3-14-18

the assembly line and mass production became part of the rhetoric of America's strength in WWII
tank production
wartime production required flexibility, which was hard with the assembly line
how people felt about the assembly line seems to have had more to do with the economy than the assembly line

after the war many European countries saw the US as a model for reconstruction
Marshall Plan spend half its funding on industrial goods
how to prevent the growth of communism?

• more consumer goods
• improved productivity (caused by technology) can reduce the clash between capital and labor
  
• more rhetoric

Even with high wages workers disliked assembly line work
Levittowns

mass production as the engine of democracy??
or did it take away individuality?

ideas about the assembly line:

• mass production is key to military power
• not just soldiers but factory workers
• technological innovation during the war--but this messes up assembly line production
• flexible mass production
• assembly line as a symbol of American uniqueness and values
• consumerism--we can buy more things than anyone else
• efficiency is highly valued, therefore standardization
• why bring the US mass production system to Europe after WWII?
• it had proved successful, rebuilding was an opportunity to jump forward to the latest technology
• problem--we created competitors
• mass production and cheap consumer goods would make capitalism appealing and reduce the appeal of communist parties
• mass production and democracy go together
• government regulations to protect workers
  
• we are more equal because more people have more things (because of cheap mass production)
• improved technology gives you higher productivity so both cheaper prices and higher wages
• but the problem with the system is unpleasant work and excessive uniformity
• does mass production take away our individuality?
• standardized testing in schools takes away individuality
• is this truly good for democracy--mass media