"
If textiles is going to come back, it will have to employ people that are already here picking our fruit and vegetables... for slave wages."
That reminds me, that many of the open source equipment designs being built and tested are for equipment controlled by cheap computers (some of which are also from open source designs). The next step, of course, is automated loading of materials for parts and products (what propagandists call "robotic").
And yes, there are also many notable benefactors.
All Our Patent Are Belong To You Elon Musk, CEO June 12, 2014 http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you
Others have been funding some of the development efforts (including open source design efforts for machines to be used in manufacturing). A much more distributed economy with open source designs would also be much more durable and resilient. If a large, natural disaster were to punch a hole in the economy somewhere, many other communities would be operable and available to assist.
There is more than enough water, air and earth for building upward and onward. There's no real scarcity. Scarcity is artificial and has only been manufactured by some thus far.
Don’t forget that communications will be among the first to go down. Ham Operators will be in high demand. Hubby is one of the older Hams who learned Morse code as part of his training. I don’t even know if it is taught any more.
People can learn to weave if need be, or dry skins for clothing or shoe usage. Hunting skills will be necessary too. So many things we modern people take for granted.
Both hubby and his youngest daughter are IT professionals. And he is a car junkie.