Buy American creates hurdles for Pentagon’s business plans

The Hill ^ | 29 Nov 2006 | Roxana Tiron

[1rudeboy]

Just out of curiousity, can you name one weapons-system manufactured by "India, China or Pakistan" that is better than one of ours?

[streetpreacher]

Of course not. Better is not my argument. Cheaper is. They won't have to develop or manufacture anything. Our own defense industry will just outsource all of the production of said weapons systems to those countries.

[1rudeboy]

I'm having a good chuckle imagining a Trident II Mk. IV being built by someone with flies up his nose in Pakistan.

[streetpreacher]

I only chose Pakistan because it added a nice symmetry kind of like when Bush put N. Korea in the axis of evil. Asia had to be represented.

[Publius Valerius]

Is US capable of designing & manufacturing the best military equipment? If it is, there is no reason to go overseas for said purchases is there?

I agree that the U.S. is capable of manufacturing the best military equipment, but there is CERTAINLY a reason for going overseas: it can be done equally well, but cheaper, elsewhere.

As the article points out, there's just no good reason to require every nut and bolt to be American-made. That's dumb--and, on top of that--it creates a significant burden on manufacturers to ensure that its suppliers are actually using U.S. bolts.

If more and more red-tape type burdens are placed on military contractors, these contractors are eventually just going to stop doing business with the military--and if that happens, how does anyone benefit?

[Publius Valerius]

I'm having a good chuckle imagining a Trident II Mk. IV being built by someone with flies up his nose in Pakistan.

It's not necessarily about something as sophisticated as that--as the article mentions, it can be about things like nuts and bolts, which can certainly be made in Pakistan or India or Japan or where ever.

[1rudeboy]

That's a large part of the problem. Should the end-user of the bolt be required to certify that it is U.S. made? Or the supplier? I'm not sure if any bolt-manufacturers will go through the hassle of certifying their stock to our government, preferring to sell theirs elsewhere.

Or if they do, they get hammered in the press for selling a bolt some idiot reporter can claim he or she found at Home Depot for less. There's no easy answer here.

[mr_hammer]

"If more and more red-tape type burdens are placed on military contractors, these contractors are eventually just going to stop doing business with the military--and if that happens, how does anyone benefit?"

I occasionally do DOD work and your right. Some of the content issues on non critical items is silly, but that being said some flight critical components must be traceable.

That being said I have a memo from last year that requires some super alloys used must be purchased state side because imported alloys were found to have forged chemical analysis.

Having the wings or engines falling off your aircraft at 40,000 ft will most likely ruin your day.

[cva66snipe]

No doubt about it if it is defense items we can not make for ourselves then we can not if it comes right down to it defend ourselves with that product. Our lawmakers and our POTUS are leaving us wide open for a national defense dependent on foreign nations. With our national resources that in inexcusable. As a poster pointed out this simply wreaks of some politicians wanting to outsource defense contracts for political favor or even possible future personal gain.

[Paul Ross]

...there is CERTAINLY a reason for going overseas: it can be done equally well, but cheaper, elsewhere.

Until you can't get it at all. Which is far dumber than paying a little more...for guaranteed availability...at guaranteed accountability for reliability.

The only thing that should be outsourced are the Import Lobbyists.

[Paul Ross]

Our lawmakers and our POTUS are leaving us wide open for a national defense dependent on foreign nations.

No question.

With our national resources that in inexcusable.

Emphatically true.

At the current rate however, they will be leaving the cupboard bare...and when America comes out of the drunken stupor to try and restore national greatness...it will be hamstrung with trillions and trillions of debt...no skilled industrial labor force to implement the restorations...and most sinisterly...industry-head-honchos that are alligned more with our foreign adversaries than with us.

[GOP_1900AD]

Not if but when the stochastically inevitable next world war happens, we'll be wishing we had 100% buy American.

[chimera]

The only thing that should be outsourced are the Import Lobbyists.

I would add (some) CEOs to that list. The corporatists want to "save money" to boost the company's bottom line, start with outsourcing some of these $50 mil bonus CEOs, who seem to be rewarded for running their companies into the ground.

[chimera]

If they were allowed they would not hesitate to ship critical production, engineering and R&D to China and the Third World. National security be damned--all these guys really care about is making a buck.

No sh*t. You see some of them right here on FR. I had a "free trader" once assert that it would not bother him in the least if we offshored the production of nuclear weapons if it would save a buck. I guess when you value money more than national security you say things like that. Trouble is, when you are enslaved by a foreign power, or your country lies in smoking ruins around you and your friends and loved ones lie dead in the rubble, how much good is your lousy buck going to do you then?

[Paul Ross]

I had a "free trader" once assert that it would not bother him in the least if we offshored the production of nuclear weapons if it would save a buck.

Sounds like Jack Spencer of Heritage (the Mole from CATO).

I guess when you value money more than national security you say things like that. Trouble is, when you are enslaved by a foreign power, or your country lies in smoking ruins around you and your friends and loved ones lie dead in the rubble, how much good is your lousy buck going to do you then?

It probably won't even be "worth" a buck either!

The U.S. dollar has been collapsing over the last 5 years straight, going on six, yet these same cretins won't admit that classical trade rules...supply-demand...are what's causing it. If some ignoramus at Cato says it (even though his own charts don't support his conclusions!), by Golly, those assertions must be gospel truth.

I just pray that the Heritage Foundation can be restored to patriotic convictions...and oust the Jack Spencer segment. And not just removed from their positions of control...but permanently fired from any association whatsoever. They besmirch all conservatives.