War of the Classes

From the viewpoint of a restless young activist, the book opens with a candid memoir of being branded a “red‑shirt” for championing municipal ownership of utilities. The author recounts how local newspapers turned his convictions into curiosities, while respectable citizens gradually softened their disdain as his ideas became fashionable. Through witty self‑deprecation and vivid anecdotes, he shows how a community can adopt and then appropriate a radical cause, turning protest into polite acceptance.

Beyond the personal story, the work expands into a trenchant critique of early‑20th‑century American capitalism. It examines the surge of socialist sentiment, the election of 1904 that amplified a once‑marginal voice, and the ways the press and institutions reshape dissent into harmless idealism. The essays blend sharp observation with earnest hope, offering listeners a historical lens on class conflict that still resonates with contemporary debates about inequality and public power.