Quote by Eugene Debs
Wars throughout history have been waged for conquest and plunder.... the working class who fight all the battles, the working class who make the supreme sacrifices, the working class who freely shed their blood and furnish their corpses, have never yet had a voice in either declaring war or making peace. It is the ruling class that invariably does both. They alone declare war and they alone make peace....They are continually talking about their patriotic duty. It is not their but your patriotic duty that they are concerned about. There is a decided difference. Their patriotic duty never takes them to the firing line or chucks them into the trenches.
Summary
This quote by Eugene V. Debs highlights the class disparity in war decisions and sacrifice. The ruling or upper class, who hold power and influence, are the ones who declare war and determine peace agreements. They often use the rhetoric of patriotism to mobilize the working class and manipulate their sense of duty. However, it is the working class, who bear the burden of fighting and sacrificing their lives. Debs argues that there is a significant difference between the patriotic duty of the ruling class and the working class, as the former is exempt from the direct and dangerous consequences of war.
Topics
War
By Eugene Debs
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