Earlier this week, legendary gun manufacturer Remington filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to a report from ABC News, “Mounting debts at the arms manufacturer have snowballed, ironically, since the election of Donald Trump, who has called himself a ‘true friend’ to the gun industry.”
ABC News goes on to further state that “panic” purchases of guns, particularly the so-called “black rifles,” such as the AR-15 or AK-47 variant, were no longer existent under President Trump’s administration. In the prior Obama administration, fears of restrictive gun control or outright firearm bans led many who were otherwise nonchalant about the Second Amendment rushing into their local gun shops.
This mainstream news report claimed that the Remington bankruptcy was “ironic.” On the surface, it appears that what finally undid Remington was not calls for gun control or firearm bans, but rather, apathy from conservative-minded Americans.
With Trump pulling off a surprise White House victory, and with dominant control of government, no incentive exists for monetary support of the Second Amendment (ie. buying up guns).
Of course, that didn’t stop liberal or progressive gun control advocates to celebrate their supposed victory. Activists praised the downfall of Remington, claiming that their guns can no longer be used to kill innocent people, and that this was one important step towards total firearm bans.
That sentiment alone is quite ironic, in my opinion. Liberals apparently care so much about the working class, and making sure that “The (white) Man” doesn’t stomp on these already downtrodden people. Yet taking out an iconic company like Remington kills good jobs, the kind of jobs that the working class needs!
However, The Federalist’s Mike Morrison makes an excellent point. Remington had already announced last month that they would file for bankruptcy. The mainstream media’s gloating over this proceeding isn’t fake news, but rather, old news – which could be construed as a derivative of fake news.
Furthermore, Morrison argues that Remington didn’t fail because of gun control or aggressive calls for firearm bans; rather, the gunmaker collapsed largely because of incompetence. Primarily, they had failed to keep up with the times, and did not produce new products that captured the consumer’s imagination. They also inexplicably bungled their classic rifle lineup, creating hazardous issues with defective or faulty manufacturing.
I can’t say that I’m surprised. Gunmakers and especially retailers have depended on the naivety of their consumer base. Rather than strictly operating as a business, the gun industry concocted a “morality play,” that they were the protectors of freedom, and therefore, their customers should put up with substandard practices.
Remington forgot the golden rule in business – treat your customers right, or someone else will. It’s something that we can all learn, irrespective of our chosen industry.