Here’s an article in the Wichita Eagle about the very last roll of Kodachrome being processed: LINK.  This is significant in so many ways and a terrific symbol of what’s been going on in our modern economy.  Back in the day I was a heavy user of Kodachrome, but like most people I haven’t used it in many years.

Here’s what’s happened: Film has gone by the wayside in favor of digital technologies.

Here’s what happened as viewed from the Left:

Thousands of people have lost their jobs!  Film processing plants have shut down, causing hardworking Americans to be put out on the street!  How could we have let this happen?  The government needs to step in and help these people as their suffering is a direct result of corporations putting profits before people!

Here’s the view from the Right:

The free market found a more efficient and high quality way of allowing people to capture photographs.  This increase in utility will save people time, money, and will result in better photographs.  There will be losses of labor from the closure of outdated processes and gains in labor from the new technologies and increase in consumer spending (because people  won’t have to spend as much on photography).  The lost jobs will free up labor for more efficient processes elsewhere.  The free market, as always, has found a better way of doing something, and although there are individual winners and losers, there is a net overall gain to humanity.

That’s the difference between Blue America and Red America.  For the first view, you just have to be able to observe and feel.  For the second view you at least need an intuitive feel for economics.

Bye Kodachrome! I’ll miss you (but not that much)…