There was zero sympathy for unions protesting the export of factory jobs in the 1980s.  Zero.  Americans flocked to Wal-Mart to save a couple bucks. Downtowns were destroyed along with local businesses and factories.  Unemployment and welfare zoomed. "Reagan Democrats" decided all the unemployed had to do is pull themselves up by their bootstraps.  Now, theyre angry the gummint didn't protect them.  Now.. . there's a problem?