This quote shows that a strike isn’t just people not showing up to work — it only becomes a “strike” when the workers themselves understand their actions as a deliberate protest. The author is saying that events can’t be described accurately unless we include the perspective and intentions of the people involved. Their subjectivity (their thoughts, motivations, and awareness) is part of the event itself. Without that, the description is incomplete.

Here, the author is criticizing America for only practicing democracy on paper, not in real life. She’s saying that giving people the right to vote is not enough if they are still treated unfairly, ignored, or left in poverty. This suggests that social conditions like where people live, who they interact with, and what opportunities they have matter just as much as political rights. The evidence highlights how democracy is incomplete when it doesn’t reach people’s daily lives.

This quote connects historical lessons to the present, warning that even well-intentioned political agendas can end up sidelining marginalized communities when pressures mount. It suggests that while sweeping reforms can drive progress, without safeguards and intentional accountability, racial justice might again be deprioritized — as it was during the New Deal era.

The text argues that modern society’s greatest problem is the unequal distribution of wealth, which creates poverty despite progress. Political rights alone are not enough if people are forced to compete for survival at starvation wages. True liberty requires justice, cooperation, and access to resources, not just symbolic freedoms. If economic inequality is not addressed, society risks unrest and collapse, as history shows civilizations fail when most cannot sustain themselves.

I understood that Laura Cornelius Kellogg criticized government schools for trying to assimilate Native Americans and erase their cultural identity. She argued that education should teach knowledge from the dominant culture while preserving Native heritage and self-respect. Kellogg emphasized that the future of Native communities depended on an education system that offered opportunity without forcing them to abandon their culture.

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Carnegie argues that the wealthy have a duty to act as trustees for the poor, using their knowledge and resources to improve society. He believes inequality and competition are natural and necessary for progress. However, this raises the question of whether it’s fair or safe to assume that the rich always know what’s best for others. While his vision promotes generosity, it also gives the wealthy significant power over society, which could potentially be misused.