Quotation from: War of the Classes

Written by: Jack London


It is not good to give most for least, not good to be a scab. The
word has gained universal opprobrium. On the other hand, to be a
non-scab, to give least for most, is universally branded as stingy,
selfish, and unchristian-like. So all the world, like the British
workman, is 'twixt the devil and the deep sea. It is treason to
one's fellows to scab, it is unchristian-like not to scab.


Since to give least for most, and to give most for least, are
universally bad, what remains? Equity remains, which is to give
like for like, the same for the same, neither more nor less. But
this equity, society, as at present constituted, cannot give. It is
not in the nature of present-day society for men to give like for
like, the same for the same. And so long as men continue to live in
this competitive society, struggling tooth and nail with one another
for food and shelter, (which is to struggle tooth and nail with one
another for life), that long will the scab continue to exist. His
will "to live" will force him to exist. He may be flouted and
jeered by his brothers, he may be beaten with bricks and clubs by
the men who by superior strength and capacity scab upon him as he
scabs upon them by longer hours and smaller wages, but through it
all he will persist, giving a bit more of most for least than they
are giving.

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