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First of all, Theodore Roosevelt and Charles W. Fairbanks, candidates for President and Vice-President, respectively, deny the class struggle and this almost infallibly fixes their status as friends of capital and enemies of labor. They insist that they can serve both; but the fact is obvious that only one can be served and that one at the expense of the other. Mr. Roosevelt's whole political career proves it.

Eugene V. Debs#28

WorkPoliticsClassClass struggleWar

About this quote

What does it mean?
Politicians who deny class struggle serve capital at the expense of labor.
In plain terms
Leaders who say class conflict doesn't exist usually help the rich.
What can you take from it?
Political neutrality often favors capital over workers in reality.

Where it applies

  • election campaigns
  • policy debates
  • union organizing

Putting it to work

  • scrutinizing candidate positions
  • organizing labor support
  • demanding accountability

Questions to consider

  • Can politicians truly serve all classes?
  • How do you identify hidden interests?

Another view

It simplifies complex political motivations into binary class alignment.

More from Eugene V. Debs

  1. The Republican and Democratic parties are alike capitalist parties - differing only in being committed to different sets of capitalist interests - they have th…

    Permalink to quote #27
  2. The people are as capable of achieving their industrial freedom as they were to secure their political liberty, and both are necessary to a free nation.

    Permalink to quote #29
  3. Civilization has done little for labor except to modify the forms of its exploitation.

    Permalink to quote #26

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