On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:08:57 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


"hk" wrote in message
...

Indeed, a colossal waste of taxpayer money...a 600-ship Navy. Boys and
their toys.



That's an interesting statement, coming from you.

How about all the union civilian yardbird jobs lost due to a major reduction
in military spending?
Ship building, maintenance, repairs, upgrades.

How about the union jobs lost at Pratt and Whitney and GE because a
reduction by 75% of aircraft carriers results in far fewer aircraft and
their associated repairs and engine replacements?

How about the union jobs lost in avionics, navigation, weapons systems? I
know from my working experience that almost all of these programs have
multi-tiered participants in industry. Companies like Raytheon may be the
prime, but they issue millions, if not billions of subcontracts to smaller
companies (like the one I had) to supply services, equipment, etc. to
support their programs.

I also recall a serious concern about major military contractors like
Raytheon losing their technical and structured manufacturing capabilities
due to reductions in military spending on new systems. It came down to a
handful of major contractors who, if they were forced to lay off people
commensurate with Carter's reduction in military spending, becoming unable
to respond technically and manufacturing wise to future threats due to lost
talent and scrapped projects.

Reagan's policies helped prevent all the above.

Retraining - we need to retrain all these painters, carpenters,
riggers, stage, crane operators, plumbers and make them all computer
engineers and technicians, doctors, lawyers and nurses.

Oh and pay them $34/hr while doing it.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...


Retraining - we need to retrain all these painters, carpenters,
riggers, stage, crane operators, plumbers and make them all computer
engineers and technicians, doctors, lawyers and nurses.


or professional writers.

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

Retraining - we need to retrain all these painters, carpenters,
riggers, stage, crane operators, plumbers and make them all computer
engineers and technicians, doctors, lawyers and nurses.


or professional writers.

Eisboch


*That* requires skill.



--
"In the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations."
John McCain, news conference, 13 August 2008, forgetting somehow that
the United States invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003. Another McCain
senior moment?

"hk" wrote in message
. ..
Eisboch wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

Retraining - we need to retrain all these painters, carpenters,
riggers, stage, crane operators, plumbers and make them all computer
engineers and technicians, doctors, lawyers and nurses.


or professional writers.

Eisboch
*That* requires skill.




I am living proof that *that* is not necessarily so. I am far from a
professional writer, yet we are still communicating.

Ok ... here's a bizarre outlook for you .....

One of the reasons that I don't think your concept of a social program based
utopia will work in the US is this:

Countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia have long standing cultural
unity. What is good for one is likely to be good for all.
The US is based on cultural diversity. What works for one is not
necessarily good for their next door neighbor.

One of the reasons Japan felt confident to attack Pearl Harbor was because
they mistakenly believed that our diverse population could never unite
effectively and we would be thrown into internal chaos. Similarly, the
reactions to the attack of 9/11 demonstrated the type of unity this country
relies upon.

The US is unique in this regard, IMO.

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:
"hk" wrote in message
. ..
Eisboch wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

Retraining - we need to retrain all these painters, carpenters,
riggers, stage, crane operators, plumbers and make them all computer
engineers and technicians, doctors, lawyers and nurses.

or professional writers.

Eisboch
*That* requires skill.




I am living proof that *that* is not necessarily so. I am far from a
professional writer, yet we are still communicating.

Ok ... here's a bizarre outlook for you .....

One of the reasons that I don't think your concept of a social program based
utopia will work in the US is this:

Countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia have long standing cultural
unity. What is good for one is likely to be good for all.
The US is based on cultural diversity. What works for one is not
necessarily good for their next door neighbor.

One of the reasons Japan felt confident to attack Pearl Harbor was because
they mistakenly believed that our diverse population could never unite
effectively and we would be thrown into internal chaos. Similarly, the
reactions to the attack of 9/11 demonstrated the type of unity this country
relies upon.

The US is unique in this regard, IMO.

Eisboch



I'm sorry, but I don't recall advocating a "social program based utopia."





--
"In the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations."
John McCain, news conference, 13 August 2008, forgetting somehow that
the United States invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003. Another McCain
senior moment?

"hk" wrote in message
news


I'm sorry, but I don't recall advocating a "social program based utopia."




Well, that's how this reader interprets your professional writing.

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:
"hk" wrote in message
news

I'm sorry, but I don't recall advocating a "social program based utopia."




Well, that's how this reader interprets your professional writing.

Eisboch




I believe in a strong social safety net that keeps people healthy and
provides for high level training so that everyone has access to
meaningful work that provides a decent living for a family. It's the
Norwegian approach, sort of.


--
"In the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations."
John McCain, news conference, 13 August 2008, forgetting somehow that
the United States invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003. Another McCain
senior moment?