Boom, Bust, Exodus: The Rust Belt, the Maquilas, and a Tale of Two Cities

The author does an amazing job of covering the human dimensions behind global integration. And so illustrative and engaging – I’m going to refer this book to my many economist friends, who often undermine the value of qualitative research.I do find that author takes the anti-corporation rhetoric a little too far at times. I’m also skeptical of the equivalency the author draws between Mexico post-NAFTA and the Porfiriato. I think that one can make a strong argument that, although there is still a lot of work to be done in protecting the rights of low-income workers, struggling populations in Mexico are better off today than they were under the Porfiriato.At least today there are strong social programs, like Oportunidades, that are trying to actively combat poverty. And, to some extent, workers have cheaper and greater options as consumers today than they did when they were forced to buy from the “Tienda de Raya” under Porfirio. I agree with the book that the “free trade benefits everyone” argument is BS, but I do question the validity of the comparison, especially given how circumstantial history is.Some of the characters, like Governor Montemayor (who I had never heard of before), give me hope that there is room for a “third way,” under strong leadership, in Mexico. I recently saw Miguel Angel Mancera – the mayor of Mexico City– speak at a conference. I can’t make a definitive statement about him, but I do think he’s someone with vision and strong leadership, who can hopefully pave a new road for Mexico in the future.

Boom, Bust Exodus by Chris Broughton is a fairly in-depth study of a segment of the globalized economy. But what makes Broughton’s book stand out is that he looks at it from a human perspective rather than just numbers on a spreadsheet or a nicely produced graph. As an added point, he doesn’t just look at the workers at the Galesburg Maytag plant who lost the high paying union jobs that many had held for decades, but also the workers in Mexico who replace these people at lower wages, virtually no union protection, and are often exposed to toxic chemicals. The evidence would seem to indicate that there are few real winners other than corporate and business entities.On the other hand, this is far from a doom and gloom story as we see some Maytag workers reinvent themselves while others have the struggles that one might expect of people whose only life was manufacturing. I really liked this story because it brought humanity into the debate over the modern economy—there are winners and losers, but I don’t think standard economic analysis really captures the basic fact that you are dealing with human beings.But then again, you can say that about so many things in the United States these days.

The american dream goes to the hell. What a story. The free trade and the negative effects on both USA and Mexico. The "benefits" for production are questioned. Is it good cheaper goods for the consumer benefit even that workers loose its job? Does it justify it? The feee market is savage. Do humans justify survival ignoring values going just for the fittest? Many miths I have about USA went to the trash box. Others about "good things" for maquiladoras and the song "better to have something to eat than nothing" is aberrant. What is the truth? I stopped many times the reading "for digesting" and "thinking". The worst thing it that this story is not fiction. What a book. Its a pity it is not translated to spanish. I will love to give as a gift to many of my friends who do not read english (I try, sorry for my grammar). Could it be considered a leftist reading? Not at all. A right wing? Neither. It is just appalling. Lovers of "real" economie will like it. When a book left something deep in my mind, certainly it will qualify for a top valoration. Maybe will be outdated in 50 years, certainly I will not read it then. For now, is actual. Maybe today is not mexican maquilas, but certainly are chinese factories. Excellent book.

My attention span for non-fiction is generally short - of the New Yorker variety. I tore through this book in only a few nights - it's one of the only non-fiction books I've done this with. Broughton does an excellent job of portraying both the settings and the characters in a way that I became invested in their journeys. It sounds strange to be invested in the "journey" of a physical place, but that is what happens to both settings in this book. By the time the settings (and their inhabitants) have become transformed, I was heartbroken, and outraged, and all of that good stuff. You'll never look at your kitchen appliances in the same way, or, in this election year, listen to speeches about trade and jobs overseas, and the working class, and immigrants, and pretty much everything in the same way. I strongly recommend this book.

Great Story about impact of factory closures and corporate America. Excellent writing and a compelling story about workers and their ability to adapt!

Well researched. Galesburg is my hometown and I could relate to the stories, right down to the sign at my boyhood church and the camaraderie of bowling. It always hurts when I visit my parents in Galesburg and see the continuing impact - it's like a miniature Detroit. Before globalization I had already chosen to seek a professional career and avoid the factory life. Dr. Broughton studied at Knox College, as did I, but before he was there.

A beautiful, poignant portrait of the impact of shady trade deals that benefit CEOs and the wealthy few . . . while pitting working people from the U.S. and Mexico (and elsewhere) against each other. Chad Broughton reveals that free trade has big costs--in jobs and the livelihoods of workers in the U.S. and Mexico and in the loss of livelihoods in rural Mexico. This is a must-read for anyone concerned about working families in the U.S. and abroad.

It was very interesting to read how the end was all planned & so sad that there wasn't any thing that could stop it. Mr Hake was paid very well to carry out the plan. I was happy to see Whirlpool buy Maytag & not some foreign company. Very interesting book with a lot of details.

This is a book about the loss of manufacturing in America. The struggle of the middle class. The tale of good bosses and greedy profiteering corporations. It is a story we have seen repeated in North America over and over. Greed wining out over hard working people and unions to destroy the middle class America is best known for and enslaving populations in other countries even less fortunate workers. When will somebody stand up for working people world wide, don't working people deserve just returns on their investment of labor? Or is the one percent the only ones who deserve to prosper? This story repeats itself throughout history........

Excellent research and very well written. captured the turmoil created with major shifts in business on both sides of the activity.