The capitalist class is represented by the Republican, Democratic, Populist and Prohibition parties, all of which stand for private ownership of the means of production, and the triumph of any one of which will mean continued wage-slavery to the working class.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Debs claims all major parties support private ownership and thus maintain wage slavery for workers.
- In plain terms
- All major parties stand for private ownership and keep workers in wage slavery.
- What can you take from it?
- Major parties protect private ownership, limiting worker freedom.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do all parties truly serve workers?
- Can ownership change without revolution?
Another view
Some parties may offer reforms without changing ownership structures.
More from Eugene V. Debs
The political solidarity of the working class means the death of despotism, the birth of freedom, the sunrise of civilization.
Permalink to quote #19 The Republican and Democratic parties, or, to be more exact, the Republican-Democratic party, represent the capitalist class in the class struggle. They are th…
Permalink to quote #21 The very moment a workingman begins to do his own thinking he understands the paramount issue, parts company with the capitalist politician and falls in line w…
Permalink to quote #18
Related quotes
The Republican and Democratic parties are alike capitalist parties - differing only in being committed to different sets of capitalist interests - they have th…
Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs quote #27 What the workingmen of the country are profoundly interested in is the private ownership of the means of production and distribution, the enslaving and degradi…
Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs quote #8 Communism is a hateful thing and a menace to peace and organized government; but the communism of combined wealth and capital, the outgrowth of overweening cup…
Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland quote #16