The benefits of free enterprise that economic statistics miss

Colin Grabow · Aug 12, 2002

http://reason.com/0208/fe.wc.off.shtml

GringoTex · Aug 12, 2002

As the Industrial Revolution arrived in the 19th century, workers migrated from family farms to factories, from the Old World to the New World. They saw their paychecks rise but became, like Charlie Chaplin’s character in Modern Times, mere cogs in a vast engine of mass production. Work was often brutal. Early factories were noisy, smelly, and dirty; they were cold in the winter and hot in the summer. The labor itself was repetitive, physically exhausting, and often dangerous. It was a time of mind-numbing repetition, standing on assembly lines, nose to the conveyor belt. To eke out a meager living, employees toiled an average of 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday, plus another half-day on the weekend. Breaks were few and far between. Work rules were draconian: no talking, no eating or drinking, not a minute late punching the time clock.

We’ve come a long way since then. For the most part, modern work takes place in a clean, well-lit, and air conditioned environment.
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Why is there no mention that laborer conditions improved because of government regulations. Most of these improvements had nothing to do with free enterprise.

superdave · Aug 12, 2002

Re: Re: The benefits of free enterprise that economic statistics miss

Originally posted by GringoTex
Why is there no mention that laborer conditions improved because of government regulations. Most of these improvements had nothing to do with free enterprise.
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This is a "rack him" to end all "rack hims."

Altho, I would point out the crucial difference labor unions have made. Which also doesn't really fit the thesis.

Labdarugo · Aug 12, 2002

Is that "rack him" or "rack 'em"? Just asking.