Introduction
The Winnipeg was one of the tragic strikes that hit Canada in 1919 since it involved many workers. It is approximated that over thirty thousand workers participated in the strike to demand their rights and freedoms from the government and the ruling class. The book When the State Trembled captures clearly, what transpired during the time by reporting the other side of the story concerning the Citizen’s Committee of 1000.
Business autocrats and the ruling class in society formed the committee to check the influence of workers in the industrial sector. The committee was charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the poor do not access the means of production in society. Therefore, the committee had to liaise with state machineries to ensure that the status quo remains intact.
The author of this book exposes the injustices that existed in the Canadian society in early 1900s. The owners of the means of production pressurized the government to form oppressive labor laws that could later be used by the bourgeoisie to subjugate the working class. The bourgeoisie took advantage of the prevailing conditions to unleash terror to the poor.
The poor could work without pay. Furthermore, the ruling class in society utilized other means that affected the unity of workers. Workers could not rise up to the occasion to demand for their rights since the government could always support the elites. The 1919 strike was termed illegal and all participates were to face legal punishments. In the book, lawyer A.J Andrews and acting minister of Justice Arthur Meighen were the representatives of the Citizens Committee of 100 and the state.
This shows that they were hired to demoralize and frustrate the activities of workers in the state. At the end, the leaders of the workers’ union were prosecuted and were charged with sedition. This meant that leaders in government were aware of the dangers of labor movements as regards to governmental power and authority. In other words, the leaders were against radicalism and the teachings of Marxism, which suggested that people had to determine their own destinies.
The working class should always organize for a revolution if it is to salvage itself from the chains of poverty. The book also reveals that the existing social structure is a product of the struggle between the rich and the poor in Canada. In other words, economics and political power are intricate meaning that they are inseparable.
The Author’s Main Arguments
The author comments that all capitalists are equivalent since their aim is to maximize profits and avoid losses. They always communicate with each other regarding the market and the plight of workers in organizations and companies. They agree that they should not increase wages whatsoever. The union leaders instruct workers and members of society in general to be aware of this fact and not to be fooled by any one that the interest of the bourgeoisies is to help workers.
The owners of the means of production control all aspects of lives since the author observes that Meighen and Andrews brokered a deal between the state and the elites. This would allow easier management of state affairs. The government could not support the workers even though their conditions were appalling. In this sense, the state is always interested in safeguarding the interests of the rich in society. The poor survive at the mercy of the rich.
Even though the representatives of the owners of the means of production had no state powers or authority, they could influence the formulation of policies to favor their employers. This implies that even the intellectuals are properties of the bourgeoisies. The writer shows that private entities and the rich in society usually hold the government at ransom. They force the state to formulate some policies that are considered illegal in the constitution.
For instance, Andrews ordered the state agencies to disperse marauding workers yet he did not have any governmental power. In this sense, the government practices illegal acts, which are contrary to what it is supposed to do. In page seven, the author observes that the committee of 100 was a secret organization whose membership was not disclosed to the public.
Author’s Objective
The author aimed at presenting the issue of class conflict in society. The book manages to bring out succinctly the antagonistic parties that try to outdo each other as regards to distribution of resources. The main issue that the book addresses is the issue of resource distribution in society. The ruling class is in control of societal resources while the proletariat tries to access these resources unsuccessfully.
The book is successful in presenting its main agenda, although the author leaves out other important issues that took place at the time. The author presents class conflicts at a time when society was stratified based on ownership of property. In the Canadian society, only a few members controlled resources.
The same individuals influenced the government to enact policies that favored them. The author manages to show the reader that controlling the means of production was the main borne of contention. The conflicting parties could not settle the disputes peacefully since each group was concerned about its own interest.
Throughout the text, the author manages to answer the question ‘why’ by showing that the working class had all the rights to strike. For instance, the author elucidates that strikes had succeeded in other places and the workers had achieved their objective, which was to better their standards of living. During the 1896 elections, the Liberals took control of government and instituted policies that were capitalistic in nature.
From 1896 to around 1929, Canada experienced many changes economically and politically. This was a time when the country faced the problem of immigration. Consequently, the economy grew at a faster rate than expected. This meant that wealth was accumulated and some groups tried to monopolize various sectors of the economy. Immigrants were encouraged to invest in various sectors of the economy, especially in mining and in hydro-electronic projects.
The First World War brought other changes that complicated lives in Canada. In 1919, the country had experienced many changes that threatened the social equilibrium. Other countries such as Britain and the US demanded Canadian products implying that the market was available for the Canadian finished goods. Due to this, workers had to produce more but at the same cost. Therefore, the findings of the author are consistent to what was happening at the time. His arguments are supported by facts.
Analysis of the Book
The author manages to bring out the relationship between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie during the 1919 strike. He also manages to expose the way bourgeoisies operated in society. Through analysis, it is identified that the relationship between the rich and the poor in society was complex. The rich believed that the world was capitalistic and the poor had to provide labor at the market price. They believed that the poor needed not to change things since it could cause conflicts.
Furthermore, the author showed that the bourgeoisie was also in contact with each other regarding investments and production of important goods. This is actually true even in the modern world. Economists believe that producers and consumers of goods and services check each other frequently leading to a scenario whereby the producer only produces goods that are needed in the market. In the same way, the elites will always ensure that their products have ready markets.
They ensure this through constant communication. On the other hand, the proletariat believes that the bourgeoisie deprives them of their resources hence leaving them without anything. Due to this, the rich are always in conflicts with the poor over the working conditions and wages. The poor think that only strikes can change the existing social structure.
Even though the author manages to bring out conflicts that existed in Canada in 1919, he fails to appreciate that other conflicts existed as well. The author narrates that class conflict was the only major problem in the society. This is not actually true because the state faced other problems such as the problem of gender equality, ethnicity and age conflict. For instance, women were not allowed to own property in society and their culture was not respected.
They had to live according to the wishes of men. Women were considered to be suffering from inferiority complex meaning that they could not be trusted with leadership positions. Both in the ruling class and the working class, only men were given positions of influence. Women faced various types of injustices but the society could not stand up to condemn such injustices. The society reserved some positions for men. Women could only participate in activities that the society allowed.
Such injustices led to the formation of feminist groups. The author does not capture this aspect. As the working class was fighting for its rights and freedoms, women were also busy demanding for their rights. For instance, they requested the state to allow them to vote for their preferred candidates and present their candidature during elections. Through feminist groups, women were incorporated in the financial system, though as underdogs. The author does not mention this aspect at all.
In 1919, Canada was faced with various problems but the author does not revisit any of them. For instance, the state was faced with the problem of refugees. It was a time when Asia was under colonial rule, which forced many families to seek refuge in Canada. The government had to come up with policies that would guarantee normalcy and constancy in society. The new members were viewed as competitors. Therefore, the local population was always in conflict with them.
The government had to design policies aimed at bringing unity and harmony. The ruling class utilized the services of refugees and immigrants at an expense of the locals. This angered many locals because they felt neglected in their own country. The Canadians had to compete for job positions with foreigners. The author does not capture this aspect in his analysis.
In other words, Canadian society cannot be understood to be consisting of a single problem, which is the problem of class. Foreigners were forced to merge into the mainstream since they were considered to be in the margins. The Chinese for instance were requested to abandon their culture and pick up the western culture that was dominant in Canada. However, the foreigners were reluctant to drop their cultures and opt for other inferior cultures.
Course Commentary
After the Second World War, the state witnessed an abrupt economic growth. Polices formulated by the state were socialist in nature because people’s welfare was considered. For instance, the state provided free healthcare services and healthcare programs to the poor.
Furthermore, the aged employees were offered pension programs that would allow them to enjoy life even after retirement. This showed that the 1919 Winnipeg strike achieved its mission. Workers were treated with respect and their wishes were considered when formulating important state policies. By adopting the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation policies, the federal government was confirming that it recognized the existence of trade unions.
As can be observed, the international system changed after the Second World War. Equally, many things changed in Canada. Canada appreciated Britain as the superpower before the Second World War. Afterwards, the relationship between Britain and Canada faded due to the activities of the British settlers in the country in 1919. The book reveals that British settlers had established centers of power that were used to subdivide and oppress members of Canadian society.
Canada embraced the US as its trading partner, though Britain was also involved in trade. The Book explains why Canada opted to embrace the US and not Britain. It was related to the events of the 1919 Winnipeg strike. Canadian foreign policy makers decided to side with the US because of the experiences of the 1919 strike.
The decision makers knew that communist ideas would inspire people to demand for a socialist government. The state was keen to arrest any person who advocated for communism. The state arrested at least 18 people in 1945 since they were suspected to be planning to overthrow the government.
Canada took an active role in the international system mainly to condemn the effects of Communism. For instance, it participated in the Korean War and offered advisory services during the Suez crisis. The authorities ensured that the Bolsheviks in Canada did not access governmental power and authority since they could turn the state to a socialist society.
Socialism was highly detested by the ruling class since it could easily interfere with the societal structure. The rich could lose their status and the society could witness the tyranny of the multitude, which is the rule by the less fit. The book exposes why the state was always advocating for capitalism in other parts of the world.
Again, the book is very helpful in understanding why the state came up with immigration laws that favored some ethnic groups. It is noted that not all communities were treated equally. The government did not recruit those considered to be supporting communist ideas. The strike exposed the realities of capitalism in society but the ruling class was unwilling to allow the proletariat to take over power and authority.