New Read for Those Who Seek Balance

[CuteOldGuy]

I think if you look back from where we are, the links are obvious. Looking forward from back then, not so much. When did defense fundamentally change? After WWII. I agree we needed a permanent defense establishment, but the only way for such an establishment to make profits is to make arms. When you increase the demand for arms, profits go up. The best way to maintain a consistently high profit level, you must have a need for more and newer armaments. When there is a war, there is a need.

I wish Ike had shown his concern at the beginning of his administration, instead of the end. He may have been able to come up with a way to balance the needs of the industry with peace, rather than perpetual war.

[Texas Contrarian]

I think the problems in recent decades largely involve the rising influenece of lobbyists.

There has never been a shortage of corrupt politicians, of course. But in their wildest dreams of avarice, those guys of fifty years ago could hardly have imagined the sums of money flowing today.

[CuteOldGuy]

Well, regardless of how we got here, we need to get away from here if we are going to survive as a country. I just think it is probably too late.

Hey, Cap'n, you violated the rules. You never once questioned my sexuality, and never used a multi-colored font. Does that mean I win?

[Randy4Candy]

Hmmm, COsFb, maybe the fluoride in the water made me hallucinate all of those nuclear attack drills we did in elementary school. Definitely a part of the government mind control effort through better chemistry - and teeth. I'm sure all of the Civil Defense locatons in every locale were merely a way to prop up the sign businesses around the country.

Take your parodies to some K-5 center. Maybe you ought to volunteer as a hall monitor there and achieve comedic balance.

[Texas Contrarian]

Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

Hey, Cap'n, you violated the rules. You never once questioned my sexuality, and never used a multi-colored font. Does that mean I win?

Well, I guess so.

Nothing left for me but to concede defeat!

[JD Barleycorn]

Missing out on a few things. In 1940 our industry was woefully inadequate to fight a war but the potential was huge. We switched from cars to tanks, buildings to ships, canned goods to aircraft. Yes, money greased the skids and made the US an economic powerhouse. When the war was over who had an industry left? Only the US had an extensive industry left. We switched from aircraft to homes, ships to trains, tanks to cars, etc. We supplied building equipment and supplies to Europe, Asia, Russia, and Japan. Our dominance continued up into the 60s when Germany and Japan stood on their own two feet. We suffered from a sugar rush in the 70s when we had severe economic problems. Japan got past with smaller cars, Mercedes, Volkswagon, Audi, etc challenged Detroit.