Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a Metaphor of Sinking Economy

A new book is offering more than the retelling of a tragic 1975 shipwreck. Outagamie County Executive and former legislator Tom Nelson’s work on Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy is also a sharp critique of corporate neglect, failed policy, and the hollowing out of American manufacturing. 

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Watch the complete discussion from the Dr. Kristin Lyerly Show here:

Nelson reveals new information from exclusive interviews along with a 1978 federal deposition by a former Fitzgerald crew member. The testimony, largely buried since it appeared in one newspaper article, sheds light on the ship’s unseaworthy condition. The Fitzgerald had a damaged hull and was known as a “wet ship” for repeatedly being patched with temporary welds. All this happened while regulatory agencies continued to certify it for service as one of the largest ore carriers on the Great Lakes. 

 

Nelson also draws a direct line from the Fitzgerald’s fate to a broader economic story – pointing out how the post–World War II boom gave way to decades of shortcuts, outsourcing, and trade deals that undermined U.S. industry. 

“Every community can relate to having a bad boss and a company that didn’t invest properly,” Nelson says. “The Fitzgerald’s crew paid the ultimate price. Workers today still bear the costs of decisions like that.”

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Watch this short comment by Tom Nelson on Mornings with Pat Kreitlow here:

The book also revisits the environmental battles of the 1970s, including the Reserve Mining trial over toxic waste in Lake Superior. And it challenges the false choice between good jobs and environmental protection. Nelson echoes the late Senator Gaylord Nelson’s belief that “the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.”

The 50th anniversary of the Fitzgerald’s sinking is this November and Nelson hopes the story can serve as both history and a warning. 

“How many more Fitzgeralds do we have to endure?” he asks. “We can have strong domestic manufacturing, protect our environment, and do right by workers. But only if we commit to it.”

Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy is available at msupress.org.