Dear editor:
The Gay '90s, also referred to as the Gilded Age, concerned the late 1890s and the fact that the wealthy industrialists controlled much of everything, similar to today. The Libertarians now say this was the greatest time in our history and they seek to return America back to it. This is the Ayn Rand philosophy, and what Rep. Paul Ryan bases his austerity budgets on, none of which have passed into law so far, thank God.
The Gilded Age was a time when industrialists were industrialists and workers knew their place. It was a time when farmers were losing their lands by the hundreds of thousands, we had child labor, no mandatory school for our children, and government bureaucrats did not exist. Small business was crushed out of existence and the U.S. Senate was the millionaire's club, representing the needs of only the wealthy.
We endured 14-hour work days with barely a day off in sweatshops, with no safety requirements. The masses were exploited and economically deprived. Our government and our courts represented the corporations, not the states or the people, similar to today. This prompted a national movement for labor which Labor Day is named after.
Industrialists always want cheap labor. Many do not value human life or dignity. They would not admit then, nor will they now, that it is government infrastructure and subsidies, coupled with human labor, that allowed them to accumulate wealth. They will always declare that they alone created their wealth. No mega corporation today could continue to exist without their labor force. They pushed to deregulate the market at a huge cost to this country, and as a result, we have become de-industrialized, and financialized with our banks and corporations doing as they please, without fear of recrimination.
Judith Zitko
Hot Springs Village
Editorial on 03/01/2015