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Article 7

Productive privilege?
Old Proverb.....Where there is no vision, the people parish. 

Is it possible to turn from a nation of importers, shop-keepers, into a nation of small manufacturers?  What would it all require?  What is needed  of course is the initiative to produce things.   It would also require an unrestrained access to the information, the original "founding" knowledge, the original techniques, philosophy and methods of making things in volume.   These were the source of our now slowly passing, slowly disappearing techniques of supplying goods in volume. These techniques have fallen into the hands of fewer and fewer engineering scholars, of course many who have retired, or unfortunately planning to do so.  In the meantime taxes go up, bridges go un-repaired, and  city and community services dwindle.  Also, as the demands for industrial supplies dwindle, toolmakers cut back, raw materials increase, and industry withers.  

In other words, one of the reasons that prices for raw materials rise are often because there is less demand, and less availability, mainly because the trades, and the skills are disappearing.  Also, all of the  reluctance to effectively share the knowledge that generates skill, dexterity, quality and confidence will result in even more cut-backs.  George Bernard Shaw said that the "Lack of money is the root of all evil."  In any  economy, the lack of abundant consumers, suppliers and manufacturers is the root of all evil.  Industrial suppliers disappear also  when the whole field or industry shrinks.  These suppliers contribute more to the industry than many give credit to.  They provide services, convenience, and efficiency to manufacturers.  

The Magna Carta and an equal distribution of technology?

After years of research this author has discovered an amazing thing about the manufacturing trades. After hundreds of years of mass producing things in high volume, few people can explain exactly what it entails. Even many scholars who become interested in manufacturing history, realize how the methods, techniques, and processes have been shrouded in mystery. They really don't understand the core principles, or the key underlying, foundational theories, conditions, and requirements to even begin manufacturing. Consequently, because of fear, competition, power, and even complacency, the core techniques, the primary principles and requirements for high volume fabrication still remains a mystery for much of this manufacturing world in decline, especially in Europe and America. 

"The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it"
-- William James

We need manufacturing to constantly increase, otherwise taxes go up, roads go unattended, and in general, society can't support an economy....not good! The ones who are informed about this very closely are the politicians and city planners.  The problem is that they are often specialists, and know little about the unspoken methods, or some "useful but very precarious information" that manufacturers know. 

 Many have tried to uncover the philosophy and the actions enacted by the "Industrial Sages," the experts who are briefed in the theories and philosophy of manufacturing.  It is a fact that philosophy played an important part in the Industrial Revolution.  In the very first Chapter of IMM, this author explains what has eluded ambitious hobbyists, inventors, sociologists, even politicians, interested in the details of manufacturing. The book explains much of the philosophy and details known and practiced by manufacturing engineers, tinkerers, and mechanics.   It also provides extensive insight to those curious about how the philosophy of "volume manufacturing" and how the methods and techniques began, and suggestions about some solutions.  

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. Charles Beard

I will admit, that after many years of experience in manufacturing, I have found enormous egoism, and possibly too much "self interest" in the mechanical fields. Too many in the trades are unwilling to share, to cope with mistakes, or with inadequate abilities.  That may be why I wrote IMM.  I feel that discipline has value, but self important types don't transfer knowledge nearly as effectively as history and straight-forward information. I talk about it in IMM.  People in manufacturing are often very critical and nitpickers to those who know less than themselves.   The experts are no longer approachable it seems.  The ones who even try to find answers too often fail. That is not competition, it might not be constitutional, and maybe we need another "civil charter" written just for manufacturing. Our industries are in decline, and hopefully people will realize that a crucial distribution of power is often neglected in the "NEWS."   But there is vision and power in learning history and in learning "NEW" and very certain information, facts and knowledge. 

The "Jeffersonian Vision" was for individual farmers to be the dominant force in society.  As you may know, industry, like in the large cities across 18th Century England was not on Jefferson's economic agenda. He felt that farming should be the core of American Industry and trade.  Recently, with the Internet, industry is being  exported, and if not, being moved to many farm communities, and some now predict the next wave. They say custom, computerized manufacturing will be done, possibly by thousands of individuals in possession of computerized,  Digital Fabricators, even working from remote locations. Many large, accurate, and automated capital tools will gradually begin to compete with these "personal fabricator units." Engineers are working on machines that may eventually produce parts similar to the way your printer prints out a photograph, only it will be in 3D, made from steel and plastics. In order for this fascination and passion to advance though, many new visionaries will first need to grasp the history and the methods of manufacturing. 

As mentioned,  in any economy, the lack of abundant consumers, suppliers and manufacturers is the root of all evil.  Sir John Templeton  became very powerful by doing the opposite of others.  I'm not implying that we do everything differently, but we do need to communicate.  In most professions it is believed that ideas need to be guarded almost with peoples lives, often going to the grave, or often having to be re-created.  Then how much waste is generated trying to reinvent everything?  Templeton also once made the famous statement....  “The more we give away, the more we have left.”  Maybe it's time that industry chooses somewhere in between.  

There is still too little bonding to the vital methods and processes for progress, and to outlast our current state of affairs, insight, connections, sharing ideas and solutions may still need to be a priority.  With the end of suppliers, we often are not attached to events and the trends.  Years ago in England and in America clubs were popular for the wide open exchange of ideas and techniques.  They just don't seem to be a priority, or even to exist anymore.  Yes we do have associations, but surely by now, everyone knows that they seem to gravitate towards cultural,  social, and trend compliance, or "status quo" loyalty.  Some call it just plain politics, which is fine if it is progressive.  Even the suppliers, who are facing cut-backs and use to provide solutions, connections and advice, like the Mom and Pop hardware store, are less common.  Now, only certain books, magazines or journals,  clearly written in user-friendly language,  might be the only thing to fill the gap.  The problem is, the larger the audience, the more tailored and limited the instructions and their connections.  Hence, there is often a predictable, and instinctive communication barrier, or decline. 

"Knowledge is like fertilizer; it's worth very little 
until it's spread around for things to grow." Anon...

 Read IMM.... "Ingenious Machine and Methods"

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