Labor Day 2024

Labor Day 2024

It is Labor Day 2024 here in the United States. Labor Day is a U.S. Federal Holiday celebrating the achievements of the organized labor movement. The service sector has overtaken today’s U.S. economy, placing less emphasis on the achievement of the 20th century labor movement. Nevertheless, it cannot be overstated the importance the labor movement had while the U.S. economy transitioned from an agrarian-based economy, to a manufacturing-based economy of the 20th century, to the service-based economy of today.

Much has been written, discussed, and debated about work and labor. Labor is a very popular and important subject among theologians, philosophers, economists, politicians, lawyers, and anyone who wants to live in a just and free society while serving God or his/her respective faith tradition. Furthermore, it gets to the very heart of the subject of wealth and resource sharing and distribution. The topics of the 5 and 6-day work week, as presented in the Bible Old Testament, the Producers Class of Plato’s Republic, and even to the modern debate of Qualified Immunity that protects government officials from any civil liabilities.

Actual Slavery was commonly practiced in ancient and medieval times. Consequently, many of the priests and other religious leaders had much to say on the Labor Practices of that time. The Old Testament Genesis Creation Story where God rested on the seventh day became the impetuous behind the Keep and Remember the Sabbath Day Holy commandment. Religious traditions vary and debate the Commandment, but most consider the Commandment as a fundamental part of their faith tradition.

Plato’s Republic discusses, at length, the ideal Greek City-State with various classes of citizenry performing well-defined roles and tasks. These various Classes of the City were reflections of the individual citizen’s soul and became integral to the proper functioning of the City. The Producer Class of citizens in Plato’s Republic are skilled craftsman, artisans, and other professionals who produce the sustenance of the City, both the physical sustenance as food, and the artistic or psychological sustenance.

Today, more Americans are concerned about their 401-K retirement and pension plans, than they are about the poor working conditions of factories in the early and middle 20th century. Americans want to know how to become a Day Trader in their Home Office using E-Trade and Interactive Brokers, or how to get an online Ph.D. in Medieval History to sell more books on Amazon. Additionally, workers are very concerned they, or their job, might become a victim of this Qualified Immunity nonsense. The small battles and street skirmishes between factory workers, managers and owners, and government officials of the early and middle 20th century has been relegated to the history books.

Labor Day is the unofficial end of Summer. People make their final Summer vacation plans, public pools close, students go back to school, and folks begin to settle into their Fall and Winter routines. I am a Microsoft Certified Windows Programmer. I hope to have a retro PC gaming system up and running before Fall begins. I hope and pray everyone has a fun, safe, and productive Labor Day 2024.