US Military Failings Exposed(bloomberg.com)
bloomberg.com
US Military Failings Exposed
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-02-21/pentagon-dod-actions-spark-concern-if-us-military-equipped-for-war
16 comments
And thus we have Ukraine. Made to order to get us out of the trap we've manufactured.
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I’m very concerned about or supply chain issues as the article mentions. Moving huge portions of our manufacturing to China has made us incredibly vulnerable. I imagine that’s why Russia and China are ratcheting up now
Without Asian electronics components, alloys, etc. we couldn't build an electric combat pickle domestically here in the US.
Asian components are fine from a foreign policy perspective.
Japan, Korea, Taiwan are allies and I don't see any reasonable future where that's threatened.
The main issue is that Taiwan is directly threatened by military action by China. Even if Taiwan remains friendly with us, a war in that region would cut off our supply of chips.
Japan, Korea, Taiwan are allies and I don't see any reasonable future where that's threatened.
The main issue is that Taiwan is directly threatened by military action by China. Even if Taiwan remains friendly with us, a war in that region would cut off our supply of chips.
I disagree, some kind of looming Chinese naval adventure could cut us off as quick as you like.
But who wants to work in factories as production grunts? The jobs are pretty terrible.
We need robot powered factories that require 1/10th or less the manpower of a normal factory. Then the extra cost of US wages matters less, and with the rising cost of shipping - it’s now both quicker and cheaper to build in the US.
We need robot powered factories that require 1/10th or less the manpower of a normal factory. Then the extra cost of US wages matters less, and with the rising cost of shipping - it’s now both quicker and cheaper to build in the US.
> The jobs are pretty terrible.
Not really? Factory work is hard, but generally pays well and has consistent long term demand (aka job security). Machining is skilled labor and paid like it, and factories that work with metal are far cleaner than others. Ironically, the dirtiest and most hazardous factory I've seen/worked in was a laundry soap factory, hands down. Nobody making parts that require consistent quality can just not give a fuck like that or depend on a pipeline of disposable desperate temp workers for production.
Not really? Factory work is hard, but generally pays well and has consistent long term demand (aka job security). Machining is skilled labor and paid like it, and factories that work with metal are far cleaner than others. Ironically, the dirtiest and most hazardous factory I've seen/worked in was a laundry soap factory, hands down. Nobody making parts that require consistent quality can just not give a fuck like that or depend on a pipeline of disposable desperate temp workers for production.
> We need robot powered factories that require 1/10th or less the manpower of a normal factory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbdVboVNUM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nah4BQ9y8IY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXkEjbZtNic
Do you know how a modern factory works?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbdVboVNUM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nah4BQ9y8IY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXkEjbZtNic
Do you know how a modern factory works?
In fact I can walk down the street and walk into them. None of them look like that.
There are tons of crappy grunt jobs still in the factories America has left. Outside of a few industries, it's there isn't margin to do that.
There are tons of crappy grunt jobs still in the factories America has left. Outside of a few industries, it's there isn't margin to do that.
So those people all work at Walmart and McDonalds now instead?
And as others have pointed out, our factories are heavily automated but you still need humans.
And as others have pointed out, our factories are heavily automated but you still need humans.
Perfect stuxnet target.
We need a draft for technical trades. Not like they’re doing anything else.
We need a draft for technical trades. Not like they’re doing anything else.
I'm going to have to ask: ... made us incredibly vulnerable to what?
Losing our status as the most powerful nation? Impacting the livelihoods of our most vulnerable and in-need (citizens)?
Losing our status as the most powerful nation? Impacting the livelihoods of our most vulnerable and in-need (citizens)?
> After decades of consolidation, the industry suffers from a paucity of competition and lacks the kind of “surge capacity” needed to wage major industrial wars.
During WW2 Kodak and IBM among others were making rifles. The "surge capacity" comes from a healthy manufacturing economy, which China has and the USA no longer does.
During WW2 Kodak and IBM among others were making rifles. The "surge capacity" comes from a healthy manufacturing economy, which China has and the USA no longer does.
The most significant problem might be - counterintuitively - the guaranteed and consistent over budgeting. Imagine if every year your company's IT budget inflated by 100%, regardless of what you spent it on, or what the actual business requirement was. You're going to end up searching for ways to spend the money, over paying for overly complicated products and pursuing all sorts of boondoggles which clutter the strategic vision. The guaranteed budgetary increases destroys budgetary discipline and corrupts the entire system and its products.
Given that its politically impossible to cut the budget, the US military is in a bind of its making, with the only way out might perversely be to actually to start a war(s) in order to raise expenditure against this guaranteed income