This film is likely by now to be available on some streaming services. Before or after viewing, you may wish to hear a recent Socialist Party talk on Eleanor Marx.
'Work with us. Do not believe those who tell you any political party, or any “reformers” or any special legislation, can do away with crimes that are only the result of our whole system of society to-day. If you would do away with these crimes, you must do away with their cause. Help us. Help us to save not only yourselves, men and women; not only your little children. Help us also to save the very criminals, who now “drain your sweat and drink your blood.” Come to us. Join hands with us; and hand in hand, heart to heart with us, labour in this great cause. Never forget that when once the people will there is no gainsaying them. Once you rise “in unvanquishable number,” you are many, they — your enemies — “are few” ‘ (Eleanor Marx-Aveling, The Pall Mall Gazette, August 1885).
3 comments:
I find it hard to believe that Eleanor Marx was both a socialist & a women's rights activist. You can't campaign for a complete transformation of society, while also campaigning for women to have the same rights as men in capitalist society.
I'll definitely check-out the film, though.
I wonder how she and other women, past and present, would respond to your perspective?
Do we not, together, struugle for better wages and, at the same time, the abolition of the wages system?
Well, if they are real socialists they would agree with me. However, if not, then they wouldn't know how to respond because they won't know anything about Eleanor Marx.
Admittedly, I don't know a lot about her; did she go on strike for wage-equality for men & women doing the same job? If so, good on her. When it said: 'women's rights campaigner', I just assumed it meant equal representation for women in: the workforce; business ownership; boards of directors; and parliament. I also assumed it meant equality in voting rights, which would have meant only 5% of women getting the vote, due to the property qualification of the time.
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