The Case Against Fordism
It’s hard to imagine where we would be today in terms of economic progress, industrial production capacity and labour dynamics if Henry Ford never existed. The revolutionary system he pioneered in the early 20th century, largely known for implementing the concept of the “assembly line” (which, notably, was actually invented by Ransom Eli Olds, and merely popularized by Ford), forever changed the way companies thought about production processes.
It massively increased efficiency and it introduced the idea of standardized output. It delivered affordable and reliable cars and later, various consumer goods of dependable and consistent quality to the masses, while at the same time it significantly increased profitability and productivity for the companies that adopted it. All these benefits and progress, however, came at a steep cost, which would soon accumulate and compound. It undermined and denigrated human creativity, it stifled and demonized individuality, free, independent thought and autonomy.
The sharp and perceptive observer will no doubt detect some of the most fundamental, core ideas and principles of Fordism in today’s society and in our current political and economic system. We can see a clear example in public education: Much like Fordism, the education “factory” is also all about uniformity. And much
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LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
