You’ve managed to be 100% correct, while missing the point completely.
What’s the point? That it’s sad for these towns? Yeah, this sad story has been happening to towns for over a 100 years. There’s really not much we can do about it. The company went from 10,000 employees to 900 to 0. There’s no 1 factor, even no 1 factor anybody can change, that causes that. That’s a company that wound up on the wrong side of some curves, trade, technology, mobility. It sucks for the town, I feel bad for the people. But this trend has existed for longer than any of them have been alive. If you are in a company town you need to recognize that and either try to get the town to expand its foundation by voting for or even becoming smart candidates. Or get out. Because the handwriting has been on the wall for every single company town in the world for a long time: the bottom WILL fall out. Plan accordingly.
Shouldn't there be some sort of medal or badge for that?