I think of the hard work naturalized citizens go through to enter this country and become citizens. Let them leave and come back legally. Let's get some people off the welfare files to fill those jobs. It sounds like you were talking to some good people, but we must be fair to all.
According to today's Guardian, the Biden administration is building the infrastructure that will carry out Trump's deportations. And according to today's Lever, Wall Street sees big profits to be made in the deportation business.
Thank you again for stopping to notice, Bob. Lord knows there are no easy answers to any of this. If there were, it would have been solved years ago. My heart goes out to the immigrants who are now living in a hellish purgatory.
"hellish purgatory." Such a perfect description. I don't think I'll forget that phrase. Hopefully, I will remember to credit you for putting it that way. Thanks.
For those who wonder if there is a deity, I simply offer this. How else does Bob Leonard always seem to land in just the right spot in the universe at just the right time? It helps that he's paying attention. But still, I suggest he is in the flow of all that is good and continuously rises to the occasion to report it out so the rest of us can more clearly see what's at stake. Thank you Dr. Bob!
My dad was a truck driver. I grew up in a blue-collar family in a working-class southside of Chicago family. My dad was employed most, but not all of his working life. Your story is sad and important. Your story also motivated me to do some research and ask a question. Bob, why haven't any opponents (Dem's or advocates) to our current state govt. administration over the past 6 years talked about the number of jobs lost. Did any Democrats campaign on this? Here is one summary of major manufacturing plant closures in Iowa over the past six years and their impact on jobs:
1. Whirlpool Corporation (Amana): Closed its refrigeration unit in 2019, affecting around 700 workers
2. Iowa Premium (Tama): Reduced operations in 2020, leading to approximately 400 job losses
3. General Mills (Cedar Rapids): Ceased production at its yogurt plant in 2021, impacting over 500 employees
4. Tyson Foods (Waterloo): Shifted operations, resulting in a reduction of about 250 jobs in 2023
5. Siemens (Fort Madison): Closed its wind blade manufacturing plant in 2022, leading to over 300 layoffs
6. There are other layoffs, like Perry.
I do not have a comparison with jobs created in the same community. I accept many closures are tied to broader shifts in technology, global competition, and economic pressures.
This is the other side of the coin how the DNC and Biden campaign failed to message all the jobs created by Biden era programs.
Great question Ralph. I hope you continue your research and share the results on your substack. I asked Chat GPS to list closures in Iowa over the past 20 years and below is what it came up with, but I'm sure some smaller closures were missed:
List of Plant Closures in Iowa Over the Past 20 Years
Iowa has seen a series of significant plant closures over the past two decades, which have had far-reaching economic consequences, particularly for small towns and rural communities. These closures, while tied to global economic trends, corporate restructuring, and technological shifts, have also resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs. Below is a comprehensive list of notable plant closures in Iowa, including the number of jobs lost and references to each case.
1. Maytag (Newton, IA)
Year: 2007
Jobs Lost: 1,600
Details: Maytag’s Newton plant, an iconic employer in central Iowa, closed following Whirlpool’s acquisition of Maytag in 2006. The company moved production to lower-cost locations, including Mexico.
Reference: The New York Times, "Maytag Factory Closes, Leaving 1,600 Jobless in Iowa," December 31, 2007.
2. Tyson Foods (Logan, IA)
Year: 2008
Jobs Lost: 1,000
Details: Tyson Foods closed its meatpacking plant in Logan, Iowa, due to rising costs and increasing competition. This closure had a major impact on the local economy, particularly in rural western Iowa.
Reference: Reuters, "Tyson Foods Closes Iowa Meatpacking Plant, Lays off 1,000," March 10, 2008.
3. Sara Lee (Marshalltown, IA)
Year: 2011
Jobs Lost: 500
Details: The closure of the Sara Lee meat processing facility in Marshalltown resulted in the loss of about 500 jobs. This closure followed the sale of Sara Lee’s food operations to Hillshire Brands.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Sara Lee Closes Marshalltown Plant, 500 Jobs Lost," February 9, 2011.
4. Electrolux (Jefferson, IA)
Year: 2016
Jobs Lost: 900
Details: Electrolux closed its manufacturing plant in Jefferson after acquiring GE Appliances. The closure affected nearly 900 workers in a town that had relied heavily on the plant for employment.
Reference: The Wall Street Journal, "Electrolux to Close Iowa Plant, Lay Off 900," May 24, 2016.
5. ADM Corn Processing Plant (Clinton, IA)
Year: 2015
Jobs Lost: 100+
Details: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) closed its corn processing facility in Clinton due to changing market conditions and declining demand for ethanol. Over 100 jobs were lost in the process.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "ADM to Close Clinton, Iowa, Corn Processing Plant," September 24, 2015.
6. John Deere (Waterloo, IA)
Year: 2009
Jobs Lost: 800
Details: John Deere closed a facility in Waterloo as part of a global restructuring effort during the 2009 recession. The move was aimed at streamlining operations, with 800 workers losing their jobs.
Reference: The Courier, "John Deere to Close Waterloo Factory, Lay off 800 Workers," December 18, 2009.
7. Winnebago Industries (Forest City, IA)
Year: 2020 (Temporary Closure)
Jobs Lost: 2,000 (temporary)
Details: Winnebago suspended production at its manufacturing plant in Forest City during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, temporarily laying off 2,000 workers. Operations resumed later, but this event was still a significant temporary loss for the area.
Reference: The New York Times, "Winnebago Suspends Operations in Iowa Amid Pandemic," March 25, 2020.
8. Tyson Foods (Marshalltown, IA)
Year: 2019
Jobs Lost: 1,000
Details: Tyson closed its Marshalltown pork processing plant in 2019, eliminating over 1,000 jobs. The closure was part of a larger trend in the meatpacking industry of consolidating facilities and adopting more automated processes.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Tyson Foods to Close Marshalltown Plant, Lay off 1,000," October 14, 2019.
9. BNSF Railway (Des Moines, IA)
Year: 2019
Jobs Lost: 300
Details: The BNSF Railway closed its railcar repair facility in Des Moines, resulting in the loss of approximately 300 jobs. This was part of the company’s broader strategy to optimize operations in response to changing transportation patterns.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "BNSF Railway to Close Des Moines Facility, Lays off 300 Workers," February 7, 2019.
10. GMO Processing Plant (Des Moines, IA)
Year: 2012
Jobs Lost: 300
Details: A genetically modified organism (GMO) processing plant in Des Moines was shut down due to market forces and declining profitability. This plant had been involved in agricultural processing, but changing market dynamics led to its closure.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Des Moines GMO Processing Plant Shuts, 300 Jobs Lost," August 21, 2012.
11. Cargill (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Year: 2009
Jobs Lost: 300
Details: Cargill closed its plant in Cedar Rapids in 2009, resulting in the loss of around 300 jobs. The closure was linked to the company’s decision to consolidate operations following the economic downturn of the late 2000s.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Cargill Closes Cedar Rapids Plant, Lays Off 300," October 7, 2009.
Details: ADM closed its processing plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, resulting in the loss of 200 jobs. The closure was part of the company’s global restructuring efforts to reduce costs and consolidate facilities.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "ADM to Close Cedar Rapids Plant, Lays Off 200," January 14, 2013.
13. Vishay (Columbus Junction, IA)
Year: 2013
Jobs Lost: 200
Details: Vishay Intertechnology, a manufacturer of electronic components, closed its Columbus Junction facility in 2013. The plant had employed around 200 workers, who were laid off as part of a larger restructuring.
Reference: The Gazette, "Vishay Closes Iowa Plant, Lays Off 200," March 26, 2013.
Thanks Bob. I asked some D’s why they have not spoken out more since R’s took he Governor’s office in 2010 election. Amendments, speeches, columns, all could have been used. I ghost wrote some letters to the editor after the Perry Tyson plant closed and shared with D candidates from the area. I don’t know what they are afraid of.
Many Iowa Dem legislators are afraid. they say their priorities are 1. lower costs for Iowans, (vague so it means nothing) 2. reproductive freedom (lost cause for now, but must be fought for), 3. support of Iowa's public schools (lost cause for now, but must be fought for), and 4. legalization of marijuana (I'm not sure why this is a top priority). At the Friday Progress Iowa briefing (I'm not sure if you were there) I asked Rep Amy Nielson "what about water quality?" she said that they care about that too, and a bunch of other things. she didn't understand. Caring is different from doing. thanks!
Bob, I was on the Progress Iowa call and have been on a few state and national post-election calls. I agree with you and look forward to your writing on this Dem hesitancy. I don't know if it is fear, but it is a failure to connect with Iowans
you absolutely nailed it. I hope if Trump starts deportations that the backlash will be so strong he has to stop it and help with the workers to stay and work.
This leaves the doors open for company's like Smithfield to but Tyson for a dime on the dollar. The packing plant business has always been fragile. When I sold for Hormel Foods in Ottumwa I lost more business because Hormel was a quarter of a cent lb. higher than the competition. Packers have always weathered the changes in the market by reducing profit but that is no longer the case today. One more example of corp. greed and plant by plant the US can very well lose control of the food we produce.
The ramifications of Trumps deportation plan will have an enormous impact on Iowa.
Let’s think packing plants; I do not know the number of immigrants that work in these plants, but it substantial! Who is going to work in these plants? One of two things will happen, these plants shut down, or wages will increase (if they can find anyone who wants to do this grueling work)!
Then let us think about “Drill baby Drill” -- what will that do to the ethanol industry?
Who will work on our roads, build our houses, etc.
Our revenue streams in Iowa may dry up – and it’s not due to climate change this time!
Thanks, Bob, for an insightful essay. This is a real story in real time. That is what journalism is. My only thought at this moment when reading this is that we have to be able to do better in our country's governance than what our choices were this past election. What happened to compassion, integrity, and love for our country? When did only self-become the center value among us?
Such a sad commentary of our country - thanks for sharing, Bob. I can’t tell you the number of times in the past month I’ve had to remind people that elections have consequences. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
I brought up White because he edited the Emporia Gazette.
White was a Progressive and great friend of Theodore Roosevelt. He would have been appalled by the concentration of corporate power and have seen Tyson's as part of the problem. Come to think of it, he would have loved Austen Frerick's Barons.
I don't think immigration was a big issue in his time, so don't know how he would have felt about that.
Yes. White was on my radar, just barely. I glanced at his biography, and he was a great progressive. This comment gave me pause, but it may have been satire, which might be wishful thinking on my part. Written in 1899 from Wikipedia.
"Riots against the police are occurring in Havana. They will keep occurring. No Latin country governs itself. Self-government is the most difficult thing in the world for a people to accomplish. It is not a matter that a nation acquires by adopting a set of laws. Only Anglo-Saxons can govern themselves. The Cubans will need a despotic government for many years to restrain anarchy until Cuba is filled with Yankees. Uncle Sam, the First, will have to govern Cuba as Alphonso, the Thirteenth, governed it if there is any peace in the island at all. The Cubans are not and, of right, ought not to be free. To say that they are, or that they should be, is folly. Riot will follow riot. Anarchy will rise to be crushed. And unrest will prevail until the Yankee takes possession of the land. Then the Cubans will be an inferior—if not a servile—race. Then there will be peace in the land. Then will Cuba be free. It is the Anglo-Saxon's manifest destiny to go forth in the world as a world conqueror. He will take possession of all the islands of the sea. He will exterminate the peoples he cannot subjugate. That is what fate holds for the chosen people. It is so written. Those who would protest, will find their objections overruled. It is to be."
I dug out my copy of The Autobiography of William Allen White (a great read!) for a more complete answer.
In re Cuba: Yes, he was a white man of his time. On the other hand, in later life he vigorously opposed the KKK, even running for governor as an independent in 1924 when both the Republican and Democratic candidates were KKK-endorsed. When he was blacklisted by the D.A.R. (1928) for supporting the rights of Catholics, Jews, and blacks, he said that its president “has allowed several lengths of Ku Klux Klan nightie to show under her red, white and blue.”
In re Tyson: White’s attacks on Frank Munsey, a newspaper proprietor whose consolidations led to thousands to layoffs seems like a pretty close parallel to the Tyson case.
But I was wondering how he felt about other issues affecting us today.
He would support breaking up the big companies, having been an enthusiastic supporter of TR’s trust busting. And he would be fine with government regulation, having backed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.
He was active until about 1943, so had plenty to say about the New Deal. In 1934 he wrote, “for thirty years, now, the editor of the Gazette has been hammering away for a larger participation of the average man in the wealth of this nation—less for superintendence, interest and profits,-- more for wages. We have clamored for higher income taxes, for devastating inheritance taxes, for workmen’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, for all the measures which Colonel Theodore Roosevelt used to call ‘social and industrial justice.’” On the other hand, he wasn’t a big fan of government employment programs; he opposed the WPA. Still, overall, he was quite supportive of the New Deal.
He remained a Republican, however, supporting his old Kansas friend Alf Landon in 1936. FDR teased (at a whistlestop in Emporia, no less!) that he appreciated “Bill White’s support for three and a half years out of every four.” White went on to support Wendell Wilkie in 1940.
Modern social issues weren’t on the radar back then. But his stout support for Prohibition would perhaps be a clue to how he would feel about abortion.
On the whole, William Allen White was an admirable figure who should be better known today. He had flaws, but then we all do.
When I think of Tyson's I think of chicken nuggets, but that is just a synecdoche for the their product. Looking at the dominoes, who buys that product? Who eats that product? School lunch programs and students? Grocery stores and families? Going backwards, who supplies the feathers and hooves (I'm in a synecdoche mood today) to Tyson's? Will this signal a demise in CAFO's? Our governor (another synecdoche) is demanding that the next farm bill be passed---how will that address this chain of disaster?
I don't know the reasons why Biden didn't get to do all the things he might have liked to do, but I certainly hope that a lot of powerful people keep Trump from doing all the things those people he is trying to appoint are suggesting.
The Republicans favor a guest worker program without a path to citizenship. That has been a major difference with the Democrats for years. A unlimited guest worker program without any path to citizenship would exploit both the guest workers and the documented workers they would replace.
I think of the hard work naturalized citizens go through to enter this country and become citizens. Let them leave and come back legally. Let's get some people off the welfare files to fill those jobs. It sounds like you were talking to some good people, but we must be fair to all.
Sickening. Thanks for always having your eyes and ears wide open.
According to today's Guardian, the Biden administration is building the infrastructure that will carry out Trump's deportations. And according to today's Lever, Wall Street sees big profits to be made in the deportation business.
What profits would be made by deportations? I am just trying to understand. Thank you.
Thanks for the update. Yeah, i saw stock in the company that makes tazers was up nearly 30 percent.
Thank you again for stopping to notice, Bob. Lord knows there are no easy answers to any of this. If there were, it would have been solved years ago. My heart goes out to the immigrants who are now living in a hellish purgatory.
"hellish purgatory." Such a perfect description. I don't think I'll forget that phrase. Hopefully, I will remember to credit you for putting it that way. Thanks.
I would be honored to have Bob Leonard using something I said. No credit needed!
For those who wonder if there is a deity, I simply offer this. How else does Bob Leonard always seem to land in just the right spot in the universe at just the right time? It helps that he's paying attention. But still, I suggest he is in the flow of all that is good and continuously rises to the occasion to report it out so the rest of us can more clearly see what's at stake. Thank you Dr. Bob!
My top priority will be the people. I vow to undo what the oligarchs have wrought. The how is a long story.
My dad was a truck driver. I grew up in a blue-collar family in a working-class southside of Chicago family. My dad was employed most, but not all of his working life. Your story is sad and important. Your story also motivated me to do some research and ask a question. Bob, why haven't any opponents (Dem's or advocates) to our current state govt. administration over the past 6 years talked about the number of jobs lost. Did any Democrats campaign on this? Here is one summary of major manufacturing plant closures in Iowa over the past six years and their impact on jobs:
1. Whirlpool Corporation (Amana): Closed its refrigeration unit in 2019, affecting around 700 workers
2. Iowa Premium (Tama): Reduced operations in 2020, leading to approximately 400 job losses
3. General Mills (Cedar Rapids): Ceased production at its yogurt plant in 2021, impacting over 500 employees
4. Tyson Foods (Waterloo): Shifted operations, resulting in a reduction of about 250 jobs in 2023
5. Siemens (Fort Madison): Closed its wind blade manufacturing plant in 2022, leading to over 300 layoffs
6. There are other layoffs, like Perry.
I do not have a comparison with jobs created in the same community. I accept many closures are tied to broader shifts in technology, global competition, and economic pressures.
This is the other side of the coin how the DNC and Biden campaign failed to message all the jobs created by Biden era programs.
Great question Ralph. I hope you continue your research and share the results on your substack. I asked Chat GPS to list closures in Iowa over the past 20 years and below is what it came up with, but I'm sure some smaller closures were missed:
List of Plant Closures in Iowa Over the Past 20 Years
Iowa has seen a series of significant plant closures over the past two decades, which have had far-reaching economic consequences, particularly for small towns and rural communities. These closures, while tied to global economic trends, corporate restructuring, and technological shifts, have also resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs. Below is a comprehensive list of notable plant closures in Iowa, including the number of jobs lost and references to each case.
1. Maytag (Newton, IA)
Year: 2007
Jobs Lost: 1,600
Details: Maytag’s Newton plant, an iconic employer in central Iowa, closed following Whirlpool’s acquisition of Maytag in 2006. The company moved production to lower-cost locations, including Mexico.
Reference: The New York Times, "Maytag Factory Closes, Leaving 1,600 Jobless in Iowa," December 31, 2007.
2. Tyson Foods (Logan, IA)
Year: 2008
Jobs Lost: 1,000
Details: Tyson Foods closed its meatpacking plant in Logan, Iowa, due to rising costs and increasing competition. This closure had a major impact on the local economy, particularly in rural western Iowa.
Reference: Reuters, "Tyson Foods Closes Iowa Meatpacking Plant, Lays off 1,000," March 10, 2008.
3. Sara Lee (Marshalltown, IA)
Year: 2011
Jobs Lost: 500
Details: The closure of the Sara Lee meat processing facility in Marshalltown resulted in the loss of about 500 jobs. This closure followed the sale of Sara Lee’s food operations to Hillshire Brands.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Sara Lee Closes Marshalltown Plant, 500 Jobs Lost," February 9, 2011.
4. Electrolux (Jefferson, IA)
Year: 2016
Jobs Lost: 900
Details: Electrolux closed its manufacturing plant in Jefferson after acquiring GE Appliances. The closure affected nearly 900 workers in a town that had relied heavily on the plant for employment.
Reference: The Wall Street Journal, "Electrolux to Close Iowa Plant, Lay Off 900," May 24, 2016.
5. ADM Corn Processing Plant (Clinton, IA)
Year: 2015
Jobs Lost: 100+
Details: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) closed its corn processing facility in Clinton due to changing market conditions and declining demand for ethanol. Over 100 jobs were lost in the process.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "ADM to Close Clinton, Iowa, Corn Processing Plant," September 24, 2015.
6. John Deere (Waterloo, IA)
Year: 2009
Jobs Lost: 800
Details: John Deere closed a facility in Waterloo as part of a global restructuring effort during the 2009 recession. The move was aimed at streamlining operations, with 800 workers losing their jobs.
Reference: The Courier, "John Deere to Close Waterloo Factory, Lay off 800 Workers," December 18, 2009.
7. Winnebago Industries (Forest City, IA)
Year: 2020 (Temporary Closure)
Jobs Lost: 2,000 (temporary)
Details: Winnebago suspended production at its manufacturing plant in Forest City during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, temporarily laying off 2,000 workers. Operations resumed later, but this event was still a significant temporary loss for the area.
Reference: The New York Times, "Winnebago Suspends Operations in Iowa Amid Pandemic," March 25, 2020.
8. Tyson Foods (Marshalltown, IA)
Year: 2019
Jobs Lost: 1,000
Details: Tyson closed its Marshalltown pork processing plant in 2019, eliminating over 1,000 jobs. The closure was part of a larger trend in the meatpacking industry of consolidating facilities and adopting more automated processes.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Tyson Foods to Close Marshalltown Plant, Lay off 1,000," October 14, 2019.
9. BNSF Railway (Des Moines, IA)
Year: 2019
Jobs Lost: 300
Details: The BNSF Railway closed its railcar repair facility in Des Moines, resulting in the loss of approximately 300 jobs. This was part of the company’s broader strategy to optimize operations in response to changing transportation patterns.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "BNSF Railway to Close Des Moines Facility, Lays off 300 Workers," February 7, 2019.
10. GMO Processing Plant (Des Moines, IA)
Year: 2012
Jobs Lost: 300
Details: A genetically modified organism (GMO) processing plant in Des Moines was shut down due to market forces and declining profitability. This plant had been involved in agricultural processing, but changing market dynamics led to its closure.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Des Moines GMO Processing Plant Shuts, 300 Jobs Lost," August 21, 2012.
11. Cargill (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Year: 2009
Jobs Lost: 300
Details: Cargill closed its plant in Cedar Rapids in 2009, resulting in the loss of around 300 jobs. The closure was linked to the company’s decision to consolidate operations following the economic downturn of the late 2000s.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "Cargill Closes Cedar Rapids Plant, Lays Off 300," October 7, 2009.
12. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Year: 2013
Jobs Lost: 200
Details: ADM closed its processing plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, resulting in the loss of 200 jobs. The closure was part of the company’s global restructuring efforts to reduce costs and consolidate facilities.
Reference: Des Moines Register, "ADM to Close Cedar Rapids Plant, Lays Off 200," January 14, 2013.
13. Vishay (Columbus Junction, IA)
Year: 2013
Jobs Lost: 200
Details: Vishay Intertechnology, a manufacturer of electronic components, closed its Columbus Junction facility in 2013. The plant had employed around 200 workers, who were laid off as part of a larger restructuring.
Reference: The Gazette, "Vishay Closes Iowa Plant, Lays Off 200," March 26, 2013.
Thanks Bob. I asked some D’s why they have not spoken out more since R’s took he Governor’s office in 2010 election. Amendments, speeches, columns, all could have been used. I ghost wrote some letters to the editor after the Perry Tyson plant closed and shared with D candidates from the area. I don’t know what they are afraid of.
Many Iowa Dem legislators are afraid. they say their priorities are 1. lower costs for Iowans, (vague so it means nothing) 2. reproductive freedom (lost cause for now, but must be fought for), 3. support of Iowa's public schools (lost cause for now, but must be fought for), and 4. legalization of marijuana (I'm not sure why this is a top priority). At the Friday Progress Iowa briefing (I'm not sure if you were there) I asked Rep Amy Nielson "what about water quality?" she said that they care about that too, and a bunch of other things. she didn't understand. Caring is different from doing. thanks!
Bob, I was on the Progress Iowa call and have been on a few state and national post-election calls. I agree with you and look forward to your writing on this Dem hesitancy. I don't know if it is fear, but it is a failure to connect with Iowans
you absolutely nailed it. I hope if Trump starts deportations that the backlash will be so strong he has to stop it and help with the workers to stay and work.
This leaves the doors open for company's like Smithfield to but Tyson for a dime on the dollar. The packing plant business has always been fragile. When I sold for Hormel Foods in Ottumwa I lost more business because Hormel was a quarter of a cent lb. higher than the competition. Packers have always weathered the changes in the market by reducing profit but that is no longer the case today. One more example of corp. greed and plant by plant the US can very well lose control of the food we produce.
The ramifications of Trumps deportation plan will have an enormous impact on Iowa.
Let’s think packing plants; I do not know the number of immigrants that work in these plants, but it substantial! Who is going to work in these plants? One of two things will happen, these plants shut down, or wages will increase (if they can find anyone who wants to do this grueling work)!
Then let us think about “Drill baby Drill” -- what will that do to the ethanol industry?
Who will work on our roads, build our houses, etc.
Our revenue streams in Iowa may dry up – and it’s not due to climate change this time!
Thanks, Bob, for an insightful essay. This is a real story in real time. That is what journalism is. My only thought at this moment when reading this is that we have to be able to do better in our country's governance than what our choices were this past election. What happened to compassion, integrity, and love for our country? When did only self-become the center value among us?
I wish I had the answers Thomas...
Such a sad commentary of our country - thanks for sharing, Bob. I can’t tell you the number of times in the past month I’ve had to remind people that elections have consequences. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
Thanks, Thomas. You too.
Nice column. I wonder what William Allen White would say about this?
Quite an interesting question--I tried to figure it out by looking at some of his writings, but I'm not sure. Your thoughts?
I brought up White because he edited the Emporia Gazette.
White was a Progressive and great friend of Theodore Roosevelt. He would have been appalled by the concentration of corporate power and have seen Tyson's as part of the problem. Come to think of it, he would have loved Austen Frerick's Barons.
I don't think immigration was a big issue in his time, so don't know how he would have felt about that.
Yes. White was on my radar, just barely. I glanced at his biography, and he was a great progressive. This comment gave me pause, but it may have been satire, which might be wishful thinking on my part. Written in 1899 from Wikipedia.
"Riots against the police are occurring in Havana. They will keep occurring. No Latin country governs itself. Self-government is the most difficult thing in the world for a people to accomplish. It is not a matter that a nation acquires by adopting a set of laws. Only Anglo-Saxons can govern themselves. The Cubans will need a despotic government for many years to restrain anarchy until Cuba is filled with Yankees. Uncle Sam, the First, will have to govern Cuba as Alphonso, the Thirteenth, governed it if there is any peace in the island at all. The Cubans are not and, of right, ought not to be free. To say that they are, or that they should be, is folly. Riot will follow riot. Anarchy will rise to be crushed. And unrest will prevail until the Yankee takes possession of the land. Then the Cubans will be an inferior—if not a servile—race. Then there will be peace in the land. Then will Cuba be free. It is the Anglo-Saxon's manifest destiny to go forth in the world as a world conqueror. He will take possession of all the islands of the sea. He will exterminate the peoples he cannot subjugate. That is what fate holds for the chosen people. It is so written. Those who would protest, will find their objections overruled. It is to be."
I dug out my copy of The Autobiography of William Allen White (a great read!) for a more complete answer.
In re Cuba: Yes, he was a white man of his time. On the other hand, in later life he vigorously opposed the KKK, even running for governor as an independent in 1924 when both the Republican and Democratic candidates were KKK-endorsed. When he was blacklisted by the D.A.R. (1928) for supporting the rights of Catholics, Jews, and blacks, he said that its president “has allowed several lengths of Ku Klux Klan nightie to show under her red, white and blue.”
In re Tyson: White’s attacks on Frank Munsey, a newspaper proprietor whose consolidations led to thousands to layoffs seems like a pretty close parallel to the Tyson case.
But I was wondering how he felt about other issues affecting us today.
He would support breaking up the big companies, having been an enthusiastic supporter of TR’s trust busting. And he would be fine with government regulation, having backed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.
He was active until about 1943, so had plenty to say about the New Deal. In 1934 he wrote, “for thirty years, now, the editor of the Gazette has been hammering away for a larger participation of the average man in the wealth of this nation—less for superintendence, interest and profits,-- more for wages. We have clamored for higher income taxes, for devastating inheritance taxes, for workmen’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, for all the measures which Colonel Theodore Roosevelt used to call ‘social and industrial justice.’” On the other hand, he wasn’t a big fan of government employment programs; he opposed the WPA. Still, overall, he was quite supportive of the New Deal.
He remained a Republican, however, supporting his old Kansas friend Alf Landon in 1936. FDR teased (at a whistlestop in Emporia, no less!) that he appreciated “Bill White’s support for three and a half years out of every four.” White went on to support Wendell Wilkie in 1940.
Modern social issues weren’t on the radar back then. But his stout support for Prohibition would perhaps be a clue to how he would feel about abortion.
On the whole, William Allen White was an admirable figure who should be better known today. He had flaws, but then we all do.
Wow. Thanks for sharing. Truly a remarkable man.
When I think of Tyson's I think of chicken nuggets, but that is just a synecdoche for the their product. Looking at the dominoes, who buys that product? Who eats that product? School lunch programs and students? Grocery stores and families? Going backwards, who supplies the feathers and hooves (I'm in a synecdoche mood today) to Tyson's? Will this signal a demise in CAFO's? Our governor (another synecdoche) is demanding that the next farm bill be passed---how will that address this chain of disaster?
I don't know the reasons why Biden didn't get to do all the things he might have liked to do, but I certainly hope that a lot of powerful people keep Trump from doing all the things those people he is trying to appoint are suggesting.
The Republicans favor a guest worker program without a path to citizenship. That has been a major difference with the Democrats for years. A unlimited guest worker program without any path to citizenship would exploit both the guest workers and the documented workers they would replace.
Thanks for the insight.