EUGENE VICTOR DEBS (1855-1926) was one of the greatest and most articulate advocates of workers’ power to have ever lived. During the early years of the labor movement in the United States, Debs was far ahead of his times, leading the formation of the American Railway Union (ARU) and the American Socialist Party.

Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on November 5, 1855. He left home at 14 to work on the railroad and soon became interested in union activity. As president of the American Railway Union, he led a successful strike against the Great Northern Railroad in 1894. Two months later he was jailed for his role in a strike against the Chicago Pullman Palace Car Company. While in jail, Socialist and future Congressman Victor Berger talked with Debs and introduced him to the ideas of Marx and socialism. When he was released from prison, he announced that he was a Socialist.

He soon formed the Social Democratic Party, which eventually became the Socialist Party in 1901. He became their perennial presidential candidate. He ran on the Socialist ticket in 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920 when he received his highest popular vote—about 915,000 (3.4%)—from within a prison cell. He had been arrested once again, this time for “sedition”; because he opposed World War I. Many Socialists were imprisoned during this time because they felt that the war was being fought for the profits of the rich, but with the blood of the poor. Debs was fortunately released in 1921.

Debs died in Elmhurst, Illinois, on October 20, 1926, but he is remembered to this day by countless labor activists from all over the political spectrum. The Eugene V. Debs Foundation works to continue his legacy into the 21st century...

To learn more about Debs and his life, read Stephen Marion Reynolds’ Biography of Eugene V. Debs for a full accounting of his life and times.

Biographies, Critiques, Criticisms, Sketches, Autobiographies, Obituaries and Memoirs of Eugene V. Debs iww

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  • StalinistTransition@lemm.ee
    ·
    8 months ago

    So im kinda reeling from the blatant transphobia in lemmy outside of hexbear got a pm reply from one just doing the whole shtick

    weird mix of boredom at how uncreative they are and broken because it still hurts a bit

    edit: just messaged me again

    spoiler

    how can they be transphobic but also misogynist asking me for titty pics like huh

    also n word and f slur too, they really are just a bunch of copy paste call of duty redditors

    • milistanaccount09 [she/her]
      ·
      8 months ago

      how can they be transphobic but also misogynist asking me for titty pics like huh

      I mean that's classic transmisogyny, simultaneously treating you as worthless and a sex object. You're always more than what transphobes try to hoist on you meow-hug

    • Commiejones [comrade/them, he/him]
      ·
      8 months ago

      I'm sorry that is happening to you. I'll admit that I was kinda transphopbic before getting straightened out by exposure on hexbear but even the insufferable lib I was wouldn't imagine harassing someone just because they were trans.

      • StalinistTransition@lemm.ee
        ·
        8 months ago

        oh i messaged them first to comment on a take they made, but then they did the transphobia on top of the ideology. They're also doing a whole laid back routine acting as if its a friendly conversation.