My book on the sources of modern commerce is still in the editing stage with many very helpful comments from family and friends.
So far, I have not included material on the forces opposing modern commerce. But I think a lot about it.
Most of Europe has gotten off the track to modern commerce which was thoroughly encouraged up until 1914. World War I may have terrified everyone with its massive scale slaughter.
I think otherwise. I think the anti-commerce force was unions. Unions grew rapidly after WWI. Unions have always been close to Socialism but I think it is deeper.
Modern commerce is based on meritocracy. A society that deprecates meritocracy has very little chance to promote modern commerce. The absence of meritocracy is a fundamental blockage to imagination and productivity in the workplace.
The definition of union structure is to promote seniority and stifle meritocracy.
Unions are very old organizations. First found in Europe as guilds in the 1600’s. Most skilled craftsmen learned their trades in an apprentice system. The quality of the trade skills was maintained by the guilds which established rules and training procedures for apprentice programs. The guilds were usually made up of one trade; carpenters, tailors, hat makers, weavers, printers etc.
Little changed until the mid 1800’s when guilds became unions and the level of skill incorporated entire classes of educated workers. Mechanics and engineers were members of unions as were engravers and ship captains.
Unions to this day promote seniority over merit. In the school systems where merit can be necessary unions go to the other extreme of protecting incompetent teachers. Unions support anti-merit.
Europe is run by unions and has no future. American cities are all run by unions and the future is Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans and Baltimore.
Fortunately in America, since the Trump election, meritocracy may survive.
This is not to say that other institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church, Marxism and modern global news networks are not also anti-merit. It is only that unions have operational power and better organization than the others.