A simple law re: Military spending would create a massive stimulus

[kratos12]

Simply pass a law that stipulates that ALL the parts and raw materials that go into building our arsenal be manufactured in the USA.

Easy to understand.

Creates jobs.

Patriotic.

Let the Repukes and their corporate cronies try to explain to the Teabag crowd why it's important for the tailfin of an F 16 to be built in China.

[dkf]

1. Not sure if we have all the raw materials... Other than that aren't they manufactured here?

[kratos12]

4. Probably true

But if you give the MIC a little leeway to import some raw materials they will somehow exploit that into importing whole chunks of weapons systems.

[rucky]

7. Nope:

The 29 largest publicly traded defense contractors increased their use of offshore subsidiaries by 26 percent from 2003 to 2008, the Jan. 26 report states.

http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2010/01/28/defense-contractors-offshore-gao.aspx

[zbdent]

14. as I understand it, quite a lot of "raw materials" comprise most of the exports

of this country ...

and the "raw materials" come back as "finished products" ...

[rucky]

2. I'll take it one step further

and argue that energy policy is a national security issue, so we need to take at least half the funds earmarked to build our arsenal and put it into renewable & alternative energy technology.

[Raster]

5. Hear! Hear!

[Raster]

3. The military already consumes far more than it's fair share. Better to spend those funds on

national infrastructure: education, energy, water, and transportation. But I do see your point. *IF we are going to spend any national treasury on the American military, let it be in America.

[kratos12]

6. Agree 110%

But in the short run the political argument for "made in America" is far easier to make then to cut defense spending.

[Raster]

8. Agreed.

[Taitertots]

9. It only creates the illusion of stimulus

Creating stuff people want/need is a stimulus. Creating bombs is just wasting money.

[rucky]

10. Yep. There's no value with them just sitting there, and...

negative value when they actually get used. Consider the maintanence and fuel costs, and weapons are one of the least valuable things you can produce.

[Taitertots]

11. We should count them against GDP instead of toward GDP

Call it "waste adjusted GDP".

[kratos12]

12. Would you at least agree that

paying other people in other countries to make these things is worse than if we make em oursleves?

The upside would be a more people employed, and less taxpayer cash leaving our shores, thats at least something.

[rucky]

13. Sure, if those are the choices (which they are).

Right now, Dayton OH would have absolutely no economy if it weren't for defense contracts.

[hansberrym]

15. I only we could make the Tea party crowd understand

Let the Repukes and their corporate cronies try to explain to the Teabag crowd why it's important for the tailfin of an F 16 to be built in China.



The answer: its only important for the new world order. The Tea party might come around if they saw that remaining on the same side as the neo-cons is a far worse choice than finding common ground with Dems.


Also it might help if we stop calling them teabaggers.