I came across a fascinating time capsule that reveals the extent of the transformation of our media structure in the last half century.  One of the formative influences of my life was Industry on Parade, a 15-minute syndicated TV show produced by the National Association of Manufacturers in collaboration with David Sarnoff’s National Broadcasting Company.  Lest anyone accuse me if being brainwashed, I should note that I became a leftist out of college  -- I was one of the early Naider's Raiders -- and I remained a lefty about two decades, until reality convinced me that human nature is deeply flawed, and many traditional institutions are structured around that reality.   

When I was a kid in the 1950s, I avidly watched Industry on Parade because it showed how things are made. I found that fascinating.

Just below is a wonderful segment, less than 3 minutes, on an entrepreneur in Rochester, NY building a new manufacturing facility. From today’s standpoint, it is poignant, because factories like this one have vanished, with deep social and political consequences. The fact that the segment's blatant pro-business slant strikes us as funny tells us the extent of the institutional transformation acomplished by the Gramsci disciples. The viewpoint on offer below was as pervasive then, as its contrary viewpoint is today.

We sure miss guys like Charles Schlegel these days.

In comparison, you can watch a fairly straightforward short video of a Boeing 737 being assembled in three and a half minutes below.

I still love seeing how things are made. The most complicated product that I use in the course of my life is a commercial airliner. They are constructed out of complex components brought into giant final assembly facilities. I am lucky enough that in my previous career, I got to visit the Boeing Everett Assembly Facility, were I suspect the video below was made.

 If you’ve ever flown in a Boeing 737, you might want to spend a few minutes seeing how its current variant was put together.