this post was submitted on 20 May 2026
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ever? Totally used to. Social movements fought for the 40h work week in the 19th and early 20th century in many countries. Then the post-WW2 era was defined by Keynesian economics, and economic growth in Western economies actually translated into higher wages.
Then came neoliberalism, peddled by fraud economists like Hayek and Friedman, enacted by politicians like Raegan and Thatcher. Unions were weakened, and the rich were free to appropriate all the productivity gains and growth.
I recommend reading "The Hidden Doctrine", short and easy book.
The point they're making is that during the creation of the middle class and increase of leisure time, that wasn't because of technology or increased production. It was due to labor organization, and democratic efforts to restrain capitalism. Technology just made the profits so flagrant, it was easy to make the case that the state should regulate them.