Robert ReichWe're in the Second Gilded Age just like the first — when America's wealth was in the hands of a few, conspicuous consumption existed alongside homelessness and hunger, monopolies destroyed competition, big money corrupted politics, unions were busted, and wages were suppressed.
Thomas H Jones II@rbreich At first, I misread that as "Gilead".
to the moon and back
Jeffery Battersby@ferricoxide
Not wrong.
Not wrong.
Lassielmr@ferricoxide @rbreich that’s next 🤬
Thales@rbreich And what people did to change that was mass protest, demanding humane work hours and livable wages. They protested and shut down the economy and their profits until their demands were ratified.
We have to do the same and demand change. Humane work hours and livable wages along with these other tags that go hand in hand with true progress. #5HrsMaxWorkDays #LivableWages #UniversalHealthcare #QualityEducationSystems #ProgressiveEducationSystems
#AffortableEducationSystems
#CertifiedBCorporations
@rbreich An eight-hour work day has its origins in the 16th century Spain,[1] but the modern movement dates back to the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life. At that time, the working day could range from 10 to 16 hours, the work week was typically six days a week and the use of child labour was common.[2][3] The first country that introduced the 8-hour work day by law for factory and fortification workers was Spain in 1593.[1] In contemporary era, it was established for all professions by the Soviet Union in 1917.[4]
…
In 1864, the eight-hour day quickly became a central demand of the Chicago labor movement. The Illinois General Assembly passed a law in early 1867 granting an eight-hour day but it had so many loopholes that it was largely ineffective. A citywide strike that began on 1 May 1867 shut down the city's economy for a week before collapsing.
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In August 1866, the National Labor Union at Baltimore passed a resolution that said, "The first and great necessity of the present to free labor of this country from capitalist slavery, is the passing of a law by which eight hours shall be the normal working day in all States of the American Union. We are resolved to put forth all our strength until this glorious result is achieved."
Incorrigible Maker for HARRIS
WanderingBeekeeper@rbreich I've been saying this for a few years now, but then I'm a historian, and we're used to being ignored. To make it worse, the Gilded Age is my specialization, so when I try to talk about rail barons and the public school system, only the folks who've read John Holt listen without dismissing me outright as a crank. Now that a celebrity has said this, maybe people will accept the idea that we're repeating a cycle.
TheBison@rbreich Rome had the Gladiators of the Colosseum to kp their ppl docile. Today there's TV, movies, fast food, video games, etc. Until we turn away from our distractions we'll stay blind to our destruction
Oakwalker@rbreich Right? How did that work out last time?
Curious Mind@rbreich I see it as around 1928, no Antitrust laws, $$$ in the hands of a few, the robber barons and carpetbaggers, and crooks and mafias in government at all levels. Women and minorities were 2nd class citizens, and low wages and near slave labor, including child labor was on the table. Then came the Depression- now interest rates are climbing, people won’t buy things and we’ll find ourselves in the same place.
@rbreich The US has transformed itself into the most terrifying Stephen King novel ever.
GeofCoxThe Gilded Age in America ended in the Crash, Great Depression and half-decent response of the New Deal. But in Europe it ended in Depression, Fascism, War and Holocaust.
It was only the shock of this collapse that forced the rejection of unregulated capitalism, the introduction of welfare states, the Bretton Woods and other international and national regulatory frameworks (and incidentally it was not just the New Deal, but the War that also saved the US economy).
It was this highly regulated form of capitalism - free enterprise within a broadly socialist framework - that created in some countries the only relatively successful period of 'capitalism', roughly 1945-75 - otherwise capitalism has always led to terrible exploitation and injustice, slavery, colonialism, depression, war.
gavinisdie 
@rbreich hopefully like the first guided age, it is followed by an Era of reformation
Tom CapuderAnd we know what comes next...