Where did it go wrong for labor in America?

September 4th, 2023

When I drive, I always listen to the radio — usually American radio stations streaming online to my car speakers. I have a favorite radio station always with good driving music and that helps me pass the time behind the wheel and it saves everybody from having to listen to me sing — I only do it in a safely enclosed space with music on full blast. And that is what I was doing today as the sun was creeping down on the highway. And then the DJ talked between the song, reminding me that today is Labor Day in the USA (yay!) and then she said as well — “if you are lucky enough to have a day off today on this beautiful Labor Day Monday — go out and enjoy it!”

I almost swerved off the road when I heard it. Lucky to have a day off on Labor Day? What the hell? After I went home and went online and just by checking several websites, it became clear that today everything is open in the USA. Millions of people are at work on the day that is supposed to be a celebration of the American workforce, on the day when workers are supposed to enjoy time off at the close of the summer season. I remember that ten years ago no more than an occasional 7–11 was open on holidays and everybody was free to enjoy the long weekend. What the hell happened? Is the cult of money and making money and being constantly on and open and doing business non-stop completely taken over any common sense and decency? What the hell am I asking? Of course it did! It is just as I am removed from the reality of America I sometimes forget about that — lucky me and those innocent and blissful moments. I feel seriously angry now at how easy it is to control people and their needs and desires. How easy it is to force people to work without a break and to create customers who constantly crave new shit. This is beyond any fucked-up symbolism — to work on Labor Day and to consider that normal.

It isn’t, and the worst part is that no change towards normalcy will be forthcoming.