davel , 1 month ago

You misunderstand the Luddite movement. They weren’t anti-technology, they were anti-capitalist exploitation.

The 1810s: The Luddites act against destitution

It is fashionable to stigmatise the Luddites as mindless blockers of progress. But they were motivated by an innate sense of self-preservation, rather than a fear of change. The prospect of poverty and hunger spurred them on. Their aim was to make an employer (or set of employers) come to terms in a situation where unions were illegal.