Thread: Pandoras Box?

Originally Posted by Quick Orange

I disagree- we still have the aircraft industry, which is HUGE and still run by a lot of small businesses. Besides, the American auto industry will be like a phoenix. It'll go down in flames only to rise again, better than ever.

Only if they do it the way Henry Ford used to do it in tough times, he used to cut the crap out of management, he realized his money was made on the floor.

Originally Posted by Hutch

Nothing is made in the US any more other than cars.

Defense contractor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

yeah, my industry is only a paltry 150 billion a year. America is still very, VERY good at making one thing. we've been the best since our infancy as a nation, and we've dominated the global market for more than the last century, and it won't be changing anytime soon.

Did you know that Alliant Tech Systems(ATK) the small arms ammunition contractor in the U.S. is outsourcing for American ammunition needs. Not only are they running the small arms manufacturing plant that produces ammunition for our ground forces, the are also buying ammunition from other countries such as; S. Korea, Sweden, Brazil, Israel and others. Is it because we cant keep up with demand(no) its because they can get it cheaper elsewhere, Jockey dont be surprised when they outsource you.

nun2sharp-> i'm not worried. it is currently a felony to outsource even a single piece of the thing I am working on right now. I'm not surprised about atk at all, they are widely regarded as the bottom of the barrel, and are the laughingstock of the whole industry.

Another 150 billion reasons per year why the country is in the shape it is.

Yes the defense industry is a cash cow that has been ripping off the tax payers for years.

The US aircraft industry now basically consists of one Boeing.

Many of the automotive manufactures and suppliers are also defense industry suppliers, with quantities and margins too low to sustain many of the companies.

BTW, I worked for them for 4yrs at the lake city plant, just so you know. Mark De Young once told us at ameeting that they did not have to make ammunition there that they could get it anywhere. At that same meeting he told us that they could get monkeys to do our jobs. I believed him, they had a monkey doing his.

Originally Posted by Hutch

Another 150 billion reasons per year why the country is in the shape it is.

Yes the defense industry is a cash cow that has been ripping off the tax payers for years.

c'mon hutch, how do you really feel? don't hold back

I wouldn't say the defense industry is ripping anyone off. we make excellent products that save lives, and the research we do (which is a huge part of our budget) eventually gets declassified and used in the private sector, thus helping everyone.

In order to raise money for the government, they must retain your confidence, your trust. To do that, they cannot run the printing presses or destroy your money. Instead, they have to let the deflation and depression run its course.
Bottom line: It's preposterous to believe that Washington can save every failing individual, company, country and government on this planet.
It's naive to believe that government gimmicks or tricks — manipulating the currency, writing new laws, changing the banking structure — will be a match for billions of consumers in revolt, millions of investors desperate to sell and thousands of banks pulling in their horns.
The government cannot repeal the law of gravity or stop investors from dumping their assets.
It cannot turn back the clock or reverse decades of financial sins.
It cannot win the battle against depression.
It cannot stop the Dow or S&P from losing half their value from current levels, if not more.
It cannot stop the collapse in real estate, commodities, and corporate bonds.
So act promptly now to liquidate or hedge your holdings, build cash and make sure the cash is safe.

Originally Posted by Hutch

The US aircraft industry now basically consists of one Boeing.

You know there's much more to the industry than just building passenger planes, right? Besides GE and Pratt & Whitney for engines, there are the military aircraft manufacturers. Besides even all that, you have the companies that manufacture many of the parts that go into those planes. Furthermore, there are the repairs that go into those. I've personally repaired Canadair's jets. I think there's a lot more out there that we just tend to forget about

Yes there are a couple of military aircraft mfgs. left, and yes there are whole industries which support them, but compared to the automotive industry along with its support industries it is very small, this is not to say it is not important. On that same note look at the shape of the aircraft industry it is a mere shadow of itself from say 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. Boeing is in a perpetual state of financial difficulty.