Beth Macy

An in-depth look at the almost impossible mission of the Bassett family and their in-law rivals to save a tiny slice of American manufacturing: the North Carolina-based furniture factory. These benevolent overlords employed white and Black workers at their company town facilities (albeit with lower wages and more menial jobs for Black workers). Much is made of the rivalry between heirs JD (Jim) Bassett III and his brother-in-law Bob Spilman, perhaps too much. There is some commentary from actual workers in the plants, especially after so many were shut down due to off-shoring to China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The chapters on the actual fight to keep Bassett alive once Bill Clinton and congress brought NAFTA and its "giant sucking sound" of American jobs disappearing to fruition is portrayed as a noble one, with Jim Bassett never wanting to surrender, both for the livelihoods of his neighbors and for family tradition and pride. Has there ever been a comprehensive lookback at the impact of globalization on the working and middle class of this country and of the countries that directly benefitted, creating a higher standard of living for the world and a lower one for most Americans? Now, more then 50 years since, we can look at AI and ChatGPT as movers of yet another tsunami of worker displacement, this time led by Americans. The book is very thorough in showing how small towns dependent on one industry are no longer viable, thus the fleeing from dying rural locales. My criticism is that it's way too long and focuses too much on the Bassett personalities.… (altro)

Follow-up to the author's 2018 "Dopesick". This volume focuses on harm reduction efforts to treat addicted people and shines a spotlight on some incredibly heroic people who just keep doing this work in the face of one obstacle after another placed in their way. There is an update on the Purdue Pharma / Sackler Family bankruptcy proceedings chronicled in detail in Patrick Radden Keefe's "Empire of Pain". The news is still bad - because of their power and money the Sacklers will most likely retain most of their billions and escape any further liability. The suffering and the waste - it is just so sad.… (altro)