Posted on 03/30/2006 5:05:03 AM PST by billorites
bttt
It's becoming the same thing here. Trying to find a good carpenter is getting hard. Craftsmen are in short supply and that's a real shame. Oh, I'm not talking about someone who can put a couple of boards together, I'm talking about someone who is a craftsman, the same with ironwork and some of the other dying crafts. Yes, you can still find some, but they are now so expensive you really can't afford them. You used to be able to run over to your neighbor and get him to do something for a couple of beers and a hamburger, now you have to practically mortgage your house or substitute some cheap, mass produced piece of crap instead.
My first father-in-law was a master craftsman. He helped me redo an enclosed walk-way between the garage and house into a sitting room in our first home. He was a perfectionist in all he did. A little impatient with me but that was understandable. I learned enough from him through this project and others to do my own renovation work later. And I, too, am somewhat of a perfectionist. While the marriage didn't last, I'll always be grateful to him for what he taught me. He's long gone now.
In his early days he was a bootlegger in Chicago. And he wasn't mob connected. That should give you some idea of him.
"You used to be able to run over to your neighbor and get him to do something for a couple of beers and a hamburger," Darn those neighbors who kept the price of artisinship down. :)
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"
I believe that was actually Karl Marx.
Knowing the patent falsehoods they teach in the academy, "back to class" is the last place they should go to learn some economics.
This just about sums it up perfectly.
Perhaps those craftsmen could no longer afford to do their work for only beers and a burger?
Seriously, I agree that there is beauty in that type of craftmenship, but you don't see a lot of blacksmiths or glassblowers still around do you? Some trades--perhaps sadly--have been pushed aside because of cheaper and more efficient ways of manufacture.
Of course, some people aren't interested in cheap and efficient. but it appears that this is a case where the majority rules. We can build 3000 sq. foot houses for $100,000 dollars, which makes it more affordable for new homeowners. The walls are paper thin, the wood trim is pressed sawdust, and the exterior is made of vinyl, but the owner has a 3000 sq. foot house.
It's the same with the "Martha Stewart" collection of furniture from KMart. It's it's made of wood veneer, "fiberboard," and colored cardboard. Someone can purchase it with less than $75.00 can assemble it with a screwdriver. How many could afford the same piece of furniture made from oak or birch, and built by a craftsman?
"It has escaped the notice of the dupes of socialism ..."
Escaped the dupes, maybe , but not the ones who will be in charge under a dictatorship. They don't care. Power is the goal.
That's true, but these things will be gone in no time at all. On the other hand, those things which have been put together by craftsmen will still be around in a hundred years. We've become too much of a disposable society and are losing sight of what has value. Yes, you can buy colored cardboard for $75.00 and have it now, or you can save and pay $300.00 and have something for the ages. The problem is, those skills are being lost and they are being lost due to lack of appreciation and demand. At one time, every farmer knew how to build a fence that would make today's stone masons weep. What do we do when those skills are lost completely?
I live in Georgia and had difficulty finding good tradesmen to work on our 22 year old home. We contracted with Lowe's for a kitchen renovation and it took them 7 months to get the work done. They ordered the wrong door, and could not seem to get the last 5% of the work done for 3/4 months. It was very frustrating. We did find some good painters, but when we called them back for more work, they would not return our calls.
People in our area say that there are not enough tradesmen available. We decided to build a new retirement home and designed it for LOW maintenance.
I believe the lack of tradesmen is a product of our poor education system that does a poor job of training workers for skilled trades. Also, the culture of dependency brought about by that socialist LBJ's "Great Society" allows many to avoid employment.
It will be interesting to see if welfare reform will eventually change this situation. In Georgia, the percentage of persons on welfare is now 10% of what it was prior to welfare reform.
Another point. The Latinos that work on construction crews all over the state are eager to work. Our contractor tells us that without the Latinos, some work would be much harder to get done.
btw, aren't all of the people on welfare women?
I think education can train more trades persons, but they continue to focus all students on academic courses, and many kids drop out of school. My employer tried to hire several welders and other skilled tradesmen and had to bring in contract workers from outside the area because there were not enough skilled in those trades in the area.
Welfare (formerly AFDC) did involve payments to mothers, but is also created a culture of dependency that passed on to the children. I handle discrimination cases as a part of my job, and see this mindset is still pervasive. The idea is that the Government or my employer owes it to ME.
Education was my gig for a long time. Most skilled tradespeople have been trained is apprentices by mastercraftmen. I think the culture of dependancy is also enhanced by politicians who create government jobs for those who feel entitled. Those people still do not understand how the economy works.
That is why we should increase LEGAL immigration. I am totally against amnisty, and I'm not all that interested in Guest Worker. However, if you want to come to America and become a citizen and you do it the right way, we should welcome them.
*shrug* We have a minimum wage law. What better way to freeze out our own yutes from starter yobs?
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