Nigeria, Oct. 17 -- The Luddites were a movement of skilled textile workers in England who rebelled against industrial machinery between 1811 and 1816. Having spent years mastering their crafts, they watched machines produce textiles faster and more cheaply, threatening their livelihoods and diminishing the value of skills painstakingly acquired over generations. Some, invoking the legendary General Ned Ludd, responded by smashing the machines. The British government retaliated with military force, executions and harsh punishments. Ultimately, mechanised production prevailed, and the traditional methods the Luddites sought to preserve gradually gave way.

Their story offers a useful lens through which to examine today's anxieties about ar...