Sugar is gone; silk has gone; iron is threatened; wool is threatened; cotton will go! How long are you going to stand it? At the present moment these industries...are like sheep in a field.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Traditional industries are collapsing and workers are vulnerable like sheep without protection. The speaker challenges the audience to recognize their precarious situation and demand change.
- In plain terms
- Important jobs are disappearing and workers need help to survive.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize economic vulnerability and demand protection for workers.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who protects workers when industries fail?
- What makes an economy secure?
Another view
The metaphor oversimplifies complex economic shifts as mere predation.
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