The book Kings of Capital and Knights of Labor

Was printed in 1886.  The Preface begins:

What are these three dangers?  They might sound familiar:

• “Political Corruption in our legislatures and municipalities”
  
• “Social Dangers,” specifically “Capital and Labor are in open war.”
  
• and “the Evils of enormous fortunes in the hands of the few.”

The  premise of this book was wrong.  We have not found remedies to any of these “dangers” but we have not perished.   We have thrived.  In the 130 years since Kings of Capital and Knights of Labor was published our nation has created wealth and opportunity beyond imagination.  Maybe he was wrong to worry about these issues then and maybe we are wrong to spend to much time worrying about them now.

Politicians are still corruptible.  The owners and the workers are still fighting, and people are still worrying about the concentration of wealth in society.  Managing these conditions so that the creative engine of growth can continue to increase prosperity throughout the world is our task.  There are no remedies, only management problems.

Life is good!