Today's headline

Well, it's not a headline of an article in the usual sense. It's the title of someone's post over on Democratic Underground and it's so, so, so true:

Americans do not know jack about history

Very worrying.

Here's an exerpt that talks through something I've been concerned about for a long time:

Let's put it this way and go back to oh WW II, not that far ago.

Back then it didn't matter if the Japanese sunk a carrier. Yes people died, but we could produce three carriers for each carrier they sunk... yes, that simple and the Cheap Carriers proved that.

On the other hand, since the Empire of Japan did not have the capacity to produce the STEEL needed, they could not afford to lose one carrier... and each ship of the Imperial Navy they lost... was a deep loss. One of the reasons actually for Adm. Kurita to pull off the slot, he knew that reality.

Well we are in that situation right now... and this does not just translate to military gear. Yes, I like my IPOD, and yes it was designed in Cupertino, but the chip factory is in China... and those same chips could be used for guidance systems for missiles we no longer can produce without importing a lot of crap.

This country has not had an industrial policy for now two generations... and it has become a second rate power. It is just a matter of time until this becomes like very official. I don't expect the children elected to the House and Senate to understand this...

I've been truly concerned for some time about the security implications of our outsourcing of manufacturing jobs. I simply cannot fathom how this is not seen to be a serious issue by the nation's powers that be.
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