Death in the Haymarket

So I have been reading a book called Death in the Haymarket by James Green for one of my independent studies for college and I thought I would just write down some thoughts on it. I've read a little bit about the Haymarket riots throughout the course of college and in some of the books I have consumed lately, but this is the first that really focuses on the historical context of all the different elements which culminated in what is known as the Haymarket riot. I've yet to finish it, but it is phenomenal; An easy ready for anybody who is not a huge fan of history books because it is written as a narrative. I always see these books as more than history books because any history is actually a part of the present, and it can serve as an intellectual foundation for understanding today.

I caught myself judging the anarchists of the late 19th century and I thought, well, should I really be judging them? Should I be judging the manifestation of their anxieties over the destructive nature of cooperative, monopolistic capitalism and what it was doing to the lives of workers? I guess I have no answer for that since I will never be able to feel or understand the anxiety and worries they had over their changing world. The anarchists were the most militant, and angry of those who spoke out against industrial capitalism, and although their advocating of dynamite and terrorism is undoubtedly wrong, I can still empathize with their disdain over the power of the capitalist.

I believe the power of businessmen and capitalists is the strongest it has ever been today, it is just not as visible as it was back then. Sure we don't have the massive slums, but they do still exist, they just aren't given as much attention. Also, in relative terms, all of American society has a higher rate of affluence, but in absolute terms the majority of people are still left out of the massive economic growth of this country. Real wages have gone down while corporate income has skyrocketed, the laws favor the rich was much as they ever have, and government is still the tool of the capitalist. More than ever the capitalist is the politician and the politician is the capitalist. They work together, so why can't working people?

Individualism is only espoused by the businessman who wants his workers to fight against one another so they do not unite against his autocratic power over society. Yes, I am intensely against the extremes of wealth we have in this country. And I'll cut it right here, I'm sure I will come back to this another day....So to judge the anarchists who fought back against the oppression of the government, militia, and police....I never believe violence is the right way, but was it understandable in their case? ABSOLUTELY. You should all read more about labor history and you'll find that many MANY times the police and militias, even hired goons, have murdered probably thousands of average citizens simply because they wanted the fruits of their labor. Haymarket was the result of a beaten and demoralized group of militants, but be careful to pin them as radical or crazy. Although my allegiance would fall upon the working class, I think we all need to work together more politically, socially, and economically. This nation and world has the capability to give everyone food, shelter, and health. They should their be a monopoly on these things because we are restricted by the unequal nature of the theory of capitalism and individualism?