Just a fun idea to save 'The Big 3'

[MagnumDweeb]

I'm sitting here, studying for exams, watching CNBC, playing the market on a rather interesting roll, and the idea hit me.

To set the stage, I remember reading and hearing that when WWII was going on a lot of production companies that didn't ordinarily build firearms took up contracts to build 1911s, M1 Garands, bombs, and so on.

Well I've read time and time again, from both past veterans(mostly Vietnam era, and Iraq, I eat Sunday breakfast a local VFW setup that serves great breakfasts that beat Dennys and I take an homeless[Korea] vet with me that lives in the nearby woods) and current veterans that say the .223 is a round they'd like to see gone. And now there's the 6.8 SPC that I saw on a program, don't remember which one, that even in a small SMG setup, performed to high-velocity rifle spec, and read that in civilian sporting Semi-auto rifles like the AR platform is an excellent hunting round, and it offers better overall performance and potential stopping power than the .223.

A lot of folks, old generals and other military experts have said that most of our military equipment is coming close on the end of its life. That we need new M-16s, MGs, and so on and so on. Well we've got Obama who has hinted at times if not outright proposed, spend our way out of this recession, so why don't we go to the Big 3s and there closed factories, open them up, setup the equipment needed and start getting people their jobs back while restocking our beleaugered military logistics.

I'm thinking some ten years contracts get setup to bring back workers at sustainable wages, like $20 an hour with benefits with 401ks instead of pentions, and work to guarantee fifty thousand jobs to start. Build like a few millions rifles, spare parts to service ten million rifles (make this a long term investment, we got an average fifteen years out of each M16 that's currently produced as I understand it), nad maybe setup ammunition production along side it. Now I know fifty thousand jobs isn't alot of but it's just an idea, fifty thousand jobs guaranteed for ten years is a heck of a thing nowadays. Plus nothing to say there couldn't be more hired. But Obama isn't likely to get on the bandwagon, him and a grand number of the dems don't think we need a military with the latest cutting edge and most advanced weaponry on earth. Also it'd be a great stage setter for bringing on other closed factories to produce plumbing pipes for our antiquated and degenerating nationwide sewage system, electric grids, and so on and so on. Ford buidling "Fast Ordinance Rifle Deals", Doge buidling "Domestic Ordinance Great Engineering", GM building, "General Military" rifles.

FDR didn't get us out of the depression, oh he helped to keep things from boiling over into something nasty and ugly. But it was WWII, the massive jump in needed workers (so great that millions of Mexicans were allowed to immigrate to work in our factories, thus the birth of the Latin Kings) that brought us out of the depression.

Oh and a fun side note, the military to could also setup there old and then milsurp M16s to be sporting civilian rifles to be sold on the civilian market. A used and battered but servicable semi-auto M16 selling for around $600 would sure be a nice thing, plus the new stocks of milsurp .223 would sure be nice, even for I whom is not a big fan of .223.

 

[crushbup]

IIRC, the 6.8 SPC has less than desirable performance and it was 6.5 Grendel that performs well. (I could be very wrong, though)

Your idea is reasonably sound, but with all the bureaucracy to go through, it doesn't seem feasible.

 

[SavageMOA]

They did something like that during WW2. Every manufacturing plant was converted to deal with wartime production. I think I remember a refridgeration plant being converted to make Sherman tanks.

 

[Flame Red]

First, it is going to piss off all the current military suppliers that want the business and have paid good money to pay off the idiots in Washington. They don't want any competition.

I'm sorry, but the (lack) of brain trust is more concerned about 'globalization' and their other socialist/commie ideal than the well being of the blue collar folks. They rather send the work to China or anywhere else but here. These are the same idiots that got us into this mess to start with. Thank Barney Fag and his twisted kin.

There is no way the Obomination is going to start or give any CMP style organization access to surplus military equipment when they can sell it - strike that, give it away - to one of our allies (read future enemies). They don't want to have a bunch of blue collar pissed off people running around with any mil surplus.

And for pipes and other non-firearm infrastructure, sorry, those are headed to suppliers overseas. More 'bridges to no where' - certainly we don't have enough of those!

Good wishful thinking - but not going to happen.

Please go back to your studies so that you will be amply prepared to take your place in line for unemployment, or to share the wealth, or your future career of selling China or other foreign made products.

 

[GRIZ22]

FDR didn't get us out of the depression, oh he helped to keep things from boiling over into something nasty and ugly. But it was WWII, the massive jump in needed workers (so great that millions of Mexicans were allowed to immigrate to work in our factories, thus the birth of the Latin Kings) that brought us out of the depression

This is not true. Paying workers with inflated dollars to build things for the govt would have fueled further depression after WWII if it hadn't been for one thing. The US was the only country with an indutsrial base that wasn't effected by WWII. Axis and Allies had factories bombed until only rubble existed. The UK had rationing into the 50s.

What got the US out of the depression was the fact that if anyone wanted any manufactured goods the US was the place that had them all. This continued through the 50s and 60s.

I'm thinking some ten years contracts get setup to bring back workers at sustainable wages, like $20 an hour

You will run into big problems from the UAW. Autoworkers taking a pay and benefit cut to build firearms? I don't think so. One reason GM, Ford, and Chrysler are in trobule because they have to pay 1000s of UAW members for doing nothing.

223 is a round they'd like to see gone

To gamble a good chunk of our economy on replacing the 223/5.56 round is folly.

Well we've got Obama who has hinted at times if not outright proposed, spend our way out of this recession,

A better way to spend our way is use the money for the bailouts for a 2 month tax holiday. You don't pay any taxes for 2 months will do more for the overall economy. People will spend the money they save by not having to pay taxes for 2 months (stimulates production and makes jobs), save it (more money to loan for houses and business ventures), or pay debts (fewer banks going belly up).

fifty thousand jobs guaranteed for ten years

Sounds a lot like socialism. Where do we get the money to pay these people for 10 years? Higher taxes? Economics like this are seriously flawed.

 

[MGshaggy]

These are the same idiots that got us into this mess to start with. Thank Barney Fag and his twisted kin.

How very High Road of you. That sort of trash talk may be acceptable in your home, but THR isn't that sort of a cesspool.

FWIW Barney Frank is not nearly as clueless on the economic mess as you may think. I don't agree 100% with his ideas on how to fix it, but he's not completely off base either. I know that may be hard for you to accept, but try not to blindly follow the republican party line or what Rush Limbaugh tells you to think. I'm a republican, but I won't make excuses for my party, or try to blame 'the other guy' when they royally screw up. Under Bush the party has abandoned its core ideals of limited government and fiscal responsibility. Greenspan bears a good bit of blame also. Paulson & Bernancke haven't done such a hot job either (Shelia Bair OTOH shows some real promise...)

Rather than blaming Barney Frank, I suggest you look at Gramm-Leach-Bailey, the 30:1 leverage ratios IB's and private equity were sporting, poor credit ratings services that handed out AAAs on subprime CDOs, the creation of synthetic CDOs that piled leverage on top of leverage, moronic borrowers who didn't bother to read the terms of their own mortgages before signing, NINJA loans, little to no regulation of mortgage brokers, inadequate reserves to meet collateral calls etc. I could go on.

 

[HeavenlySword]

+1 MGshaggy