Factory Tales

A buddy of mine called from Kentucky today. We had a good chat. He told me a little story. One day at his factory job he happened to make an observation.

"You know," he said, "We are just a bunch of whores here, performing a series of physical actions for money."

Next thing you know he's called down to the HR department for calling all his co-workers whores. I guess they didn't get it.

Another thing that happened today, one more local factory closed. 225 people are out on the street. This in an area already depressed. I've friends and relatives out of work. Many of these guys are in their 50s, skilled in jobs that have gone away. They are too young to retire, and too old to retrain. Some have trades that can be transferred to other fields. Most don't. Even those with salable skills will have to move to use them.

According to the radio, the company that was going to buy the mill was unable to secure financing. They aren't the only ones. Banks are not lending. Now if this sort of thing is happening all over the country, doesn't expect a recovery. No investment in factories equals no factory jobs. The sad thing here is that everyone agrees the workers are good, some of the most productive in the world.

Well . . . now it looks they are being treated like cheap whores -used and cast aside.

Good night American worker.