large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_08_morris_64kb_34
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_08_morris_64kb
English
6138
Well, remember once more that it is not our remote ancestors who achieved the victory over Nature, but our fathers, nay, our very selves. For us to sit hopeless and helpless then would be a strange folly indeed: be sure that we can amend it. What, then, is the first thing to be done? WELL REMEMBER ONCE MORE THAT IT IS NOT OUR REMOTE ANCESTORS WHO ACHIEVED THE VICTORY OF NATURE BUT OUR FATHERS NAY OUR VERY SELVES FOR US TO SIT HOPELESS AND HELPLESS THEN WOULD BE A STRANGE FOLLY INDEED BE SURE THAT WE CAN AMEND IT WHAT THEN IS THE FIRST THING TO BE DONE
 furnished with the good things which our victory over Nature has won for us. 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 for us, for the most of us, civilization has bred desires which she forbids us to satisfy, and so is not merely a niggard but a torturer also. Thus then have the fruits of our victory over Nature been stolen from us, thus has compulsion by Nature to labour in hope of rest, gain, and pleasure been turned into compulsion by man to labour in hope—of living to labour! What shall we do then, can we mend it? TO BE WEALTHY TO BE WELL FURNISHED WITH THE GOOD THINGS WHICH OUR VICTORY OVER NATURE HAS WON FOR US 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 FOR US FOR THE MOST OF US CIVILIZATION HAS BRED DESIRES WHICH SHE FORBIDS US TO SATISFY AND SO IS NOT MERELY A NIGGARD BUT A TORTURER ALSO THUS THEN HAVE THE FRUITS OF OUR VICTORY OVER NATURE BEEN STOLEN FROM US THUS HAS COMPULSION BY NATURE TO LABOUR IN HOPE OF REST GAIN AND PLEASURE BEEN TURNED INTO COMPULSION BY MAN TO LABOUR IN HOPE OF LIVING TO LABOR WHAT SHALL WE DO THEN CAN WE MEND IT
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