Here in America, we will be celebrating Labor Day, a national holiday. I don't know about you, but I got to wondering what exactly is this Labor Day celebration. What or whose labor are we celebrating?
So I looked up the history of Labor Day.
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
[from the United States Department of Labor]
Concluding with this paragraph:
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
I find the phrase "our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy" most telling, it tells me that the labor of the American people have benefited the United States democracy. But wait, the United States is a democratic Republic, isn't it? According to the Declaration of Independence found as part of the United States Constitution we, the labor force, are guaranteed certain unalienable rights (that means these rights CANNOT be taken away) such as the right of personal security, personal liberty and personal property. I consider my labor my personal property. I should be the one who benefits from that labor, not a country or a democracy. However, that is not the case. Who or what, then, really benefits from the work force here in America?
Obviously, we are told the country itself benefits from our labor. The tax system is certainly proof of that. Between federal, state, city, property, sales, gasoline, cigarette, liquor, excise and the various other forms of taxation (fees, permits, licenses) we are now paying close to 60% of our earnings to the government.
Next in line to receive a portion of our labor are the banks. We "trade" our labor for pieces of paper called Federal Reserve Notes (dollars). Now in order for these pieces of paper to circulate in our economy, they must be "borrowed" from the Federal Reserve. Notice I said borrowed. That's right, our government "borrows" the notes from an entity owned by international bankers that must be paid back WITH INTEREST!!!! The more "money" that is "borrowed" (by the way, this money is created out of thin air, there is no intrinsic value backing the American dollar -no gold, no silver, no anything) the less value the currency is given. Sort of like a comic or sport card collection, the rarer the pieces the more value that collection retains. When "fiat" money is used in an economy, the "hidden" tax of devaluation strips YOUR labor of its value.
Who else then benefits from our labor? Why the very corporations or businesses that sell everything from food to fuel to tools to games and gadgets to clothes to medical supplies. All these entities certainly "benefit" from our sweat and brow.
Let us not forget the churches either. No doubt you have a tithe envelope mailed to you for your contributions just in case you can't make the Sunday service. Now I don't know for sure, but I've heard that many a preacher tells you it's your "God-given duty to pay a portion of your labor to the church"!!!
So many "strangers" benefit from our labor here in America, no wonder it is a National holiday!
Tags: USA Holiday Labor Day Workers Labor Force Benefits Taxation Bankers
