Comment by varispeed

Unfortunately, due to lobbying, it's now less of a trade but skill that corporations exploit for profit. In Western countries working on your own account is getting more and more restricted under guise of tackling tax avoidance (many tax authorities engage in anti-small business propaganda), so that the profit people generate is captured by corporations they have to work at if they want to pursue their "trade".

edit:

I find it fascinating that working class supports this, even though it is against their interest. It has a lot to do with crabs in the bucket mentality and the cultivated perception that venturing out of ones lane is wrong. Most people think they need to serve the rich masters and that is their calling and reject the idea that concept of class has been created to keep them in mental captivity.