The Luddites weren’t backward technophobes. They saw factory owners using tech to degrade their livelihoods and they fought back — first by trying to negotiate, then writing to Parliament, and finally smashing the machines.
As workers today organize and strike over bosses using digital tech to upend their industries, there’s a lot we can learn from the Luddites’ story. I was thrilled to dig into it with @brianmerchant!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/13638517-the-real-history-of-the-luddites-w-brian-merchant
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Growing up, I always thought "Luddite" referred to someone who refused to learn how to use new technology because the old tech (including pencil and paper) works reliable enough for them. How wrong I was.
