The Collapse of Pride

The wife and I took a wee little trip down to the state of North Carolina this week to visit with our youngest son. As the West Virginia economy suffered damage back in the late 80's, I was forced to relocate to North Carolina to find work. I have always viewed the Tarheel state as a state that was always moving forward. New homes and businesses are always being built and the Want Ads in the local papers were always full of jobs that needed to be filled. It was never hard to leave one job and have another before the sun went down the very same day.
As I drove through the city of High Point, once self proclaimed "Furniture Capitol of the World", although the city of Thomasville made that proclamation long before High Point, I truly saw the effects that our current nations economy had made on the area. Back when I had lived in the area many years ago, furniture factories and textile mills dominated the economy. With new "Mom and Pop" furniture factories being built and set up seemingly every week. Each and every factory appeared have two to three shifts working 7 days a week, scarcely would one see a plant that had empty employee parking lots.
To my surprise I found furniture and textile factories who once employed hundreds of North Carolinians were no longer in operation. And I saw at least 4 such plants that are now home to weekend flea markets and yard sale havens. Multi acre size plants were now closed and their parking lots were over grown with grass. Factories that were constructed to handle massive shipping orders with over 50 tractor trailer shipping docks were now vacant, no trucks in sight waiting to be loaded. Shipping delivery trucks would rule the roadways, buggers would run you over getting from destination to destination like busy worker bees taking care of a community hive. Now sit idle or grouped together at business equipment surplus sale car lots.
What had happened? What could have possibly happened to have shut down so many wonderful companies that once supplied the nation with household furniture and textile products? Just the economy? Folks stopped buying furniture, socks and underwear? Now I do not know about you but I tend to take care of my homes furniture so I dont usually go chair shopping once a month, but socks and undies, yea I need to replace those things on a regular basis. So I know that, as a consumer, I do purchase textiles more than furniture.

I honestly feel that we have been sold out. Sold out by the folks who call themselves "public servants" or as I call them, filthy rich politicians who's only goal in life is the continuance of collecting wealth at any cost no matter who pays for it, namely the little ole tax payers. So much that America now depends on is purchased from other countries. In a deal made between the USA and China over a decade ago we agreed to purchase products made in China in return for China loaning the USA cash to purchase oil from the Middle East. Similar deals we made with Mexico and Canada which has boosted their economies but ruined our own.
Today, as I drove through the cities of Thomasville and High Point I recall very few factories actually working. Thomasville is home to the Thomasville Furniture Company which now has laid off almost all of their employees with no hope of ever returning to work. As I explained to my wife what type of city High Point once was, a self sustaining city reliant upon no one else but themselves, where hundreds of factories and facilities which once depended on each other for growth and prosperity have now closed their doors, possibly forever. All because of elected officials making deals with other countries to satisfy their own lust for more money, never thinking of the long term effect it may have on the little person.

Now I sure hope my next comment doesnt get me some hate mail from you Wallippians, but have you ever went to Wal-Mart and attempted to complete your shopping list just by purchasing products made ONLY in the USA? Almost an impossibility right? If China ever stopped exports into the US, Walley World would go bankrupt in less than a month. Now I like the ease of Wal-Mart as much as the next budgeteer but I would like to think I am helping my fellow Americans keep their jobs.

Furniture that is sold in Wal-Mart is made in China, Philippines, Korea and Mexico. This stuff is made from pressed saw dust and simple to assemble (sic) and already finished. Folks who made real furniture from real wood with a real finish are going to Wal-Mart to buy this stuff to stick their Korean or Japanese made computers on simply because no one here in the US make the stuff anymore.

I remember back in the 70's of a specific bumper sticker or window sticker could easily be found in the shape of a red, white and blue star with the simple words that stated, "Made With Pride In The USA". Well that was back in the 70's when folks worked and at least 20% of Washington DC still were running this country of the people, for the people...wow daddy-o, that sure has changed. The ole Disco Duck has seen this and is sad. I wish the politicians had as much pride in America and the products we once made as the folks who once made it.