They also struggles with the fact that many unions did not really look out for them. They also stuggled with strikes. I disagree withe socialist message because I feel as if it limits the opportunites that that the American people may have.
I agree with lakers_117 saying that the capitalistic society idolizes the great concept of the American dream.
I agree with mondile saying that our nation was built solely on the foundation of a capitalistic nation.
I feel that the Americans never really caught on the socialism because not many people are up for a change. Some people just give up when things are going the way they want. So I feel that the Americans felt that this is something that they would never achieve. The working class faced many obstacles because they were people that wanted change. They would have strikes to change work hours and nothing was working. I disagree with the socialist message because they just wanted all the people to be the same and all be need to be treated like individuals.
I agree with mikeb because socialism could have been compared with communism.
I also agree with raiders10 because workers of the time faced rough conditions in having long harsh working days, low wages, minimal breaks. Mainly they were just treated with no respect.
From my point of view, the message of socialism from Upton Sinclair's novel, "The Jungle" never truly caught on with the American people because there were many ideas of socialism that tied with communism. Many may also agree that socialism to start off with was never right for our nation since the United States is a capitalistic society. And at the time being, working conditions were very harsh, labor unions never ran the way they were supposed to, and the working hours were very long, tedious, and dangerous. Laborors at the time did benefit from one thing, there work day lessened to being only 8 hours which is much more reasonable. I disagree with the whole socialist message only because it is some what similar and closely related to communist ideas. Also, it goes against the American dream which is for people to progress and seek their own individual goals.
I agree with gio1022 on the idea that people are free to seek financial success in a capitalistic nation like the United States.
I agree with Kobe17 on his thinking that communism in Russia and the Red Scare gave Americans another reason to resist it after seeing what had happened in places that practiced it.
In my opinion, I think that America was not so much into socialist beliefs due to the idea that the money should be handled by the public, which would’ve weakened the US economy and therefore all its people. I disagree with socialist beliefs because even though I am part of the “middle-class,” major businesses are what help the economy in America and if the economy is good, then so are its people. Socialist beliefs are too radical and most people don’t act on impulse, instead they think things through instead to just acting on a radical cause. Smaller reforms help mainly because they create an impact bit by bit and more people would agree to it instead of just one big change all of a sudden. Not many radical reforms can affect big businesses and when one does, it isn’t to such a great impact. I personally think big businesses are really good because America is able to thrive because of them and not everyone can be rich. It’s just too much for them to ask to all have the same wealth or that one business is over-prospering.
i agree with mikeb on his statement that it wouldnt work just like communism. I also agree with kobe17 that because of the Red Scare, socialism never caught on.
Socialism refers to the equal distribution of wealth among the population as well as governmental control over most industries. The ties of socialism and communism was frightening to the American people. The Russian Revolution had resulted in a communist government. The American people were so threatened by a communist government that many were put to trial and discriminated against during this time period for their beliefs.
The working class was largely unorganized and ineffective due to obstacles in labor unions. Without a unified public, something as great as a socialist movement would not be possible.
Personally, I advocate a capitalistic society. Without a capitalistic society, there is no gain possible. American was founded upon the American dream of anything is possible. Only a capitalistic society can make that possible.
I agree with mikeb and his coupling of the American dream and a capitalistic soceity.
I'd also have to agree with Raiders10 with the fact that another revolution would not be to the best nature of the United States.
I think socialism never caught on because people preffered democracy. Socialism was scary to them. It was almost like capitalism to them. The working class had to face long hours, small pay, and almost no success in the unions. I don't agree with socialism because it's to unrealistic and paople would mess it up somehow.
MPH
In this time period I believe that Americans viewed socialism as communism. I believe this because American people were more for capitalism and didn't like the idea of socialism. The government owned most of the business and production of the nation where laissez-faire ideals thought of and used. The working class had most of the nation looking down on them. The unions being formed seemed to have no success. I do not agree with the Socialist message because it does seem to lean toward the communism side, when I am on the American ways of government using the capitalism idea.
Well i strongly think that i go hard in the paint withe the Harlem Shake el angel es una zorra y le apesta el fundillo.
Saludos Para Hermosillo Sonora Mexico andamos al millon con su compa Isaias (:
Follow Me On Twittah ;D
@MachineGunEliaa
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