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The Debs Decision
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42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1919
12 people want to read
About the author
Scott Nearing
329 books15 followersScott Nearing (1883-1983) was an American conservationist, peace activist, educator and writer. Born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, Nearing is still viewed as a radical 20 years after his death. In 1954 he co-authored Living the Good Life: How to Live Simply and Sanely in a Troubled World with his wife Helen. The book, in which war, famine and poverty were discussed, described a nineteen-year "back to the land experiment" and also advocated a modern day "homesteading." Nearing's anti-war activities cost him two teaching jobs, and he was even charged under the Espionage Act for opposing the First World War.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 8, 2021
Important & Ignored bit of American History
A great, quick read and not to miss for anyone who is concerned about the constitution, the state of our freedoms, of corruption, or of the treatment of everyday working folks. This Espionage Act has had far reaching impact and is still being wielded today (see Daniel Hale's prosecution in 2021).
A great, quick read and not to miss for anyone who is concerned about the constitution, the state of our freedoms, of corruption, or of the treatment of everyday working folks. This Espionage Act has had far reaching impact and is still being wielded today (see Daniel Hale's prosecution in 2021).
May 14, 2023
✔️Published in 1919.
The author of this book, Scott Nearing, (1883-1983) was a radical American economist, political activist, writer, teacher, pacifist, vegetarian, and an advocate of simple living.
🖊 My review: This turns out to be an interesting publication, and it gives me an impetus to rethink the Espionage Act and its subsequent amendments. Scott Nearing states, interestingly, that “The Eugene V. Debs Case arose over a speech made by Debs in Canton, Ohio, June 16th, 1918. The speech was made before the State Socialist Convention, where Debs was talking to his comrades in the Socialist movement.” Moreover, he (Nearing) puts the Court in perspective: “The nine members of the Supreme Court are all old men. Four of them were born before 1850; eight of them were born before 1860; one of them was born since 1861, that is, James C. McReynolds, who was born in 1862. There is not a single member of the Supreme Court bench born since the Civil War. The oldest man on the bench is Justice Holmes, seventy-seven; the youngest man on the bench is Justice McReynolds, fifty-seven; the average age of the justices of the Supreme Court is sixty-six years.
I reiterate the quote from Nearing here: “The Debs Case arose over a speech made by Debs in Canton, Ohio, June 16th, 1918. The speech was made before the State Socialist Convention, where Debs was talking to his comrades in the Socialist movement. The main parts of this speech, as printed in the indictment under which Debs was convicted, are as follows [through much of this book] . . .”
Eugene V. Debs makes some interesting points, but it is still off—
Scott Nering almost seems to be an apologist for Debs in this book.
As for me, I say, “What is Socialism, but slavery with a tyrannical government as Master and the citizen as Chattel to support the Government Élites?” C'est le socialisme pour toi.
💫 What I like best is its historical value. 📌 I would read this again.
🤔 My rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🟣 Media form: Kindle version.
✿●▬●✿●✿●▬●✿
The author of this book, Scott Nearing, (1883-1983) was a radical American economist, political activist, writer, teacher, pacifist, vegetarian, and an advocate of simple living.
🖊 My review: This turns out to be an interesting publication, and it gives me an impetus to rethink the Espionage Act and its subsequent amendments. Scott Nearing states, interestingly, that “The Eugene V. Debs Case arose over a speech made by Debs in Canton, Ohio, June 16th, 1918. The speech was made before the State Socialist Convention, where Debs was talking to his comrades in the Socialist movement.” Moreover, he (Nearing) puts the Court in perspective: “The nine members of the Supreme Court are all old men. Four of them were born before 1850; eight of them were born before 1860; one of them was born since 1861, that is, James C. McReynolds, who was born in 1862. There is not a single member of the Supreme Court bench born since the Civil War. The oldest man on the bench is Justice Holmes, seventy-seven; the youngest man on the bench is Justice McReynolds, fifty-seven; the average age of the justices of the Supreme Court is sixty-six years.
I reiterate the quote from Nearing here: “The Debs Case arose over a speech made by Debs in Canton, Ohio, June 16th, 1918. The speech was made before the State Socialist Convention, where Debs was talking to his comrades in the Socialist movement. The main parts of this speech, as printed in the indictment under which Debs was convicted, are as follows [through much of this book] . . .”
Debs states: “Who appoints the Federal Courts? The people? Every solitary one of them holds his position through influence and power of corporation capital. And when they go to the bench, they go there not to serve the people, but to serve the interests who sent them.
. . .
"When Leon Trotsky came into power, he found the secret treaties made between the French government and the British government and the Italian government which was to divide the territory of the Central Powers if the Allies were victorious, and these secret treaties have not been repudiated up to this time.
. . .
"Twenty centuries ago one appeared upon earth whom we know as the Prince of Peace. He issued a command in which I believe. He said, 'Love one another.' He did not say, 'Kill one another,' but 'Love one another.'
. . .
“I am opposed to wage slavery.
. . .
“The War of the Rebellion was opposed and condemned. In 1864 the Democratic Party met in convention at Chicago and passed a resolution condemning the war as a failure.
. . .
“I don't hate the people of any country on earth—not even the Germans. I refuse to hate a human being because he happens to be born in some other country.”
Eugene V. Debs makes some interesting points, but it is still off—
Scott Nering almost seems to be an apologist for Debs in this book.
As for me, I say, “What is Socialism, but slavery with a tyrannical government as Master and the citizen as Chattel to support the Government Élites?” C'est le socialisme pour toi.
💫 What I like best is its historical value. 📌 I would read this again.
🤔 My rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🟣 Media form: Kindle version.
✿●▬●✿●✿●▬●✿
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews