The monster must feed

[inthebrain]

And now the squatting men stood up angrily. "Grampa took up the land, and he had to
kill the Indians and drive them away. And Pa was born here, and he killed weeds and
snakes. Then a bad year came and he had to borrow a little money. An’ we was born
here. There in the door—our children born here. And Pa had to borrow money. The
bank owned the land then, but we stayed and we got a little bit of what we raised."

"We know that—all that. It’s not us, it’s the bank. A bank isn’t like a man. Or an owner
with fifty thousand acres, he isn’t like a man either. That’s the monster."

"Sure," cried the tenant men, "but it’s our land. We measured it and broke it up. We
were born on it, and we got killed on it, died on it. Even if it’s no good, it’s still ours.
That’s what makes it ours—being born on it, working it, dying on it. That makes
ownership, not a paper with numbers on it."

"We’re sorry. It’s not us. It’s the monster. The bank isn’t like a man."

"Yes, but the bank is only made of men."

"No, you’re wrong there—quite wrong there. The bank is something else than men. It
happens that every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank does it.
The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It’s the monster. Men made it, but they
can’t control it."

The tenants cried, "Grampa killed Indians, Pa killed snakes for the land. Maybe we can
kill banks—they're worse than Indians and snakes. Maybe we got to fight to keep our
land, like Pa and Granpa did."

And now the owner men grew angry. "You’ll have to go."

"But it's ours," the tenant men cried. "We—"

"No. The bank, the monster owns it. You'll have to go."

"We'll get our guns, like Granpa when the Indians came. What then?"

"Well—first the sheriff, and then the troops. You'll be stealing if you try to stay, you'll be
murderers if you kill to stay. The monster isn't men, but it can make men do what it
wants."

http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/dunn/rprnts.steinbeck.pdf

[StarfarerBill]

1. WTF would unrec Steinbeck?! Effing philistines.

Thanks for posting this.

[JohnnyLib2]

2. heh, go figure.

And my thanks to the OP as well.

[inthebrain]

3. I noticed that to

and it's more than.

Whodda thunk Steinbeck would be offensive on Democratic Underground. At least to more than one person.

Either ways, I was thinkin about how words from the past often speak to the present. I bet some of the folks who've been chased out of their homes feel like this. If I could I would ask em.

I wonder why nobody asks em?

[StarfarerBill]

5. I wonder if sometimes people take anything not coming from their point of view as a slight...

Anyway, that's a good question: With people losing their homes in record numbers, the frustration, hopelessness, and anger must be nearly unbearable...just as the Joads felt. Those were very apt words, my friend.

[inthebrain]

6. I was reading Maalcom X's "House Negro Field Negro"

Today and it struck a chord. In so much as those with jobs are told to count their blessings. Nevermind about the working conditions and shitty pay. Disturbing the lengths one will go to just to keep it in regards to avoiding a layoff and turning in their co workers.

Then there are those without jobs who really hate the people's asses they must kiss to get in the door. Not to mention for lower waged.

[StarfarerBill]

7. Having been pretty much unemployed since September of '08, I hear you loud and clear.

I've been lucky to have savings, unemployment comp, and a few hours of work most weeks these past couple of months.

But for those who don't have these lifelines, life is hellish. Even those who work but don't earn enough to make ends meet must wonder what point there is to going on...and then to be told that they should be grateful for this, is unspeakable.

Capitalism is inhumane, barbaric, and obscene; we must end it, or it will end us.

[inthebrain]

11. That's rough

[StarfarerBill]

15. Thanks, but I've not had it nearly as bad as many.

[whistler162]

4. Beats your threadjacking!

[Odin2005]

9. DLCers.

[Odin2005]

8. I love Steinbeck.

Banks are Monsters.

[inthebrain]

10. Yup

[inthebrain]

12. Up

[2 Much Tribulation]

13. k&r for a more literary type post. thanks n/t (oops on the r part, 2 late)

[dana_b]

14. He speaks for people of all different times

Steinbeck is my favorite author. thanks for posting this.

[RepublicanElephant]

16. maybe someone will quote this while arguing the

corporate money = free speech case before the supreme court.

the corporation(bank) is not a person.
and monsters shouldn't be covered by the 1rst amendment.

[inthebrain]

17. There is a bigger context to this now

In the US, Goldman Sachs is expected to announce bonuses totaling more than $20 billion, about the same amount as California’s state budget deficit. One analyst estimates that the average Goldman bonus will approach $600,000, and that some executives may take home more than $10 million. It is anticipated that Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley will together pay out $90 billion in 2009 executive compensation, with more than half in the form of bonuses.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/jan2010/pers-j14.shtml