Many of the youth today, or perhaps it is the uninformed, are those who speak badly of Americas labor force. These are people who have no real background knowledge of Americas laborer's, nor what Americas labor force went through to arrive at our present state, this being the envy of the entire world. They are people who are apparently ignorant of the fact that although our labor force began the great American Democracy, we were at first a labor force headed upon the common historic road leading to conditions found in most 3rd World nations. Nor apparently are they knowledgable that in Americas beginning, as today, our laborer's were considered some of the hardest working in the world.

In this nations beginning, life was indeed hard establishing a New Land we now call America. In fact these first people needed to huddle together with meager supplies brought with them, barely living through the first American winter. They lacked so many necessities upon their first arrival, many perished that first winter. This huddled group afterward built their first buildings as group lodgings, only gradually moving into independent dwellings and homes within a very close knit community. Were it not for the indians giving gracious help in this initial time, it is doubtful any of these first arrivals would have survived.

Yet these first settlers did survive, continuing for generations forward working and sharing together, an absolute necessity to insure that a viable community might attain and establish a successful beginning. This was the method of success extending until recent times, people in communities gathering during periods of crop harvesting, barn raising, sickness, and many other struggles that required a community working together to succeed. This was a time that one family member out of real necessity depended upon another, one family depending upon another, and one community depending upon another. This is still called 'Pioneering' today, those who would successfully begin a community, that those who came later could build upon.

Americas greatness in reality did not begin until the advent of technology and advances developed by necessity among a nation of needs. Life was still hard by todays standards, yet it had made possible the beginning for our industrial revolution. It was at this time that old-money began financing Americas first major industries. Mining, steel, manufacturing and more were all the result of investment of old money from wealthy families. In this initial period it was common that labor in these ventures had little to say about their jobs within these industries. Labor was required to work many hours, their pay was meager, providing effectively no benefits we take for granted today. Sweat shops were a name often heard describing these jobs, songs such as "Saint Peter don't you call me cause I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store" were an accurate description of work situations American labor found in many of these industries.

A number of Industrial Barons had by this time developed the idea of company towns. Mining industries used this concept, Coachman who produced railroad coaches is often used as example. These owners of industry would build a complete town, homes, grocery, hard goods stores, all the necessities of life were furnished, then a labor force were hired and moved into these communities. The problem labor found themselves in concerning this arrangement, was they and children when age permitted had combined pay that was barely able to keep up with all their necessary purchases or loans during periodic emergencies. The result was the entire family were locked into a life of working to pay for necessities, leaving them in a cycle that was unending bondage to their beneficiaries. Even those who were employed in developing the industries product's and technologies, once their usefulness had come to an end, could quickly find themselves out of a job. Retirement could be and often was a pocket watch of thanks, and the front open door.

Some point to other industrial barons like Henry Ford, the developer of the assembly line for mass production, lauding the man with accolades while knowing little of conditions his labor force lived. I remember seeing a video of those workers who were now old people telling of those conditions. How of necessity they had to keep up with this ever moving assembly doing their one job over and over all day long. How after a long working day ended, they went home aching with fatigue, a result of a single operation repeated all day long. How wives would massage aching hands and muscles until they could eat, then going to bed, so they could rise early to begin the next day repeating the job all over again. These conditions leave very little doubt as to why life expectancy during this period was much shorter than today, however not much change between longevity of industrial leaders of then and today.

Few know that Henry Ford eventually had to pay his labor force more. Despite the many who were looking for jobs at that time, working conditions were so horrendous, more pay was the only way to keep a labor force in his assembly plants. When American labor finally had enough of dangerous and insecure jobs common in this era, and had began forming bargaining unions, Ford instead hired goons in his plant as pit bosses and enforcers. It was during this period of forming unions that many broken heads and deaths resulted, as labor had to fight their way through obstacles to finally form protective unions. Industrialists of that period hired thugs, using local police and sometimes military, yet dedicated laborers finally succeeded forming unions. Even though Industrial owners often dealt in deceit, or had laws passed that attempted to remove gains made by labor.

Few today appear to know about these events American Labor had to go through, some even take the industrialist's side like Henry Ford, giving labor no credit for the sacrifices of that time. At the same time they give little and no credit for the benefits they now enjoy that came out of this confrontation. These few might also appreciate that Henry Ford received award from Hitler as German appreciation for his financial and industrial contributions in the German war effort. Nor that Henry Ford appreciated Hitlers Fascism, this being when business and government enjoy a favorable marriage. Nor that Hitler plagiarized Fords antisemitism writings. And this leads into a separate topic of Americas elite who profited in the initial beginning of both WWI and WWII, and some like Ford who continued alliance in Hitlers operation (after) America entered WWII.

Were we to return to these "good old days", when the head of the family might suffer an industrial accident not covered by medical or health insurance, then the wife and children would leave home to find jobs. In these old days child labor was a common condition, sweat shops also, little time was available for frivolous things like education and preventive dental and healthcare. These were luxuries that were afforded possibly as remedial necessity, like broken bones and teeth. These were luxuries that could mean expenses that might end up in bankruptcy, loss of homes, or selling off whatever was acquired in life that might pay off debt. It was a great time for a few, the few who lived in literal mansions, who stuffed surplus monies into a mattress or undependable banks. Or invested into business ventures that brought a 4-5% return in income, a good return at the time considering it was surplus money to the affluent few.

Few Americans appear to realize we could still be like any common 3rd World nation, the wealthy few, and the servile general population. Had not Americas wealth been fairly bargained by Americas labor force, had not this money entered the economy through spending by the general public, we would still be locked into a stagnant economy like 3rd World nations and people of today. Had money now in the hands of the common public not been available for better education, healthcare, housing and development, we would look much like any 3rd World nation and people of today. Had this all not occurred by labor forming unions which made it possible, America today would not be the envy of the world which we are. It is common knowledge today that to develop what we have accomplished in America, takes incentive and reward, not subjugation by keeping an undeveloped and slave labor.

America is quickly sacrificing all of the conditions which made this nation great, corruption from the bottom to the top is now evident, and Corporate-Government are those responsible. Much of Americas Industry that provided for our needs no longer exist, in recent history being exported to mostly 3rd World locations. Along with this, many America businesses are now being bought and owned by Foreign or American Multi-National Conglomerates, the treasuries of which are found in off shore institutions. Today we have gone from industrial related jobs, to predominant 'Service Sector' jobs, and despite views otherwise, 'Small Business' alone in America is still the backbone of taxes and job's in America.

We are today a nation with astronomical Budget-Deficit Debt, while unknowingly, we have evidence of City/State/Federal CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) accounting books that shows astronomical wealth well above our Debt. We have vaults at Ft. Knox full of gold, and certificates of ownership showing most is no longer our property. We have 80% importation of all consumable commodities, and American corporate executives building factories in Communist China, enabling laying off US Labor no longer needed. Frightening as it is, few Americans realize that of the vast importations, it benefits only a few at the future indebtedness of all American citizens. Despite the huge markup on these importations, and yet slightly lower price than American made production cost, the Trade Deficit that results will not be a debt of the elite importer, but will be 'Record' increasing (deficit) debt that all American citizens will eventually be responsible for.

We have 47% or more of our National Debt owed to foreigners, and more of America being bough by foreign interests every day. We have Multi-National Conglomerates who hold more of the worlds wealth than many nations, and increasingly allowed to pay lower percentage of taxes from wealth that could not be hidden in off shore accounts. And so today we pay more Interest on our National Debt than many of the 3rd World nations together have as total Debt. Perhaps what we are producing more in America than Debt, are ignorant people who have no idea what it took to make this entire nation a success. More than likely we have produced a population whose sole appreciation of Americas Labor force, is greed and gluttony in hope that somehow they may bleed the last ounce of accomplishment made possible by past generations. There is no doubt that future generations will inherit the Debt.