Hope Dies Last

I have just started reading a book by Stud Terkel (Hope Dies Last). Just reading the introduction reminds me of the 2008 Socialist conference I attended in London. The book talks of activists and how it is they are who bring us hope, despite the fact that change rarely ever takes place in this country. I couldn't help but feel almost embarrased when I sat in that lecture room and listened to socialist members speak about how they were going to change the world and about how Socialism is the way to go. All I could think is "You haven't really thought this through, have you?". Fair enough, their ethics and policies sound great, but how do they expect to be able to completely change the system that our society runs on and make it work?
Who really wants to be equal anyway? If I was subjected to earning the same amount of money as everybody else (due to socialists wanting to tax high earners the majority of their money) I'd be left with no hopes, no dreams, and no determination to do anything with my life. You'd get out of education and it would be like "This is it...this is all you have to look foward to!". At least with Capitalism you have a chance to get to that level where you can earn shit loads of money, and look at everybody else and laugh (that sounds harsh, but it's true). You'd start to question the point of your existance.
And what would be the point of even going to University? Yeah sure you'd be more intelligent than everybody else and you could get that job that earns you more responsibility, but for what? For the government to take it all from you and share it out between everyone else? Bullshit.
Of course, if you're on the other end of the spectrum, and you have absolutely no chance of ever reaching that big pay cheque, socialism sounds wonderful. In fact the majority of socialist members are suprisingly poor students. Ones who have spunked all their loans on shit they didn't need and now think "Oh crap, if only we lived in a socialist society, then I wouldn't have to pay for University at all".
Anyway, back to the book. My Dad recommended this book to me, and I can now see why. My Dad is a left wing 'activist' (or so he likes to think). He was recently involved with the protests and campaigns against the closure of the Southampton Fords factory. However, I think he's now wondering why he ever complained as he's just received a £70,000 redundancy package, plus a pension. Just three pages in to the introduction the book mentions how autoworkers sat down in the General Motors plant in Michigan for 44 days, and reading that i thought "Oh here we go...".
I don't know if I have the patience the continue reading it. My hope has already died. If I do continue I'll let you know how it goes :)