Who knows what Jack London would probably think of our current situation?

[JanMichael]

Let's see...Ever read "The Iron Heel"?

Probably not but I bet you've read "The Call of the Wild" and/or "White Fang", no?

Or better yet have you read his essays? Do you know much about his political leanings?

Try this it's called "Revolutions": http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Writings/Revolution/revolution.html

"Possibly one of the most amusing spectacles of to-day is the attitude of the American press toward the revolution. It is also a pathetic spectacle. It compels the onlooker to be aware of a distinct loss of pride in his species. Dogmatic utterance from the mouth of ignorance may make gods laugh, but it should make men weep. And the American editors (in the general instance) are so impressive about it! The old "divide-up," "men-are-not- born-free-and-equal" propositions are enunciated gravely and sagely, as things white-hot and new from the forge of human wisdom. Their feeble vaporings show no more than a schoolboy's comprehension of the nature of the revolution. Parasites themselves on the capitalist class, serving the capitalist class by moulding public opinion, they, too, cluster drunkenly about the honey vats."

Oh my, no...How many HS students have read that? Or "The Iron Heel"? Or "The People of the Abyss" http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Writings/PeopleOfTheAbyss/

I would hazard to guess that he'd be appalled by our current lapse into Fuedalism/Corporatism, what Krugman has railed against eloquently recently on C-SPAN, and would only hope that we'd grab the proverbial bull by the horns and defeat it for a good long time.

I would also suppose that our current Income Inequality, and Poverty, in this most Rich and Munificent Nation wouldn't surprise him either.

It should surprise none of us what he might think of this mess.

[Terwilliger]

1. he'd probably look at our situation...

then kill himself

[JanMichael]

4. Hmm. Or perhaps move to NZ like Krugman hinted at on C-SPAN?

Yes he died at 40 but of what? Suicide? Liver disease? Oh well...

[rwenos]

2. The Iron Heel, the sequel

I think he'd be a Hollywood screenwriter, trying to sell a script where the President of the United States would be a marionette, in the control of Big Oil, with a Vice President who is really running the country. The VP sends the U.S. Army to a foreign country halfway around the world, with whom we are at peace, to invade and take over the oil wells, so that our French and Russian competitors can't get their hands on the oil.

Forget it. It would never sell. No one would believe the premise.

[JanMichael]

6. A softer, kinder, machine-gun hand.

Long live the "Whatever"!

[Rowdyboy]

3. Did much research on London for my partner while

he was pursueing his masters. A fascinating character and a really unique voice.

[JanMichael]

5. I just rediscovered his writings, very compelling.

What did you discover in your research?

[Rowdyboy]

13. What I remember mainly centers on the extreme poverty of his youth...

and early adulthood. He suffered greatly, both physically and financially and became a very vocal socialist. His years in England during the first decade of this century only made him more radical and angry about the abuses heaped on the lower classes, and he died a pauper.

His last work, The Star Rover, deals with inhumanity, unjust punishment, revenge, and astral projection. It's brilliant (at least to me)

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Writings/StarRover/

[MrPrax]

7. But London was a raving anti-semitic...

and hated British Labor, loved the Empire and had a fascianation for eugenics and if he lived today...he would probably sign a radio deal and quack endlessly about those subjects...

Just a thought... ;-)

[Julien Sorel]

10. Regrettably, I think you have it.

Some folks learn London was a socialist and that's the end of it, but there was quite a bit of the bully worshipper in him. I think he would have found Bush's brand of bluster and force to be appealing. I like some of London's writing, but his naive and schizoid politics I can do without.

[JanMichael]

12. I know about his problems, however those views evolved.

For example his depictions of the Hispanic Rebels in "The Iron Heel" showed a growing appreciation for those unlike himself. He made some stupid statements that simply don't destroy the body of work. From what I've read his views did soften/change on several racial issues.

As to "schizoid politics" I guess we'll just have to agree to not agree with each other:-)

[RichM]

8. I read 'Iron Heel' last spring. The first 100 pages were very interesting,

but then the quality of the book completely deteriorated, & the rest of it was hardly worth reading. It was as though the author himself had lost interest in the project after getting about 1/3 of the way through it. Maybe he had some kind of deadline to meet, or some event in his not-so-happy private life, that loused up what initially seemed a very promising novel. :shrug:

[David Zephyr]

9. The Iron Heel!

Yes!!!!!

[JanMichael]

11. But remember that he was writing a "diary".

I had the same feelings as you until I realized that he was writing as an amatuer woman in those events would write. He wrote as she would write.

It is disjointed (Except for the first 60 pages of Socialist polemic;-) ) but for a reason.