Which is Easier? Swords into Plowshares or Plowshares into Swords?

This old saying may have new meaning for the US. As more and more heavy industry - and technology companies - go offshore to other nations for economic profit reasons - it will become a problem of how to produce items necessary for the survival of the NATION.

Globalists argue that if everyone is dependant upon everyone then no one will dare disrupt the status quo due to the harm that will befall their own nation if someone acts "irrationally." History, however, is full of examples where a single person acted irrationally and started a war or went down their own path of values regardless of the cost to their own nation.

The economy of the US grew due to the waters around the nation - the USA started trading in a Global economy way before it was a nation. Imports from France, UK, China, Africa, India - pretty much every nation is evident in the antiques that existed in the nation long before E-Bay showed up. The Stamp Act imposed by Great Britain on tea imported help start the Revolutionary war - and trade taxes - or lack of them on imports into the US - drives ever more companies who can leave go to another nation where they can build items and send back to the US without paying taxes IN the US.

There will be a point reached where the ability of the US to be self sufficient in a war will cease to exist. As more and more items made are ONLY made outside the US there will be a point where a nation that supplies the parts can shut down exports and cripple the short term war effort. If multiple nations do this - and most nations in the world are either outright hostile or lean against the US in most matters - then a short term supply problem can occur. A short term effort is all that is needed. A 6 month long military effort against the US by just 1/3 of the nations of the world could cause the USA to fall. High Technology always means HIGH MAINTENANCE. Parts wear out faster, changes occur ever more slowly due to the need to test everything in minute detail since everything is so tightly integrated you cannot test anything in isolation anymore. Think of the Osprey aircraft - 12 years and counting. The P-51 Mustang? 120 days from contract award (by Britain!) to flying.

There is only 1 ammunition plant dedicated to small arms ammo owned the the USA Government - and it cannot keep up. Most other plants are long gone - closed down by various gun lobbies via liability fears or regulations. If the US faced a real military significant enemy they would out supply us like we did the AXIS in WW II. That industrial base is LONG gone.

Answer: You can take a sword and make it work as a plow - but you cannot take a plow and turn it into a sword.