Last night PBS in NYC ran another fascinating documentary, part of its American Experience series. The subject was Henry Ford, who changed the world, made the lives of average Americans significantly better. He portrayed himself as having risen from humble beginnings, which wasn’t really true. His parents were successful farmers. He hated farming and, demonstrating a gift for tinkering, was provided a work area in his home. His father did not provide money when he ventured out on his own. He needed creditors, whom he would hate all his life. After several failures, he came up with a serviceable automobile and was on his way to fame and fortune. The later Model T was the standard in its day. He created the assembly line that enabled mass production, which made the cars affordable to many. When the tediousness of the work caused high turnover in staff, he raised pay from two to five dollars a day, unheard of at the time. He was excoriated by businessmen, but was proved right. The most surprising aspect of the piece was his lack of education. He had no clue as to America’s great history, and was lampooned by elites, but he had a genius for innovation and organization, which proves, as it has been so often, that academics are not imperative for accomplishment in this great land. He had faults, as everyone does, the most unforgivable being antisemitism. He believed Jews were engaged in a secret plot to rule the world. He published the infamous The Elders of Zion in English, fiction which the tzars created as a scapegoat for Russia’s problems. In his historical novel, The White Bridge, my friend Robert Rubenstein has Ford and other famous scions of industry doing or trying to do business with the Nazis. If this was true regarding Ford, it is not mentioned in the film. He fought hard against unionization, his security staff often doling out beatings. He eventually caved to the demands. His only other choice would have been to go out of business. The most disappointing part, actually an omission, of the otherwise even-handed biography, is its failure to mention how the unions eventually damaged the auto industry, which vindicates Ford’s resistance, at least all but the violent aspects. Of course, GM’s management was as much to blame for its woes as the UAW. It was weak and overconfident, failing to anticipate the competitive gains Japan, and later Korea, would make in auto manufacturing. If there is a great beyond, I’m sure Ford is proud his company survived without a government bailout, unlike GM, which cost taxpayers billions. The piece suggests Ford mistreated his son, Edsel, whom he allowed to run the company. Their personalities were very different. The father neither smoked nor drank, exercised regularly, and did not trust the rich men his son counted as friends. Edsel died at 49 of stomach cancer, perhaps caused by excess. Upon his death, 100,000 people passed the coffin of Henry Ford in tribute. Only a handful of men and women have had a positive impact on the entire world. He was one of them, despite his flaws.
Since the Super Bowl, 27 NFL players have been arrested.
It was all good today for the floating book shop after a two-day hiatus. The rain held off and plenty of buyers showed. Michael donated six novels in Russian, several translations of the work of Dan Brown, and they all sold. Ol' Smokey brought the last of his books, two large bags of non-fiction, and I more than made up for the small loan I provided him. I was surprised I was able to get the trunk of my car closed. Thanks, folks.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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