Pretty hard takedown of current Americans' work ethic. I have family members describe a similar ethic at a non-manufacturing site. I csn't generalize beyond that.
People want the popular image of the 1950s, where a hard working dad could support a family living in a house with a picket fence in the suburbs. It doesn’t matter what the actual job is; it’s just associated with manufacturing in people’s minds.
Sometimes you do things you don't want to do because it prevents worse things from happening in the future. Such as hostile countries shutting off manufacturing to the US.
I found this article [1] and the one from November from Ben, very educational on understanding motivation. However, putting it in practice is a very different thing.
From [1]:
_That is because the structure of the world economy — choices made starting with Bretton Woods in particular, and cemented by the removal of tariffs over time — made them nonviable. Say what you will about the viability or wisdom of Trump’s tariffs, the motivation — to undo eighty years of structural changes — is pretty straightforward!_
quantified|10 months ago
kunzhi|10 months ago
duxup|10 months ago
That's what I wonder. These aren't jobs people want... so what is Trump and the GoP trying to do?
umanwizard|10 months ago
charlie90|10 months ago
quantified|10 months ago
feyman_r|10 months ago
From [1]:
_That is because the structure of the world economy — choices made starting with Bretton Woods in particular, and cemented by the removal of tariffs over time — made them nonviable. Say what you will about the viability or wisdom of Trump’s tariffs, the motivation — to undo eighty years of structural changes — is pretty straightforward!_
[1]: https://stratechery.com/2025/trade-tariffs-and-tech/