People often mischaracterize the liberal position on this stuff.
Well, I’ll speak for myself, but I think this is generally were a lot of liberal minded people are coming from.
- I’m pro american WORKER. Wether that is factory worker, or Wlmart shelf stocker, or school teacher, or cop, or government worker, or engineer, or health care provider…doesn’t matter. I want americans to have good pay on which they can survive without government subsidies (a topic unto itself so let’s not get bogged down on that), some plan for health care, safe work space, reasonable policies regarding sick leave, family leave, vacation time etc…
I want all workers in america to have a good life.
While certainly I am happy if those workers are in a factory making things, I understand the days of american work forces making cheap white tee shirts are over. And that’s the way it is.
But we still have people SELLING the cheap white tee shirts, and our impressive retail sector has thrived by importing cheap goods and selling them to our huge consumer base.
We have near full employment - we don’t need millions of low skill factory jobs.
But what we do need is policy that protects the workers int eh jobs our economy does provide.
- On a person level, I do bemoan the same-ness of america. A large chunk of our family business was driven under by big box retailers. We had friendly, locally staffed, fun, individual, community serving stores filled with character and unique charm in small towns.
They were put out of business when the area granted big box permits and the highway got developed into a huge big box shopping location filled with the same stores, that looked the same, had the same stuff, had the same vibe as every other big box retailer in america…put entire down towns out of business.
I hate the fact that a Home Depot in Boston MA is EXACTLY the same as a Home Depot in spokane Washington. I hate the fact that every highway in america looks exactly teh same, and an Outback Steak House here is the same as one there.
And I hate that this uniformity, and boredom and same-ness puts interesting, inventing, unique places out of business every day.
I support local communities deciding for themselves to keep big boxes out, and wish more would do it.
But I don’t balme china for this - I blame our american need to grow and expand and consume.
It’s just the way it is. I don’t support any federal level policy to change it.
I do support federal level policy to make the workers in these vast hellish landscapes of retail consumption paid well enough so that the company - and the consumers supporting it - pay the full price of feeding, clothing and sheltering their own work force.
