facts and logic get in the way of that, while doubling down on absurd and calling me the hard head.

You know I love ya Waxie but think about it for a second. If this were true (over the last 8 yrs, not the 70's and 80's and even before that) wouldn't it stand to reason that (link below to help you):

- Coal cos. wouldn't have been devastated as they have been in recent years given this mechanization would make them more productive and profitable? And that they would still be producing well, just with fewer employees? You remember TK's original point don't you.
- That surface mine production would go up, remain steady, or at least not drop as much as underground mines since it now "only takes 6 people to strip mine a mountain" and "only Govco subsidies can save deep mines"? Yet the opposite is true, underground mines have stayed steady in production and surface mines have accounted for most of the drop.
- That production per miner would be drastically up since "it only takes 6 guys" now and mechanization is the #1 reason for job losses? Yet that too is the opposite, as production per miner has gone down since pre-Obama, not up, indicating anything but what you claim since mechanization is only done to be more productive per employee. (last column in the chart below, where mechanization was clearly in play pre-2000)


Year Total U.S. Coal Production Total U.S. Coal Miner Employment Annual Production Per Miner
1900 269,684 448,581 0.60
1910 501,596 725,030 0.69
1920 658,265 784,621 0.84
1930 527,172 644,006 0.82
1940 512,256 530,388 0.97
1950 560,388 488,206 1.15
1955 490,838 258,616 1.90
1960 434,329 188,451 2.30
1965 526,954 144,864 3.64
1970 612,659 146,078 4.19
1975 654,641 193,787 3.38
1980 829,700 228,569 3.63
1985 883,638 169,281 5.22
1990 1,029,076 131,306 7.84
1995 1,033,000 83,462 12.38
2000 1,073,600 71,522 15.01
2006 1,162,750 82,595 14.08
2013 982,877 80,209 12.25