Labor is Prior to and Independent of Capital

[jillian]

Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as any other rights. Nor is it denied that there is, and probably always will be, a relation between labor and capital producing mutual benefits. The error is in assuming that the whole labor of community exists within that relation. A few men own capital, and that few avoid labor themselves, and with their capital hire or buy another few to labor for them. A large majority belong to neither class--neither work for others nor have others working for them. In most of the Southern States a majority of the whole people of all colors are neither slaves nor masters, while in the Northern a large majority are neither hirers nor hired. Men, with their families--wives, sons, and daughters--work for themselves on their farms, in their houses, and in their shops, taking the whole product to themselves, and asking no favors of capital on the one hand nor of hired laborers or slaves on the other. It is not forgotten that a considerable number of persons mingle their own labor with capital; that is, they labor with their own hands and also buy or hire others to labor for them; but this is only a mixed and not a distinct class. No principle stated is disturbed by the existence of this mixed class.

Read more: State of the Union Address: Abraham Lincoln (December 3, 1861) — Infoplease.com State of the Union Address: Abraham Lincoln (December 3, 1861) — Infoplease.com

 

[occupied]

Things are different now, subsistence farming is dead and now practically everyone is either an employee or an employer and labor has has never been this powerless to fight the ownership class. Capital in this country no longer strictly needs labor in this country, outsourcing has upset the symbiotic relationship that once existed, labor no longer has a lever. I can't see the political power that some claim the unions have, they are impotent compared to the forces arrayed against them.

 

[uscitizen]

So honest Abe was a liberal after all?

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Personally, I wouldn't mind going back to that era, minus the slavery.

 

[SniperFire]

Labor is prior to and independent of capital.

And then came the Industrial Revolution and automation.

Labor is capital's lil' bitch now.

But you have a swell grasp of 19th century economics, Jillian.


LOL

 

[uscitizen]

Things are different now, subsistence farming is dead and now practically everyone is either an employee or an employer and labor has has never been this powerless to fight the ownership class. Capital in this country no longer strictly needs labor in this country, outsourcing has upset the symbiotic relationship that once existed, labor no longer has a lever. I can't see the political power that some claim the unions have, they are impotent compared to the forces arrayed against them.

Yep unions are a boogie man the right drags out from under the bed to scare each other with.
Public workers are pretty much the only unions left in the vast majroity of the USA.

I always thought law enforcment as a union was pretty strange.

Of course the most powerful union is Congress itself.
Heck they get to exempt themselves from laws and give themselves raises and spend everyone elses money and have great benefits and only work about 1/3 of the year.

 

[daveman]

How does labor get hired if there's no capital?

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

So honest Abe was a liberal after all?

Yes, he believed in an America for all Americans, regardless of station of life.

 

[Flopper]

It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, family leave, health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, retirement plans. The cornerstones of the middle-class security all bear the union label.

Barack Obama

 

[editec]

Of course people LABORED before capital existed.

All human wealth is created by some person's labor.

Even a lump of pure gold lying on the ground has NO WORTH until a human hand picks it up.

 

[DaGoose]

How does labor get hired if there's no capital?

How does capital exist if there's no labor to create it? (Chicken and Egg thing)

 

[DaGoose]

Labor is prior to and independent of capital.

And then came the Industrial Revolution and automation.

Labor is capital's lil' bitch now.

But you have a swell grasp of 19th century economics, Jillian.

LOL

You're 100% correct which was the reason for the need of labor unions. And as a result labor was able to level the playing field and help create a real middle class.

Now we're seeing the pendulum swinging back where the rich getting incredibly richer (with help from the government via HUGE tax cuts) and the working class getting it stuck up their ass.

 

[The T]

How does labor get hired if there's no capital?

They forget that thoses evil rich folks invest to make it happen.

 

[Old Rocks]

Labor is prior to and independent of capital.

And then came the Industrial Revolution and automation.

Labor is capital's lil' bitch now.

But you have a swell grasp of 19th century economics, Jillian.


LOL

Yes, LOL. The world you seek is far closer to communism or fascism than the world envisioned by Adam Smith. It is incredible that you believe that you support capitalism with your anti-labour, anti-human spiels.

Adam Smith Quotes - BrainyQuote

Labour was the first price, the original purchase - money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labour, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.

 

[Old Rocks]

How does labor get hired if there's no capital?

They forget that thoses evil rich folks invest to make it happen.

Well, now 'Tard', you just keep puckering up and kissing the ass shitting in your face.

 

[code1211]

And then came the Industrial Revolution and automation.

Labor is capital's lil' bitch now.

But you have a swell grasp of 19th century economics, Jillian.

LOL

You're 100% correct which was the reason for the need of labor unions. And as a result labor was able to level the playing field and help create a real middle class.

Now we're seeing the pendulum swinging back where the rich getting incredibly richer (with help from the government via HUGE tax cuts) and the working class getting it stuck up their ass.

You must be a big supporter of the Ryan budget that suggests a reduction to two brackets of tax rates and virtually no deductions.

 

[The T]

You're 100% correct which was the reason for the need of labor unions. And as a result labor was able to level the playing field and help create a real middle class.

Now we're seeing the pendulum swinging back where the rich getting incredibly richer (with help from the government via HUGE tax cuts) and the working class getting it stuck up their ass.

You must be a big supporter of the Ryan budget that suggests a reduction to two brackets of tax rates and virtually no deductions.

dagoose is one of the biggest capitalist on these boards.

 

[The T]

How does labor get hired if there's no capital?

They forget that thoses evil rich folks invest to make it happen.

Well, now 'Tard', you just keep puckering up and kissing the ass shitting in your face.

Translation: ..."T is correct..."

 

[Seawytch]

Personally, I wouldn't mind going back to that era, minus the slavery.

I didn't know you had to be born Amish...

 

[SniperFire]

And then came the Industrial Revolution and automation.

Labor is capital's lil' bitch now.

But you have a swell grasp of 19th century economics, Jillian.

LOL

You're 100% correct which was the reason for the need of labor unions. And as a result labor was able to level the playing field and help create a real middle class.

Now we're seeing the pendulum swinging back where the rich getting incredibly richer (with help from the government via HUGE tax cuts) and the working class getting it stuck up their ass.

Labor will always be technology and capital's lil' bitch now. Automation has captured and displaced much of labor's utility to productivity.

You can long for the good ol' days all you want, but they are gone for good.

Capital is king. It takes a hell of a lot less labor now to produce the goods and services we need.