I grew up going to Macy's with my mother to buy school clothes--she would not step into the cheaper stores. My Dad was a construction worker making and average living and providing very well for me my sister and my mom.
What the fuck happened--today kids are lucky if there mother buys clothes for school any were but Wall Mart.
The dumbing down of America starts at home stop putting the blame on you boss he is just riding the wave the government makes him ride.
The spread the wealth ideas just muddies the waters...Prosperity for all is the only thing that helps and thinking taking from one and giving to the other is a fools game.
The bulk of the textiles have moved to China. While there are some textiles still made in the states, you have to be careful when you see "made" or "assembled" in the US.
Many cars are assembled in the US, but many of those parts are made overseas.
You do know what happened to the textile industry in NYC don't you(was the largest # of jobs in NYC at the time)---might have been the start of the downfall of the USA.
To many union demands and the textile industry picked up and left.
Has happened a lot in recent history.
If the unions want to be competitive then they need to make themselves more appealing, instead of the usual union bully tactics.