Industrialization was a massive success, but classical liberalism had to be reined in by governments and unions. We as a society succeeded despite it. The peons had to get gunned down by the Pinkertons so we could get sane working hours, conditions, and fair pay. Thank god for the weekend? No, thank unions.

I have this feeling folks learn about the invisible hand from Adam Smith, take nothing else from that text, and then have this magical thinking that benefits will accrue to everyone, when in fact we little people have to prevent that invisible hand from stabbing innocent people by creating the FDA, EPA, OSHA, FCC, FTC, SEC, NLRB, etc., and we have to have labor movements to get some of benefits of industrialization.

Right now, our approach to life is to motivate everyone by profit, reducing fully-fleshed people to homo economicus, devoid of any other emotion and motivation other than money, and hope that somehow, magically, that will create the best civilization.