The importance of culture in the economy. (death, Obama, companies)

[wutitiz]

I was thinking about this while reading the 'gun sales' thread. If you look at the firearms industry, it is quite a stark contrast to the rest of the economy. 'Made in USA' is still generally the rule, not the exception. The industry is bursting with innovation and successful startup companies. And generally there is a terrific committment to excellence. It's not just the guns themselves; it's everything from ammo to holsters to training.
Why is this? The gun (and knife) biz operates under the same laws, the same Obamanomics as everyone else. Gun companies faced the same credit crunch and the same Walmart-ization of the economy. Yet they thrive, innovate, hire, and make money.

I think it goes to show the importance of culture in economics, which we tend to forget about. People in the gun industry are overwhelmingly conservative, and oriented towards personal responsibility. They're not looking for a tooth fairy to leave a job, house, and Chevy Volt under their pillow. They also often have an inherent perfectionism since their products can potentially be used in life or death scenarios.

I've heard talk host Dennis Prager say it: "culture matters."