Individualism In America

The United States of America have always had an estrange relationship with socialism and unions. No other time in America’s history has the question of whether the practice of socialism and the presence of unions existing in the United States have been as pressing as it was during the 1930s. During this time America’s industrial powers came to the zenith of their global and domestic influence. Each industrialist strove to outperform their competitors and maximize workers production efficiency in order to maximize profits. This lead to practices that many critics and workers alike bemoaned as being detrimental to the interest of the workers of America. One group of critics were American writers and journalists that took to their pen and papers …show more content…
The first argument that he presents is that everyday workers have come to accept the concept of individualism. For them, individualism was the notion that hard work was and trust in the country and its institutions was the only way to achieve prosperity. This notion even applies during hard times because as the law of nature states all countries experience hard times, but the only way to get yourself out of poverty was that “if you worked hard, and lived a sober and God-fearing life, success was bound to come to you” (Sinclair 10). It was tough that the only way to get promotions and get ahead of life was to be quite, follow orders, and demonstrate strong work values. If, and only if, workers demonstrate these values they will prosper in the great society that America’s industry was providing. This meant that the government had no right to meddle in the economy because as long as the economy is left alone workers and employers will direct themselves towards prosperity. Any hint of government intervention in the economy was frown upon and both employers and employees demanded that the government stayed out of the economy. After all, in their mind, the economy would fix itself on its own and the workers would experience the promise of …show more content…
Sinclair argues that most everyday worker fostered their opinions about the role that socialism has in the American industry through what they have read on the newspapers and what their employers have said about such matters. In the minds of the workers it was not their place to formulate ideas about the good men that create their jobs and ameliorated their lives. Therefore, they took to heart the criticisms that the newspapers and the employers had towards socialists and socialism. Sinclair conveys this idea when he states that Abner did not know what the term socialist meant, but that it referred to the men that were jealous of their employers, that were natural troublemakers, and that thought that the American industry was creating profit at the expense of the workers (24). Here we see Abner, who is used of as a generalization of the American worker, believing what their employers is saying about socialism without question. For Sinclair this explains why socialism is not view favorable in the eyes of the workers, the monopoly that the employers have on the minds of the workers have ensured that socialism did not cement itself in