What We Get Wrong About the LudditesThey protested exploitation, not invention.

From the show

Hidden Sides of History

The term 'Luddite' is often used as an insult for someone who resists technology. But the real story of the 19th-century English weavers is a powerful lesson about labor rights in the face of disruptive automation. These skilled workers weren't against machines themselves. They organized against factory owners who used new technology to de-skill their craft, cut wages, and undermine their livelihood. Their fight wasn't with progress, but with exploitation.