large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_08_morris_64kb_33
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_08_morris_64kb
English
6138
But what is the real fact? Who will dare to deny that the great mass of civilized men are poor? So poor are they that it is mere childishness troubling ourselves to discuss whether perhaps they are in some ways a little better off than their forefathers. They are poor; nor can their poverty be measured by the poverty of a resourceless savage, for he knows of nothing else than his poverty; that he should be cold, hungry, houseless, dirty, ignorant, all that is to him as natural as that he should have a skin. BUT WHAT IS THE REAL FACT WHO WILL DARE TO DENY THAT THE GREAT MASS OF CIVILIZED MEN ARE POOR SO POOR ARE THEY THAT IT IS MERE CHILDISHNESS TROUBLING OURSELVES TO DISCUSS WHETHER PERHAPS THEY ARE IN SOME WAYS A LITTLE BETTER OFF THAN THEIR FOREFATHERS THEY ARE POOR NOR CAN THEIR POVERTY BE MEASURED BY THE POVERTY OF A RESOURCELESS SAVAGE FOR HE KNOWS OF NOTHING ELSE THAN HIS POVERTY THAT HE SHOULD BE COLD HUNGRY HOUSELESS DIRTY IGNORANT ALL THAT IS TO HIM AS NATURAL AS THAT HE SHOULD HAVE A SKIN
ch we suffer; try then to consider what they mean. There is a certain amount of natural material and of natural forces in the world, and a certain amount of labour-power inherent in the persons of the men that inhabit it. Men urged by their necessities and desires have laboured for many thousands of years at the task of subjugating the forces of Nature and of making the natural material useful to them. To our eyes, since we cannot see into the future, that struggle with Nature seems nearly over, and the victory of the human race over her nearly complete. And, looking backwards to the time when history first began, we note that the progress of that victory has been far swifter and more startling within the last two hundred years than ever before. Surely, therefore, we moderns ought to be in all ways vastly better off than any who have gone before us. Surely we ought, one and all of us, to be wealthy, to be well furnished with the good things which our victory over Nature has won for us. HE TYRANNY UNDER WHICH WE SUFFER TRY THEN TO CONSIDER WHAT THEY MEAN THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF NATURAL MATERIAL AND OF NATURAL FORCES IN THE WORLD AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LABOUR POWER INHERENT IN THE PERSONS OF THE MEN THAT INHABIT IT MEN URGED BY THEIR NECESSITIES AND DESIRES HAVE LABORED FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AT THE TASK OF SUBJUGATING THE FORCES OF NATURE AND OF MAKING THE NATURAL MATERIAL USEFUL TO THEM TO OUR EYES SINCE WE CANNOT SEE INTO THE FUTURE THAT STRUGGLE WITH NATURE SEEMS NEARLY OVER AND THE VICTORY OF THE HUMAN RACE OVER HER NEARLY COMPLETE AND LOOKING BACKWARDS TO THE TIME WHEN HISTORY FIRST BEGAN WE NOTE THAT THE PROGRESS OF THAT VICTORY HAS BEEN FAR SWIFTER AND MORE STARTLING WITHIN THE LAST TWO HUNDRED YEARS THAN EVER BEFORE SURELY THEREFORE WE MODERNS OUGHT TO BE IN ALL WAYS VASTLY BETTER OFF THAN ANY WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US SURELY WE OUGHT ONE AND ALL OF US TO BE WEALTHY TO BE WELL FURNISHED WITH THE GOOD THINGS WHICH OUR VICTORY OVER NATURE HAS WON FOR US
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