The Real Meaning of Labor Day

The Joplin Globe has printed a terrific Labor Day column by ARI columnist Fredric Hamber, which begins:

It is fitting that the most productive nation on earth should have a holiday to honor its work. The high standard of living that Americans enjoy is hard-earned and well-deserved. But the term “Labor Day” is a misnomer. What we should celebrate is not sweat and toil, but the power of man’s mind to reason, invent and create.

Several centuries ago, providing the basic necessities for one’s survival was a matter of daily drudgery for most people. But Americans today enjoy conveniences undreamed of by medieval kings. Every day brings some new useful household gadget, or a new software system to increase our productivity, or a breakthrough in biotechnology.

So, it is worth asking: Why do Americans have no unique holiday to celebrate the creators, inventors, and entrepreneurs who have made all of this wealth possible – the men of the mind?

Read the full article.

Our own Craig Ceely has also published a recent column about Labor Day.