“Great abundance is heaped up as a result of brutalizing labour, but a miserable life is the result”. 

(p.100, “The Essential Epicurus”, translated by Eugene O’Connor, Great Books in Philosophy series)

The employment practices of Big Business, the outsourcing and the indifference of politicians have led the the highest suicide rate per thousand in the world.  I refer to the United States .  One can buy, say, a book from Amazon and it arrives within twenty-four hours, facilitated by people who barely earn a living wage.

I once worked for a US company that paid a pittance, had you standing in a hot room for nine hours a day (no chairs allowed) gave you ten minutes for lunch, and you had to ask permission to from the supervisor to go to the men’s room or visit the water fountain.  When eventually  I ran my own business I was glad of this Mr. Gradgrind experience – it taught me forcibly what not to do.

The company in Chicago referred to above?  I lasted three weeks, refusing to be treated like a disposable machine.