Last Thursday, film enthusiasts and our friends across the pond celebrated Guy Fawkes. He wasn’t the greatest guy to grace the planet, nor was he particularly successful in his endeavor to blow up government. But he became iconic. He’s a symbol for resisting government oppression; thus, he’s especially popular among anarchists and libertarians. Or at least his mask is. It’s safe to say that most of the people from sea to shining sea who noticed the holiday were fans of V for Vendetta. It’s equally sure that they inundated their friends with the order to, “remember, remember the Fifth of November."
I happen to agree. I think we should remember that specific date, although maybe not for the same reason. Nov 5 is significant for a distinctly American person, too. It’s the birthday of a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of the ordinary people. Starting out as a high school dropout, he rose through the ranks of rural Indiana as a fireman, a grocer and a magazine editor. At the same time, he took business classes at night after work and managed to be elected to city clerk and assemblyman. This is notable, but his rags to riches story didn’t finish there. He’s also one of the founders of the American labor movement. He started the first major industrial union and stood vocally against the White House in civil disobedience against the abuse of workers. He helped to successfully win the eight-hour work-day, workplace safety, unemployment benefits and Social Security – all now staples of American life. He even ran for President without any major party support . . . five different times. And he was one of the only pacifist voices in the hysteria of the Great War, which earned him a spot behind bars and the hatred of President Wilson.
Eugene Debs was a remarkable man. By all accounts humble, he was nonetheless possessed by righteous fury directed at all oppressors. His presence was intoxicating; his language compelling. He compared economic barons to feudal lords, railing that the “master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose while the subject class has had nothing to gain and all to lose.” The rhetoric matches any of the great orators of American history. John F. Kennedy used the same device as Debs forty years later in a speech now much more well-known. That type of influence may have something to do with how relevant and timeless his fight remains. In the speech that marked him for prison, he accused leaders of wanting “to make the world safe for democracy.” I dare say we recognize that particular collection of words.
Debs’ influence cannot be overstated. Even beyond his rhetorical impact, he has inspired the agendas of many prominent movements and persuasions. His legacy belongs to everyone who has endured poverty. Even his idea that the individual only manifests the cause, the fight itself, has endured. Bernie Sanders advocates for a political revolution of the masses, all people who benefit from a fairer system, but he doesn’t stress himself. “This campaign is not about Bernie Sanders,” he has said. There is no doubt our neighborhood senator is aware of the similarity of his words to Debs’, since he produced a documentary on the labor patriot when he was younger. The massive movement that he has stirred up also harkens to Debs’s support base of ordinary people. Two hundred different school chapters across the nation, starting with our very own, work tirelessly on Bernie’s campaign for “political revolution.” No other candidate in the race has inspired the same degree of grassroots support from ordinary people. For that reason, Bernie Sanders epitomizes the modern influence of Eugene Debs and his relevance to today.
While the Fifth of November is usually a celebration of Guy Fawkes, maybe it’s time to think of the day with more depth. We should broaden its association to other anti-bad government figures like Eugene Debs. It may be ironic, since I doubt most libertarians and anarchists would support the labor leader of old, but that shouldn’t stop us.
There’s something in the Fifth of November for people of all political persuasions.
