A Commentary on Wage Slavery in America

By George J. Adams

Since the abolition of actual slavery in America in the 1860's there has been a movement in American business to exploit the American worker.  Some say this reached its climax with the "Robber-Barons" of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  These business lords of the "Golden Age" worked their employees with virtually no benefits, low pay and they used child labor.  Injuries in the workplace could permanently disable workers who were then left with no means of making an income.  During the 20th century, especially during the Depression Era of the 1930s many social reforms were passed that helped to insure the protection of workers.  Things became much better for workers with unemployment, welfare and social security benefits for all Americans.  Through the 1970s things were better for labor.

Things began to change again, this time for the worse in the 1980s.  Corporations and businesses in America, although restrained by legislation to respect minimum wage laws, started paying less money to workers and cutting benefits.  Even the military started to lower retirement payouts.  This trend continued throughout the 90s and today.  

Today working class families in this country struggle to make ends meet.  Wages are the lowest in thirty years and benefits are less than ever before.  How can a family of four be expected to survive on a two parent income of $6.00 per hour each?  That's a total household income of $23,040.00 per year (before taxes) to support two children and two adults.  Take into account the cost of food, shelter, fuel, and other necessities and what is left for a decent life or the "pursuit of happiness."  The numbers simply do not work!  It is little wonder that so many people get into trouble with credit in the U.S. today.  

The idea of credit today is not to help people who need money they do not have.  It does not allow people to pay back loans in a timely manner.  This is done by raising interest rates to the point where the working class are unable pay back what they borrow in their lifetimes!  This enslaves these people to their employers and to their creditors.  Now our politicians are making it more difficult for the working poor to declare bankruptcy.  Bankruptcy was created by the Founding Fathers in order that people were able to have a fresh start if they fell into such financial trouble they would be unable to pay back their loans.  This law has been in effect and never revised in any major way by the government since the Revolutionary Era.  Now politicians, paid by special interests and corporations, are changing these laws which protect the poor.

They are also trying to destroy labor unions and other organizations which protect the worker and the poor.  I am not normally called a conspiracy theorist, however, in the full light of day these changes and policies seem to be taking only one direction, the destruction of Civil Liberties for the poor and working class Americans.  Can this simply be a coincidence?  I think not.  As my ancestor before me, George Willison Adams once stood for the abolition of slavery in America, I take this stand with regard to the abolition of Wage Slavery!  Do not mistake this for a Communist sympathy, the protection of the American worker should not endanger the Capitalist system in the U.S.  What it would do is to help level the playing field for all Americans.  It would stop our decline into a third world nation of workers and a first world nation of employers and leaders.

I would make a plea to all Americans to support laws for a "living wage" for all Americans.  The end to "revolving door" blue collar jobs and better benefits for workers.

Thank You.

George Adams,  2005