How accurate is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair?

[Scrooge]

I've heard from a lot of pro-market/capitalist individuals that Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was pretty much a fabrication, and was never intended to be an accurate depiction of the meat-packing industry in Chicago at that time.

More sinisterly, I have heard guys like Stefan Molyneux claim that Engels' Conditions of the working class in England was not accurate. This seems more controversial, though. If The Jungle isn't accurate, what is its value? (If it is to expose potential horrors of capitalism, that doesn't require much imagination.)

[Ostrinski]

If The Jungle isn't accurate, what is its value?It's a great book. But as far as theory goes of course it didn't add anything, and sure as hell didn't expose anything about capitalism that people didn't/don't already know. One of my favorite novels though.

[Robespierre Richard]

I've heard from a lot of pro-market/capitalist individuals that Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was pretty much a fabrication, and was never intended to be an accurate depiction of the meat-packing industry in Chicago at that time.

More sinisterly, I have heard guys like Stefan Molyneux claim that Engels' Conditions of the working class in England was not accurate. This seems more controversial, though. If The Jungle isn't accurate, what is its value? (If it is to expose potential horrors of capitalism, that doesn't require much imagination.)

To be honest, I'd ask for conclusive evidence first, if they want to affirm their claim.

[Prometeo liberado]

My father worked in a slaughter house when he first got married and then went on to become a union rep for the UFCW. So he has seen the meat industry from slaughter to sale. Based the stories I've heard the conditions in the book were very real and still exist to some extent in the packing houses of the mid-west and parts of the south. The labor there is mostly immigrant and non-union, therefore low wages and hazardous working conditions. My father in fact, though this was years ago, had his thumb cut off in a bone saw and had to wrap it up until his break came. Hope that this was what you were asking about.

I just did a quick re-up on the internet as its been some years since I've read the book but the issues that I think make the book are:

1. Slave Wages- Many of the non-union houses pay minimum wage(which means if they could legally pay less they would)
2.The Blacklist- Today many of the workers are undocumented workers so not so much a list to be wary of but that phone call to the INS
3.Devious Banking/Fraud-In the book its a con-man who deceives them from their savings. Today its just called SUBPRIME mortgages

Whether the book was truth for that time isn't as disturbing as the fact that it rings true today

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

More sinisterly, I have heard guys like Stefan Molyneux claim that Engels' Conditions of the working class in England was not accurate.

I don't understand what you are asking. Why would that idiotic scumbag not say that? It's what all those verminous dregs would say. Anything they claim is irrelevant nonsense by virtue of coming from their cloudy imbecilic brains and the blathering mouths.

[the Left™]

I've heard from a lot of pro-market/capitalist individuals that Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was pretty much a fabrication, and was never intended to be an accurate depiction of the meat-packing industry in Chicago at that time.

More sinisterly, I have heard guys like Stefan Molyneux claim that Engels' Conditions of the working class in England was not accurate. This seems more controversial, though. If The Jungle isn't accurate, what is its value? (If it is to expose potential horrors of capitalism, that doesn't require much imagination.)

Yes its to expose the horrors of capitalism, its value is its widely read and sold :cool:.

[The Young Pioneer]

I wish I could remember the name of the article, but a while ago I read a "modern" critique of the US meat industry by a journalist, and according to him, conditions haven't changed much. It spoke mostly about on-the-job injuries and the fact that the workers were mostly illegal immigrants who couldn't get medical care or report their injury for fear of losing their job and being deported.

I'd say The Jungle was probably accurate, and that it's a fabulous read. :thumbup: