Henry Ford Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed.
Labor is the superior of capital and deserves much the higher consideration.
The only thing worse than being exploited by a capitalist is not being exploited by one. The books are filled with names of kings. Thus, unlike any other commodity, labor's performance the intensity and quality of effort exerted on the job depends in part on human attitudes, specifically the attitudes of workers and their employers concerning the returns to labor and the nature of the work to be performed. Labor markets are therefore inherently political institutions in the sense that coalitions of participants can affect important outcomes. These interactions have economic significance because labor's performance affects productivity, which in turn affects the costs and quality of production.