large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_08_morris_64kb_23
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_08_morris_64kb
English
6138
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. 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
their daily necessity compels them to make the slave-wares whose use is the perpetuation of their slavery. To sum up, then, concerning the manner of work in civilized States, these States are composed of three classes—a class which does not even pretend to work, a class which pretends to work but which produces nothing, and a class which works, but is compelled by the other two classes to do work which is often unproductive. Civilization therefore wastes its own resources, and will do so as long as the present system lasts. These are cold words with which to describe the 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 laboured for many thousands of years at the task of subjugating the forces of Nature and of making the natural material useful to them. SLAVES AND THAT THEIR DAILY NECESSITY COMPELS THEM TO MAKE THE SLAVE WARES WHOSE USE IS THE PERPETUATION OF THEIR SLAVERY TO SUM UP THEN CONCERNING THE MANNER OF WORK IN CIVILIZED STATES THESE STATES ARE COMPOSED OF THREE CLASSES A CLASS WHICH DOES NOT EVEN PRETEND TO WORK A CLASS WHICH PRETENDS TO WORK BUT WHICH PRODUCES NOTHING AND A CLASS WHICH WORKS BUT IS COMPELLED BY THE OTHER TWO CLASSES TO DO WORK WHICH IS OFTEN UNPRODUCTIVE CIVILIZATION THEREFORE WASTES ITS OWN RESOURCES AND WILL DO SO AS LONG AS THE PRESENT SYSTEM LASTS THESE ARE COLD WORDS WITH WHICH TO DESCRIBE THE 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
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